Sunday Homily 1-4-09, Epiphany, The Coming of the Wise Men
Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12
Isaiah 60: 3 observations–
1. This is Isaiah III who seems to have lived around the time of the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., 575 BCE., not at the time of Isaiah I (chapters 1-39) who lived ca. 800. (& Is. II, chapters 40-50)
2. Therefore, our passage from chapter 60 is addressed to Jerusalem which is in total destruction.
3. Isaiah is saying that your day is coming, Jerusalem, when you will return to being the most splendid city of all. See the double meaning? Jerusalem is a city & also a symbol of the Jewish people.
Psalm 72: 3 observations–
1. King David is considered the author or at least the editor of the psalms.
2. When written and sung the Jewish people were asking Yahweh to endow and bless their current king, i.e., Saul or David or later kings.
3. The image of king over the years becomes a symbol, a symbol of the savior. The expectation of the Jews was that a mighty King David type was coming. Post Jesus the attributes of the king in this psalm are applied to Jesus.
Epiphany, The Coming of the Wise Men on January 6:
3 observations–
1. The word means an enlightenment, a WOW moment.
2. Celebrated since ca. 300 & Constantine on January 6, 12 days from the birth, the 12 Days of Christmas.
3. Considered a second Christmas, to the Gentiles, personified by the Wise Men, who were not Jews, but Gentiles.
The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols
Where to begin, folks. There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72. I'll touch five points & end with a story.
1. The Wise Men. Matthew uses them to symbolize every man's search for truth & meaning in life. They were like astrologers, searching the skies for meaning. The search theme permeates this whole presentation and is Matthew saying, "Go, and do the same search." You can sense in this story Matthew's esteem for how the Gentiles search and discover the savior, unlike his fellow Jews.
The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are Gentiles and they come from the east. Where does the sun rise? Where do stars rise? A new son has been born and like the sun in the east he will bring new light. Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising in this presentation, and the Gentiles.
2. The Jews are getting put down for their blindness. Here in the city of David, Bethlehem, another symbol because this ties Jesus up with the lineage of King David, here in this special city the chosen people do not have a clue about what a monumental event is taking place. Even in the great city, the city of pilgrimage, Jerusalem, the people are blind.
3. The star. It is mentioned as rising. Where do stars rise? Another symbol for the rising in the east.
4. The O.T. quote. Even though the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem knew their scripture, they don't go to Bethlehem. They quote chapter 5 of the prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah III, who says, "Bethlehem, a ruler is going to come from you." Micah thought of a ruler who would lift the Jewish people out of bondage, but Matthew turns it around, the ruler coming from Bethlehem being Jesus, not a powerful king, but a servant. This is one of Matthew's most common tools of convincing his listeners. He quotes O.T. passages to say that the passage is being fulfilled by this man Jesus, or baby in this case. He is like a debater or attorney carefully crafting arguments for his case.
5. The 3 gifts. Gold is given because it signifies royalty. Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. And myrra signifies being human. Myrra is medicinal. It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark. The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes. It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.
The story. A week ago today Rosemary and I had the privilege to bring gifts to the mother & daughter we have been supporting since I first met them in '86, when I studied Spanish in Cuernavaca. We did not bring gold, but about $450 to help them with their little shop.
Carina, the daughter, proudly informed us that this March they have been open for business two years. Their merchandise is candles of all types, colors, aromas, and decorations, most of which they provide themselves. They sell incense and herbs for coughs and colds. They are both so grateful to everyone who has helped them out.
We took them out to a simple restaurant twice and it was probably last year with us the last time they went out to eat. Carina rides the local buses an hour to work and is open from 8:00-6:00. It is a strenuous trip for her because of her being crippled. In fact, she fell in the street earlier this year and is saving up enough money to either fix or get a new apparatus for her leg. The old one, which we gave her some years ago, broke in the fall.
I am so humbled by this young woman's responsibility, her cleanliness in the little shop, her do diligence with the humble products she is selling. While we were with her & Maria Luisa in the shop one afternoon, I saw how Carina graciously welcomed and chatted with a half dozen customers she had. Among other things, I watched her sell 4 three foot long white bees wax candles that she had decorated with a brown ribbon & bow & some decorations embedded in the wax. She sold each for ca. $5.00.
She had to take out two loans of about $500 each to buy up her merchandise and she is diligently paying it back step by step. The $450 we brought will help with either the loans or her leg apparatus. Her mother is her buyer and they bring in the candles from the region around Acapulco.
In a quiet moment I asked Carina how has she planned for when Maria Luisa dies. She has already had three cases of cancer & is 66. Carina told me she is more vulnerable than she looks and is sick often. She also told me she has no special plans for when her mother dies. She can continue to live in the garage they live in now. And she can maintain herself with the candle shop. Thanks to you all. It may be impossible to save the world, but you have helped two people to survive.
What will we do next?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-01-04.mp3
Picture 1: Birthdays & Anniversaries–Tom Fleming, Rich & Carol Eshelbrenner, and Roy Strom
Picture 2: Carina & Rosemary & Maria Luisa in Cuernavaca, Mexico
Picture 3: Carina's Candle & Herb Shop
Picture 4: Carina & John & Maria Luisa