EPIPHANY I
January 9, 2022
“Scholars and Believers”
If you had any questions about what the new year was going to be like, at least one has been answered — yes, we’ll have a snowy, windy, bitterly cold spell, just in case you were wondering (hoping?) that we’d slide through January as easily as we did December. So here we are, grateful for central heat and the comforts of fleece.
The last vestige of our Christmas observances was Epiphany, January 6, according to the calendar of the church year, so the timing is appropriate to consider the visitors known as the Wise Men. The only Gospel account is found in Matthew 2:1-12, and it stands alone, including a description of a brutal puppet ruler and his futile efforts to eliminate the “King of the Jews” the Wise Men were asking about.
Legends of all kinds surround these intriguing men. The “three” isn’t really the number of visitors; rather it comes from the three gifts that are described in the gospel. They’ve been assigned exotic names and personas, and are thought to have come from Ethiopia, Persia, and India, but these stories have been developed over centuries of imagination and supposition. Our biblical understanding that they were “from the East” — is vague and not that informative.
Scholarly, scientific individuals who were curious and questioning were known as “wise men” — a broad term for people of knowledge. As they observed, tracked and recorded the movements of the moon and stars, a body of knowledge was developed, the foundation of the science of astronomy. As scholars, they were well versed in ancient writings, including the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah, the accounts of God’s unique relationship with the Hebrew people, and his promise to send them a Messiah, a Savior.
Upon observing the rising of a large, bright, seemingly new star, the two disciplines merged, and it was seen as a sign that God’s promise was nearing fulfillment. Can you imagine the excitement, the wonderment, as the years of study and reflection led them to the conviction that a world-changing event was about to occur? Traveling from (probably) Persia, they traversed rugged, barren terrain, a long, difficult journey, determined to follow the path of the remarkable star. At last it stayed still, and they were overwhelmed with joy at reaching their destination. They hadn’t even seen the child, but they were confident this was where he would be, that their faith had led them to this place.
We use the term, “faith journey” as a description of our experiences in learning, growing, and maturing in our faith. Although we gratefully believe that faith is a gift through God’s grace, we also know that as we journey through life we’ll experience starts and stops, detours and even dead ends. These individuals literally journeyed to a foreign land, took risks, but persevered. As we journey, we are strengthened and supported by the boundless love of our heavenly Father, and the guidance and teachings of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. And so we follow the star: the star of hope, of love, of promise, and of peace, trusting in our Lord every step of the way.
How far would you go to find Jesus?
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers