Today’s events in the capital of the United States are disturbing on multiple levels.

As today is Epiphany, I find myself reflecting upon the greater text, the larger context, of the Epiphany passage in Matthew.

It’s time to light a candle, to say a prayer, to join God, who is already at work in the larger world – working to usher in Peace, and Justice, and Restoration, and Reconciliation.

As you listen/read the scripture remember that as Joseph is a builder/carpenter that means that the family would identify as artisans, below peasants. That means Joseph’s family lost their land (likely under Empire). Remember that the Holy Family looks Middle Eastern (Brown, in case your wondering). As our sisters and brothers in the Liberation Theology school would remind us, Jesus comes to the bottom, God has a preferential treatment for the poor, for those who suffer injustice. This is exactly like Mary sings to Elizabeth in the Magnificat (see Luke 1:46-55).

So tonight we light a candle  as we continue to pray –

Blessed Be

Rev Joel

 

Here’s the Epiphany story in Matthew (New Revised Standard Version translation)

Matthew 2:1-16

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 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. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

¹³ Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.