An Epiphany at Epiphany

Originally posted here

So I realised that I don't really know what Epiphany is about and what with it being tomorrow, January 6th, I thought I should find out.
Doing a little reading around, it seems it used to be quiet a big celebration day. It is thought to have been celebrated as far back as the 4th century and is associated with the wise men, or Magi, who followed the signs in the heavens (i.e. the unusual star), and visited Jesus with gifts. A story we're all familiar with.

But if you think you know the story because of all the nativity scenes, just take a moment to realise that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and had to stay in the stable room, that they wouldn't have lingered there. Matthew 2 v 11 tells us when the Magi finally got to Mary & Joseph, they were in a house : "And on going into the house"

They are thought to have travelled around 1000 miles. That's a long way by camel power, or donkey power - or whatever animal would have been used. In fact even to travel 12 hrs a day, I've roughly calculated that such a journey would take nearly a year.

Now this got me thinking about the dedication that took. Even if my maths is off, and even if it was only 500 miles, it's still around 166 days travelling. That's half a year! ONE WAY!!

Now these men could have stayed home, still believed in God, still believed in the coming Messiah, and still been perfectly happy, perfectly blessed, and not have had to do years of careful study of the sky, understanding the constellations, navigation and taking that long perilous journey. The journey would have been over rough terrain, over deserts, in heat, in freezing night temperatures, with wild animals all around. They didn't even have any guarantee that the signs in the heavens they were seeing were what they hoped they were! The risks, on paper, were far too great to take this journey.

Yet they went anyway. They took a risk, they left their comfortable homes and left their whole lives behind, knowing that they would be gone for around a year - perhaps even longer - that's if they made it there and back in one piece.

I wonder whether I would do this. Would I do that to see a baby? But then I consider, would I do it to see Jesus? And my answer would be yes, unequivocally yes. And that's the same thought that the Magi had - would I take this risk simply to meet the Messiah? It's a yes every time!

Now just because our cosy little nativity scenes show three Magi, assumed because they took three gifts, there's actually no evidence to show there was only three. It's likely that there was a group of them. A group of learned men, who studied the prophecies, and were also students of astronomy who gave their time and energy to their skill. Yet I'm willing to bet, even after years of planning to set off the moment the heavens revealed the signs that they diligently searched for night after night for decades, that when the time came, some of them backed out and didn't go. I reckon there was a split, with some staying put, perhaps having doubts that this was the sign, perhaps some just deciding the journey wasn't worth it, and then the hardcore few who decided they'd take the risk and go.

Then I had an epiphany about Epiphany: We have a similar choice to these Magi. We have the choice to stay where we are in our Christian walk, to study the word, enjoy our Christianity in the comforts we have, or we can follow the signs and go deeper. We can take a leap of faith when God calls us to do so, and actually get closer to our Messiah. The journey will be long, the path crossing deserts and dangers, not even knowing where we are going, or how we're actually going to get there.

But I think at some point in our Christian lives, God gives us the choice that the Magi had- stay here, or take a leap of faith and go and meet the Messiah? For us, the 'meeting our Messiah' is a deeper relationship with Him. It is a process or journey of Romans 12 v 2 - "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" and destination of 2 Corinthians 3 v 18 "And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another"

I think He calls everyone to take this journey, a journey from merely study and knowing of Him to true faith in Him and seeing Him, knowing Him more fully. It's then up to us if we accept. Many don't, and that doesn't mean they're less saved, or less Christian. But they miss out on the very thing Jesus came to give us - Abundant Life. I used to think this was living life in comfort and abundant earthly blessing, but now I know it's not just knowing of Him, it's knowing HIM for there's no earthly treasure that could compare. For He IS life.