Homily for Solemnity of Epiphany

Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

Jan. 2, 2022
Matt 2: 1-12
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, New Rochelle
St. Joseph Parish, New Rochelle

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, … magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews?’” (Matt 2: 1-2).

(Fra Angelico)

In the ancient world, magus (pl. magi) had various meanings:  scholar, wise man, astrologer, wonder-worker, sorcerer.  Our word magic derives from magus.

For sure, the word doesn’t refer to royalty, to a king or a prince.  So these aren’t kings coming from the East looking for Jesus but wise men of some sort.  Matthew doesn’t say how many:  2 or 6 or 10.  The tradition of 3 comes only from the number of their gifts.

One aspect of the story that we can focus on is the reaction of the various participants to Jesus’ birth.  The magi at 1st, mistakenly, think they’re looking for a royal prince and want to pay him homage.  When they in fact find him, they’re overjoyed (2:10), notwithstanding that he’s not at all what they'd expected.  In that, infant Jesus foreshadows his public ministry; for neither then will he be what so many people expected.  The fictional—and somewhat entertaining—expectation of Herod Antipas in Jesus Christ Superstar isn’t so different from that of a lot of real Galileans and Judeans:  “So you are the Christ, the great Jesus Christ!  Prove to me you’re divine—change my water into wine.  Prove to me you’re no fool—walk across my swimming pool.”

Superstar’s Herod sings to his prisoner during Jesus’ passion.  The magi find only an ordinary child of ordinary parents—perhaps a notch above being peasants—living in an ordinary house in humble Bethlehem, practically the least village of Judea (cf. 2:6).  And the magi pay him homage, bestowing on the lowly child extravagant gifts.  Then, “having been warned in a dream” that this child has no connection to King Herod (2:12)—the father of Herod Antipas—the magi prove they are indeed wise men and avoid Herod and his court.  They prove loyal subjects of the little prince they’ve just found and paid homage to by doing their part of protect him.

So that’s one reaction to the birth of Jesus:  seeking, homage, loyalty.

The other reaction is to be “greatly troubled” by the news the magi bear—not only wicked, corrupt, blood-stained Herod, but “all Jerusalem with him” (2:3).  When Herod’s upset, he’s a paranoid menace to everyone, including his own family.  He murdered 3 sons and a wife out of fear they were plotting against him, and it’s reported he ordered the massacre of all the prominent men of Judea upon his death to make sure that his passing would be lamented instead of celebrated.

The 1st to collaborate with Herod are “the chief priests and the scribes” (2:4-6).  Sound familiar?  Stay tuned for the opposition that will rise up against Jesus when he preaches and heals.  Here, the chief priests and scribes are somewhat more passive.  They provide a genuine reading of the prophecy of Micah.  They surmise correctly that the star announces the appearance of the Messiah.  But for them it’s a purely intellectual exercise without practical, personal effect.  They’re like devout Catholic politicians or businessmen who don’t allow their faith to affect their day-to-day political or corporate life.  They don’t head to Bethlehem with the magi to look for the Messiah but hang back in Jerusalem with the powerful and the comfortable.

Herod himself makes a show of piety as he tells the magi that he, too, wishes to pay homage to the newborn king (2:8).  It’s like he’s fingering rosary beads.  As we know, he’s actually planning to eliminate this rival, probably even then gathering and instructing his men-at-arms.  Herod’s reaction to Christ’s birth is fear, jealousy, desperate violence.

Everyone who hears of the birth of Jesus, everyone who hears his Gospel message, is confronted with the same possibilities as the magi, the chief priests and scribes, and King Herod.  I can’t imagine that anyone here reacts to Jesus like the monstrous king of Judea, deliberately shoving him aside, plotting in law against him like the Chinese government or violently assaulting him like people who vandalize churches or kill Christians. 

But we could react to Jesus like the chief priests and scribes—read about him and talk about him but ignore him, not letting him get in the way of whatever it is that we want to busy ourselves with. 

Or like the wise men, we can pursue Christ diligently and pledge our allegiance to him, offering him whatever treasures we have.

Yes, Jesus makes enemies—because he demands our total commitment to goodness, truth, selflessness, and adoration in God’s name.