Good and Evil Kings Before the King of Kings

Gospel of the Epiphany Sunday

I – Christmas and Epiphany

The feast of Epiphany — also called Theophany by the Greeks, meaning manifestation of God — was celebrated in the East before the fourth century. It is one of the oldest Christian commemorations, like that of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

We should bear in mind that the Incarnation of the Word took effect directly after the Annunciation of the Angel, yet only Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph and probably Zachariah, knew of the great mystery worked by the Holy Spirit. The rest of humanity was unaware of what was happening during the gestation period of the Son of God incarnate. The revelation of the Prophets was shrouded in mystery, which only lifted with the testimony of the Apostles.

The Liturgy for Advent

During the four weeks of Advent, the Liturgy highlights the prophesies regarding the main events linked to the gradual and successive manifestations of the Saviour and the Good News come down to earth. The text of Isaiah is strongly emphasised: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is 7:14). It was known that the Messiah would belong to the noble line of David: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Is 11:1-2).

The Liturgy crescendos until it is clear that the Saviour of the nations is coming; it beseeches the earth to bring Him forth: “Rorate cæli desuper et nubes pluant iustum, aperiatur terra et germinet salvatorem et iustitia oriatur simul!” — “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth, and let it cause righteousness to spring up also” (Is 45:8).

The Redeemer is finally born as a simple baby. But persons gifted by the Holy Spirit could see, in the adorable child, the resplendence of His brilliant divinity. This was not solely a human being; human nature was united to the Divinity Itself in the hypostasis of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. This was the Man-God.

Epiphany: public recognition of the divinity of the Child Jesus

Just as God, so to speak, showed Himself as Man in the Nativity, this same Man revealed Himself as God in the Epiphany. Given the universal character of the great mystery of the Incarnation, God desired that it be revealed in all its glory to Jews and Gentiles alike in these two feasts. From earliest times, Christmas has been celebrated in the West on December 25^th, while in the East, Epiphany was commemorated on January 6^th. It was the Church of Antioch that began commemorating both dates during the time of St. John Chrysostom. Only from the fifth century onward did the West begin observing the second feast.

The Liturgy currently commemorates the Adoration of the Christ Child by the Three Kings. Yet vestiges of the ancient eastern tradition remain, in which the miracle of the Wedding at Cana and the Baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan were also included within Epiphany, along with the adoration of the Magi. The present Liturgy no longer celebrates the Wedding at Cana, but the Baptism of Our Lord is celebrated on the Sunday between January 7 and 13.

In brief, we can affirm that the Epiphany — the manifestation of the Word Incarnate — cannot be considered outside the context of the adoration of the Eastern Kings. It is a scene entailing the public recognition of the divinity of the Child Jesus, united to His humanity.

The virtue of Religion

Adoration, teaches the Angelic Doctor, “is directed to the reverence of the person adored.” It involves a special virtue, called religion, in which “it is proper… to show reverence to God.” ¹

For a clearer understanding, it is enough to say that religion is grounded in who God is and who we are – in what He gave us and what we owe Him. God is the essential being. He is Perfection, Good, Truth and Beauty; He is also absolute and infinite. We, on the contrary, are contingent creatures: we receive everything from Him, and stand in need of His sustenance at each moment of our existence.

Fr. Antonio Royo Marin, OP, explains that if by some absurdity God were to doze off, all creatures would cease to exist; to which Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira responds: “And, in His omnipotence, He would create everything anew upon awakening.”

Therefore, each and every creature receives its being from God, as do the vast array of goods existing in the entire order of the universe. Thus, we can possess no gift that does not come from God. We are eternally indebted to the Creator. From this perspective, even the most perfect of all creatures, Mary most holy, is thus indebted. She acknowledged this in her hymn before her cousin St. Elizabeth: “My soul doth magnify the Lord […] for he has regarded the lowliness [the humility] of his handmaiden” (Lk 1:46,48).

The virtue of religion is the essence of adoration, which is centralized on the recognition of these two realities: who God is, His rights and blessings; who we are, our indigence, our nothingness. Thus, “religion is the chief of the moral virtues” — St. Thomas Aquinas explains — because “religion approaches nearer to God than the other moral virtues, insofar as its actions are directly and immediately ordered to the honour of God. Hence religion excels among the moral virtues.” ²

An invitation to gratitude toward God

What moved the Magi, in the depths of their souls, was the desire to adore the One who had been born. The significance of the action of the Holy Spirit, in leading them to Bethlehem, is understood in the universal call of all nations to salvation and a participation in the benefits of Redemption.

