January 7th, 2024
At first glance, the connection between the First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6) and the Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12) for the Feast of the Epiphany seems to be very obvious.
Isaiah pronounces that kings from foreign lands will follow the radiance of the Lord, a star in the sky, and bring gifts of gold and frankincense. In the Gospel what appear to be these same foreigners are the magi visiting the newborn babe and bearing said gifts, along with myrrh.
However, by taking a more detailed look at the historical circumstances of the nation of Israel we can gain a deeper appreciation for the connection between these readings from today.
The passage from the Book of Isaiah depicts a joyous time for the Jewish people. The mighty Babylonians, who had captured and exiled them and, in the process, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, have been conquered by the leader of the new superpower, Cyrus the Persian.
So blissful is the author of this third and final portion of Isaiah that he gives Cyrus the title the “anointed one of God.” At this point in their history Cyrus is almost as close to being a savoir for Israel as the chosen King David once was.
Isaiah thus writes his passage of exuberance, “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.” As is often the case in the literature of the Old Testament, the prophet personifies the capital of God’s chosen ones, Jerusalem. The city which has been under the control of powerful enemies for many years will now become the destination to which flock the wealthy and powerful kings who have repressed her as she becomes radiant with her newfound glory.
Fast forward about five hundred years and we come to the story of the Visit of the Magi. Not too coincidentally, these magi represent the priestly class of the Persians who were responsible for the release of Israel from the Babylonian captivity.
Their religion known as Zoroastrianism, led by a prophet known as Zoroaster, was prevalent during the time of contact between the Jewish people and the Persians. Many of the tenets of their faith were influential for the development of the traditions of later Judaism. These include the belief in such things as angels and demons, heaven and hell, the afterlife, and the resurrection of the dead.
Eventually their religion took on an astrological component where the study of the planets and starts offered special meaning to them. In this case, it was the appearance of a new star at the birth of a great ruler. Of course, it is this star which they follow to the site of the newborn king of the Jews, Bethlehem. This is the town from which the prophet Micah foretold that a ruler would come to shepherd the people of Israel (Micah 5:1; Matthew 2:6b).
The irony of the story is that King Herod, the reigning “King of the Jews” has no clue that a new ruler has been born who will fulfill the prophecy of Micah. It is the visit of these foreigners which brings him this news. The threat to his crown is now very real and he is disturbed by their report. He tries to trick the magi into revealing the location of the newborn king, but the divine message of a dream prevents this from happening.
When the magi arrive to the area of the house where animals are also allowed to rest, they encounter the Holy Family and kneel in homage before the baby king and present their gifts. Most importantly they represent the non-Jews, or Gentiles, who will be drawn into the salvation which is promised to the Jews through the birth of the savior.
They, too, are descendants of Abraham who, like Christians today, have been given the gifts of the Jewish Messiah, Christ the Lord. This is why the celebration of the Epiphany is so special – the resurrection taught by the prophet Zoroaster and inherited by Judaism is now offered to all who come to believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
