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The word ‘epiphany’ is rarely used nowadays. It usually means a sudden clear revelation or understanding, especially in spiritual matters, but in today’s Feast it means ‘the revelation of the divine being’. How the wise men came to know, recognise and worship Jesus as Lord is a lesson to us in the ways of God.
In the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, there was an outstanding knowledge of astronomy. Stars were to them what maps, or the GPS, are to us. Relying on the knowledge of their own culture, the wise men saw a bright and unusual star as a sign of God. Wondering about it, they left their home and secure way of life. When they came to Jerusalem, they consulted the political leader of the Jewish people and the people knowledgeable in the religious traditions of the Jews. Then, on that knowledge, they came to Bethlehem. When they finally did discover Jesus, the revelation of God, it was amongst the poor and the lowly.
We too can often wonder, “Where are we to find God?” We, like the wise men, can learn from the best of our own culture. We must learn from the Scriptures and our religious traditions. But in the end we must seek God amongst the poor and the lowly. There God choses to be vulnerable and chooses to be worshiped.
And how are we to worship? As the wise men offered Jesus their gifts as a form of worship we are called upon to use the giftedness of our lives in service of others and thereby worship God.
Past Reflections |
