Epiphany's Five C's

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon title is Epiphany’s Five C’s. My focus is our Gospel. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[1] Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

I hang most of my sermons on three points, usually three words all beginning with the same letter, but there are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story that I need five points, five C’s: Call, Constancy, Confession, Cost and Conversion.

First, Call. The text says that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” Notice first the identity of these individuals. They are called Magi, and they are from the East.

Exactly what magi are is debated. Perhaps they are learned men or ancient astronomers. We often think of them as kings though the text does not call them that. It also seems Herod would have been far more anxious had they been actual rulers from an Eastern Kingdom. In our imagination we often think of them as kings since Psalm 72 speaks of kings coming from the East bearing gifts of gold and frankincense. However, for the record, today’s gospel does not call them kings, but magi.

Yet, here is their key identity: they are Gentiles, and they have been called. Up to this point in the Christmas story, only Jews found their way to Bethlehem, but now the Gentiles come. This detail cannot be overlooked, for it is clear that the Gospel is going out to all the world.

St. Paul rejoices in this fact in today’s second reading as he says that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.[2] Most of us are not Jewish by ancestry, and so we rejoice because the call of these Magi is prefigured in our call.

And notice that God calls them through something in the natural world – a star. God uses something in creation to call out to them. We do well to wonder what is the star that God used to call us? Perhaps it was Scripture, but more usually, it is first someone God used to reach us: a parent, family member, friend, pastor or teacher. Who are the stars in your life by whom God called you?

God can also use inanimate creation like he did for these Magi. Perhaps it was a beautiful Church, a painting or a song. By someone or something God calls. He puts a star in our sky. These Magi follow the call of God and begin their journey to Jesus, and so, we move from Call to Constancy, my second point.

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem the Magi find a rather confusing and perhaps discouraging situation. The reigning King, Herod, knows nothing of the birth of this new King. It must have seemed probable to them that the newborn King would be related to the current King, so his surprise may have confused them. But Herod seems more than surprised, he seems threatened and agitated.

Even more puzzling, he calls religious leaders to further inform him of this King. They open the sacred writings and the Magi hear of a promised King. In other words, the birth of this king has religious significance. But these religious leaders seem unenthusiastic of the newborn King and after giving the location of his birth seem to make no effort to follow the Magi. There is no rejoicing, no summoning of the people that a longed-for king had finally been born. Not even further inquiry!

So, the wicked Herod and his court are wakeful, and the saints are sleepy. How odd this must have seemed to the Magi. Perhaps it occurred to them to suspend their search. After all, the actual king knew nothing of this birth, and those who did, seemed little interested. But praise the Lord they did persevere in their search. They do not give up!

Thanks be to God too, that many today have found their way to Christ despite the fact that parents, clergy and others, who should have led them joyfully to Jesus, were either asleep, or ignorant or just plain lazy. I am often amazed at some of the conversion stories I have heard, people who found their way to Christ and his Church, despite some pretty discouraging obstacles like poor religious upbringing, scandalous clergy and bad example. God sometimes allows our faith and call to be tested but those who persevere to the end will be saved.[3] To persevere is to open the door to Wisdom which must often be sought in spite of obstacles. That brings us to my third point, Confession. In this case, Confession of Faith.

Our Gospel says that after their audience with the king they set out, and the star that they saw at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. With what little information they have, they set out and followed the call of God through the star.

Note that they enter a house. We often think of the Magi as coming that same Christmas night to the cave or stable, but it seems not. Mary, Joseph and Jesus are found now in a house. It seems that they found decent lodging. Has it been days or weeks since Jesus’ birth? Whatever the case, we are dealing with a different day other than Christmas.

Notice too that they prostrate themselves before Jesus. The Greek word means to fall down in worship or give adoration. The verb is used 12 times in the New Testament and is clear each time that religious worship is the purpose of the prostration.

This is no mere homage or sign of respect to an earthly king; this is religious worship. This is a confession of faith. So, our magi manifest faith! The Beginning of Wisdom is the fear of the Lord. And these magi are well on their way from being mere Magi to being Wise Men!

But is their faith a real or just a perfunctory observance? It’s not enough to answer an altar call or get baptized. Faith is never alone. It is a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. So, let’s look for the effects of a real and saving faith in our next point, Cost.

There is a cost to discipleship. The magi are moved to give three symbolic gifts that show some of what true faith includes, and they are costly gifts.

Gold is a symbol of all our possessions. In laying this gift before Jesus they – and we – are saying, “I acknowledge that everything I have is yours. I put all my resources and wealth under your authority and will use them only according to your will.” A conversion that has not reached the wallet is not complete.

Frankincense is the gift of worship. In the Bible incense is a symbol of prayer and worship.[4] In laying down this gift we promise to pray and worship God all the days of our life. To be in his holy house each Sunday and render Him the praise and worship He is due. To listen to His Word and to consent to be fed the Body and Blood of Christ by Him. To worship Him worthily by frequent confession and to praise Him at all times.

Myrrh is a strange gift for an infant because it is a burial ointment. Surely this prefigures Jesus’ death but it also symbolizes our own. In laying this gift before Jesus we are saying; my life is yours. I want to die so that you may live your life in me. May you increase and may I decrease. Use me and my life as you will. So here are gifts that are highly symbolic.

The magi manifest more than a little homage to Jesus. They show forth the fruits of saving faith; and when we give these gifts, we show the fruits of faith.

Finally, Conversion. The text says that having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Conversion is the essential evidence for faith. It is not enough to get happy in Church, we have to obey. Hence, these wise men are walking differently now. They are not going home by the same way they came. They’ve changed direction, they’ve turned around. They are now willing to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life rather than the wide road that leads to damnation. They are going to obey Christ. They are going to exhibit what St. Paul calls the obedience of faith.[5] They have not just engaged in a possibly perfunctory worship, they are showing signs of a true and saving faith. They are not just calling Jesus “Lord, Lord!” They are doing what he tells them.[6] No longer mere Magi, now the wisdom of Wise Men!

So, there it is. Through careful stages the Lord has brought the Gentiles (this means you) to conversion. He called these Magi to Wisdom. They remained constant, confessed him to be Lord, accepted the cost of discipleship and manifested conversion. Have you? Have I?

Walk in the ways of the Wise men! Wise men still seek him. Even wiser ones listen to him and obey. Are we willing to go back to our country by another route? Is on-going conversion part of our journey home to heaven? If Epiphany means “manifestation” how is our faith manifest in our deeds and conversion?

I imagine that as the Wise Men went home by another route, they were singing a Gospel song: “It’s a highway to heaven! None can walk up there but the pure in heart. It’s a highway to heaven. I am walking up the King’s Highway. If you’re not walking, start while I’m talking. There’ll be a blessing you’ll be possessing, walking up the King’s Highway.“ … My friends, as you walk the King’s Highway, may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 122.

[2] Ephesians 3:6.

[3] Matthew 24:13.

[4] Psalm 141.

[5] Romans 1:5; 16:26.

[6] Luke 6:46.