Epiphany
Fr Lawrence Kim
Jan 13 2022
The Solemnity of the Lord’s Epiphany literally means that the Lord has publicly revealed himself to the people.
The background where the Epiphany takes place is Bethlehem, on a starry night.
Bethlehem, a small town, which means ‘House of Bread’, is a poor village with nothing to be proud of throughout the Old Testament era, but it is the hometown of David (1 Samuel 16). There were some prophecies and rumours that the Messiah, the descendant of David, would be born here.
The Magi are symbolic figures representing all peoples around the world who worship the Creator of the Universe.
As the years passed, the names of the three doctors were ‘Baltasar, Melchior, and Gasper’, and stories appeared that they were yellow, black, and white, respectively.
They can be said to be the first representatives of the Gentiles around the world who recognized the Messiah, whom the Jews had been waiting for.
The Wise Men from the East offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts to the baby Jesus.
First, the gold brought by ‘Melchior’ symbolizes the fact that the baby Jesus is the king of this world. The wise men presented gold to the baby Jesus, indicating that the baby Jesus is the king who will never change.
The frankincense brought by ‘Gaspar’ is an offering for the priest. Frankincense represents prayer and sacrifice to God. It symbolizes that Jesus came into the world as the high priest offering himself as a sacrifice.
The myrrh brought by ‘Balthasar’ is an offering for those who are about to die. And myrrh is a substance that keeps the body from decaying. Myrrh means that baby Jesus is the saviour who will save mankind from the corruption of sin and death.
In the end, the gold, frankincense, and myrrh that the three wise men came to worship baby Jesus and offered them mean that Jesus is the King of Kings, the Son of God, and the one who saves us humans from sin and death.
From a biblical point of view, the Wise Men from the East, after worshipping, disappeared from the stage of history, and their deeds cannot be known from historical records. It is only assumed that each of them returned to their hometown and announced to the world through word and deed about the birth of the Son of God.
When we think theologically, we can all say that we are all descendants of the magi.
In the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we must once again offer our hearts to the King, High Priest and Saviour, Baby Jesus, and kneel down in worship. It is not about kneeling before money or power.
The magi did not kneel or obey King Herod. When they returned, they did not go to the powerful King Herod, but went another way according to the angel’s instructions.
We too must obey the will of God, not the dictates of money or power.
Now, what we have to do is to make known through words and actions that the baby Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Kings, and the Saviour.
Fr Lawrence Kim
The Clerical Society of the Most Holy Trinity of Mirinae
Jan 8, 2023
