"Epiphany: See Again"

Matthew 2: 1-12

Rev. Caela Simmons Wood

First Congregational UCC, Manhattan, KS

January 2, 2022

“See again.” That’s the invitation from the late-great Biblical scholar Marcus Borg. Over and over again Borg taught us that if we want to be people who “take the  Bible seriously, but not literally,” we have to learn to “see again.” To set aside what we think we know about a particular story and strip away centuries of interpretation so that we can see the story again, anew, with fresh eyes and an open heart for listening. 

This is particularly hard to do with stories that we think we know inside and out. Like this one, about the “three kings.” You may have already noticed that there aren’t necessarily three of them (we don’t know how many there were) and you might also know that they weren’t kings. They were Magi from the East. Most likely Zoroastrian astrologers. People who interpreted signs in the sky and dreams to make meaning. Calling them Wise Men or even Wise Ones doesn’t quite capture it, either, because the people who originally heard this tale certainly wouldn’t have automatically thought of them as “wise.” They might have scoffed at them, in fact, and thought of them as superstitious or misguided or, if they were feeling more charitable, perhaps just “exotic and interesting.” But most Jews wouldn’t have asked these astrologers to help them make big life decisions. They were odd, foreign - not revered. 

And so, if we want to try and see this story again - anew - we’ve got to get our characters right. There IS a king: King Herod. He’s whiny, scared, pouty. Threatened by a baby! How ridiculous. 

And there are wise men: the chief priests and scribes of the Jewish people. And they ARE wise. They know what’s up. Herod asks them where this scary, threatening baby is going to be born and they know right away. They consult their sacred texts and tell the King that the babe will be born in Bethlehem. 

And so….why do we need the Magi at all? Couldn’t the King just listen to the wise men he already had at his disposal? They seemed confident enough that the child would be born in Bethlehem. And Bethlehem’s not that big of a town, so….?

But here they are in the story. The Magi. Seekers from a far-away land. Outsiders. Dream-readers. Star-gazers. Oddballs. Why are they included? What are they supposed to teach us? 

Well, if nothing else, they’re good for some comic relief. They initially follow the star to the wrong place and wind up in Jerusalem. Herod’s the one who tells them to go to Bethlehem after all and they don’t seem to have any inkling that Herod is the bad guy here. They dutifully traipse off to look for Jesus, presumably planning to do just what Herod has asked and send back word about where he can find the baby. And when they arrive, they fall down and worship Jesus, presenting some unusual gifts, including myrrh, which was primarily used for embalming and is a very bizarre gift to give a baby. It’s all very strange. 

Since this story is one most of us have just “always known,” it’s easy for us to miss the absurdity of it. The strangeness. But the Jews who originally heard it would have been shaking their heads and maybe even laughing a bit. Of all the people in all the world to be the ones to fall down and worship Jesus first - Magi? Of all the people in all the world for God to speak to in a dream and warn them about Herod’s nefarious plans - these weirdos? Of all the gifts in all the world to bring a baby - myrrh? 

Just what is God up to in this story? 

Why would God come in the form of a baby to save the world? Why was the baby born in some tiny town and not the capital city?  Why would the first people who come to worship be outsiders, nobodies? Why would God speak to these outsiders through stars and dreams rather than more conventional methods? Just what is God doing, anyway?

Epiphany, which marks the end of Christmas on Jan. 6, is the observance of God made manifest. The revelation of Emanuel, God with us, in the most unexpected of ways. The symbol of this season is light - stars in the sky that light the way to the Christ child, the light that shines in the darkness in John’s gospel, light that reveals and helps us to see again. 

Perhaps the absurdity of this strange story is a flashing light. To make us sit up, pay attention, see again. This God who leaves us with so many questions, this God who comes in unexpected people and unconventional methods, this God is shining a light and inviting us to see again as we enter a new year together. 

I recently heard Jane Goodall interviewed and she was speaking about finding hope in the midst of a world in crisis - climate change, the pandemic, political unrest, violence and more. It can feel absolutely overwhelming. Especially right now when we had hoped so desperately to be in a better place with the pandemic by 2022 but here we are once again - worried about the strain on our healthcare system and recalculating our own risk budgets. We desperately want and need the light of Epiphany, don’t we? [1] 

Goodall said that hope, for her, is active. She said it’s like being in a long, dark tunnel. But we can see just a pinprick of light at the end. We don’t just sit there, she said, waiting for the light to come to us. Instead, we move towards the light. Sometimes crawling on our knees or climbing over obstacles. We take breaks and rest. We draw near to others and give each other strength for the journey. We move towards the light. That’s hope - partnering with the light and with each other. 

That’s what the Magi did, right? They kept moving, following the star. They stayed close to one another and traveled as a community. They listened with the ears of their hearts, allowing God’s voice to come to them even in their dreams. And they rejoiced! Even in the midst of all the mess, they allowed their spirits to soar and rejoiced exceedingly with great joy when they finally found their way to Jesus. 

They were people of hope. Travelers who held on tightly to the light. Protectors who stood up against a tyrant. Listeners who were bold enough to go home by another way. Seekers who saw God revealed among us in the most unexpected of places. Old, familiar characters who invite us to see again. 

Thanks be to God for those who light the way. 

NOTES:

[1] Jane Goodall on the 1A podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1a/id1188724250?i=1000545433436&fbclid=IwAR1r-5yj49HgIEMVA1_Ine8MD_sbWCdDvt3JdA06vwUSVpFAijgs2NVMchk