Revealing light [Epiphany; St. Matthew 2:1-12]

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE.

Jesus speaks to you today saying:

“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

To get a few things out of the way first:

There were not three wise men, but three gifts.

The wise men were lead by the Word of God, not only the star.

And Epiphany is a continuation of Christmass; meaning it is a continuing celebration of God revealing Himself to us: Who He is, what He’s doing, what He’s thinking, and where it’s all happening. (Spoiler alert: its all with Jesus, in the flesh)

So, for today we will focus on where the star “mis-leads” the wise guys and what is truly revealed to them when they get to their final destination.

First off, they declare themselves to be seekers of the King of the Jews. I mean, what else would a supernatural, heavenly event announce anyway? Thus, in their minds, the star probably leads them to the right place in the first place. I mean, you find kings in kings houses. Why would you look for a king in a domesticated feeding trough?

So they go to find the king in the king’s palace, Jerusalem, but instead they find a usurper and a deceiver, Herod. Disappointment number 1. You can feel the let down hang heavy in the room. Waiting for years, these wise men travel from far only to find an old warmonger on the throne, instead of a great and glorious wonder that the star of Bethlehem implies.

This disappointment is quickly alleviated though, as the Word of God recalculates their route. Those who do not believe, the chief priest and scribes, preach God’s Word to the wise men, but the wise men do believe and do as the Word says: Go to Bethlehem.

Spirits back in high gear, they find the star again and it seems to shine brighter this time around. On the way to Bethlehem they wipe their brows and sigh at the fools they had been to think Herod was the king. Relieved, their steps are light on their way to Bethlehem, their true destination.

The star stops and so does their breathing. Their joy is palpable. Their hearts are beating hard in their chests as they approach the house. They step inside, steeling themselves to see the blazing glory of the real King and…….

A child. A drooling, whiny, toddler graces their vision. Years of study, months of planning, weeks of traveling, and this is the reward? A bouncing, baby, brat? No offense, Jesus, but the sight the magi beheld was probably not what they were expecting and were probably more or less disappointed. Probably.

Repent! The light of Christ is great and glorious, but not according to the world’s standards. While we want to see majesty and power, God offers us humility and weakness. Where we want grandeur and pomp, God offers poverty and simplicity.

In fact, the light of God, while glorious and filled with infinite joy, does not bring joy to the sinner. King David warns us that in God’s light our iniquities are set before Him and our secret sins are laid bare in the light of His presence.

This means that when God is present, it is not just cupcakes and rainbows, but full on guilt for our transgressions. Its no wonder that the Christ-child did not meet the magi’s expectations, because they did not just find a King, but a light that revealed their sins to them and to Him.

This is the same affect the crucifix is to have on us. We and many others in sin, look upon Jesus on the cross and are taken aback. We shiver at the sight of such violence and immediately work to restore decency in the church by removing such an image. This is because it reveals our sin to us. It reveals that we are sinners and that we deserve nothing but punishment.

Yet, it is in this same light of the cross that our Savior is revealed. Because at the cross we do not just find a man suffering, we see the true Light which has come into the world; the Word made flesh to dwell among us; the light that shines in the darkness, but is not overcome.

Thus, at the same time the magi, and us, find our sins in the light of God, we also find the light of forgiveness. For this toddler shinning with the brightness of the star is the same Jesus Who will save His people from their sins.

The same light that reveals our sinfulness, also reveals our salvation. The light that exposes us also covers and heals us. And exposed, we can only do one of two things: run away or bow down and worship. If we do not have faith, we will run away. If God has granted us faith, then we will shrug our shoulders, say “God can do as He likes”, and offer our gifts in the midst of things we do not understand, just as the magi offered gifts to a child.

This same light did not fade with the star of Bethlehem. It is through the preaching of the Gospel that this light continues to shine in the Church. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

This means that God is still speaking and in our days He speaks to us through His Son, Who in turn gives His word to His pastors. Because, as we said right away, it wasn’t just the star that lead the wise men, but God’s word spoken by the prophets.

The Word still reveals the Light of Christ to us. It still reveals our sins and reveals our Savior. It continues to disappoint us in the light of daily troubles, but causes us to marvel at its granting of life everlasting.

In faith, we no longer run away from this light feeling disappointment and anger, but we are brought to it by the Holy Spirit, we are bathed in it, spoken to by it, and fed by it in order that we find peace with God. Now that God has become just like one of us, except without sin, we find peace and joy in both soul and body.

Now that Jesus has taken on our flesh, we behold His light as the light of an eternal banquet, prepared for His sake, in our honor of being lost in the darkness, but now being found by the light of Christ which no darkness can overcome. Now, in the light, we are children of the light in Church and see that Jesus indeed will suffer and die and rise again, for us.