In a sense, the Epiphany might be called the “big reveal†of the Christmas story. Isaiah and psalmist looks forward to the day when the glory of the Lord will shine over God’s people, so that foreign nations will be drawn to the light of Israel’s God, and Israel’s exiles will be carried home. The foreign nations will bring precious gifts to acknowledge the glory of Israel’s God; the kings of faraway lands will pay their homage to the anointed king of Israel. This promise is fulfilled in Bethlehem, when God’s glory is acknowledged by the wise men with their symbolic gifts. This is the “big reveal†– God’s majesty is made manifest in a vulnerable baby and God’s ancient promise to send a Savior is fulfilled. In movies, the “big reveal†often marks the climax – the ending of the story. In the commercial world of technology, the “big reveal†is only the latest in a long line of reveals – there will always be another “big reveal†just around the corner. But God’s “big reveal†is different. The Epiphany is not the latest in a long line, it is definitive reveal: God’s only Son takes flesh in our world.
When the “big reveal†happens in the movies, the story is complete, the credits roll and we leave the cinema. With God’s “big reveal,†the story goes on – it folds in our lives. Because if God’s anointed Messiah reveals God’s glory by bringing peace with justice, by caring for those who are weak and showing compassion to those who are poor, then those who are His followers are called to be similarly engaged. The Magi paid their homage by offering their precious gifts. We too have precious gifts to bring – the homage of our lives. The frankincense represents the worship we bring to the Son of God born of Mary, enthroning Him at the centre of our lives; the myrrh represents the cross which each of us is called to accept if we are to follow Christ – the sacrifice that comes from denying ourselves and following His way of love; and the gold we bring, to acknowledge His kingship, is our commitment to work for His kingdom and His values. We do this by practicing peace and justice in our relationships, and in our society. We work always to ensure that those who live in poverty, those who are voiceless and powerless in our world, find in us wise men and women who are wiling to be guided by their faith in Jesus Christ.