This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. In our churches we read the story of the three Magi or Wise Men who came from the east following a star.
Only in the Gospel of Matthew do we find the story of the Magi.
In Luke we only find the story of the shepherds coming to see Jesus in the manger. The Gospels of Mark and John do not have infancy narratives at all.
Luke wrote for Greeks who did not know about the Old Testament prophesies.
Greek Christians were mostly poor, often slaves in the shipyards of Corinth. For them the story of the poor shepherds as the first ones to see Jesus was a powerful witness of God’s love for them.
Matthew, however, wrote for Jews who were familiar with the ancient eastern concept of a star rising in the sky at the birth of a new ruler.
To Matthews? audience the appearance of a star signified that a king was born, just as promised in the old prophesies. The Magi asked, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.?
The star led them to Jesus, the new king. ‘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.? Matthew tried to show to his listeners that Jesus was the king and messiah promised by the prophets.
The infancy narratives of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are almost Gospels in themselves.
Luke tells of the savior coming to the poor. His audience was poor. A savior that came among the poor gave them hope. Matthew tells how the promise of old is fulfilled, telling Jews that their wait for the messiah is over.
Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam in his Gospel. Balaam had prophesied, ‘A star shall advance from Jacob? (Nm 24, 17). There the star does not mean an astral phenomenon but rather the king himself.
Jesus himself is the star that is the manifestation of God’s love.
As a child I recall the writing with chalk over the doorpost of homes. The chalk often didn’t wear off for months and the writing was like a sacred secret blessing for all visitors to see.
It was tradition to write with blessed chalk over the doorpost the initials of the traditional names of the three wise men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, along with the year. This year we would write 20 + C + M + B + 07.
The blessing that is said along with the writing reminds us to become people who manifest to each other the love of Christ in our ordinary daily lives. ‘Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill them with the light of Christ, that their concern for others may reflect your love.?
This blessing reminds us of our own call to respond to the star of the Magi. The word ‘epiphany? means to ‘manifest?.
Jesus manifests God’s love to the world. As Christians, we are called to have Jesus in our heart and to manifest his love to others by our daily lives. In other words, we are called to become stars like Jesus, by following Jesus.
Like in the blessing, we are called to manifest God’s love by our concern for others.
We all remember people like that in our lives. Maybe a grandma, or an uncle, or a teacher, or maybe our mother, who has been a ‘star? to us along the way.
Now it’s our time. How are we manifesting God’s love in our families and our community?
Frieda Arpoika is Director of Faith Formation at St. Daniel Catholic Church in Clarkston.