By Kelly Akins
Today we are celebrating Epiphany at Wilshire. My husband, Allan, and I are members of the Epiphany Sunday School class, a safe space at Wilshire to wrestle with questions, have differing opinions and still show love and respect for others.
What does it mean when someone says, “I had an epiphany”? According to the English-Cambridge Dictionary, this is a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand or become conscious of something very important to you, which can be a powerful religious experience. It is often an illuminating realization or discovery, an insight or an inspiration — the “aha” moment or life-changing realization that changes the rest of the story.
Matthew is the only Gospel that speaks about Epiphany and the coming of the Magi. Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning “showing forth” or “to reveal.” It is often thought of as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
The Magi followed the star because they were faithful. They went to Herod, who also wanted to know where this so-called king was. Herod was scared and called his chief priests and scribes to find out where this Messiah was to be born. They turned to the Scriptures of the prophet for an answer. I wonder how often we turn to Scripture when we need an answer. When they got to Bethlehem, the star stopped moving and stayed above the stable where the Christ Child was. Can you imagine what a wondrous sight that was to behold? The kings knelt and paid homage to the baby. While the Magi’s motives were pure, Herod’s motives were not, because he wanted to be the only king. When the Magi left, they wisely went home a different way.
On this feast day of Epiphany, let’s look at the three kings and the important gifts they brought to the Christ Child. The first gift was gold; however, Jesus was a different kind of king, so gold isn’t enough for him. Frankincense was the second gift the kings brought to Jesus. It is often used for worship because it makes a sweet-smelling smoke that helps us when we pray. The third gift was myrrh, which is sometimes burned at funerals. It was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death. These gifts showed that Jesus was not to be like other kings.
I wonder how we, like the kings, are faithfully following the star and God’s direction. I wonder what gifts we are bringing to Jesus. I wonder when we are like Herod with impure motives. I wonder where you will have an epiphany that will change your story.