An Epiphany
Having watched the History Channel's great program on the History of Christmas, the story of the Three Kings has been re-played several times in my mind.
Probably astrologers, the Three Kings saw the rising of a special star in a specific section of the heavens near a specific set of constellations as a foreboding of the rise of a King among the Hebrews. Startling. They were probably Zoroastrians, following the divine message revealed by Zarathushtra - a monotheist religion believing in one God.
They - all non-Hebrew - went looking for a King and went to Herod initially to get their directions straight. Although they were fairly well versed in the religions and folklore of their day and age in their own and other countries, they came to Herod to get a confirmation (through Hebrew texts) of where this King may be.
Getting the information, they traveled onward to find Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Depending on what texts you read and/or art you look at, Jesus may be depicted as a newborn or a two year old, robust, holding his own on his mother's knee.
What would the scene have been (without even thinking up questions of the town in question, whether there was a home or a stable or a cave.....) for the family. The learned men of the time - from the 'outside world' (non Hebrew) - acknowledged this child as a King.
....what could have gone through the minds of Mary and Joseph?? We can only wonder. It would be safe to imagine that this visit was logged into Mary's consciousness along with the other incredible things: her pregnancy, the angels, the shepherds, naming him before his birth.
And of Jesus.... at best, a child. Three amazing and exotic looking men with their entourage, baggage, gifts, saying peculiar things to him, mentioning things to his parents he could not understand.
This was an epiphany - a showing, an awakening, a revelation - for the world for all time. The truest essence of his being was revealed by strangers, outsiders, to his village, his relatives, even to us all these years later. Yet this is NOT the epiphany for Jesus.
He would not has his own epiphany just yet; that would take time and patience and maturity and grace. An epiphany of Jesus, but not yet the epiphany for Jesus. That was yet to come in a stream, in humility, following the inner and outer movement of the Spirit.
The annunciation, the birth, the wise men, the baptism, the wilderness, the call, the travel, the miracles, the denunciations, the ministry, the deception, the agony, the surrender, the death, the rising, the ascension, the descent of the spirit...... and it begins again....... amen.
Probably astrologers, the Three Kings saw the rising of a special star in a specific section of the heavens near a specific set of constellations as a foreboding of the rise of a King among the Hebrews. Startling. They were probably Zoroastrians, following the divine message revealed by Zarathushtra - a monotheist religion believing in one God.
They - all non-Hebrew - went looking for a King and went to Herod initially to get their directions straight. Although they were fairly well versed in the religions and folklore of their day and age in their own and other countries, they came to Herod to get a confirmation (through Hebrew texts) of where this King may be.
Getting the information, they traveled onward to find Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Depending on what texts you read and/or art you look at, Jesus may be depicted as a newborn or a two year old, robust, holding his own on his mother's knee.
What would the scene have been (without even thinking up questions of the town in question, whether there was a home or a stable or a cave.....) for the family. The learned men of the time - from the 'outside world' (non Hebrew) - acknowledged this child as a King.
....what could have gone through the minds of Mary and Joseph?? We can only wonder. It would be safe to imagine that this visit was logged into Mary's consciousness along with the other incredible things: her pregnancy, the angels, the shepherds, naming him before his birth.
And of Jesus.... at best, a child. Three amazing and exotic looking men with their entourage, baggage, gifts, saying peculiar things to him, mentioning things to his parents he could not understand.
This was an epiphany - a showing, an awakening, a revelation - for the world for all time. The truest essence of his being was revealed by strangers, outsiders, to his village, his relatives, even to us all these years later. Yet this is NOT the epiphany for Jesus.
He would not has his own epiphany just yet; that would take time and patience and maturity and grace. An epiphany of Jesus, but not yet the epiphany for Jesus. That was yet to come in a stream, in humility, following the inner and outer movement of the Spirit.
The annunciation, the birth, the wise men, the baptism, the wilderness, the call, the travel, the miracles, the denunciations, the ministry, the deception, the agony, the surrender, the death, the rising, the ascension, the descent of the spirit...... and it begins again....... amen.
posted by Joanna Depue | 1:20 AM
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