Webster defines “epiphany” as an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. It’s a manisfestation or sudden insight. You know, “I was driving to work and had an epiphany that I need to take next week off.”
Tricia Robinson
In Christianity, today is the Feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the visit of the Magi, or the Three Kings, to the infant Jesus. It is customary to have your home blessed today and in some cultures, to jump into freezing cold water. (Does my New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge count?!) It’s also the twelfth day of Christmas…you know…twelve drummers drumming.
But first, why Magi, Kings, and Wise Men?
We’re all familiar with them in depictions of the nativity and whether you call them kings, wise men, or magi, they are commonly known as foreigners who visit the infant Jesus on the night of his birth accompanied by shepherds and angels and bring Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh…more of those in a minute.
The wise men appear only in the Gospel of Matthew where they are described with the Greek word magoi, which in addition to “wise men” implies astrologers. Little is known about them except that they came from the East and were Gentiles coming to pay homage to the new King of the Jews.
There is no mention in Matthew’s account that the Wise Men were kings nor came on camels. The idea of three kings and the presence of camels is linked with two Old Testament prophecies. The gifts they brought had diplomatic significance and suggest that the Magi were indeed kings.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were presented to Jesus by the Magiand each carries deep symbolic meaning. Gold represents kingship and is a precious metal associated with honor and wealth. It signifies Jesus’ royal status as the King of the Jews. Frankincense, a fragrant incense used in worship, symbolizes Jesus’ divinity and priestly role and it was commonly burned in temples as an offering to God. Finally myrrh, a valuable spice used for anointing and embalming, foreshadowed Jesus’ suffering and death and signifies his humanity and the sacrifice he would make.
So there’s that…
Whatever you call them, the three followed a star to find the Christ child, which begs the question “what star have you chosen to follow in your life?”
Tough one, right?
The world tells us to follow the money and strive for success and power. Buy the biggest house. Wear the loudest labels. Travel, travel, travel. As Pope Francis once spoke about, we also often follow the wrong “stars,” saying “Some stars may be bright, but do not point the way.”
Hello Hollywood.
Hello sports.
Hello music.
Hello politics.
Think about it, the Three Kings were just that, kings, but they knew there was a king of all kings born and they actually brought Him gifts. As I’ve written many times, I’ve always used this idea, that Jesus got three gifts, as reason why our daughter to this day only gets three gifts each Christmas. But for the rest of the year, what gifts am I striving for and what gifts am I giving to others? What stars am I following?
Start following the right stars.
Follow the stars of kindness, gentleness, generous, truthworthy, gratitude, humility, and …….
Throughout history humanity has used stars as navigational tools and throughout the Bible stars are abundantly mentioned. God created the stars in the Book of Genesis, stars were used to describe how many descendants Abraham would have, stars represent angels in the Book of Revelation, and as mentioned above the Star of Bethlehem led the Three Kings to the Christ Child at Christmas, just to name a few references.
It’s all pretty powerful when you think about it. God created all those stars and yet still longs for us to shine His light here on Earth. How can we shine like little stars and share the light so we can make a difference in the world; a world that is starving for true light right now? Sometimes it doesn’t take much.
Amazingly Jesus’ Earthly ministry was really only about three years long and yet He accomplished more than anyone else ever has. You could say He was the first “one name” celebrity…waaaaay before the likes of Cleopatra, Cher, Elvis, and even Shakespeare. He’s also the most famous person in history according to a recent survey that ranked the names of famous individuals using a specially developed algorithm that scoured the Internet. Jesus topped the list. Amen!
Perhaps what’s most impressive is that Jesus could care less about becoming famous, an almost foreign concept in today’s fame obsessed society. We seem to all either want to be famous or are fascinated by those who are. Jesus, on the other hand, never sought fame and fame was never His goal. Much like today’s paparazzi and mobs of fans, crowds gathered wherever Jesus went and whenever He spoke and yet when they tried to make Him a king, he retreated and walked away. Can you imagine anyone doing that today? No way, no how.
The 3 Wise Men were indeed very wise. As they watched the night sky they evoked the importance of alertness and once they saw the star, they got moving despite the long and treacherous length of the journey. They brought gifts and humility with them. The Magi teach us to watch and to move, to be generous and humble and most of all to believe.
So maybe that should be our goal. Shine but keep looking up and seeking encounters. Shine like stars but spread light in the world. Ask yourself what stars you follow and what presents you give. Lead the way. Shine bright.
Beyond Words 