Not everybody is able to see God's revelation

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany today. Traditionally, it celebrated the visit of the Magi from the east. Today, the focus is more on the revelation of the Lord to the Gentiles.

In the beginning, God revealed Himself to all, Jews and Gentiles alike. I boldly claim that God had visited us Chinese and left some traces recorded in ancient Chinese classics. However, the Hebrews responded the best. Since Abraham, God has secured a permanent link with men in the form of covenants. Gradually, the Israelites developed an exclusive view of their relationship with God. They had been God's Chosen People until the Christians broke their monopoly. Though Matthew wrote his gospel to Jewish Christian readers, he had already opened the door to Gentiles near the beginning. God made use of the so called Star of Bethlehem to attract the Magi from the east to visit the new born king.

Historians have noticed that our current calendar has been a miscalculation. It was at least six years too short. That is to say, Jesus was born around 6 B.C. People have been looking in vain for astronomical data such as comets and supernovas within the ten years before 1 A.D. But the Star of Bethlehem could not be an astronomical event. Otherwise, everybody would have noticed it. Herod the Great would not have to ask the Magi what time the star appeared (Matthew 2:7). Nowadays, people buy the idea that the Star of Bethlehem was most likely to be an astrological event. Some even come to the specific date of April 17, 6 B.C. (BBC Documentary Son of God, Episode One, 2002). If it was an astrological event, only astrologists and stargazers would have noticed it. The Magi from the east fit this category.

Christians believe that God reveals Himself. But remember, Christians have a different perception of the world from the ordinary people. Like the Magi, Christians tell and teach others what the others fail to see. Of course, the message brought by the Magi was shocking, not just to the reigning king but also to his subjects (Matthew 2:3). Our messages have lost the shocking elements. People have heard of Jesus and have known his teaching of love. What shocking messages can we Christians bring to this world?
Wait. Why should the message of the Magi be shocking? They told them a new king was born. Were the Jews not waiting for their Messiah? Now that the Messiah was born, should it not be a good news? It was the political ambition of Herod the Great that turned a good news sour. Therefore, the mission of Christians is simply to proclaim the good news as it is. It is up to the recipients to accept it or to reject it because they find the Christian message too radical and too shocking for them.
Like the Magi, Christians should be prudent. I don't think it was necessary for the Magi to be warned in a dream. They must have been wise enough to sense the murderous intention of Herod and this subconscious insight emerged as a dream. Christians too should be prudent in preaching the good news. We do the witnessing part. God will do the rest.

Not everybody is able to see God's revelation of love. It is our mission to tell them and to teach them to see God's love. We Christians are both the Star of Bethlehem and the Magi.

Dear Lord, I am dim and I am not courageous. Allow me to shine and throw myself into bearing witness for You. Amen.