Tomorrow is the Epiphany of Our Lord. We celebrate the festival in which wise men are led by a star to Bethlehem to pay homage to a new king for a new kingdom. With the birth of Jesus, God turns the powers of the world upside-down. Previously ultimate power was held by those with military strength and great wealth. Now, power is expressed through love, humility, service and justice. When the wise men visit King Herod, who represents old kingdom power, they quote Micah 5:2 that describes this new Kingdom of God:
"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."
At Christmas I compared the shepherds of the Christmas story to the TV show Duck Dynasty. In Jesus, God becomes one with us and meets us right where we are at. Not only may be approach God, fully human, but we should approach our Lord, just as we are. We don't need to wear our Sunday best, instead we can let our hair down.
For Epiphany, the light is shining on a new kingdom. God's Kingdom will be established through Jesus who will shepherd his people in the ways of peace. Out with the old and in with the new. For me that sounds a whole lot like the TV show Downton Abbey. It just so happens that the third season of Downton Abbey will be premiering Epiphany night on PBS. The general tone of the show is of a age on its last legs: an age where people knew their place. At the head of the manor is Lord Grantham, Robert Crawley and his mother the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Then everyone else in the Crawley family comes next. Even among the servants there is a hierarchy. Mr. Carson runs the house followed by Mrs. Hughes and then a whole list of various people who know their place, with poor little Daisy, the lowly kitchen maid at the bottom of the heap. Downton Abbey depicts a time less than 100 years ago... the world of King George V and the great British Empire. They used to say that the sun never sets on the British Empire... well, all of that is long gone.
While not described as such in the Matthew 2 text, the wise men have traditionally been described as kings or magi. For centuries Christians have sung of the humble gifts the three kings present to the new king: Jesus. In many respects in passing to Christ the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh... the "kings" are passing on the baton or the torch. There are still monarchs. Some respectable, like Elizabeth II, some tyrants like King Herod... but their age is ending. Jesus never rules using any of their gifts. He will not rule with gold. He will not rule with the sword. Jesus' instead rules with a shepherd's crook, leading his sheep to spiritual truth in him. Jesus rules on the cross, meeting us humans at our worst.
The star is the symbol of this reign of God. It's light of truth breaks through the darkness and leads us in the way of peace. They say that wise men still seek him. From rich to poor.... from lowly Daisy, the kitchen maid to Lord Grantham... to King George himself... All will bow to this ruler: who is Jesus Christ our Lord.
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