"An Aha Moment"

Epiphany is explained as an“Aha!” moment of clarity of getting it.  Can anyone here today recall an Aha! Moment in your life? 

When used as biblical expression, Epiphany is the moment when you are suddenly struck with a life-changing realization which will clarify or change the traditional story for you. A biblical Epiphany often begins with revelation or personal experience from God or Jesus and this Aha Moment deepens your relationship with them. You begin to think outside the “BOX”. 

Jan 5, 2020 Readings:  Psalm 72, Ephesians 3: 1-12, Matt 2: 1-12 

For those denominations who follow the Liturgical Christian Year Epiphany Sunday always falls on January 6^th.  But because the 6^th is not always a Sunday, we in the church today, celebrate Epiphany on the first Sunday in January.  The visitors from the East, were not converted Christian, they were not Roman or Jewish Spiritual Leaders.  They were just seekers we are told, looking to find the fulfillment of an ancient prophesy found in some of the Old Hebrew writings.  They represent a fragment of ourselves, seekers of “the word” made flesh, looking for the truth about God in a world that seems Godless at times.  This story is recorded in only one of the Gospels, the Gospel of Matthew.   Let us also take note here, that there is no mention of the number of seekers that came to the house in Bethlehem on that day.  Theological Scholars have established that the Magi were folk who studied the stars and the ancient prophetic writings of the Hebrew. There is no mention of three persons presenting themselves as kings, but there is mention of three “gifts” and to them, they had a spiritual meaning:   Gold as a symbol of kingship with the world, frankincense symbolizing the divine, and the embalming oil Myrrh was a symbol of death.  We must also take note here the verse that notes their arrival and I quote:  ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Unfortunately for many Christian followers the timing of this particular event and the stranger’s arrival in Bethlehem has been distorted.  Here we need to move to verses 16 of the chapter to find out the proper timing.  ¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.   This scripture confirms for us that Jesus would have been at least 2 years old when the Magi paid him their visit.  This is why you should not see them in the manger scene during the 4 Sundays of Advent or on Christmas Eve because they were not there yet. 

I’m going to ask you for a moment to begin to think outside the traditional Christmas Box.  What if I told you that someone replaced the word Mary’s Christmas with Merry Christmas?  Now there is no specific evidence to prove this but I would like us to begin to think outside the tradition box for a moment, by thinking of the period from Jesus birth up to what we call Epiphany as Mary’s Christmas.  For you see that’s what it really was.  It was Christmas for Mary.   Only Joseph, and few shepherds shared in those first moments of Mary’s gift.  It wasn’t about gift giving, that tradition began 2 years later when strangers brought gifts to the young boy.  Mary’s Christmas was only about receiving a gift, and Mary’s gift was not just for her and Joseph, it was to be a gift for the entire world.  Unfortunately for many it is no longer about Mary’s Christmas it has turned in OUR Christmas and that’s OK too because I not here to destroy our Christmas and our celebrations. My job is to offer an Epiphany of truth, about the real Christmas for you to consider.  Our modern day Christmas begins long before Dec 25^th is even on the horizon.  Mary’s Christmas got somehow shoved into the background of our now happy holidays and Christmas celebrations,  

For Mary’s Christmas there would be no gifts to unwrap there was only one gift, and it was to be received, not given.   That is the true meaning of Mary’s Christmas you see.  The Question we are left to ponder is have you receive her gift yet.  Has the season and it revelations stirred within you, a thrust to know more, to deepen your relationship with Jesus?   It would be almost 2 years before any gifts would be presented to the boy Jesus and the gifts would not come from Jesus’ family nor his race, another revelation to consider.  No they came via strangers from the Mesopotamian region. The Magi were actually Iranian priest from an obscure religion consider a cult by the Jews because they looked for answers in the stars and some old prophesies of the Hebrew Scriptures.   They were thought to have merely stumbled onto the prophesy involving Jesus star.  Here is another Epiphany if you will, “there is no coincidences’ with God at the helm?”   In fact it will be because of your seeking that you too will find Christ and accept Mary’s Christmas gift for yourself.    It happens no other way folks.   “Seek and Ye Shall Find”    My brother, the Lord has spoken      My sister, the Lord has spoken   My brother, the Lord has spoken,    And the love comes a-trickling' down.   As we come to the table this day let us remember just what Mary’s Christmas means for us.