January 6: The Revelation of Christ to the Gentiles
♫ Music:
The Feasts of Theophany & Epiphany
The Revelation of Christ to the Gentiles
Matthew 2: 1-11
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; or from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Epiphany
by Judith Bingham
Deep midwinter, the dark center of the year,
Wake, O earth, awake,
Out of the hills a star appears,
Here lies the way for pilgrim kings,
Three magi on an ancient path,
Black hours begin their journeyings.
Their star has risen in our hearts,
Empty thrones, abandoning fears,
Out on the hills their journey starts,
In dazzling darkness God appears.
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES
Following the celebration of the nativity of Christ at Christmas, the next major commemoration in the Church is the feast of Epiphany, or Theophany, on January 6. The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas just ended yesterday. As we read the selection from Matthew’s Gospel and see in Gentile da Fabriano’s stunning artwork, the focus is on the coming of the magi and their presentation of gifts to the young Jesus. Led by a mysterious star, these seekers of wisdom come a long distance to pay homage to the King of the Jews, even though they are not Jews. The three gifts they present to the Lord are not only very valuable, but deeply prophetic. Gold is a gift fit for a king. Frankincense, the main component in incense used for worship, signifies that the magi recognize this child as God. “In dazzling darkness, God appears,” such are the evocative words of poet Judith Bingham. Finally, myrrh was used to anoint the dead, a prediction by the magi that Jesus came into this world, so that He might die.
Da Fabriano’s 15th century painting borrows elements from earlier Christian art, especially Byzantine iconography. The birthplace of Christ is depicted as a cave. This is an ancient tradition, supported by the fact that wood for construction was scarce in that land and livestock was frequently kept in caves. In this understanding, the stable in which Jesus was born was a cave. The ox and donkey in the mouth of the cave are not depicted merely because Jesus was laid in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. More significantly, this is a nod to Isaiah 1:3 which reads, “The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know Me, and the people do not understand Me.”
In these learned men from the east, we see a prefigurement of the whole Church of Christ. The Lord is now manifest to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. No longer is attachment to God determined by ethnicity, but by faith. As the elder Simeon declared, Christ is “a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of [His] people Israel.” (Luke 2:32)
The magi followed a star which lead them to their king and God. Several obstacles stood in their way before they could fulfill their desire to see Jesus. First of all, they likely travelled a long distance to come to Bethlehem. Early Christian tradition identifies Persia, modern day Iran, as their likely starting point. Travel from there to Bethlehem, over hundreds of miles of barren land, without the comfort and speed of modern travel, would have been a great challenge. Secondly, there was Herod, the scheming and paranoid ruler of Judea. He presents a danger to these truth seekers, and in the verse immediately after our chosen selection, the magi are warned in a dream to defy Herod by avoiding him and slipping away quietly.
What can we learn from all this? Seeking Jesus is worth the effort even in the midst of many challenges. The persevering magi did not get sidetracked in their desire to worship Him. In his musical piece, Healey Willan had the wise men declare,“[He]re is the rest we seek!” Indeed, may we always regard Jesus as our rest, and never tire of coming to Him in worship.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, may we, like the magi, always search You out in spite of all distractions and challenges. Increase our faith and give us the courage to generously lay our treasures before You as an offering of love. As You manifested Yourself to all people regardless of background, enable us to likewise reflect You to everyone we meet.
Amen.
Father Ignatius Valentine
Saint Raphael Church, Iowa City, IA
Adoration of the Magi
Gentile da Fabriano
Tempera on wooden panel, 1423
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
About the Artist and Artwork:
Gentile da Fabriano (1370-1427) was an Italian painter known for his elegant, decorative style and for his delicate lighting. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best-known works are his Adoration of the Magi and the Flight into Egypt. He painted his famous altarpiece depicting the magi for the Palla Strozzi’s Chapel in the church of Santa Trinita, Florence. It now hangs in the Uffizi and is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the International Gothic style. The profusion of gold is amazing. It is both the expression of the typical Gothic style, and also the evidence of the immense wealth of the banker Palla Strozzi.
About the Music:
“The Three Kings”
Lyrics:
“Who knocks tonight so late?” the weary porter said.
Three kings stood at the gate, each with a crown on head.
The serving man bowed down; the inn was full, he knew.
Said he, “In all this town is no fit place for you!”
A light the manger lit: there lay the Mother meek.
Said they, “This place is fit: here is the rest we seek!”
They loosed their latchet strings; so stood they all unshod.
Come in, ye Kings! And kiss the feet of God.
About the Composer:
Lyricist Laurence Housman (1865-1959) and composer Healey Willan (1880-1968) created the classic Christmas Hymn, “The Three Kings,” in 1928. Willan was an Anglo-Canadian organist and composer, who wrote more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and piano. His sacred choral and organ works show evidence of his love for plainsong and Renaissance music.
About the Performers:
Based in San Francisco, California, Chanticleer is a full-time male classical vocal ensemble. Over the last three decades, the group has developed a major reputation for its interpretations of Renaissance music, but it also performs a wide repertoire of jazz, gospel, and other venturesome new music and is widely known as an "Orchestra of Voices.” The ensemble was named for the "clear singing rooster" in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
www.chanticleer.org/
About the Poet:
Judith Bingham (b. 1952) is a British poet, composer and mezzo-soprano singer. She attended the Royal Academy of Music (1970–73) and is a Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music.