The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is evidence enough that He was welcomed and loved by some, hated and rejected by others. As a rule of thumb, those with ‘power’ are among those who can’t let Him in. He is rejected by the so called religious and political leaders. But one of the big surprises which visited the new community Jesus began was His acceptance by people who were not Jews. For sure, it happened in little ways during His ministry, but later there was a huge influx of new sisters and brothers from the Mediterranean. This could not be explained except to say that the hand of God was clearly at work here.
In The Lord’s Prayer, we pray that it will be ‘on earth as it is in Heaven’. When Heaven and earth come together it is a sign that God is near. This, of course, is what happens in the story of the Feast of the Epiphany. Heaven, in the form of a star, and earth, in the form of a child, align with each other. The reader is left with no doubt that Jesus has His origins in God.
The rejection of the Beloved Son is pure evil. News of His long-awaited arrival has frightened Herod and the religious establishment. The Advent of God is a threat to their positions and their power. They have corrupted the faith they were supposed to protect and their corruption is to be exposed. Herod, rather stupidly, sets out to play chess with God but he is no match for Him. The resulting violation of children, an all too familiar pattern from those who prefer the love of power over the power of love.
In contrast, the Wise Ones Rejoice! When the star aligns itself with the babe in the manger, Heaven and earth are One. The Wise Ones are not just happy, they are overwhelmed with joy. They have found the One for whom their hearts have longed. Their gifts reveal their inner understanding of His Origins and His Destiny. What Herod rejects, the Wise Ones Adore. The Divinity of Christ is revealed to the Gentiles.
The Beloved Son of God is THE Christmas Present. Gift giving is, if you like, the way the invisible becomes visible. The way the hidden heart is made known, the way Spirit risks itself by taking form. So, the giving and receiving of gifts could be described as spiritual activity of the highest order. It is the heart’s desire to express itself in such a way that the heart of the giver, and the heart of the one who receives the gift becomes one. When a gift embodies the flow of love, it does not matter what it is, or how much it costs. It is perfect because of what it has achieved.
Can you remember a time when you received a gift at Christmas and it was very special just because of the One who gave it? Who was that and what was the gift? Notice that the gift might not sit within the ‘cheap-expensive’ continuum. Like the bread and wine, it cannot be rated in this way. A great example of this is the story of the Little Drummer, who is poor. He offers the gift of ‘playing his drum’, which draws a smile from the Beloved Son. In cash terms it is worthless. In the school of love, it is priceless.
