The Gospel Reading of the Epiphany of the Lord (Matthew 2:1-12) describes the Magi’s homage to the incarnated Christ, whom they recognized as the newborn king of the Jews (v.2).
The Magi were not Jew. They were Gentiles, probably Persian. They were believed to be scholars of Zoroastrian astrology.
Through their study of stars in the sky, the Magi saw a star rising above the area of Jerusalem and realized it was the star of the Christ, signaling his birth, prompting their homage to him (v.2).
This makes us wonder if the Magi were aware of these prophetic words of Balaam in his fourth oracle:
The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is true, the oracle of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, in rapture and with eyes unveiled. I see him, though not now; I observe him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, that will crush the brows of Moab, and the skull of all the Sethites, Edom will be dispossessed, and no survivor is left in Seir. Israel will act boldly, and Jacob will rule his foes (Numbers 24:15-19).
Balaam was a wicked Ammonite prophet, who served Balak, Moabite king, who asked him to curse Israel (Numbers 22:2-40). Though he was not righteous and pagan, Balaam was able to hear God of Israel. As a result, Balaam ended up blessing Israel through his four oracles, contrary to Balak’s expectation (Numbers 22:41-24:25).
Balaam heard God of Israel and foresaw what Magi saw, a star advancing from Israel (Jacob), and this star is with the rising scepter (Numbers 24:17; cf. Matthew 2:2). Balaam’s oracle makes it clear about the rising of a extremely powerful king of Israel to crush its enemies, about 1,400 years, before the Magi seeing this star from the east.
Journeying westward from the east (probably Persia), the Magi inquired Herod the Great about the newborn king of the Jews, as Herod was the ruler of the Jews of Judea, under the Roman rule. Hearing “the newborn king of the Jews”, Herod and the rest of Jerusalem was highly alarmed (Matthew 2:3), as he was the king of the Jews at that time. He had to find out about “the newborn king of the Jews”, as a prospect of another king of the Jews was rather a threat to him. So he inquired the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah (Christ) was to be born (Matthew 2:4). And they pointed to these words of Malachi (Matthew 2:5-6):
But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times (Malachi 5:1).
Then, Herod began his plot to eliminate “the newborn king of the Jews” secretly, first, by trying to gain credible information about the star and whereabouts of the newborn king, while pretending as if he would also pay homage to him (Matthew 2:7-8). After this, having overjoyed for seeing the star that they had seen from the east at its rising, again, they were guided by the star to where baby Jesus was with Mary, offering him the gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:9-11). These gifts presented by the Magi indicate their knowledge of newborn Jesus was more than the newborn king of the Jews, as frankincense symbolizes the divinity of Jesus (cf. Exodus 30:34-37), and myrrh implicates the death of Jesus (i.e. John 19:38-40; cf. John 12:1-11), while gold was to honor Jesus as the king (cf. 1 Kings 10:10-18).
Upon their homage to the incarnated Christ (Messiah), the Magi did not return to Herod but took a different route home, as warned in their dream (Matthew 2:12).
In this Gospel episode, there is a clear contrast between the light of God and the darkness of evil.
The star that the Magi saw in the west sky (direction of Israel from the east) is the light of Christ, who is the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). And they overjoyed when they saw this star again. The Magi, though they were not Jew, sought and paid homage to the one that the star pointed, and he was baby Jesus, the newborn king not only of the Jews but of all nations. The Magi were the first Gentiles to recognize the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem through the rising star over Israel, which was first prophesized by Balaam, a Gentile.
As opposed to this, Herod represents the darkness. He was extremely insecure and emotionally unstable ruler. Because of this, Herod was enraged to have found that he was fooled by the Magi, as they did not come back to him to tell where they saw the newborn king, and massacred all boys of age 2 and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, in order to eliminate his rival king, the newborn king of the Jews (Matthew 2:16-18). These little boys are known as the Holy Innocents. While this took place, Jesus, the newborn king of the Jews, the newborn King of all nations, was taken with his mother, Mary, by Joseph to Egypt for safety, as the angel of the Lord warned him and ordered him to do so (Matthew 2:13-15).
Herod’s bloody reaction to the news of the newborn king also foreshadows how the darkness of evil in the world killed the incarnated Christ, Jesus, charging him as “the king of the Jews”, setting up as a threat to Caesar, to let the Roman authority execute him (John 18:28-19:30). It was when the darkness covered Jerusalem (Matthew 27:45).
But, the darkness of evil does not have the final word, because Christ the light (John 8:12; 9:5) cannot be overcome, and it is proven through the resurrection of the Christ, for the light of the Christ is also his eternal life.
John wrote the Christ, light, and life:
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:3-5)
I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness (John 12:46).
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:11-12).
And the contrast between the Magi and Herod, the light and the darkness, are reflected in these words of John
This is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God (John 3:19-21).
What is significant about Epiphany is light, because Epiphany is about manifestation of the Christ to the eyes of the Gentiles. For us to see an object in manifestation, there has to be light. This is simple physics. In fact, the word, “epiphany” comes from the Greek word, “ἐπιφάνεια”(epiphaneia), which means “appearance” and “manifestation”. And its verb form is “ἐπιφαίνω” (epiphaino), which is composed of ἐπί (epi - upon) and φαίνω (phaino -to shine, to bring light). And φαίνω (phaino) is related to φῶς (phos), light.
As the incarnated Christ was bo(rn, his presence first manifested to the Magi in the east through the light (φῶς (phos)) of the rising over (ἐπί (epi)) Israel. And they sought this light and found the Christ the King. They did not let the darkness, Herod, interfere their pilgrimage. They did not cooperate the darkness, Herod, either.
The action of the Magi is reflected in the First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6), as they rose to the rising star shining above Israel for their pilgrimage to offer their gifts to the Christ the light, as Queen Sheba paid her homage to Solomon with her gifts to him (1 Kings 10:1-13).
This passage from Isaiah 60 actually a post-exilic prophecy for the restored Jerusalem, where the Lord resides, will enjoy homages by all nations and those who come to bring gifts to Him in Jerusalem are radiant with joy and His light. In Jerusalem, the Mount Zion, there is the House of the Lord, to which all nations are streaming (Isaiah 2:2).
The Magi’s homage to newborn Jesus took place in light of this post-exilic prophecy of restored Jerusalem. But, it rather implicates Christ’s prophecy that all people are drawn to him as he ascends from the earth (John 12:32).
This is reflected in the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm:
All nations on earth shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord (Psalm 72:11).
The Second Reading (Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6) reflects that the Epiphany, as visible manifestation of the Christ to the Gentiles, a revelation of the mystery of Christ, so that all peoples of all nations stream to him, paying homage, bringing their gifts as stewards of God’s grace.
After all, the Epiphany of the Lord is about Christ manifesting in visible light of the star shining over Israel, seen by the Magi, who were Gentiles, and this light of Christ cannot be overcome by the darkness of evil of Herod.
Christ has been incarnated and been born of Mary. Have you recognized this? Has Christ the light manifested to you and guided you to him? Then, as a steward of God’s grace, what are you going to bring to the newborn King for your homage to him?
