2601AFC010226 – A Star for the Ages ← PODCAST LINK 😀
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Isaiah 60:1 –
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Psalm 72:11 –
11 All kings will bow down before him;
all nations will serve him.
Ephesians 3:5-6 – 5 In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Matthew 2:10-11 – 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Christmas is nearly over, but let us remain festive just a little longer so we can enjoy the brilliancy of the celebration of The Epiphany of the Lord – Lectionary: 20 January 4, 2026, MBN Index #2601AFC010226! Back in the “olden days,” – and still in some cultures today – The Epiphany was the day when gifts were exchanged and the joy-filled holiday season came to an end. Some folks take down their Christmas decorations on January 6th, Epiphany, the traditional date celebrated in Western traditions as it is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. In the US of A, it is moved to the first Sunday after January 1, therefore January 4, 2026. For the second time in just over a month we wish you all a Happy New Year. (Remember the first time we said it was on the First Sunday of Advent at the beginning of the New Liturgical Year – Cycle A – for the Church.) It is also called Three Kings Day because it features the story of the brilliant star that led the Magi to the location of Jesus. So what does that say now about the celebration of Epiphany?
Most of us know that it didn’t happen in the same way we see the “manger scene” set up during the holiday season. In the Scriptures, the “Three Wise Men” or the Three Kings, were not at the stable where the shepherds, who had been sent to the stable by choirs of Angels, first found the “babe, lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes.” Why am I putting all these terms in quotes? Again, most of us know that the Magi were sorcerers – Magos = Magician or Astrologer in Greek – who were of an Iranian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. Scripture does not say for certain that there were three such visitors, but we imagine there were three because of the three gifts. They were possibly Magians (mä-GEE-uns) – a tribe in the Kingdom of Media (meh-DEE-uh) around 678–549 BC, later part of the Achaemenid Empire begun by Cyrus the Great. Some scholars posit they were priests of Ahura Mazda and would have been familiar with Zoroaster’s prophecies of a Savior. And right there is a signpost pointing to the Absolutely Perfect Plan.
In God’s Absolutely Perfect Plan, his APP, Jews and Gentiles would all be united in worshipping God because the APP was centered around the coming of a Savior who would be the Divine Ruler for all Peoples and Nations. Could there possibly be any better way to introduce Gentiles into the story of Salvation? Here we have three Pagan Priests coming to worship the Child who is the Son of God. These three Pagan Priests bring the Child gifts that are symbolic of his future and also that will be useful for living out his mission in I. The gold gave Jesus and his family finances that would help them during their stay in Egypt. The Frankincense was a commodity that could be sold or used in household worship of God while in a foreign land. There is a pious tradition that Mary saved some of the myrrh for Jesus’ burial once she began to understand how his life’s meaning would develop as the true Lamb of God. That’s probably just speculation, but it’s a nice story as well.
In our first Key Verse for today The Prophet tells Jerusalem to wake up and shine brightly because a Savior is coming. This beautiful, tender poetry is very revealing about the Absolutely Perfect Plan as the glory of the Lord shines over Jerusalem. All the rest of the world is in darkness but Jerusalem shines because a new Light will come. Jesus, who is later revealed as the Light of the World, will be coming to Jerusalem, but not until the end of his life. The prophecies of the Messiah have to be fulfilled in the order that God commands. The first is that the child shall be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Bethlehem means House of (i.e., family of) Bread, and Ephrathah denotes a place of fruitfulness. It was a small town near Bethel (House of God), and the probable location where Rachel died and was buried. It was also the hometown of Jesse, the father of David. It was an insignificant little place – perfect for the birth of the King of the Universe. How could that be? Check the Users’ Manual for your APP. Read Ruth 4:11 and Micah 5:2.
The selection for today’s Key Verse from the Psalms states that all kings of all nations Pay him homage and render him service. Here again we have a description of all the nations of the world united together in honoring the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Every time I think of that FACT, I am struck by how wonderfully God so frequently chooses the second one, the weakest one, the smallest one, the least expected one, to be the Greatest One. That’s a remarkable plan isn’t it? It is contradictory to everything we earthlings want. We want power, and show, and classiness. The Lord gives the Entire World instead a cute little Jewish baby wrapped up in strips of cloth and placed in a feeding trough in a stable somewhere in Bethlehem – the house of bread – who will grow up, and declare himself to be the Living Bread sent down from Heaven. Like they say on TV, “You can’t make this stuff up even in a movie script.” Nonetheless the King of kings and Lord of Lords comes to us as a helpless baby born to a poor family who traveled around 75 miles – mostly uphill – from Nazareth (See Luke 2:4) to a tiny town just about 6-7 miles from Jerusalem. Perhaps they, too, saw the brilliant star that had been shining for weeks up in the sky.
The star was shining that afternoon when they entered Bethlehem looking for lodging. After a fruitless search, as Mary experienced her labor, they found shelter, through the kindness of a stranger, in a stable. The star was still shining as shepherds on the Judean hillsides outside Jerusalem were watching over their flocks of sheep, bedded down for the night, although some of the ewes were birthing their lambs. The altitude there is close to 2,600 feet above sea level, and about 100 feet higher than neighboring Jerusalem. Whatever season of the year it was (Winter or Spring) it was lambing season. We know this because we have documentation that shepherds were watching their sheep during the night. The reason for that would be that they wanted to be sure to protect the lambs as they were born or to help any ewes that were having difficulty birthing. Perhaps they, too, saw the brilliant star shining in the sky. But then they heard and saw something even more extraordinary. A song, a sound, a promise that would forever change the World. That includes you and me, too.
