EPIPHANY ANYONE?

There is a fairly forgettable film with Will Farrell called Talladega Nights, - trust me, I am not recommending the film – though I am sure many of you have already seen it – but four years ago one of my freshmen students placed the DVD box in my hand, so I watched it. It took me three nights to get all the way through the banal attempt at humor.

However there was one very telling scene where Will Farrell’s character Ricky decides to lead a prayer before a meal and he prays to the Baby Jesus because, in his words, “I like the Baby Jesus best.”

On this solemn feast of Epiphany and as we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season - while the rest of the world forgot about Christ 10 days ago – we savor the sweetness of the Savior’s birth.

However, we do not remain fixated upon the infant in the manger. We cannot. In fact, in Matthew’s gospel the Magi do not visit Jesus in a manger. Mary and Joseph and the child Jesus are dwelling in a house by the time the magi arrive. Jesus does not stay in one place for long. So if we only recognize Christ in the manger, then our faith would never grow beyond that of the likes of a Ricky Bobby.

Could it be that the reason some people may be more comfortable with the Baby Jesus is because they only come to Mass on Christmas? Then the next time these folks show up for church is on Easter Sunday after all the hard work has been done and the tomb is empty! But Catholics or Christians who treat their faith that way miss the whole story!

Many people do want Jesus in their own image… and for Ricky Bobby, Jesus is a little 8lb 6 oz., perfect newborn baby Jesus, in perfect golden-fleece diapers…”

He is the Jesus of his own imagination. He fashions Jesus according to an image that he prefers and is comfortable with and then pictures Jesus showering him with money, success, and power. But is this the true Jesus?

Ricky Bobby was so immature that the only way he could relate to Jesus was on the level of baby and God was the great gumball machine in the sky ready to grant his every desire.

We know that Jesus grew to manhood and began his public ministry. But even in the midst of Christmas we sing: “What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? The king of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him. And then the next verse reads: Nails, spear, shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you; Hail, hail, the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary!”


So even in the manger the shadow of the cross is there. Jesus is born in Bethlehem which means “little house of bread” and is placed in a manger – a wooden feeding trough for animals; then in his ministry he proclaims that he is “The Bread of Life” and gives his flesh as “our daily bread” and is eventually placed on the wood of the cross, nailed to it and lifted on high.

Therefore , note that the feast of epiphany is threefold – yes, we recall the Magi, the strange visitors from the east who come to worship the Christ child and offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh;

But we also recall the adult Jesus’ baptism where he begins his public ministry where God the Father announces, “This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.

And thirdly we recall Jesus first public miracle where he changes the water into wine at the wedding at Cana.

No child stays a child forever. Ask any parent or grandparent and they will all agree – they grow up so fast. So it was with Jesus! He didn’t just come as a sweet baby but as a sweet Savior!

He grows up and in his public ministry he challenges us in many ways.

Being a Christian is not for wimps. Jesus calls us to show mercy even when no one else is showing mercy; he calls us to be peacemakers even in the midst of war and oppression; he calls us to forgive one another if we desire God to forgive us. He calls us to love others as God loves each of us. This is an epiphany for many – perhaps even some of us here this morning.

Epiphany is a moveable feast – in more ways than one. Every day we are called to experience epiphany.

May we experience the epiphany of recognition that Christ comes to transform our ordinary existence into extraordinary grace-filled lives; that the same Father calls to us in the silence of our hearts that we are God’s Beloved Sons and Daughters!

May our celebration of epiphany leads us to the epiphany that we are God’s beloved children and we are to be Christ to one another.

Now imagine how glorious, how awesome our celebration of Christmas will be now that we know the rest of the story?!!!