On the Feast of the Epiphany, Third Sermon

Dearly beloved, I know that you understand fully the meaning of today’s festival, and that the words of the Gospel, as the custom is, have opened it to you. Even so, so that nothing may be left out on our part, I will venture to say on the subject what the Lord has put into my mouth. In this way, in our common joy, the devotion of our hearts may be all the more sincere as the reason we keep the feast is better understood. God’s mercy, in its providence, determined to come to the help of the perishing world in these last times, and ordained beforehand the salvation of all nations in the person of Christ. For all the nations had long been turned away from the worship of the true God by wicked error, and even Israel, God’s own people, had almost entirely fallen away from the commands of the law. He did this so that, now that all were shut up under sin, he might have mercy on all. [a]

For justice was failing everywhere, and the whole world was given over to futility and wickedness. If God’s power had not held back its judgment, the whole human race would have received the sentence of damnation. But wrath was changed to forgiveness. And so that the greatness of the grace to be shown might stand out all the more, it pleased God to apply the mystery of forgiveness to wiping out people’s sins at a time when no one could boast of his own merits.

Now this unspeakable mercy, dearly beloved, was made known when Herod held royal power in Judea. There the lawful line of kings had failed, the power of the high priests had been overthrown, and a man of foreign birth had gained the throne. This was so that the rising of the true King might be confirmed by the voice of prophecy, which had said: “A prince will not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, until he comes for whom it is reserved; and he will be the expectation of the nations.” With regard to these nations, a countless line of descendants was once promised to the most blessed patriarch Abraham, to be born not of fleshly seed but of fruitful faith. That is why it was compared in number to the stars: so that, as father of all the nations, he might hope not for an earthly offspring but for a heavenly one. And so, to bring the promised descendants into being, the heirs pictured under the figure of the stars are roused by the rising of a new star. In this way the heavens would give their service in the very matter in which the heavens had been called as a witness. A star more brilliant than the other stars rouses wise men who live in the far East. These men, not unskilled in watching such things, grasp from the brightness of the wonderful light how important the sign is. This was surely brought about in their hearts by divine inspiration, so that the mystery of so great a sight might not be hidden from them, and what was an unusual appearance to their eyes might not be dark to their minds. In short, they carefully set about their duty and provide themselves with such gifts that, in worshiping the one, they may at the same time show their belief in his threefold role: with gold they honor the person of a king, with myrrh that of a man, with incense that of God. [c]

So they enter the chief city of the kingdom of Judea, and in the royal city they ask to be shown the one who, as they had learned, was born to be King. Herod is alarmed. He fears for his safety, he trembles for his power. He asks the priests and teachers of the law what the Scripture has foretold about the birth of Christ, and he finds out what had been prophesied. Truth enlightens the wise men; unbelief blinds the experts. Israel after the flesh does not understand what it reads, does not see what it points out, and cites the pages whose words it does not believe. Where is your boasting now, Jew? Where is your noble birth, drawn from the stock of Abraham? Has your circumcision not become uncircumcision? See: you, the greater, serve the lesser. By reading that covenant which you keep in the letter only, you become the slave of foreign-born people, who enter into the share of your inheritance. Let the full number of the nations enter the family of the patriarchs; yes, let it enter. And let the sons of the promise receive in Abraham’s seed the blessing that his sons according to the flesh give up their claim to. In the three Magi let all peoples worship the Maker of the universe. Let God be known not in Judea alone but in all the world, so that everywhere “his name” may be “great in Israel.” For while the dignity of the chosen race is shown to have fallen away through unbelief in its descendants, it is made common to all alike by our belief. [g]

Now when the wise men had worshiped the Lord and finished all their devotion, they followed the warning of a dream and did not return by the same road by which they had come. For now that they believed in Christ, it was right for them not to walk in the paths of their old way of life, but, having entered on a new way, to keep clear of the errors they had left. It also served to defeat the design of Herod, who, under the cloak of homage, was planning a wicked plot against the infant Jesus. So when his crafty hopes were overthrown, the king’s anger rose to a greater fury. Counting back the time the wise men had given, he poured out his cruel rage on all the boys of Bethlehem. In a general slaughter of that whole city he killed the infants, who in this way passed into their eternal glory; for he thought that if every single baby there was killed, Christ would be killed too. But he who was putting off the shedding of his blood for the world’s redemption to another time was carried into Egypt by his parents’ help. So he sought out the ancient cradle of the Hebrew race. By the power of a greater providence he carried out the princely office of the true Joseph: he, the Bread of Life and the food of the reasoning mind that came down from heaven, took away a famine worse than all famines, under which the minds of the Egyptians were suffering, the lack of truth. Nor without that stay would the symbolism of that one Victim have been complete. For it was there that the saving sign of the cross and the Lord’s Passover were first foreshadowed by the slaying of the lamb. [k]

Taught, then, dearly beloved, by these mysteries of divine grace, let us celebrate with a joy grounded in reason the day of our firstfruits and the beginning of the calling of the nations. Let us give “thanks” to the merciful God, “who has made us worthy,” as the apostle says, “to share in the lot of the saints in light, who rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” For as Isaiah prophesied, “The people of the nations who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death the light has shone.” Of them he also said to the Lord, “Nations that did not know you will call on you, and peoples that were ignorant of you will run together to you.” This is the day that “Abraham saw and was glad,” when he understood that the sons of his faith would be blessed in his seed, that is, in Christ, and foresaw that by believing he would be the father of all nations, “giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised he was able also to do.” This is the day David sang of in the psalms, saying: “All nations that you have made will come and worship before you, Lord, and they will glorify your name”; and again: “The Lord has made known his salvation; he has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” We know in very truth that this has taken place ever since the three wise men, roused in their far-off land, were led by a star to recognize and worship the King of heaven and earth. That star never ceases to appear daily to those who look at it rightly. And if it could make Christ known when he was hidden in infancy, how much more able was it to reveal him when he reigns in majesty! And surely their worship of him urges us to imitate them, so that, as far as we can, we may serve our gracious God, who invites us all to Christ. For whoever lives devoutly and chastely in the church and “sets his mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth” is in some measure like the heavenly light. While he himself keeps the brightness of a holy life, he points many people to the way to the Lord, like a star. In this regard, dearly beloved, you ought all to help one another in turn, so that in the kingdom of God, which is reached by right faith and good works, you may shine as children of light; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. [l]