Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12
The meaning of the Feast of the Epiphany is that the birth of Jesus is proclaimed to the whole world.
At Christmas, the birth of Jesus was made known to the people of Israel. So, the people who knew of the Christmas message were Mary and Joseph, the shepherds at the fields, and even king Herod and the chief priests and the scribes at Jerusalem.
In the Epiphany, the highlight is on the three wise men, presumably there were three because of the three gifts.
These wise men came from the East and they brought along gifts of mystic meaning.
Their journey began when they noticed a star, and it beckoned them to pay homage to the infant King of the Jews.
So, with their gifts, they began their journey to a foreign land in search of that infant King.
But the star wasn't always there to guide them, and hence they came to Jerusalem, thinking that the infant King ought to be found in the capital of the country.
However, they discovered from King Herod and the scribes, that according to the scriptures, the Christ would come from Bethlehem.
So, they went on, and this time the star was there, and it led them to the infant King. And they found Him in a poor and humble situation, with the infant King lying in a manger and the parents don't look anything like royalty.
Whatever their expectations, the wise men fell to their knees and paid homage to the infant King, with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, gifts that have mystic meanings.
The gold represents the royalty of Jesus, that He is the king.
The frankincense represents the Divinity of Jesus, that He is God.
The myrrh represents the humanity of Jesus, that He would suffer and die on the Cross for the salvation of sinners.
The word “Epiphany” has meanings of manifestation, revelation and realization.
For the wise men, it was an experience of all three meanings. Because Divinity was manifested in humanity, the Saviour was revealed to the world, and the wise men realized that the ways of God is different but it is also wonderful.
Just as it was for the wise men, so it is for us, as we celebrate this feast of the Epiphany.
We see the manifestation, we ponder on the revelation, and we wonder with realization.
The three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, also have a Mystic meaning for us, and this story may help us understand the experience of the wise men.
Once, there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams, and the First tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the Second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.” Finally, the Third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God, and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodcutters came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree another woodcutter said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When another woodcutter came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if he was cut down, his dreams would not come true. The woodcutter said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Quiet and be still" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.
Then the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill, and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
So, each of the trees got what they wanted, but just not in the way they had imagined.
So, when things don't seem to be going our way, as it was with the wise men, let us always know and trust that God has a wonderful plan for us.
May we see the manifestation of God’s plan for us, ponder on the revelation, and give thanks to God as we wonder with realization.