Epiphany

Today, Saturday, January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany is the day in the church calendar when we remember the visit of the Magi (a.k.a. "Wise Men") to the Christ Child, as recorded in St. Matthew 2:1-12.

The visit of the Magi is an interesting story because the Biblical account gives us only scant details. As a result, a mythology of sorts has developed over the ages about the Magi since the Bible tells us so little. Consider the following:

1. Wise men? Considering the culture of the time they probably were men. But the Greek word "magoi" could refer to a group of men, women, or a mixed gathering of men and women.

2. The Bible says nothing about there being Three Magi. There could have been any number. But the fact that three gifts were given: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the conventional wisdom has been "one gift per person".

3. "We Three Kings"? The Greek language has a different word for "king", so they weren't kings. The term "magoi" was used for people who might be described as sages, scholars, scientists (of a sort), teachers of wisdom, mystics.

4. Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar? Giving names to the Magi comes along much later, and such names are not universally recognized throughout Christendom. According to on-line Catholic Encyclopedia, these names date back to at least the seventh century A.D.

5. And then there's the whole issue about how old Jesus was when the Magi arrived. Matthew 2:11 makes it clear that Jesus was no longer in the manger, but now staying in a house somewhere in Bethlehem with Joseph and Mary. And based on Matthew 2:16, we surmise that Jesus could have been upwards of 2 years old when the Magi came to visit.

I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade by pointing out these issues, but it is a classic example of how layers of tradition have been built upon a rather obscure story. The Magi are only mentioned in Matthew. We don't know where they came from. And we never hear from them again. But if we can look past the mythology to the heart of the story, one point becomes clear. Even at a young age, Jesus of Nazareth came not just for the Jews, but for the whole world. Why else would people from a far away country travel all those miles and present costly gifts, unless this child also held something special for them as well?

May the light of Christ which shines around the world, shine into your hearts this Epiphany!