Somewhere around 55 years ago, I wrote a short story about a boy named Hamesh who had a little lamb that he had named Emmanuel. His name wa Yes s Hamesh because he was the 5th son and Hamesh is the number 5 in Hebrew. He was with his father and his uncles sitting around a little fire on the Judean hills watching the sky and talking about the brilliant star that they had seen. Then they saw an Angel who appeared just above them. They were totally freaked out, but he spoke to them saying“Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (See Luke 2:8-20) What happened next was even more astounding!
I imagine that it began with hearing a sound come, a sound of singing, and of trumpets, of harps, and tambourines. At first the lyrics were unintelligible but as it drew closer they not only heard sounds of singing praises to God, but also a startling promise; and then it happened – dozens of Angels, millions of Angels, myriads of Angels, brilliant choruses of Angels filling the sky, and proclaiming
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
That last phrase inspires some deep thinking. It is variously translated as (↔ Click Link)
- peace to those on whom his favor rests
- peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased
- peace to men on whom His favor rests
- peace, good will toward men
- peace among people with whom He is pleased
- Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God
- peace, good will toward humankind.
- on earth peace, among men—good will!
- upon earth peace, benevolence in men.
- peace to those on whom his favor rests.
I often wonder how many of those shepherds were young enough to live 33 years longer and see that baby grow into a man of miracles and then was a man crucified for being politically incorrect. Whatever God intended it to say it is a mystery, but a delightful one. The Apostle Paul tells in our key verse from the epistles that this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Did any of those shepherds follow Mary’s example and ponder these things in their hearts for the rest of their lives? I can tell you, I certainly have.
Sometimes I feel like echoing Elizabeth’s question to Mary, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come and visit me?” Then, on top of that, The Apostle Paul tells us the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. In Acts 13:48, we read that the gentiles rejoiced, and were glad, that the Gospel had also come to them. In Greek there is a cognitive and etymological connection between the word for glad (chairó), Grace and/or favor/favorably inclined; also rejoice, -d, -ing; (charis); and joy (chara). All these words begin with the letter “Chi” – Χ, χ – which denotes a “Kh” sound – similar to Bach or Loch. It is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ – Christos (Χριστός). All these conditions may seem unimportant to us, but they were patently clear to the people to whom Jesus sent The Apostle Paul.
In our Key Verse from the Gospel, we encounter the visitors from the East. Again, let’s dispose of the image of the Wise Men at the stable and the manger. Notice those first four words in verse 11 up there: 11 On entering the house. Nope, not a stable, not a manger, so no swaddling clothes, no ox and lamb to keep time with The Little Drummer Boy (↔ Music Link) – all of that was for the shepherds – who really were at the first Nativity. The Wise Men came later – we don’t know how much later – but Mary and Jesus were already in a HOUSE. Joseph is not mentioned as being with them (although he was there when the shepherds showed up) – so maybe he was at his shop, or a construction site. The Magi followed some sort of astronomical (and perhaps also astrological) sign in the sky – the Star of Bethlehem. and “rejoiced with exceeding great joy. ” Folks, that’s a lot of JOY!! Like we said in 2550AFC121425 – Glad!, “We’re glad to be glad that we’re glad.”
Adelphos, we, too, can be rejoicing with exceeding joy” because we have the entire beginning and middle of the Story of His Story. We can also rejoice because we know what the consummation of that Story will be. We place our F.A.I.T.H. and Trust in the One who is the Bright and Morning Star (↔ Music Link) “The Rising Dawn” of the O Antiphons (↔ Learning Link) :
O ORIENS – O RISING DAWN December 21: O Radiant Dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. See Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:13-17. God, who are Light, has dawned upon the Earth and dispelled the darkness of death as Light is victorious over the shadows of night. Just as the celestial sun gives warmth, energy, light, and life to the earth, so the Sun of Justice spreads the Light of God over all creatures. And so while our eyes and hearts and minds look to the east for the Light of the Nations, we recognize this from Numbers 24:17 – (GNT) [1]
17 I look into the future,
And I see the nation of Israel.
A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation.
Like a comet he will come from Israel.
He will strike the leaders of Moab
And beat down all the people
Who are proud and violent.
As always, the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. The Old Testament speaks to the restoration of Israel, and a King who will be seated on David’s Throne. The Covenant Promise will be fulfilled, and the Nation shall be restored, including Galilee, the “Home Office” of Jesus’ ministry. Right before I started researching this post, a very special tune captured my attention. It was a song I learned while I was president of the Concert Choir at Metropolitan State College back in Denver CO in 1966. It is a Jewish folk song about the restoration of Galilee called “El Yivneh Ha Galil.” (↔ Music Link) “God will rebuild Galilee.” One of the privileges I had with that choir was to be the assistant conductor, and this was one of the first songs Dr. Vernon W. Moody, Professor of Music at MSC, allowed me to conduct. The lyrics translate thus:
| אֵל יִבְנֶה הַגָּלִיל | El yiv’neh hagalil. | God will build the Galilee. |
| בָּרוּךְ יִבְנֶה הַגָּלִיל | Baruch yiv’neh hagalil. I | Blessed be the One who builds the Galilee. |
| אֵל יִבְנֶה הַגָּלִיל | El yiv’neh hagalil. El yiv’neh hagalil. | God will build the Galilee |
Indeed, may God bless and preserve Israel in all times among all Nations, and may The Star of David, The Rising Dawn, The Ancient of Days, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Bright and Morning Star shine in our hearts and Light up our souls with Truth, F.A.I.T.H., Hope and Love.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
[1] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
