January 6 , 2008
Commentary by Bruce G. Epperly |
See aslo: [2002] |
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
“Arise, shine; for your light has come!” Epiphany is the season of illumination, highlighting God’s revelation to all humankind. The magi from the East pay homage to the Christ Child and all creation experiences God’s glory. The juxtaposition of light and darkness in Isaiah’s passage is spiritual and ethical, rather than cultural or ontological. God’s revealing light, while challenging to self-interested and nationalistic political leaders, is truly good news for all humankind, even those who flee its revealing.
Isaiah 60:1-6 proclaims the universality of the light of God to all creation. The exiled and defeated community of Jerusalem will rise again and become the focal point of God’s transformation of the world. Its power will be transformed – spiritual and relational, rather than military, power will rule the day. Such a declaration challenged the world view of those who lived in exile, believing that their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had been defeated by the gods of their Babylonian captors. In a world in which prosperity and military might signaled the blessing and power of one’s tribal god, Isaiah describes a different type of power and victory – one that not only restores and refreshes the defeated ones, but also uplifts and nourishes all humankind. All will praise the God of Israel, whose wisdom and grace has chosen Israel to become “a light” rather than a “scourge” to the nations. The God of Israel is no longer seen as partisan but as the savior of all humankind.
Isaiah 60:1-6 calls us to live in the radiance of God’s glory. Now, the word “glory” is seldom invoked in mainstream and progressive churches. Like the word “praise,” it is often identified with hierarchical modes of thought. But, perhaps “praise” and “glory” need to be reclaimed by liberal, progressive, and mainstream Christians insofar as they awaken us to the wondrous nature of life and the divine energy and wisdom flowing through all things. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel spoke of “radical amazement” as a primary religious virtue. And, we would do well to ask ourselves, “Are we amazed at the world in which we live? Are our eyes opened to the wonder of galaxies dancing with one another, as revealed in recent photos from the Hubble telescope? Are we delighted at the wonders of the human body, the emotional recuperative powers that allow us to begin again after a significant loss, or the imagination that allows us to be co-creators in our limited sphere with the Holy One?”
Isaiah 60 calls us to an ethic of wonder, illumination, and inclusion, and invites us to see traces of God’s glory where we have either overlooked or denied them. Isaiah 60 leads easily into a reflection on Matthew’s story of the magi from the East. Spiritual leaders from another faith tradition have greater insight into God’s revelation to Israel than the priests and political leaders of Jerusalem, who are threatened not only by the possibility of God’s revelation among the common people, but also God’s illumination of persons outside of their own circle of revelation and truth.
Both Isaiah 6 and Matthew 2 call us to consider the relationship of revelation and salvation. If revelation is global, yet varied in form throughout humankind, so, too, salvation must also be global and available to persons in terms of the gifts and insights of their own cultural contexts. Although the magi never adopt the religion of the Jews, they are surely “saved” for they have seen the radiance of God in the heavens as well as Mary and Joseph’s humble household.
Matthew 2 also calls us to consider the reality of “revelation in the darkness.” The magi are “warned in dream.” God is revealed in the night as well as the day, the dark as well as the light, the unconscious as well as the conscious. Mainstream and progressive churches are only recently learning to honor the non-rational as well as the rational, and the mystical as well as the intellectual.
The revelation to the magi ends with an evocative phrase, “they left for their own country by another road.” Encountering divine illumination always changes the course of our lives. Although they were trying to avoid Herod, the magi also chose to change course – they grew spiritually and theologically by their recognition of divine illumination in another faith, the Jewish tradition. The magi model the importance of claiming the insights of other faith traditions and integrating them with the gifts of our own faith. They remind us that we can as Christians affirm the unique insights found in scripture and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, while also embracing the gifts of yoga, reiki, and contemporary teachers such as Thich Naht Hanh and the Dalai Lama.
Psalm 72 describes an “empire” very different from the empires contemplated by neoconservatives and Islamic fundamentalists, an empire of service and abundance. Freed from the bondage of national self-interest, the rulers of this inclusive empire seek to balance care for the nation with care for the planet. In placing justice at the heart of their rule, they welcome and sustain the poor and dispossessed. Such an inclusive empire uplifts the downtrodden and listens to the cries of the least of these. Psalm 72 puts into practical action the theology of epiphany – if revelation is universal, breaking down the barriers of culture, religion, and economics, then justice must also be universal.
Ephesians proclaims the power of grace to transform those who had previously turned their backs on God. The rhythm of grace is “call and response.” God’s abundant and life-transforming revelation calls us all to become “insiders” in the realm of grace. In fact, we were always “insiders,” always objects of God’s love, but now we know it and can act on it by awakening others to their insider status. We are no longer “spiritual aliens,” we are “spiritual friends” not only of God but also of all creation. Grace abounds, like light. Its illuminative power has no boundary and gives light to every path. Grace can’t be hoarded, but can be fully appreciated only as we are graceful to others, most especially those who have been on the outside.
Today’s passages call us to theological, ethical, and spiritual transformation. First, they call us to embrace a theology of universal revelation. While persons experience God in various ways, and some even turn their backs on God, God still calls all creation to wholeness. Second, the God who calls all creation to wholeness challenges us to move from our own personal and communal comfort zones to become God’s partners in welcoming and nourishing the marginalized, so that they can stand on their feet as equals in giftedness and revelation. Finally, the universality of Epiphany challenges us to embrace a larger vision of spirituality, one that includes ecstatic experience, the wisdom of dreams, contemplation and intercessory prayer, praise, and healing as well as the rationality and tradition.
In this light, as a creative balance to the Epiphany focus on justice and social inclusion, your congregation might sponsor an adult education opportunity on dreams and dream interpretation, a creation-oriented Christian mystic such as Hildegard of Bingen or the Celtic tradition, or explore the recent work of the Dalai Lama or Thich Naht Hanh.
Bruce Epperly is Director of Continuing Education and Professor of Practical Theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary and co-pastor of Disciples United Community Church in Lancaster, PA. He may be reached at bepperly@lancasterseminary.edu or www.ducc.us.
If you found this lectionary helpful, please consider contributing to Process & Faith by making a donation or becoming a member.
Process & Faith is a program of the Center for Process Studies, an affiliated program of the Claremont School of Theology.
This site and all content ©2006 Process & Faith, unless otherwise noted.
Please support this website by becoming a member of Process & Faith.
