Unpacking the Gifts of Epiphany

In our part of the world we know that the Christmas season has come to a close not when we see the dried up trees thrown to the curb in our neighborhoods, nor by the disappearing parade of cards in the mail. Only when we hear this: The wise men set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:9-12) Christians point to the fulfilling of Isaiah’s hopes. “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:2) And Psalm 72 is fulfilled with kings paying tribute and offering gifts.

The arrival of the magi from the East signals the end of the first act of the nativity story. With most of our Christmas traditions originating from northern Europe, we largely miss out on the importance of this feast of the Epiphany in the Christian east: Greek and Russian Orthodox traditions. Around the world this feast is called “little Christmas” in Ireland and “El día de Reyes” or “King’s Day” in Spain and many countries in Latin America. The gift giving that we experienced 12 days ago is saved for today in those places where Epiphany still reigns. It is celebrated locally in the city of Hartford today with a parade.

The word Epiphany means “shining forth” or “appearing” or “making public or obvious” “unveiling” and its meaning offers rich opportunities for considering what God is doing in the story of the visit of the Magi, and thereby making the jump to see connections in our own lives.

At first glance, the essence of the Epiphany is the public unveiling of the Christ child for all the world to see and know. The message of the messiah, the birth of a savior, was too good to just keep in the small family of King David and his descendents gathered in Bethlehem. Long before Jesus’ baptism as an adult, his teaching, his miracles, his healings, and before the cross and resurrection, the gospels put the world on alert that everyone has something at stake in this story. The message of Christ, from birth, infancy, and adulthood, is about making it public, known and obvious that the scope of God’s love and interest is forever wide and deep. There are no boundaries to God’s mercy and no one is left out. The opening that began with the Magi was embraced with zeal by the Apostle Paul in his ministry to the Gentiles. Paul wrote (Ephesians 3) “In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Let’s take another part of the meaning of this feast. Think for a moment and consider Epiphany as that which is radiant and shining. What shines in this story of the birth of Christ? What stands out?

Is it the star shining over Bethlehem that leads the Magi to the Christ child? Believers and modern astrologers are fascinated with trying to date the birth of Christ by plotting the stars in the ancient sky. Even here in our own Chapel of the Nativity, an artist imagines the star filled night in Bethlehem. Is it the star?

What else is radiant? Is it the gleaming gifts the wise men bring: the gold especially? Or is it the Christ child? Great works of art portray almost a glow coming from wherever the Christ child is present.

Scripture does not tell us much about these wise men. They may have been from Persia. Perhaps they were astrologers, scholars, and magicians. But what does stand out in the story is this: when they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. They experienced the joy of finding what they were looking for.

Joy is a catchword of this season – you see the word everywhere on cards, set in music – but in reality Christmas joy can seem illusive and more than a bit contrived. In the midst of still bleak winter, what this feast can do for us, for even a moment, is to remind us what is the true joy of the season.

The true joy that Mathew’s gospel wants to make clear is that finding Christ changes everything – for them and for us. We see how we are loved for who we are, not how others would want us to be. It changes our personal lives. It changes our professional lives – reminding us that we are more than what we do. It changes our relationships – giving us a way to forgive each other not because we deserve to be forgiven, but to forgive for Christ’s sake. It changes how we care for the world around us and the people with whom we share this planet. It should change how we spend our money and our time to build up God’s kingdom.

In our own lives, let us pay close attention to those sometimes brief moments when the stars align and things and people and events come together enough to know that – well – that God is known and all is good and right in the universe.

As we go out into the world on this day and through this week, consider for a moment those ideas, dreams, and hopes that are still waiting to be born in you. Waiting to be known and unveiled.

May we never grow tired or hardened to stop hoping and working toward a world where there is enough today’s equivalent of treasured gold, frankincense, and myrrh to go around – enough to clothe, feed, and care for children and adults alike. May we never get too weary from the journey that we stop counting our blessings and looking for answers to prayers. May we come to know that the only joy that truly lasts in this life comes from finding God and being found by God and may we never stop looking to heaven to guide our way.