Although the Prophets had foretold the universality of this vocation, the Jews considered it an exclusive privilege of the Chosen People. Curiously, despite praising the faith of the Roman centurion — “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (Mt 8:10) — Our Lord Himself affirmed during His public life that He had been sent by the Father to take care of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24). In other words, He did not want to call the Gentiles directly; this would be the duty of the Apostles — particularly St. Paul. Yet, decades in advance, the Three Kings — before the Saviour’s manger — symbolized His great desire to also redeem all of us from among the Gentiles, according to the words of the Opening Prayer: “Father, you revealed your Son to the nations, by the guidance of a star”; and more clearly still in the Preface: “Today you revealed in Christ your eternal plan of salvation and showed him as the light of all peoples.”

God called the Three Wise Men with a star and He calls us through His Church, with its preaching, doctrine, authority and Liturgy. The Epiphany, then, is the feast that invites us to thank God, and to ask of Him the grace of, always and everywhere, being guided by His heavenly light, to faithfully receive and to lovingly and fully live all of the gifts that the Holy Church grants us (cf. Prayer after Communion).

II – Bethlehem, the Magi and Herod

St. Paul tells us: “If they had [known the hidden wisdom of God], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8). It was not in the plans of God that the birth of the Infant Jesus be revealed to all humanity, since this would likely have impeded the consummation of the Redemption. Had His coming into the world been accompanied by amazing signs and wonders, the merits of faith would have been void.

The birth, foreshadowing of the second and complete manifestation

For these and other motives, St. Thomas Aquinas explains: “It belongs to the order of Divine wisdom that God’s gifts and the secrets of His wisdom are not bestowed on all equally, but to some immediately, through whom they are made known to others. Wherefore, with regard to the mystery of the Resurrection it is written (Acts 10:40-41): ‘God… gave’ Christ rising again ‘to be made manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses preordained by God.’ Consequently, that His birth might be consistent with this, it should have been made known, not to all, but to some, through whom it could be made known to others.” ³

There are also various reasons for which Divine Providence chose to manifest the birth of Jesus first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. Of course, since God has special esteem for the principle of hierarchy, He would prefer to initiate His great work through the Chosen People. The Angelic Doctor further reasons, along the same vein:

“That manifestation of Christ’s birth was a kind of foretaste of the full manifestation which was to come. And as in the later manifestation the first announcement of the grace of Christ was made by Him and His Apostles to the Jews and afterwards to the Gentiles, so the first to come to Christ were the shepherds, who were the first-fruits of the Jews, as being near to Him; and afterwards came the Magi from afar, who were ‘the first-fruits of the Gentiles’ as Augustine says.” ⁴

Considerations and prophesies

Regarding reference to the city of Bethlehem of Judea in this verse, we should consider the affirmation made by the Saviour Himself, decades later: “I am the bread which came down from heaven” (Jn 6:41). Commentators, therefore, link the meaning of the name Bethlehem — that is, “house of bread” — with the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Bread of Angels. There was another Bethlehem, to the north, in the land of Zebulon, which is why the evangelist specified the tribe of Judah.

King Herod did not actually belong to the Jewish race, being an Idumaean. He won the throne through Roman support alone, since the Jews would have rejected him as a foreigner. He was shrewd in assiduously restoring the Temple of Jerusalem, so that the Jews would overlook his origins; yet he greatly stained his reputation with his dissolute customs and cruelty.

Theodore of Mopsuestia offers a reflection on this point: “The Patriarch Jacob had discerned this moment with precision saying: ‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples’ (Gn 49:10). Matthew presents these facts to clearly show that everything was unfolding according to the prophecy. On one hand, the prophet had said that he would be born in Bethlehem (cf. Mi 5:1); on the other, the fact that this occurred in the time of Herod further fulfilled Jacob’s prediction. They were ruled first by the house of David, from the tribe of Judah, brother of Levi; but the lineage would come from the house of Judah, which had mixed with the tribe of Levites, especially with high priests, and enjoyed royal prerogatives. Later — after the brothers Aristobulus and Hyrcanus had contested the right to the throne — the royal dignity finally fell to Herod, who was not of the pure Jewish race, being the son of Antipater the Imudaean. Thus, Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared during this reign, when there were no longer kings and rulers from among the Jewish people.” ⁵

Matthew reveals no further details regarding the Magi — from which arise innumerable hypotheses and disagreements among authors concerning them. However, we can affirm that despite their variety of titles throughout history, all refer to them as persons who held some power and were distinguished, often because of their scientific knowledge — especially in the field of astronomy. Tradition often presents them as kings. It is also from tradition that we know they were three in number, that they were baptized by St. Thomas the Apostle, and that they later suffered martyrdom. The relics of the Wise Men were recently venerated by a Pope. Our present and happily reigning Pontiff, Benedict XVI, visited Cologne Cathedral to pray before these relics, on August 18, 2005, on the occasion of the Twentieth World Youth Day.

