Second
Sunday of Christmas January 5th, 2014
The
Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, PA
The
Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
Good morning! Happy New Year! Happy Christmas!
We have celebrated
much over these past weeks and days. Our crèche holds out story still of the
babe lying in a manger full of promise and hope. Visitors assembled
representing all of creation- parents, shepherds, Angels, = Animals of the
field, Stars of the night- all bearing witness to this gift that God is bearing
for us.
We have made our way
to the end of our twelve day celebration of Christmastide, from partridges in a pear tree, to calling
doves, to pipers pipers and drummers drumming- our story now draws us toward
Epiphany, which is actually tomorrow, and the story generously given to us
today in our propers of those courageously adventurous wise “men” from the east
who follow a star because their souls have been stirred to come and bear gifts
to this nascent promise of salvation.
Our primary actors in this story today are in
the scriptures nameless! Who might they be? Visitors Matthew tells us, Magi!
Though scholars throughout the years have tried to decipher just who these Magi
might be, “magician’s, or Zoroastrian Priests, it seems a reasonable conclusion
that these “wise men” of the East at the least dabbled in astrology, and
capturing a glimpse of the skies find themselves on a journey toward something
clearly compelling enough to warrant a plan of action.
Most importantly for Matthew’s Gospel, they are gentiles, and their recognition of this new born “King” tells us of God’s plan of salvation for all of the world and sets the stage for the drama that Matthew desires to tell of those within Israel struggling to accept the fullness of God’s Kingdom promise and God’s longing to shine a light of salvation for all of the world!
Christian tradition would name them, Melchior,
king of Persia, Gaspar, King of India, and Balthazar, King of Arabia! Their
following of this star would lead them to the presence of a new King, unlike
any they had ever encountered! They would bring gifts worthy of a King, Gold of
course! Frankincense and Myrrh, fragrance and oil worthy for the anointing of a
King!
Gifts- Worthy of giving- sharing- and
building of a Kingdom.
And so is our punchline if you will as
we enter the season of our story- the Season of Epiphany. Good news- it really
is about the gifts- given to us and gifts we give to build the Kingdom.
THE EPIPHANY is God manifesting God’s light and goodness to us- his followers who have been given a gift in him to be received- and God’s manifesting light and goodness spread to the world through us by our sharing the gifts we have been given.
I have been to celebrations a many this time of year and enjoy the ritual
of exchanging gifts- this ritual rooted in the story really of these wise men
bringing gifts in homage of the greatest gift. I love truthfully both the
beauty seen in the givers heart of a thoughtful and meaningful carefully chosen
gift given, and the joy and excitement that lights up the face of the recipient
of such a gift.
There are those also who carefully and
impeccably and beautifully wrap gifts and those (like myself) whose gifts
sometimes are wrapped with more tape then should be allowed in order to make
the “paper work”. Then there are those who enthusiastically and dramatically
open gifts in short order, and those who impeccably remove wrapping as if not
to disturb beauty.
In a new year whatever your
temperament- wether you enthusiastically rip open with excitement a new chapter
in your relationship with Jesus- the gift, or carefully unfold another
beautifull crease in this gift that is yours and Christ’s- open the gift and
receive it with joy.
Then again wether enthusiastically and
even aggressively or carefully and intentionally do you “wrap” your own gifts
of light and joy to the world does not matter- just (as Nike says) do it- offer
it- and let Christ’s light Shine.
