Life Lessons from the Magi and the Feast of Epiphany
By Robert Fontana
DON’T TAKE DOWN YOUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!
The Christmas season continues through the great feast of Epiphany which proclaims the divinity of Jesus. In the U.S., it is celebrated on the second Sunday after Christmas, this year January 4th. The rest of the Christian world celebrates Epiphany every January 6th. (Unlike December 25th which still has a hold on the imagination of most Catholics, January 6th – Epiphany – seems to have lost its meaning in our country, so the U.S. bishops moved Epiphany to a the second Sunday after Christmas.)
While acknowledging the heart of the Epiphany message – the divinity of the human Jesus – there is also much wisdom to tease out of the story of the Magi. Let’s “work the text” of Matthew Chapter 2 to learn what the Magi have to teach us.
“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, 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.”
First lesson: If you are sincere in seeking the divine, pay attention to nature; pray with nature; listen to nature. Before the “Word of God” was revealed to the Jewish people through the Patriarchs, prophets, and eventually Jesus of Nazareth, it was manifested in creation. Every culture in every age has access to God’s divine presence through the things God has made. (Romans 1:12) Where did Jesus like to go to encounter God? The desert, mountains, a lakeshore, any quiet place away from the village.
Also, the Magi learned something very important when they arrived at King Herod’s palace: the child they were seeking was not there. Discerning a negative is important in our lives as well. It moves us along on our spiritual journey to continue searching.
“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 prophets…”
Second Lesson: Look to the Scriptures for guidance but be careful of religious leaders who align themselves with the secular powers of the world. They may speak certain spiritual truths, as the scribes did to King Herod about where the Messiah was to be born. But notice; they do not speak truth to power. They don’t encourage Herod to join the Magi, nor do they go themselves. They know firsthand Herod’s cruel behavior. They will not risk their privileged relationship with the king by challenging him in any way. Are there parallels today?
Someone who took this lesson to heart was the late Dr. Martin Luther King. He found common cause with President Lyndon Johnson in passing civil rights legislation in 1964 – 65. Yet a few years later, to Johnson’s chagrin, King publicly challenged the President on his continued support for the war in Vietnam.
“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.”
Third Lesson: Step away from the noise of life so you can grow in awareness of the divine’s leading you. Notice how the star has disappeared as the Magi “hang out” with Herod and his entourage! There are a lot of voices in the world that do not have your good or the common good in mind. What they say may sound good…but look at their past behaviors as the best indication of whether their words can be trusted. Secular power in all its forms – political, corporate, commercial, etc. – has a history of manipulating well-meaning people of faith and using them for its own selfish ends. Beware! Step away from the “noise” of the marketplace, easy living, and power. Get away to the quiet where you can continue your spiritual journey and once again see and hear the divine guiding you.
“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.”
Fourth Lesson: The divine is to be found in the ordinary. It is easy to think that God is present in special people like Mother Teresa and Pope Leo and even the “holy” people at your church. The Magi may have been surprised when the star stopped over a simple house belonging to a carpenter. (Luke’s Gospel has Jesus born in a stable, but there are no Magi.) When the Magi enter, they find a woman with her newborn baby. How many of us have stepped into a room with a mother and newborn child and gasped in awe as did the Magi! Every child born is a child of God. That Jesus is uniquely God’s beloved son does not take away from the fact that divine life is present in all our homes, in all our relationships, if only we have eyes to see.
The Magi prostrated themselves before the Christ child and did him homage. It is Jesus who gets our adoration and gifts, not King Herod with his power, possessions, and privilege! When we place Jesus and his mother at the center of our devotion, we use our power to serve others. We use our possessions to meet our material needs and assist others who have less. We use our privileges, whatever they may be – a good education, a stable family life, a good job – to be a power for good in the world, especially through our family life, work, and civic activism.
I hope you can spend time reflecting on the story of the Magi, and its lessons for us today:
- Listen to and pray with nature.
- Look to the Scriptures for guidance but be wary of religious leaders who align themselves with secular powers.
- Step away from the noise of life to be able to hear the divine leading you; and
- Be prepared to encounter God in the ordinary circumstances of life and use our blessings to be a power for good in the world.