Hypotheses surround their country of origin — Chaldea, Arabia or Persia — and the time of their arrival in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which seems to have occurred after the Presentation of the Child Jesus.

What is clear and conceded by all is that, since the Redemption was of a universal scope, it had to be announced to all. ⁶

III – The Kings in the presence of Herod

The real and deepest motive for the long journey of the Three Kings becomes very clear in this verse. They were not prompted by mere curiosity, or by any profane or even worldly motive. They showed great faith, and considerable courage in posing such an incisive question, especially considering the likelihood that it would be interpreted by Herod as a denial of his own title and power, which he had attained at no small cost.

The star that guided the Magi

Fr. Manuel de Tuya, OP, considers the star: “The Magi claimed that they came to adore the newborn King of the Jews, because they had seen ‘his star in the East’. Their precise reference to the star of the King of the Jews was very emphatic. In the world of astrology, men consider themselves to be governed by the stars. Likewise, in Antiquity it was also widely believed that the birth of men of great importance was preceded by some sign in the heavens. This can be seen even in the hieroglyphics. Various theories have arisen regarding this ‘star seen by the Magi.’” ⁷

The Angelic Doctor also expresses his thoughts on this passage. After discussing several of God’s reasons for revealing His birth to the Jews by Angels, and to the Gentiles by signs, he cites St. Augustine: “The angels inhabit, and the stars adorn, the heavens.” ⁸ Next, he examines the star in itself, showing how it “was a stranger to the heavens”, a sui generis star. ⁹

Jerusalem is troubled

In light of his unbridled ambition, envy, and cruelty, it is easy to understand the fear that Herod generated. His wife and three sons fell victim to his appalling and impulsive temperament, and were executed by one of his tyrannical orders, which stemmed from fear that they were plotting to dethrone him.

For so morally dissolute a man, and one of such evil leanings, the proclamation of the miraculous emergence of a new king could only be troubling, especially since, “throughout the entire Roman Empire, more in the Orient than any other part, a certain presentiment had taken hold — at times vague, at others more clearly defined — that a new era was opening for humanity.” ¹⁰

But, why were the inhabitants of Jerusalem troubled? They had received news of the birth of a Jewish King. Was this not promising news? Should they not accompany the Wise Men to joyfully verify the facts? It is not surprising that the people had become somewhat resigned, and even complacent, in relation to the criminal tyrant. Perhaps this perturbation was compounded by fear of reprisal and vengeance. Perhaps it was fuelled by wounded self-love, bruised pride, or the contempt of grace — since they awaited a Messiah endowed with greater splendour, and one who would be announced directly to them rather than to foreigners.

St. John Chrysostom explains: “Because they sustained the same dispositions as their forefathers, who also turned away from God when He poured His benefits on them, being mindful of the flesh-pots of Egypt while enjoying great freedom.” ¹¹

Fraudulent iniquity of Herod

Wicked, yet cunning, Herod concealed his satanic plot to kill the Messiah, and sought to discern the plans of God to effectively counteract them. He convoked the Sanhedrin with hypocritical airs of piety. His question demonstrates the degree to which all were aware of the possibility that the newborn could be the Christ. Likewise, the wickedness of the Sanhedrin and of the people themselves also comes to light.

The Doctors of the Law did not hesitate to tell Herod that, according to Micah, the Christ should be born in the city of Bethlehem of Judea. However, they suppressed the following phrase from the official prophesy: “Et egressus eius a temporibus antiquis, a diebus aeternitatis” — “Whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” (Mi 5:1). This clearly implied the divine origin of Christ, (ancient days being understood to mean eternity). Perhaps through malice, pride, or even weak and languid character, they lacked the necessary faith to believe this revelation. This deplorable attitude led St. John Chrysostom to implicate them as culpable in the death of the Holy Innocents, since Herod would not have become enraged had he known the said King was from eternity, and therefore not an earthly rival.

Our attention is drawn to the use of the adverb secretly. According to a famed historian of the epoch, Flavius Josephus, Herod would frequently don the dress of commoners and mingle with the people to directly learn what they thought of his reign. ¹² This was typical of his cunning. Having established the city where his enemy Messiah had been born, he now desired to deduce his age, since the date of the Child’s birth was close to that of the appearance of the star.

He feigned piety and courtesy to deceive the simple, candid and innocent Magi. With reason, some authors call this attitude “fraudulent iniquity”.

IV – From Jerusalem to Bethlehem

God always acts in this way, rewarding those who are faithful to His grace. The confidence and courage of the Magi before the infamous tyrant are inspiring. They were doubtless sustained by a special movement of the Holy Spirit.

