Epiphany 2016

Epiphany 2016 (Matthew 2:1-12)

 “We observed his star…”

Ancient civilizations believed that the heavens declared the glory of the divine. They developed the principle: “as above so below.”

They understood the entirety of creation as a universe governed by a singular set of principles. They also believed human beings were capable of discerning the essential truth of Creation through observation.

The wise men were the Magi- philosopher priests- who studied written records of past generations. They studied the observations of their ancestors and added their own observations to the body of knowledge that they had assembled. They were astronomers, mathematicians and philosophers. They taught their children the three M s of ancient education: Music, Math and Myth.

They were subject to the same temptations that beset our species. Over time they abandoned observation and inquiry for more rigid forms of certainty. They became obsessed with so called secret knowledge by which they could acquire wealth and power.

Some Magi still had that very rare sense of inquiry most people lose as we age. It is called “beginners’ mind”. It is the ability to observe nature, humanity and our own lives with a fresh perspective. It is the very rare ability to ask questions.

Based on their fundamental beliefs about the universe, the Wise Men concluded that the new star they observed in the heavens was linked in some way to something or someone new on earth. They decided to test this hypothesis by following the star. They asked for help from the political and religious authorities in Jerusalem.

They incautiously shared their theory about the meaning of the star. They naively told the political and religious elites of Jerusalem that the birth of a new star in the heavens announced the birth of a new star- a king- on earth. They failed to consider how this theory would affect the King, the Temple Priests, and the Scribes who formed the religious bureaucracy of the time.

As with the prophets of the past the words of the Magi frightened the establishment of the day. As with the kings and priests and merchants of old the elites heard the Good News of divine intervention in human history as a threat. For some it was an inconvenience. For others it was a challenge to the social order. For the most powerful it was a direct attack on their position.

Whether they really believed the Magi’s interpretation of the star they knew that the ignorant masses of people might just believe. They knew that their rivals and enemies would exploit that belief. As with the word of the prophets they chose the path of reaction through deceit and aggression.

We know the story. We remember the politically expedient lies. We try to distant ourselves from the reality that a lost and rebellious humanity has no room for the divine.

As it was then so it continues now. The heavens declare the glory of God but people fail to perceive the glory. The Creation is a universe of unified principles that derive from one single elegant truth: the logos. Yet, people invent modern mythologies to evade and deny the obvious. The ruling political and religious elites pay lip service to a generic deity but rebel against the Real Presence of God in Jesus Christ.

The Good News is still the Good News. God is real. God is personal. God is love. God is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the source of all truth. All truth points to and leads to Jesus Christ. Jesus manifests himself to us through the operation of the Holy Spirit in nature, in personal relationships and in the Church. In Jesus, God is working His purpose out.

Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures, present at the altar of sacrifice and working in our minds, hearts and wills is the risen star in the Creation inviting us all into a new life and into a new way of living. Jesus manifests the glory of God which is the steadfast holy universal and unconditional love of God.