1. Visit of the Magi

As early as the fourth century, Epiphany has been the festival commemorating the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus. The account of that visit in Matthew 2:1-12 is thus the center of attention in our church today. The visit of the Magi is regarded as the first appearance of Jesus to the gentiles. This is the season to declare the manifestation of the divine Son. The festival is usually commemorated on January 6. The text from Matthew begins: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him’"¡ÊMatthew 2:1-2).

Magi are like astrologers, and people of that era thought they were capable of seeing into the future. They augured upcoming events by observing the stars. For example, it is said that the birth of Alexander the Great was portrayed by astrologers, as the appearance of one who would destroy the oriental world."We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” means that the Magi predicted the arrival of Jesus by studying astrological movements. A German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer, J.Kepler* concluded, after referring to ancient records concerning movements of Saturn and Jupiter, that the year of this phenomena would correspond to about 7 B.C.

To see the new born king of the Jews, the Magi came to the palace because Herod the Great was the king of the Jews at that time. But it was a big mistake, and their words, ‘the king of the Jews’ upset Herod. Despite his domination over Judea, Herod’s origin was not Jewish but Idumaean. He had taken over the ruler’s post from Hasmoneans, the authentic Jewish dynasty, with the support of the Roman occupation forces.

He was not popular with the Jewish people, and his status was in reality, very fragile. To justify his reign he married a daughter of the Hasmonian family, but he remained anxious about his status. He killed the Hasmonian’s relatives, even his own sons born from that marriage.** So, perhaps it was understandable that he became extremely nervous when he heard the Magi’s talking.

Matthew reports that all Jerusalem was disturbed by that news, as was Herod (Matthew 2:3). “All Jerusalem” indicates, “chief priests and teachers of the law,” not ordinary Jewish people. Because it was the privileged of society who hated change.

Herod created a plot which would stifle the possibility of the child’s survival. At first he needed to know the baby’s birth place, so when he had called together all the people’s chief priests, and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied (Matthew 2:5). But the high ranking Jewish people, remained aloof, and did not even comprehend what the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem meant to the world.

In contrast, the Magi set off from Jerusalem to adore the future king by following the guiding star. Being informed of Herod’s dangerous plot, they were able to warn the parents of the new born Jesus (Matt. 2:11-14). Later, “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” (Matt. 2:16). The place was filled with weeping and great mourning for the parents of baby boys.

2. From a Position of Faith

The birth of Jesus, God’s agent, into a sinful imperial world brings two responses. The powerful centre rejects him. Herod, Rome’s vassal king over Judea (40-4 BCE), tries to murder the new born Jesus. In contrast, insignificant people from the margins - the Gentile magi, or wise men, Joseph and Mary - all welcome God’s initiative. We should read the text passage Matthew 2:1-23 in its entirety from a position of faith. The content includes three pivotal elements: the Magi’s visiting Herod, the massacre of baby boys in Bethlehem and the escape of Joseph’s family into Egypt.

From the faith point of view, the first element from which we comment is the identification of Jesus. Issues of identity and lifestyle were especially important to the largely Jewish audience for whom the Gospel of Matthew was initially written. The Jewish people were aspiring for the arrival of a Messiah, a leader who would free them from Roman domination. The idea that the birth of great leaders would be accompanied by celestial signs were fairly common at the time of Matthew’s writing. A more immediate background is provided by several Old Testament texts: Isaiah 60:1-6, which speaks of kings coming to worship Israel’s God, bringing gifts of gold and frankincense; the strange seer from the east (Num. 23-24) who saw a star “come forth out of Jacob” Num. 24:17); and the account of Moses being saved from the wicked Pharoah’s slaughter (Exod. 2:1-10).

The second comment is about the Savior’s birth place chosen by God, in Bethlehem - not in Jerusalem. Bethlehem is a little town approximately 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem. Jesus was born and worshiped for the first time in such a remote place. Even though Jerusalem was a huge city claimed by some as God’s city, nobody there celebrated the birth of Mary’s baby. Furthermore, the plot to kill the new born babies was secretly conceived and troops were organized for that purpose in Jerusalem. Thirty years later, Jesus was arrested and put on the Cross in that very city. History records that Jerusalem was hostile against Jesus on more than two occasions.

The third and most important point is that Jesus was firstly worshiped by the Gentiles, not by the Jewish people. The Jewish leaders considered themselves to be chosen by God, therefore they saw Jesus as the enemy who challenged their privilege of status. In contrast, the Gentiles rejoiced in the news about the birth of the future Savior of the world, and came to worship Him by traveling thousands of kilometers.

3. Through Acceptance Comes Peace

Today’s invocation verses are John 1:11-12, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. The majority of Jewish people rejected Jesus, whereas the Gentiles accepted Him as the Savior. The verses above represent John’s testimony to the fact that the rejection of Jesus by the Israelites opened the way for all human beings to receive forgiveness and became God’s children.

We are now living in the 21st century. The preceding one was symbolized by progress in science, research and technology. Thanks to new discoveries and inventions the human life span is longer. Population has increased enormously, and our material lives have become much more plentiful than before. Nevertheless, we cannot say that humans are happier now, because advanced technologies also generated weapons of mass destruction. In consequence, casualties, and victims of war have increased tremendously because humans cannot stop fighting. Conflicts continue in Iraq and Afghanastan, between Christians and Islamic terrorists, for example. Wars due to racism continue to cause misery in Africa and Palestine.

Many wars are provoked by racial hatred. Like those who rejected God’s Son, or as the Gospel of John records, “His own (Jewish people) did not receive him.” But the Gentiles received him, believed in his name, and were given the right to become children of God.

As long as we are held mentally captive of preconceived ideas about our fellow humans, and continue to bear racial prejudices, we cannot expect anything to change. And that attitude will only lead to open conflict and disputes. The only way to get free from such yolks is to find and recognize God, who goes beyond all racial, religious or dogmatic boundaries.

Paul experienced a similar problem, the attitude which refuses to accept differences in lifestyles. On one of those occasions he taught Christians to open their minds to Jesus’ Sacrifice: “If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:15).

By believing in the same Savior, Jesus Christ, we can come to understand different attitudes and thinking. Christ died for our sake, regardless of status or life-style. Jesus came to reconcile all of us with our neighbors. However, many of us have rejected Him, and so the disputes and wars in the world continue unabated.

But for those of us who have accepted Jesus, there is a message. Keep in mind our given role, and continue to make the effort to spread peace and good-will among the many different peoples and cultures of this world. To conclude today’s lecture, I would like to share with you the words of a thoughtful prayer by St. Francis of Assisi.*** May the words speak to our hearts and encourage us to spread God’s love and peace.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy;

—-
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean
*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis