Today, January 6, the Church celebrates the Epiphany, or when the Magi came to visit the child Jesus. It's a celebration of the foretelling of Jesus being the Messiah not only for the Jewish people, but for the whole world.
Of course, the gospel reading is taken from Matthew 2. What struck me today during the priest's homily was the focus given on the reaction from Herod and Jerusalem when the magi appear telling him that they are seeking "the one who has been born king of the Jews. We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." The following verse reads, "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matt 2:3). Why are they disturbed though? Weren't the majority of Jews looking forward to the Messiah to supposedly liberate them from Roman rule?
Here, we need to backtrack to the Old Testament. The star mentioned is prophesied in Numbers 24 by Balaam. In verse 17, he speaks: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth." Another prophesy about the magi is made in Isaiah 60: "Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Median and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord," (Isaiah 60:6).
Clearly, good Jews would be quite familiar with these prophecies. In fact, even the chief priests and teachers of the law are aware of where the Messiah would be born when Herod asks them, referencing the prophecy from Micah (Matt 2:4). But again, why are these people disturbed? We can understand Herod's concern as he was the ruler of the area, but why the general populace of Jerusalem?
I have a suspision that those in Jerusalem were relatively well off within the Roman Empire compared to those who lived out in the country, those on the fringes of society. They too would be concerned for their status and having the status quo shaken to the core. This makes sense given Jesus' lamentation over the city later, shortly before His passion, found in both Matthew and Luke:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34)
My own thoughts on this give me pause, because how much can we be like those in Jerusalem? Generally, we as "western" Christians face little, if any, persecution for our faith. We do not know what it means to struggle and rely on God for our daily bread. I'm not saying no one knows these pains, but in a general sense, we are comfortable.
As this Christmas season ends and a new yea begins, may we be like the Magi, seeking Christ and offering our own gifts to him throughout this coming year.
