Epiphany Reflection

This feast in the Church celebrated since 1979. on the first Sunday of the calendar year, is one full of meaning. Unfortunately, history and tradition have colored the feasts meaning with layers of interpretation not originally intended. Scripture scholars tell us that the key to
understanding the message intended by the scriptures (exegesis—“the critical interpretation of the biblical text to discover its intended meaning) is to observe the reality from which the story arose. This process recognizes the “Sitz in Leben” (German meaning “the situation in life”. Over history much has been added to the Epiphany story that reflects a tendency to read into the story a meaning never intended (isogesis—the interpretation of a text by reading into it one's own ideas).

In addition, reading the Infancy Narratives of Matthew can be understood better with an understanding of a literary device called midrash. The scholarly paper by John Wijngaards defines this best in the third observation he makes.  

The Matthew tradition would have recognized the elements included in the Epiphany passage based on their knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. So where did the references come from? 

Star: despite people today looking for the “star of Bethlehem,” the Matthew community may have been thinking of the prophesy of Balaam that said “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Num 24:17).  

Three: That there were three gifts gave rise to the thought that there were three magi. Matthew’s gospel done not indicate how many came. Indeed, Isaiah 60:6, from which many references in the Epiphany account arise, refers to “A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And proclaim good news of the praises of the LORD.”

Gifts:  In addition to the citation above, Myrrh was mentioned in various places in the Hebrew Scriptures in relation to weddings and anointing (Ps 45:8, Ex 30:28).

Kings: As early as the 3rd century the visitors were considered to be kings, probably interpreted as the fulfillment of the prophecy in Ps 72:11.

Names: In about the 8th century the names of three Magi—Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa—appear in a chronicle known as the Excerpta latina barbari. They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.

    

Looking at the Epiphany story from the viewpoint of its Sitz in Leben would invite us to see the Matthean community conveying their challenges of being Jewish in the early history of Christianity and their reflection on the sayings of Jesus meant when he said “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28, 19). The rejection—all Jerusalem greatly troubled (Mt 2:3) mirrors the Pharaoh’s concern about a usurper who would deliver Israel from slavery. If that early Christian community has the "new-born King of the Jews" sought after by these foreigners—Gentile astrologers, at that—it's that they recognized this message that these non-Jews were more ready to interpret the signs of the times, the coming of a king, in nature and were moved to make the arduous journey from the East more readily than the residents of "all Jerusalem" and its officialdom—Herod, the chief priests and scribes of the covenanted people. Of all people, those who were living just 25 miles north of "the place where the child was” recognizing the fulfillment of Isaiah 60 and all the other scriptures referring to the coming of the anointed one, should have been hurrying out “to do him homage” (Mt 2:20).

An isogesis of this event might interpret it this way: Sometimes the person just down the street, around the corner or right next to us has a message we can learn if only we read the signs of the times.