Feast of the Epiphany
On Christmas, we heard the story of the birth of Jesus according to Luke. Bethlehem, we are told, was crowded at the time, like Bar Harbor in the summer. The visitors weren’t tourists (as we understand the term) but people who were descendants of David, there to register for the census. We can imagine the locals complaining about the folks “from away” (even as they appreciate the business), while the visitors may be complaining among themselves about the quality of their rooms or the meals or the service.
As they are all about their business, they scarcely notice the young couple who arrives at the inn, seeking a room. The woman, obviously pregnant, will soon give birth. Someone, reluctantly, leaves whatever important thing he or she is doing to point out the nearby stable as the only room available. At this point, the folks at the inn and everyone else in Bethlehem fades from the scene. None of these go to the manger. No one has a clue that, in their little town of Bethlehem, “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight”.
No one, that is, except the shepherds. They, like the people in the town, are simply about their work. They are taking turns keeping watch over one another’s flocks during the night, so that some of them can sleep for at least part of the night. It is to them that the angels are sent to announce the birth of the Messiah. Why the shepherds? Jesus would call Himself a shepherd. He would also identify in a special way with the lowly and poor. But these shepherds must have already had some kind of openness to God. They were not only keeping watch over their sheep; they were also keeping watch for the will of God. How do we know this? We are told that the shepherds went “in haste” to Bethlehem after receiving this news, and then found Mary and Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the manger. Mary herself went “in haste” to Elizabeth after the angel Gabriel had announced to her the good news. Like Mary, the shepherds had a readiness to welcome God’s word and obey immediately.
Now we turn to Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus. Matthew tells us about another group of people who are also about their business keeping watch. Not shepherds, but the mysterious Magi who come from the east, seeking the newborn King of the Jews. Who were they? The best ‘educated guess’ is that they were from a group of people who studied the stars and planets in an effort to discern the will of the gods for the important people of their lands. They were pagans, not Jews. They were upper class, not poor. They lived within the borders of the Parthian Empire, one of the great enemies of the Romans. The two empires were in an uneasy peace at the time, but they had fought wars before and would fight again. At first glance, the Magi would seem like some of the least likely people to come to Bethlehem seeking the King of the Jews.
Yet, they come. Something happened as they studied the stars. One unusual star caught their attention. They interpreted it as a sign that a new King of the Jews was about to be born. Not just any king, they understood, but THE King. It becomes a moment of grace for them, an open door. Like the shepherds, they go in haste. They start on the long journey to a conquered people within enemy territory. They unwittingly stir up Herod’s jealousy against the very King they seek. And when they find Jesus, they rejoice and worship him. They give him their wealth, symbolized in the gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are open to the voice of God in dreams as well, so they return to their homeland by another route. We are so used to this story that we can miss how amazing and unexpected it is. These pagans, these foreigners, were as ready to obey God and worship Him as Abraham was.
Like the shepherds, the Magi, and all the people in Bethlehem, we are also about our business: work, school, family, church, and so forth. Like the people in Bethlehem, however, it’s easy to act as though our own business is all there is. It need not be that way. We saw how the shepherds and the Magi encountered the surprising grace of God while they were about their daily business. They did their work with this openness to God, this searching for God, so that they were ready to respond wholeheartedly when God came to them.
How can we be as open to the presence of God as the shepherds and the Magi? First of all, by reminding ourselves that we are already graced beings. God has already come to us and has lavished the Holy Spirit upon us. Because we are so graced, we can respond by seeing everything we do as part of what we offer to God in return. Our work is done for God. We study to learn of God. We befriend and love others that we might share God’s very love with one another. We pray so that we might be instruments of God’s grace for one another. Through it all, we remain open to God. We know that God has more, much more, to offer us. We wait on God, expecting God’s surprising grace to come to us every day and in every way.
With this attitude, we’ll be ready if angels sing overhead or if a star should shine for us. We’ll be ready to discern God’s gracious will for us. We’ll be like the wise virgins of Jesus’ parable, waiting with lighted lamps, ready when the Master opens the door and welcomes us in.