Road to Emmaus Epiphany

Dec 31, 2008

(Cycle B)

 

First Reading – Is. 60:1-6

Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

Second Reading – Eph. 3:2-3a, 5-6

Gospel Reading – Mt. 2:1-12

 

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany.  Our Gospel reading has the familiar story narrated by Matthew about the visit of the Magi and the giving of their gifts to Jesus. Because the story of the Magi is so familiar we might tend to not focus on the significance of this encounter and how exactly Matthew recounts the event.

 

In particular there are three emphases in the account: Jesus as the son of David, and thus the new king; the inclusion of the Gentiles in salvation; and Christ’s humanity and divinity.

 

Jesus, the Son of David

 

First, within the larger context of the reading from Matthew we understand a special accent on Jesus’ being “the son of David” (Mt. 1:1). This is important because God had sworn a covenant to David that someone would reign on his throne forever (cf. 2 Sam. 7:16). However, for nearly five hundred years no one has been reigning as king.

 

In chapters one and two, Matthew goes out of his way to tell us that Jesus is fulfilling the covenant made with David, that he is the son of David, and thus the new and eternal Davidic king.

 

1.      Matthew begins, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” (1:1), and only two people in the genealogy are give titles, “David the king,” and “Jesus…who is called Christ” (1:6, 16).

2.      There is a special emphasis on the number fourteen. David’s name is the fourteenth on the list, and the genealogy is broken up into three sets of fourteen generations. In Hebrew language there are no numbers, so each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is given a numerical value. It is not a coincidence that David’s name in Hebrew has the numerical value of fourteen.

3.      We are told that Joseph is a “son of David” (1:20).

4.      We are informed that Jesus is born in Bethlehem which is none other than the birthplace of David (cf. 1 Sam. 17:12).

5.      Matthew highlights the fulfillment of Micah 5:2. “And you, O Bethlehem…for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel” (2:6).

6.      The Magi ask for the whereabouts of the newborn king (cf. 2:2).

7.      The Magi give Jesus the gift of gold, which is a sign of royalty and a gift fit for a king (2:11).

(Column continues below)

 

The inclusion of the Gentiles

 

The second emphasis we see in this Sunday’s Gospel is the fulfillment of God’s plan for the salvation of the Gentiles. Here is where the appearance of the Magi is very significant.

 

One thing that must be made explicit is that God always intended to be the Father of all nations. It’s only as a result of sin that there begins to be a particular emphasis on a particular people. Beginning with Adam, God’s first human son, God wanted a special relationship with all of Adam’s progeny.

 

This is also the case with Abram/Abraham. God’s plan is for all nations to come into his covenant family.

 

1.      God says to Abram, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” (Gen. 12:3). God intends for all families to be blessed.

2.      God also changes Abram’s name, which means exalted father, to Abraham, “For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you…” Gen. 17:5b-6).

3.      Then the promise of worldwide blessing in Genesis 12 is upgraded to a sworn covenant oath by God. “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord…I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply you descendents as stars of heaven…and by your descendents shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves…” (Gen. 22:16a, 17, 18).

 

Then there are the prophets. Throughout the prophets there is the promise to gather the nations into the covenant family of God. This is where the first reading for this Sunday from Isaiah fits in.

 

Isaiah tells us that the splendor of Jerusalem will be that “nations shall walk by your light…all those from Sheba will come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (60:3, 6b). Of course we see the fulfillment of this beginning with the visit of the Magi. Some of the first visitors and worshippers of Christ are Gentiles.

 

We are told that they are from the east. More than likely they were from Persia. The fact that they are from the east is significant. Typically in the Old Testament the east is associated with being away from the presence of the Lord. For example after Adam and Eve sin, God “drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen. 3:24). Then after Cain kills Abel “Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden” (Gen. 4:16).

 

Therefore, the Gentiles who are far from God are brought into the presence of the Lord through the guidance of the star.

 

The significance of the star can also not be underestimated. It also helps explain the murderous reaction of Herod when he decrees the slaughter of all the male children (two years old and younger) in the region of Bethlehem (cf. 2:16-18).

 

As far back as the book of Numbers we have King Balak of Moab commanding the gentile prophet Balaam to curse the people of God before they enter the Promised Land. On three occasions Balaam goes out to curse them, but can only pronounce a blessing. He goes out a fourth time and prophecies about what will happen in latter days. He says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17a). So a king will arise to rule.

 

We might ask why such a negative reaction from Herod? First of all, Herod is not an Israelite. He is an Edomite appointed by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. to be king over the Jews. And if we listen to more of the prophecy of Balaam we realize why he reacts in such a way. Balaam goes on to say that the one with the scepter “shall crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed…” (Num. 24:17b-18a). Herod clearly does not wish to be dispossessed.

 

Christ’s divinity and humanity

 

The third emphasis we have from this Sunday’s Gospel reading is a stress on Jesus’ divinity and humanity.

 

We see a highlighting of Jesus’ divinity because the Magi come “to worship him” (Mt. 2:2). Then when they meet the Lord, “they fell down and worshipped him” (Mt. 2:11). In order to worship Jesus they lie down flat on their face on the floor to do so. This also fulfills our Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday which says, “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” (72:11).

 

Another thing that shows an emphasis on the divinity of Jesus is the gift of frankincense. Like we as Catholics do on occasion incense is used in worshiping God. It symbolizes our prayers rising up to the Lord as a sweet smelling fragrance.

 

However, there is also a highlighting of Jesus’ humanity. The Magi come from far away looking for, and ready to worship, God. But the very fact that they travel so far to do this demonstrates that they were looking for a human king, the “king of the Jews” (2:2).

 

Something else which stresses his humanity is the gift of myrrh. Myrrh was used as burial oil. So these Gentiles come to worship a divine/human king who they expect will undergo death.

 

It is not accidental that St. Paul would one day say to those in Ephesus, “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh…were at one time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:11a, 12-13). It is through Christ’s sacrificial death that the Gentiles have been brought into God’s covenant family.