The Epiphany of the Lord B
Sunday January 8th 2012
Isaiah 60:1-6: The glory of the Lord is rising on you.
Psalm 71: 1-2. 7-8. 10-13 Rv. 11: He shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless
Ephesians 3: 2-3. 5-6.: Pagans share the same inheritance in Christ Jesus.
We saw his star as it rose and have come to worship him
Matthew 2:1-12
Gospel Mt 2:1-12
Gospel Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
Do you see a star?
‘God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1Tim2:4). Jesus is the Truth. God delights to be with human beings (Ps 149). ‘Here is the dwelling of God among men’ (Rev.21:3). We celebrate today how ‘he pitched his tent among us’ and shared our life. God even entered the darkness of their astrology to bring the magi to the light. They saw a star rising and came from afar
. They must have struggled in the desert and then they lost their way landing up in Jerusalem and the palace of Herod. The Word of God showed them the way to Bethlehem and entering in ‘they fell down and worshipped him’.
The Bible fills us with joyful hope. On every page, God encourages us with promises of happiness while we struggle on our journey through the desert of life. “Arise, shine for your light has come. The Lord will rise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you”. The Word of God is for us like the star. It lifts up our spirits and encourages us to persevere and it leads us to the feet of Jesus.
However, how many of us really want to meet Jesus? How many of us make the journey to his feet the work of our life? He is the Truth but how many of us want to know the Truth? We are so content to remain in our ‘comfort zone’ of illusion. We don’t want to leave it. Nevertheless, like the magi who persevered until they saw the newborn child, we need to follow the Word until we find Jesus here among us.
Those who didn’t leave their homes to follow the star didn’t have the joy of seeing Christ. The chief priests, the professionals of the Temple sacrifices, knew all the answers. They were perturbed but had no interest in going to Bethlehem. Herod misunderstood the coming of Jesus and wanted to destroy him. Jesus is a sign that will be contradicted. Only the magi looked for him. They proved to be ‘the wise men’
However, Jesus will always have those who are willing to leave everything to be with him. They will be loyal friends and disciples, even standing by the Cross and waiting at the tomb. They are the ones who share his triumph. “Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne” (Rev 3:21)
Where do we fit into this saga? Are you searching for Jesus? Do you really want to meet him? Do you use the Word of God as a guide to bring you to the feet of the Lord? This is our journey in faith until we come to the New Jerusalem where God lives among his people.
Father give us the wisdom to listen to your Word and so discover Jesus now to share his glory in your Kingdom.
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