The star reappears

Did they depart by night or day? It was a two-hour voyage from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the well-travelled route. Yet, a few authors defend the theory that this trip was made by day. In that case, how was the reappearance of the star explicable? Some assert that the darkness of night was not necessary, for the luminous body must have hovered in the atmospheric regions closer to the Wise Men. Others interpret this passage to mean that the star had only reappeared as they entered Bethlehem, since the way to Bethlehem presented no danger of losing one’s way.

In devoutly reading these verses, one experiences glimpses of the joy of the first pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The disappearance of the star had put their confidence to the test; now they were awarded a consolation. A question arises here as well. Why did the star disappear upon their arrival in Jerusalem and only reappear in Bethlehem? Could it be that Jerusalem had already shown itself unworthy of such a clear and public sign? Or, perhaps its concealment kept the Three Kings in the city longer, to better convince the inhabitants of the event’s authenticity.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, they kneel in adoration

Matthew’s description is moving: “they saw the child with Mary his mother.” These prophetic words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, proclaim to future centuries that one cannot find Jesus without Mary, and even less, Mary without Jesus. History has shown, and will further prove, how devotion to the Mother leads to adoration of the Son, and vice versa.

Matthew’s reference to the place where the Child is found — a house, rather than a grotto — is noteworthy. “Some early authors — among them St. Justin — believe that ‘house’ was a euphemism, in place of ‘grotto’. St. Jerome, on the other hand, mentions the grotto several times and never speaks of the remembrance or the presence of the Magi in it. It would not be unlikely that the word ‘house’ is used in its true sense in Matthew. If this event took place one and a half years after the birth of Christ, it is not likely that the Holy Family remained lodged in that provisional grotto all that time; it seems only natural that they had lived in a modest house. Furthermore, verse 22 seems to indicate that they had settled in Bethlehem.” ¹³

The adoration paid by the Wise Men once again proves the reality of the action of the Holy Spirit in their souls as St. Thomas Aquinas affirms:

“The Magi are the ‘first-fruits of the Gentiles’ that believed in Christ; because their faith was a presage of the faith and devotion of the nations who were to come to Christ from afar. And therefore, as the devotion and faith of the nations is without any error through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so also we must believe that the Magi, inspired by the Holy Spirit, did wisely in paying homage to Christ.” ¹⁴

In offering gifts, the Wise Men fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “All those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house” (Is 60:6-7).

“In recognizing Him as king, they offered the excellent and precious first-fruits of the temple: gold that they had reserved, to symbolize that He was of a divine and celestial nature; aromatic incense, expression of true prayer, offered with the gentle odour of the Holy Spirit; and in recognition that his human nature would receive a temporal tomb, they offered myrrh.” ¹⁵

They returned by another way

God never fails to protect those who serve Him lovingly and faithfully. Had the Wise Men returned to Herod, they could have died even before the Holy Innocents.

St. Gregory the Great teaches that God helps each one of us return to the Fatherland “by another way”. Unfortunately, we left earthly Paradise through our first parents’ sin of pride, and we further distance ourselves from it through attachment to worldly goods and our own sins. God, as a good Father, offers us Eternal Paradise. The way, though, is opposed to that of pride and sensuality; it is the way of detachment, obedience and the renunciation of our passions. He opens an easy and sure path before us: “Ad Jesum per Mariam!” (To Jesus through Mary!). ◊

 

 

 

 

 

Notes

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¹ AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica II-II, q. 84 a.1.

² AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica II-II, q. 81 a. 6.

³ AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica III, q. 36, a. 2, ans. c.

⁴ AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica III, q. 36, a. 3 ad I.

⁵ MOPSUESTIA, Theodore of, Fragmentos sobre o Evangelho de Mateus, [Incomplete work on the Gospel of Matthew] 6.

⁶ Cf. AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica III, q. 36 a. 3c.

⁷ TUYA OP, Fr. Manuel de. Bíblia Comentada.[Commentaries on the Bible] Madrid: BAC, 1964, v. II, p. 35.

⁸ AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica III, q. 36, a. 5 ans.

⁹ See box: A Star Belonging to no Galaxy.

¹⁰ FILLION, Louis-Claude. Vida de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo [Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ] Madrid: Rialp, 2000. v. I. p. 7-8.

¹¹ Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, 6, 4: PG 57, 67-68.

¹² Cf. Antiquities of the Jewish people, l. XV, c. 10, 4.

¹³ TUYA OP, Fr. Manuel de. Cit. p. 39.

¹⁴ AQUINAS, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica III, q. 36 a. 8, ans.

¹⁵ ANONYMOUS. Incomplete Work on the Gospel of Matthew, 2: PG 56, 642.