Christ revealed to the nations
Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
The topic of today's liturgy of the Word is captured in the second reading. It is the mystery of Christ, previously unknown, and now revealed to the Church by the Spirit of God. What is the mystery? Behold, the Gentiles, together with the people of Abraham, are joint-heirs of the promise of God (Eph. 3:6). The Old Testament contained three promises: offspring, the land (Gen. 13:15-16), and the ideal king of justice - the Messiah (Is. 11:1-5).
The Pentateuch ends with the fulfillment of the first two promises (Deut. 34:1-4). Behold, Moses, the descendant of Abraham and the leader of a large nation, stands on Mount Nebo, from where he can see all the land that was promised as an inheritance to his childless ancestor. The fulfillment of the third promise took place at the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judah during the reign of King Herod. The birth of Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah. Darkness and gloom cover the earth but there is light upon Jerusalem and to this light kings and nations come today represented by the Magi from the East (Is. 60:1).
The first disciples of Jesus - all of Jewish origin - faced a shocking paradox. Their countrymen rejected the awaited Messiah when He came, but the Gentiles accepted Him with joy. Nobody expressed this better than the Apostle to the Nations in his letter to the Romans (see Rom. 9:1-4). Today's Gospel presents this paradox in the form of a story filled with contrasts:
On the one hand, we have the joy of the Gentiles, on the other hand, the fear of Herod and Jerusalem. This fear had tragic consequences. Herod murdered innocent children (Matt. 2:16-18), and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem condemned Christ to death (John 11:48-51);
Jesus was born with the title “the king of the Jews”, but Herod had to butter the Roman Emperor up to gain this title.
Searching the skies (science) led the magi to Christ, but knowledge of prophecies did not bring the chief priests and scribes to Jesus.
The Gentiles overcame a great distance to get to Jesus, but Herod, the chief priests and scribes, and the people of Jerusalem could not make less than a two-hour pilgrimage to Bethlehem.
The Gentiles worshipped the Messiah from the house and lineage of David, But Herod claiming the throne of David and Jerusalem, the city of David did not go to worship Him.
That historical tragedy of the chosen people is aptly expressed by John the Evangelist: "He came to his own, and his own did not receive him" (John 1:11). Unfortunately, this tragedy is re-enacted in the lives of those who consciously reject the Good News and fight against the Church of Christ. Instead of going to Bethlehem, they prefer to persist in their unbelief. The Magi from the East stand in opposition to this attitude. They acknowledge Christ as their Lord, place gifts at His feet, and are led home by God's Providence. I trust that you will be among those who acknowledge Christ as the Lord of history and the Savior of humanity and offer yourself to Him. May Divine Providence lead you through life through "another way”.