EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

1st Reading          Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm                     72:1-2,7-8,10-13

2nd Reading       Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6

Gospel                  Matthew 2:1-12

THE LIGHT THAT TRIUMPHS AND SEPARATES

At the tail end of the season of Christmas, before the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we have the Solemnity of the EPIPHANY OF THE LORD. This Solemnity celebrates the appearance or manifestation of Christ to the world. Basically, we celebrate the shining forth of Christ. Consequently, the Word of God for this Sunday is filled with the theme of light. 

It is interesting enough that for the first time since 25th December, we are now reading the infamous passage in Matthew 2:1-12, the passage about the visit by the Magi (the wise men) from the East. They came to see Christ in the manger and presented their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

We start to see in this visit that the Magi (the wise men) were led by the STAR. In Matthew 2:1-12, the word star appears four (4) times which means that it is a very significant element and it revolves around the theme of light as we celebrate the manifestation of Christ at Epiphany. The sight of a star points to an existing situation of DARKNESS because stars are visible only at night, in the dark. This is the nature of the world. The world is in darkness. On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we are told two things. First is the depth of darkness both in the world and in us. Second is the power of the light that shines from the core of this darkness. 

A basic consideration is the nature of this darkness. The first reading shows us. The first reading (Isaiah 60: 1-6) uses the Hebrew word 'ARAPHEL. This is not a mere darkness but it describes "thick darkness" or "heavy darkness". It is also a kind of mist. In this kind of darkness, in this heavy phenomenon, you cannot see anything. There is no hope and no sign that you can take a step fearlessly. You get afraid of whatever step you take because you basically cannot see what is before you. It is in this situation that the light of Christ shines. 

Another play of darkness and light in the Gospel comes with the personalities of Herod and Jesus. The personality of Herod is very interesting. Who is Herod? Surely, he was the King of Judea (c. 37 BC - 4 AD). However, he is not a Jew; he is an Idumean, thus an Edomite. All Edomites are descendants of Esau (Gen. 25: 29; 36: 9, 19). Therefore, Herod is a descendant of Esau. Jesus, another personality, is of the house of David. Within the genealogy of Jesus and David is Jacob, making Jacob an ancestor to David and Jesus (Matt. 1: 1- 17). Therefore, Jesus is linked to Jacob. Let us now remember the conflict between Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25: 24-34. This conflict is retold by Matthew and shrouded in a way that plays the game between light and darkness. In this conflict, we know who will win—JACOB. We know what it means, thus no matter what happens, light will triumph over darkness.

What we are dealing with is also a matter of the glory of dynasties (or Kingdoms). In the Gospel (Matt. 2: 1-12), we have the Herodian Dynasty, a kingdom of Herod which was foreign because the Herodians were not Jews. A foreigner is ruling them. This was a huge problem for the Jews because there would be oppression and disrespect for religious laws and truly, Herod the Great was oppressive and disregarded many, if not all, of Jewish religious laws. There is also the glory of the Davidic Dynasty shooting up (Isaiah 11: 1) with the birth of Christ, a descendant of David. The glory of the Davidic Dynasty surpasses the glory of the Herodian Dynasty. The Davidic Dynasty is God's chosen dynasty because David is a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13: 14).

The Hebrew word for "glory" as used in the first reading (Isaiah 60: 1-6) is KAVOD. "Kavod" is the word used for a "fat" person in the Old Testament. This word will describe the "bigness" or "fatness" of God. This is how great God is. The greatness of God tells the greatness of the light of God. The glory of this light has what it takes to drive away the thick darkness and it is only this light that can do that job.

Even as we occupy ourselves with this message of hope, we need to be aware that there is a message of warning attached to the theme of light. In dealing with light, we cast our minds back to Genesis 1: 3 and we see that light was the first thing God created. What followed was separation (Gen.1: 3ff). The appearance of light is an opportunity for separation. A perfect separation is done only when there is light. The implication is that what we do in the dark will tell if we belong to the Lord or not.

Let us begin to understand that even as we live in a world of darkness, we actually have the opportunity to do what is right because we shall be judged by what we did when the world was dark. The light will be for separation. What do you do in the dark?

"May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace, and may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people"

Pax et Bonum