Erl Purnell Sermon

aEpiphany ~ January 6, 2008 ~ A sermon preached by The Rev’d Erl G. Purnell at Old St. Andrew’s Church, Bloomfield, CT

Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 72.1-7, 1-14; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12

For Christians, Epiphany is a high holy day. It ranks with Christmas and Easter in its importance in the church year.

As we just heard, Epiphany marks the celebration of the Magi’s visit to the baby Jesus as told only in Matthew’s Gospel. In a single phrase, Epiphany serves as an ah ha moment; its when the lights go on about who this child Jesus was, or was to be.

For, you see, according to Matthew, the visit of the Magi recognizes Jesus as Messiah at the very outset of his life, while also foreshadowing the final words of the Matthean Gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28.19-20).

These Magi—or, in today’s terminology, astrologers—were strangers from a distant land. They certainly were not Jews, even of the Diaspora. They represented for Matthew the opportunity for Christ to be known, not only to the Hebrew people, but in the far reaches of the gentile world, too. Although Matthew wrote for his own Christ-ian Jewish community, he signaled an evangelism of non-Jews.

For us to take the story of the Magi literally—especially in contrast to Luke’s rendition of the nativity—may be a bit of a stretch. I’ve always wondered what Joseph and Mary did with all that gold, frankincense and myrrh. Some argue that they used it to bankroll their long stay in Egypt. That’s pure conjecture because there’s no further mention of the gifts after they’re given to Jesus. However, to read and understand the visit of the Magi metaphorically meets all of Matthew’s intentions for including it in his Gospel.

Epiphany—derived from the Greek epiphaneia—means manifestation or to appear. Epiphany is characterized by the coming of Light. In the Gospel, the image is an extremely bright Star that guides the Magi to Bethlehem. Superficially, the Star represents the longed-for Messiah of Israel. If you’d like a deeper look into the metaphor, though, consider that stars are objects of the Universe, the cosmos. The Star that shines on Jesus is the very Light of the Creator God of Above. God is present at the birth of Jesus according to image Matthew includes in the Magi story.

Matthew wanted and needed to say, in no uncertain terms, that born in Bethlehem—the City of David, who was Israel’s greatest king—Jesus was the Christ, the promised King of the Jews. Make no mistake, in the year 80 or 90 of the common era, when this gospel was probably written, for people from Matthew’s community who heard the story, these images would have been obvious and self-explanatory. Looking back at the time, they might have said, ‘Of course the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Of course a heavenly body would illuminate the birth place. Of course the Gentile world would welcome the Christ.’

It is only post-Enlightenment literalists who require that a traveling star can track the path of Joseph and Mary, stop in the high heavens, and guide some nomadic astrologers to a new born baby.

But back to the metaphor of the Magi. A question? Who, in the ancient world, would have gold? Answer? A King! The gold presented to Jesus signals his kingship over Israel. The gold given represents the best of wealth and beauty the Magi have to offer. Again, this Jesus is the Messiah, the promised and rightful King of Israel. It’s a potent statement. Jesus, not Caesar, is King.

Frankincense comes from Persia and India, the East Indies and Arabia. It’s a white resin or gum distilled from a tree. When franincense is burned, it’s very fragrant. But why did Matthew’s Magi bring frankincense? Consider this from Exodus (30.7-8): “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.”

To the Hebrew people, frankincense made “holy smoke” to be used in worship. It was frankincense that was burned in the presence of the Lord. Why give Jesus frankincense? Because Jesus is Lord! Jesus is the Messiah of God. Moreover, frankincense was extremely valuable. Any given weight of frankincense was more valuable in fact that that same weight of gold. Just imagine the value of the gift! So, spare-no-expense, sweet smelling frankincense was burned to please God and given to Jesus.

Myrrh is the Magi’s final gift to the baby Jesus. Like frankincense, myrrh is a gum or resin that is aromatic when burned. It comes from a thorn-bush native to Ethiopia and Arabia. However, in contrast to the sweetness of the frankincense given to Jesus, myrrh represents bitterness. Do you remember the bitterness of the waters Moses encountered coming out of Egypt? “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah” (Exodus 15:23). The root Hebrew word for myrrh and Marah are the same.

Much used in Egypt and Judea in Jesus’ time, myrrh’s chief function was to embalm the dead. It preserved a body from becoming putrid. In addition, myrrh was used in holy ointments and perfume. Believe it or not, perfume derived from myrrh could retain its pleasant odor for hundreds of years when stored in an alabaster pot.

The myrrh of the Magi, whether real or metaphor, represents the human suffering of Jesus and so our own pain and suffering. Before Jesus has taken a single step, Matthew lets his community know that he will suffer as all people suffer and he will die as all people die.

So, there you have it. The Magi. Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Did astrologers visit Jesus in Bethlehem? Were these gifts really given to Jesus? Or, are the metaphoric gifts enough, maybe even more to point?

For Matthew, the powerful images these gifts represent are what’s important. Gold, that beautiful and precious metal that cannot even be destroyed by fire, honors the true King of Israel; frankincense, the priceless and sweet incense of holiness, signals worship for the new born Lord; and, myrrh, the ointment of suffering and death lets all know of Jesus’ humanity.

Matthew insists that his community recognize the root-Jewishness of Jesus—King of Israel, Lord of Lords, and true human being among us. The Epiphany, to Matthew, celebrates the blessing of Jesus as Messiah before the story even begins. Now we know what to expect in coming passages about Jesus of Nazareth according to Matthew’s Gospel.

Amen.