Epiphany
January 6, 2021
Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”‘
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Politics were as harsh and strong in the time of Jesus as they are today. Political shenanigans exist in every type of governance, from communism to absolute dictatorships. The Wisemen in the above story recognized sinister politics when they saw it. Not wanting to get caught in Jerusalem’s politics, they chose a different route home to avoid contact with Herod. They knew his motivations were not what he expressed.
We in the USA lived through a turbulent year of pandemic and politics in 2020, now spilling over into 2021. As I have noted before, I am supportive of the separation of church and state. However, I think we are called to participate in our civic responsibility, which will be influenced by our faith. We must be careful of the full consequences of our actions. In Oklahoma, Some faith groups objected to the ruling that gatherings of 10 or more people were prohibited as a response to slowing the spread of COVID. The Governor made an exception for churches. A rule was also made that bars would have to close before 11:00 pm each evening—a group of bar owners in Oklahoma City challenge that practice in court and won. How can the government tell religious groups they can meet in large groups, but bars cannot, while we all do everything we can to save lives? Churches and bars are the leading contributors to the super-spreading of the virus.
Jesus did not get hung up on religious rights, particularly when those rights got in the way of people’s health and wellbeing. He healed the sick on the Sabbath.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we deem our political rights more critical than your command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.