Jan. 6, 2002
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January 6,2002 Pastor Ole Amund Gillebo Matthew 2:1-12 Bright and Glorious is the sky. The Christmas holiday is over. Most of the people have been deep in the workaday world again for a while. For those who insist on a real Christmas tree, that tree is already a memory. Most of the trees are cut too early to last beyond the New Year. I have seen some of them thrown out in the garden or on the sidewalks. The cookies and the candies are all eaten and we are planning for the spring diet. And we have done as said in a poem " we have tried unsuccessfully to love all our relatives", now we are ready to go back to normal. Today is the Thirteenth Day of Christmas. This refers to a Scandinavian tradition. Actually this was the day to take down the Christmas tree and carefully put away the star, the glittering garlands, the handcrafted paper baskets, flags, straw figures and so forth, as said in an old poem for this day "On the thirteenth day of Christmas, St Knut chases Christmas out." The 6th of January also is the Day of Epiphany, which is the oldest celebration of the birth of Christ, rooted in the Eastern Church. Actually it was the bishop of Rome during the first half of the fourth century who instituted December 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus’ birth. The festival of Epiphany sometimes was called "the old Christmas" and December 25th "the new Christmas". The name "Epiphany" for today is from Greek meaning "coming into view" or "revelation". It is about revelation of God’s glory in Christ as the Son of God. The old Church used to celebrate both the Birth of Jesus and his baptism on this day and proclaimed the revelation of God in Christ. In Church history both in the East and the West, the Epiphany has been one of the most significant festivals, and still is. It has been a tradition of burning "the three kings candle" representing the three wise men. It was in the middle of the second century that the Church Fathers set the number of the wise men at three and declared them as kings. Later on (in the 5th century) the three received the names Gasper, Melchior and Balthasar. After that the Church pointed out that they were not kings at all, and we do not know if they were three, but for some good reasons they were Babylon magi, may be a particular tribe with specific priestly duties. They were teachers and instructors, they were men of holiness and wisdom. They were skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural science including astrology. The later was a prestigious occupation at that time. The stars represented the order of the universe and God’s creation power. We do know about several changes of the order at the time of Jesus’ birth. It has been common to think of the three as representing the whole world, all nations. The three were descendents of Noah’s sons, Sam, Ham and Jafet who represents Asia, Africa and Europe. They also used to represent the three different periods of human life, youth, adulthood and the elderly. We should think of all nations and all ages. This day has been for the purpose of Worldwide Mission of the Church. We are challenged to follow the wise men to Christ and to go with Christ to the whole world. I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people! As the Christmas Day does focus on the incarnation and God’s Son coming into human being, the Epiphany is about the divinity of Christ. The gift of Incarnation is no simple gift to be placed on a shelf. The wise men found their way to Bethlehem and worshipped. They brought gold and frankincense and myrrh. These three are the symbols of kingship, priest hood and death. Christ was born to reign, not by force, but by love and grace. He is the true ruler over men’s hearts, not from a throne, but from the cross. That is why we must submit to Christ. Christ was born to occupy the priesthood that brought the sacrifice that opened the door to God for men. That is what Jesus did. He opened the way to God. He made it possible for men to enter into the very presence of God. Christ was born to die. Myrrh was used to embalm the bodies of the dead. Jesus came into the world to live for men, and, in the end, to die for men. He came to give for men his life and his death. Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one who was to die, these were the gifts of the wise men and they worshipped Christ. The star pointed at Bethlehem and Jesus Christ. It is still there for us to follow. Sometimes it is a long walk to go to worship Christ and to kneel before Him. Some people spend many years. The wise men worshipped Christ and brought their gifts. They did not protest their unworthiness and that their gifts were too small! Did they say what they received was too great? Did they say they were not ready? No, for God’s gift is not a reward or bestowed as a prize but a gift of grace. The kingdom of Christ is grace. The wise men were the beginning of the Church. Today we stand in a long historical line. We are called to make Him our Lord, worship him and serve him and give to him what we have, ourselves, our time, and our possessions. From him we receive what he alone can give. Christ is the light of the world, the life and the peace! Glory to God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever. Amen. |
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |