1st January 2006 : EPIPHANY : Year B
TODAY we celebrate the Feast officially known as The Epiphany of our Lord, the true importance is arguably best described by its traditional title, The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Yes, we are a good five days early for the celebration, whose actual day is 6th January, this Friday.
But we are Gentiles in a Gentile Church and it is fitting that we remember that within two years – possibly within twelve days - of the birth of Jesus people outside his own faith system were recognising his significance. They came, Gentiles from east of Judaea, to worship this baby, as if he were an earthly monarch, bringing expensive gifts of symbolic importance.
In doing so they brought to life words written by prophets like Isaiah but as we should expect by now the incarnation of prophecy came, as it always will and must, at the cost of human expectation, wishfulness and demand.
The entry of the Gentiles into the world of Jewish spirituality was not about Judaising the planet but about completing the picture, adding the final pieces to the divine jigsaw. Salvation – however we might define that ambiguous term – was for the entire population of the earth, not a select few, even though those select few had the sacred role and duty of becoming and being a blessing to every nation.
The advent of the Magi and their retinue is a powerful and symbolic testimony to the self-denying willingness of the Gentile world to accept Jesus at least as a king.
But that isn’t why Epiphany should excite us and why we should at least pay attention to it. As ever, we can bog ourselves in the morass of details and interesting but irrelevant questions like, Did it happen like what Matthew wrote? Were the Magi kings? Were they three in number and did they have dorky, er romantic, names like Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar? And insurance companies throughout the planet want to know whether they had a valuables policy to safeguard all that loot? and if not we’d be very happy to give you guys a complimentary quote!
No. This is about the effect of light. The light of the Jewish kid spreading – as light does – into every corner of darkness. The light of hope. The same light that shines on and within us. The same light that the Living God invites us to carry at all times, in all places so that those who cower hopeless and terrified in the darkness of pain and suffering will understand what God really thinks of us humans – that we are worthy, that we are lovable, that we matter – that we are OK!
This is part of the importance of incarnation in all its forms, whether it be the birth of Jesus or the arrival of very important people who bothered to get out of bed one day, pack their camels and keep their binoculars trained on the comet shooting westward. Or every act of kindness we display to the lost, helpless and suffering.
As for the Magi, their arrival on the holy family’s doorstep confirms that the light has reached possibly unexpected quarters. Matthew doesn’t say whether Joseph and Mary thought it strange that these guys suddenly rocked up unannounced, though Matt’s compadre, Luke, has at least Mary doing some serious reflecting more than once.
But again, that sort of issue matters less than the revelation that God’s light of hope reaches everywhere – that no place needs to remain benighted, that the Living God has compassion for every darkened human soul – and that WE are an essential part of the bringing of God’s light to Westfield and beyond.
It’s a daunting and dangerous task. But what’s new in that? The real question is, What shall we do to carry this light of hope to the darkness of our community? How are we bringing and BEING light for those who dwell in Westfield darkness? What are we doing – daily – to ensure that we remain within the story of light and so illumine the lives of the hopeless, the suffering and the needy?
TODAY we celebrate the Feast officially known as The Epiphany of our Lord, the true importance is arguably best described by its traditional title, The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Yes, we are a good five days early for the celebration, whose actual day is 6th January, this Friday.
But we are Gentiles in a Gentile Church and it is fitting that we remember that within two years – possibly within twelve days - of the birth of Jesus people outside his own faith system were recognising his significance. They came, Gentiles from east of Judaea, to worship this baby, as if he were an earthly monarch, bringing expensive gifts of symbolic importance.
In doing so they brought to life words written by prophets like Isaiah but as we should expect by now the incarnation of prophecy came, as it always will and must, at the cost of human expectation, wishfulness and demand.
The entry of the Gentiles into the world of Jewish spirituality was not about Judaising the planet but about completing the picture, adding the final pieces to the divine jigsaw. Salvation – however we might define that ambiguous term – was for the entire population of the earth, not a select few, even though those select few had the sacred role and duty of becoming and being a blessing to every nation.
The advent of the Magi and their retinue is a powerful and symbolic testimony to the self-denying willingness of the Gentile world to accept Jesus at least as a king.
But that isn’t why Epiphany should excite us and why we should at least pay attention to it. As ever, we can bog ourselves in the morass of details and interesting but irrelevant questions like, Did it happen like what Matthew wrote? Were the Magi kings? Were they three in number and did they have dorky, er romantic, names like Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar? And insurance companies throughout the planet want to know whether they had a valuables policy to safeguard all that loot? and if not we’d be very happy to give you guys a complimentary quote!
No. This is about the effect of light. The light of the Jewish kid spreading – as light does – into every corner of darkness. The light of hope. The same light that shines on and within us. The same light that the Living God invites us to carry at all times, in all places so that those who cower hopeless and terrified in the darkness of pain and suffering will understand what God really thinks of us humans – that we are worthy, that we are lovable, that we matter – that we are OK!
This is part of the importance of incarnation in all its forms, whether it be the birth of Jesus or the arrival of very important people who bothered to get out of bed one day, pack their camels and keep their binoculars trained on the comet shooting westward. Or every act of kindness we display to the lost, helpless and suffering.
As for the Magi, their arrival on the holy family’s doorstep confirms that the light has reached possibly unexpected quarters. Matthew doesn’t say whether Joseph and Mary thought it strange that these guys suddenly rocked up unannounced, though Matt’s compadre, Luke, has at least Mary doing some serious reflecting more than once.
But again, that sort of issue matters less than the revelation that God’s light of hope reaches everywhere – that no place needs to remain benighted, that the Living God has compassion for every darkened human soul – and that WE are an essential part of the bringing of God’s light to Westfield and beyond.
It’s a daunting and dangerous task. But what’s new in that? The real question is, What shall we do to carry this light of hope to the darkness of our community? How are we bringing and BEING light for those who dwell in Westfield darkness? What are we doing – daily – to ensure that we remain within the story of light and so illumine the lives of the hopeless, the suffering and the needy?
No comments:
Post a Comment