Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

— 2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

The Epiphany, the manifestation, of the Lord celebrates the coming of Christ to all of humanity—represented in the Gospel by the magi, the wise men. The star seen by the wise men was not just the sign that a king had been born: it revealed that the true Light of the World was dawning at last. That the wise men recognised its significance demonstrates that all can receive the gospel: that they were “overwhelmed with joy” on seeing it again over Bethlehem shows that the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of everyone.

But there is, of course, another side to the story. As we are told in John’s Gospel, when the light came into the world, many preferred darkness to the light. Herod the King sees in the light of the star only danger, a threat to his position and power. So, he is frightened: and when the powerful are frightened, terrible things happen. The sequel to this Gospel passage is very dark indeed: the slaughter of the innocents shows how the powers of this world deal with an inconvenient truth.

And this is the choice laid before us all by Christ’s Epiphany. The light of the star reveals, makes manifest, many things that were hidden; this is disturbing, even frightening. But we can choose to react in fear, when the light shows that many of the things we place our trust in are Illusory, or we can respond with joy, when that same light reveals the true treasure of the world: the One before whom we would gladly fall down in homage; the one to whom we would joyfully present all our gifts.