Moved to Another Way
“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.”
Matthew 2:9
On the feast of the Epiphany we celebrate the day when the Magi arrive at the manger, paying homage to the newborn King. They saw “his star at its rising” and followed it. These Magi were learned scholars and were probably well versed in the night sky, and so when they saw this star, they were intrigued, so much so that they got up and followed it! They must have saw plenty of stars but something about this one made them take action, action that brought them to Bethlehem.
Usually on the Epiphany we focus on the Magi and the star, but on a deeper level we focus on revelation — the fact that God has been revealed to all peoples, the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi. The God of Israel was now revealed in the flesh and Jesus came to tell the people that He is for all that the Creator God was not simply of the God of the Israelites and the Jewish people, but rather for all. So, the Epiphany is really the day when we as Christians have come to experience God’s revelation! On this day, God definitively tells us, “I am your God. I love you and I have sent my Son to show you this and to save you from your sins.” How blessed are we that God gave to us the gift of His Son, and how fitting it is that the Magi presented to Jesus, the newborn King, the Savior of all mankind, gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
When the Magi arrived they offered their gifts, paid Jesus homage, and probably visited with Mary and Joseph. I can only wonder and imagine what that looked like. We are told they prostrated themselves before Jesus, acknowledging His kingship with the King’s parents at His side. They must have saw the animals surrounding this King and smelled their excrements, yet the prostrated with their nose touching the dirty hay, affirming that this Baby indeed is a king, a king that deserved their homage and worship. How beautiful this is and how wise indeed were these Magi (wise men) that they recognized the presence of holiness in the ordinary, simply, and must humble of settings. Are we aware of God’s presence in our daily lives?
Finally, after their visit, they ignored Herod’s request to return to Jerusalem to tell him where this newborn King was as they were told in a dream to go home “by another way.” When we have come to see, recognize, experience that presence of God — when we have come to know Jesus — how can we but not leave our former ways and go on a new path, a path of holiness, a path that leads us always to God, a path that is the Way itself. Have we come to know Jesus? Have we come to receive His love and mercy? Do our lives and mode of living show this?
Today we are invited to go on this journey too — to follow this star, led and guided by its light, so that we might come to arrive at the source of this star, Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world, the light revealed to the Gentiles that “shine on those who dwell in darkness and that shadow of death,” and that “guides our feet into the way of peace.” What gifts will we offer Jesus when we arrives? The Lord asks nothing of us really, but let us offer to Him ourselves — the good, the bad, and the ugly, allowing our hearts to be enlightened by His love so that we might come to share this light and love with others. This Epiphany may we allow ourselves to be led by the Light, to be moved by His love, and to move on with our lives “by another way.”
