Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
All of you heard the story from Matthew about the visit of the Magi. Even though you heard the story hundreds of times, how many of us picture the scene as described in that tale. You always imagine Baby Jesus resting in a manger but Matthew clearly places not in a barn but in a house. Every Nativity shows Jesus as a newborn but when Herod orders the execution of the little boys of Bethlehem he demands the victims be two years old and younger. Did the Magi tell him that they saw the star arise 2 years ago and it took them 2 years to get to Jerusalem? You all know how well behaved every two year old can be. Can’t you see Mary and Joseph trying to corral an inquisitive two year old Messiah as they entertain these foreign dignitaries?
You usually imagine three exotic travelers even though the Gospel does not mention the number of visitors. You usually imagine them as male yet if the Magi were truly astrologers from Persia women were counted among those educated star gazers.
If Matthew wants you to form any picture of the Magi, you should imagine them as strangers, foreigners, outsiders. Matthew wants you to know that the outsiders discover Jesus while the insiders, the chief priests and the scribes, do not get the message. The Magi not only discover the Christ, they are filled with overwhelming joy when they set their eyes on him. They fall down and worship the Christ. They turn away from their focus on themselves, on their goals and desires, and recognize God clothed in human flesh.
Matthew will paint another scene of recognizing and worshipping the Christ at the end of this Gospel. When the women go to the tomb and discover it empty, Jesus appears to them and their first response is to worship him. I wonder if Matthew wants us to see the Risen Christ hidden beneath the skin of the two year old child. Unlike the religious leaders who failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ and so crucified him, the Gentiles saw the Christ proclaimed by the apostles and worshipped him.
We find ourselves among those Gentiles. We have seen the Christ and worship Jesus.
Today we also celebrate another manifestation of Jesus: his Baptism. As we rejoice in that mystery of God being baptized, we remember our own baptisms. In the mystery of your baptism, you become a part of the Body of Christ. You are interconnected with the other members of that Holy Body, linked with your sisters and brothers into a mystery who is Christ.
In the Baptismal Covenant you made, the Covenant you will renew, you promise to seek and serve Christ in others. Before you can seek and serve Christ in others, you must first see Christ in them.
You all know that with some people you can easily see Christ but in others, usually those who are unlike us, who might have an edge, you find it challenging to discern that holy presence. Perhaps in that holy seeing, that sacred visioning, the mystery of the Epiphany is linked with Baptism. The Magi saw more than a star. When they saw the Christ, they beheld a mystery deeper than flesh. By faith, they saw God shining like a star through the flesh of the Body of Christ.
That Body of Christ exists in more than the Infant born of Mary. That Body of Christ exists in more than the Christ risen from death. That Body of Christ exists in each of you, in each person whom you meet, in each encounter you have with others.
Christ is bigger than a newborn Baby in Bethlehem. Christ grows ever more in mystery beyond the limitations of a human body. Christ grows in mystery in you through your Baptism. Christ plants in your soul the ability to see with the eyes of faith the contours of Christ’s Body extended throughout the world. Christ shines in beauty through you and through every person.
As we renew our Baptismal covenant, ask the Spirit to open your eyes to see as did the Magi, to see the light of Christ shining through others, shining especially through those who cannot see that spiritual light in which they live. By your loving them, by your serving them, by your acknowledging in them a holy presence, they may begin to see as you see. Even as Christ transforms your eyes to behold the mystery, so through you Christ continues to transform the world.