As the world was preparing to celebrate western Christmas, there was an article in the news reporting the efforts of astronomers and historians to reconcile the history of appearances in the heavens with the reports in the Bible of the birth of Christ. What, they wonder, was the star that appeared in the east, which brought the wise men to Israel? Was it a supernova? A planetary conjunction? Was it a comet? Or was it just a legend, invented years later? The news article is clearly uncomfortable with miracles, and suggests, as its first paragraph is concluding, that the explanation can be found in naturally-occurring events.
A quick reading of the Fathers would have saved them all a great deal of time and trouble. They tell us that the “star” was an angelic power who appeared to guide the Magi to Christ. Two questions can help make this abundantly plain.
First, how can a star disappear, and then reappear? After all, the wise men followed the star to Jerusalem; but then had to ask of King Herod, “Where is He Who is born King of the Jews?” When they departed from Jerusalem to go to Bethlehem, the star reappeared to guide them.
Second, we are told that the star that went before them as they came to Bethlehem “stood over the place where the young Child was.” Either the star had to move in the heavens in a way totally uncharacteristic of the heavenly bodies we call stars; or it was not one of the lights God created in the heavens to light the night skies, and to reveal Himself through the wonders of nature. The Fathers use this example: You see the moon, or a particular star, and it appears to be over your house. Yet someone else, miles away, sees the same moon or star, appearing to be over their house. This can hardly serve to guide a traveler from afar to either house! And so, if the star stood over the house where our Lord was to be found, it was not a star, but an angelic power appearing to be a star, in order to bring the wise men to our Lord and His mother.
God was the guide of these travelers from afar, who were not “people of the Promise”; they were gentiles, outsiders – and yet they had come, with knowledge, with prophecy, to find the King of the Jews. When they found this peasant family and their new-born Child, they bowed down to Him, and offered gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized our Lord Jesus, even as a baby, to be King, and offered worship to Him. Compare this to those who thought themselves to be the people of God, who had the prophesies of the coming of the Messiah – who interpreted these to help the Magi come to Bethlehem! They did not worship Him; they did not even bother to try to find Him, Who was – or, at least, should have been – the fulfillment of all their hopes, and the answer to all their prayers.
Brothers and sisters, God will guide all those who seek Him, and will bring them to worship Him. He has brought each of us here, to this place, that we might worship and honor Him. He gives us the gift of Himself, and His love, and the hope of life without end in the wonder and enjoyment of His presence. Will we, in return, give Him gifts? He does not need or want our gold, our wealth – that is entrusted to us to use on His behalf, in making possible the work of the Church, and to care for the needs of those around us. He does not ask for frankincense, but for our prayers to be offered to Him – not for Himself, but for our benefit. He does not require of us myrrh, for He has already died, and been resurrected, so that we might not be bound any longer by death. Let us, then, in love, give Him the gift of our selves, our worship, our obedience, and our loving care for each other, and for all those who are made in His image. As we live the way of life of the Orthodox Church, our Lord Jesus Christ, born in us by baptism, will shine forth to bring all who seek Him to Himself, and be born in them as well. Let us live according to the Orthodox life, that we, too, may be stars to guide those who are on a journey to find the Lord may find Him here, and worship Him with us!
Christ is born!
No comments:
Post a Comment