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Sentence

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

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Collect  

Lord God of the nations,

we have seen the star of your glory rising in

splendour: may the brightness of your 

incarnate Word pierce the night that covers

the earth, signal the dawn of justice and peace,

and beckon all nations to walk as one in your light.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Word 

made flesh, who lives and reigns with you and

the Holy Spirit, in the splendour of eternal light,

God for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings

• Isaiah 60:1-6
• Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
• Ephesians 3:1-12
• Matthew 2:1-12

next week

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-22

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A Thought to Ponder

Epiphany of Our Lord – Matthew 2:1-12

Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the new-born king of the Jews?  We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

The story of the astrologers and the star of Bethlehem is unique to Matthew’s Gospel. Note Matthew does not call them “kings” nor does he give their names or report where they came from – in fact, Matthew never even specifies the number of magi (because three gifts are presented to the Child, it has been a tradition since the fifth century to picture “three wise men”). In stripping away the romantic layers that have been added to the story, Matthew’s point can be better appreciated.

A great many First Testament ideas and images are presented in this story. The star, for example, is reminiscent of Balaam’s prophecy that “a star shall advance from Jacob” (Numbers 24: 17). Many of the details in Matthew’s story about the child Jesus parallel the story of the child Moses and the Exodus.

Matthew’s story also provides a preview of what is to come. First, the reactions of the various parties to the birth of Jesus parallel the effects Jesus’ teaching will have on those who hear it. Herod reacts with anger and hostility to the Jesus of the poor who comes to overturn the powerful and rich. The chief priests and scribes greet the news with haughty indifference toward the Jesus who comes to give new life and meaning to the rituals and laws of the scribes. But the magi – non-believers in the eyes of Israel – possess the humility and the openness of mind and heart essential to faith that leads them to seek and welcome the Jesus who will institute the Second Covenant between God and the New Israel.

Secondly, the gifts of the astrologers indicate the principal dimensions of Jesus’ mission:

• gold is a gift fitting for a king, a ruler, one with power and authority;
• frankincense is a gift fitting for a priest, one who offers sacrifice (frankincense was an aromatic perfume sprinkled on the animals sacrificed in the Temple);
• myrrh is a fitting “gift” for someone who is to die (myrrh was used in ancient times for embalming the bodies of the dead before burial).

Epiphany calls is to a new vision of the world that sees beyond the walls and borders we have created and to walk by the light which has dawned for all of humankind, a light by which we are able to recognise all men and women as our brothers and sisters under the loving providence of God, the Father of all.

The magi’s following of the star is a journey of faith, a constant search for meaning, for purpose, for the things of God that each one of us experiences in the course of our own lives.

What we read and watch and listen to in search of wealth, fame and power are the “stars” we follow. The journey of the magi in Matthew’s Gospel puts our own “stargazing” in perspective, calling us to fix our search on the “star” of God’s justice, peace, and compassion.

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Sermon

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