Cross The Border With The Magi

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Our Gospel narrative has two groups of people: King Herod the Great and the Magi. Who was Herod? History tells us that under Roman authority, Herod ruled as king of the Jews for thirty years. He was an extraordinary political survivor. When civil war broke out in Rome between Mark Anthony and Octavian, Herod first sided with Anthony and his ally Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. But when Octavian defeated Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Herod quickly switched sides, and convinced Octavian of his loyalty. Later, the Roman senate declared Octavian the supreme military leader and also gave him the honorary title, “Augustus” which means the “exalted one”). According to historians, this event marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. Under the leadership of Octavian, now Caesar Augustus, Herod’s position as king of the Jews was secure. As a shrewd realist, he found his way to the top of the political ladder and maintained himself in power through threats, murder, and corruption. 

On the one hand, Herod was a clever and efficient ruler; on the other, he was a cruel tyrant. He was distrustful, jealous, and brutal. He ruthlessly crushed any opposition or any potential opposition. The Jews never accepted him as their legitimate king and this infuriated him a lot. He feared conspiracy. He executed his own wife when he suspected she was plotting against him. He also murdered three of his own sons, murdered another wife, and his mother-in-law for suspicion of conspiracy. Anyone Herod suspected died. He ordered the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1-18), in his desperate attempt to crush the infant Jesus. Before he died, King Herod carried out a final act of vengeance against some of his subjects he despised the most. He rounded up leading Jews and ordered that at his death they should be executed. His reason was that if there was no mourning for his death, at least there would be mourning for their death. Of course, after his death, his order was overruled and the prisoners were released. 

To avoid confusion, the King Herod that appears in the account of Jesus’ birth, in today’s Gospel is different from the Herod of Jesus’ public ministry. The Herod of the public ministry of Jesus was Herod Antipas, one of the sons of the Herod the Great. Like his father, Herod the Great, Antipas was also cruel. He imprisoned and executed John the Baptist when John spoke against his marriage to Herodias, his brother Philip’s ex-wife. Herod Antipas was the one that Jesus called “that fox.” He personally met Jesus when Pilate sent Jesus to stand trial before him (Luke 23:7-12).

As for the Magi, who were these men often described as wise men? It is not very clear who they were. They were probably astrologers or astronomers who were part of star-gazing culture that was particularly strong in Babylon or Persia. The practice at the time was to measure the planet and stars in order to discern in them the will of God. So, on their own terms, and using their own skills, these dedicated men sought out the will of God. Look at it closely! These men were seeking for God, but didn’t know precisely where to go. It was when they finally met the representatives of the Israelite religion that they were told on the basis of revelation where the Messiah is to be born. Yes, they followed the star, followed their own calculation and used their own intuition, but it was when they came to the Holy Land, and spoke to the experts of divine revelation that they knew where to go. 

What point am I making here? You have King Herod the Great, a very powerful man, but he was not the one who saw the rising star of the King of the Jews and the King of the world. Herod lived in the Holy Land, but these Magi crossed the border into Herod’s country. They came onto Herod’s radar screen looking for the one whose star they have seen. The Magi were looking for the newborn king to worship him, but Herod, under the pretense of piety, of wanting to see him too, instructed the Magi to report to him once they have located the exact place the child is. Why? To stamp out this new baby king. Herod was afraid of Jesus and responded with violence when he ordered the killing of infants (the Holy Innocents), but the Magi were captivated by Jesus and responded with worship. They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh— three gifts that later defined the life and ministry of Jesus. In their offering, the Magi saw three things in Christ, namely a royal dignity, “he shall reign as king and deal wisely (Jeremiah 23:5); so they offered him gold in tribute. They saw the greatness of the priesthood, so they offered him frankincense, as a sacrifice. They also saw his fate, his death, and therefore they offered him myrrh. 

Sisters and brothers, the star in this story is not the star, nor is King Herod the king. Jesus is both the Star of the story and the King of the universe. Everything revolves around him. He is “the still point of the turning world.” He is eternity who entered into time. Jesus is not an afterthought, he is not like a plumber invited to fix a leak, or even a great prophet or teacher that reminds people of timeless truths. He is the center of all created things in all times and places. He is the entire meaning of life, of every human life, that of yours and mine. He made himself human for us, and we are made for him. He brought us from nothing to everything by creating us. So, like the Magi, spend your life offering your best to him. The Magi crossed borders just to find him. Today, cross over the border of sin, anger, resentment, religious indifference, tyranny, destructive addictions, violence, unforgiveness, jealousy, lack of compassion, bitterness, lack of love, and injustice etc and enter Bethlehem (the House of Bread). After the Magi had seen the baby-king, worshipped him and offered their gifts, they returned to their country by another way. May God help us not to return to the world of sin after we have crossed its borders over to Bethlehem. 

Amen. 

Have a wonderful New Year, everybody!