The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

To appreciate the place of Mary in our Christian religion, we have only to study the Bible's innumerable references to Jerusalem; and then notice what happens in the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

The Evangelist tells us the magi came to Jerusalem asking to see and gift the newborn king of the Jews. They had seen his star at its rising! Where else should the king be found but in the royal city?

However, the royal line of David had lost its authority when Jerusalem was captured, first by the Babylonians, and then the Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The legend of King David persisted among devout Jews like the legends of the English King Arthur, the "once and future king." Some people quietly boasted of their ancestor King David, as some Hawaiians today boast of their royal ancestors, but they had no economic or political standing. Joseph might have been called "Son of David" by the Angel Gabriel but he was only a poor contractor, living from hand to mouth with the availability of work.

When the magi appeared, Jerusalem was governed by a capable Roman appointee, "King Herod." A loyal subject, efficient administrator, and enthusiastic builder of monuments, Herod had fought his way to the top and would cede his authority to no one. Like all successful tyrants, he had the shameless support of the city and its wealthy citizens.

But he was understandably concerned about these outlandish "wise men" and their business. They had not come to trade or negotiate; they had come to pay homage to the newborn king. The ancient world, from Rome to Greece to Jerusalem and India watched the sky for portents and omens the way today's economists study shopping trends. When a new star appears it has to mean something!

The Book of Numbers (chapter 24) had predicted the appearance of a star:

I see him, though not now;
I observe him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise from Israel,

And the prophet Micah had predicted Bethlehem, the "city of David," would be the future king's birthplace. Their information was correct; their timing was right. Herod "was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." When Herod is upset, everyone is upset.

With that statement, Matthew condemns the Holy City to its fate. By the time of his writing the Emperor Titus and his Roman army had sacked the city; leveled the walls, and razed the temple. Jerusalem was no more. It would not reappear for many years.

And so the Magi deserted Jerusalem and followed the star to find "the child with Mary his mother." She is the new Jerusalem. The ancient holy city and its religion have been displaced by the Virgin Daughter and her children.

When Christians celebrate her Immaculate Conception and her Virgin Birth we honor the Lord who has anointed her as the New Jerusalem:

I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21

We find comfort in the Epiphany of Mary, the new Jerusalem, the Virgin Daughter of Zion.