“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”” Matthew 2:1&2
Today is Epiphany. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the kings to see Jesus. While most nativity sets depict the wise men in the manger at Jesus’ birth, they were not there in the manger. They came much later when Jesus was probably about two years old. Epiphany itself falls every January 6th, although it is celebrated in churches who are liturgical on the first Sunday after January 1st. It is the twelfth day of Christmas…you know when my true love gave twelve drummers drumming? Anyway, for Jesus, he was visited by Magi from the east who gave gifts of Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. These gifts represent the various roles Jesus would play in his life. Gold, because it is a symbol of royalty and Jesus was King of kings. Frankincense pointed to Jesus’ divinity because it represented worship. And Myrrh speaks to Jesus’ humanity and the suffering and death he would endure. It is an odd gift to be sure but points to the future when Jesus would die for the sins of the world.
The Magi themselves were gentile. They could have had an assortment of jobs in the ancient near east. Some were astronomers, and advisors to kings and high-ranking officials. Some may have been astrologers, mystics, soothsayers, and other odd assortment of jobs that might be looked down on today. I think the fact these gentiles are part of the birth narrative of Jesus, tells us that the gospel message is for all people no matter who they are. All are welcome. And remember that in Jesus’ day, Gentile was a catch-all word for anybody who wasn’t a Jew. In fact, the very definition of Epiphany is “the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
I think that Epiphany is an invitation that says to all people and especially to those who are searching: “Come as you are.” And the thing is, when we come to Jesus, we will leave transformed. When we choose to follow Jesus, we can’t help but be transformed into who God has created us to be in the first place. But always, all are welcome just as we are. We don’t have to dress up. We don’t have to be perfect. Our lives can be one hot mess, and it is ok, we are welcome. We can be single, divorced, or married. We can be a deeply devout Christian. We can be an Atheist. We can be anyone. All we have to do is come as we are. God will do the rest.
What a beautiful gift we are given in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God needs nothing from us. The gifts of the Magi do not teach us that we must give gifts to God. The Magi teach us that we must come, just as we are.
Peace,
Beth
Beth's Blog 