Fear Is The Path To The Dark Side

Epiphany is one of my favorite Christian holidays.  It's also one of those words that sounds like something only a sesquipedalian would love.  But the truth is that without "epiphany" you'd have to spend a lot of time describing a certain kind of thought and feeling.  It's a revelation, a new thought, a moment when something becomes clear.  But it's not a gradual thing, not slow, dim realization.  It's a eureka moment.  A lightening bolt from on high.  It's a light bulb flashing to life above your head.

The Christian holiday of the same name is when we celebrate all those sudden, unexpected realizations in the story of Jesus—all the epiphanies that Jesus, son of Mary was and is much, much more than his humble beginnings would seem to indicate.

While Epiphany celebrates all of those revelations, we usually focus on the arrival of the Magi with their three gifts and their intention to give the newborn King of the Jews homage.  Nothing quite says, "This toddler is a Very Important Person" than having foreign dignitaries show up on your doorstep with lavish gifts and promises of fealty and service!

The political setting for the story always reminds me of Star Wars.  I can't help drawing parallels between Caesar and Palpatine, between Herod and Vader.  Imagine if you will that the Galactic Empire is not the only empire out there in that far, far away galaxy.  Imagine that an ancient enemy of the Old Republic still borders the Empire.

Now, imagine that this bordering empire has their own group of Force sensitives.  An order with the same political and religious clout as the Jedi—or the Sith.

Furthermore, imagine that a small delegation of that order suddenly drop out of hyperspace within sight of the Death Star.  They dock and ask for an audience with Lord Darth Vader—and when they get it, they say that they have sensed a disturbance in the Force indicating the birth of the Chosen One, the true King of Naboo.  And then they ask Vader where they can find the child so they can promise their political support to him.

Can you imagine?

So Vader accesses all the old information—ancient Jedi prophecies concerning the birth of the Chosen One—and tells the delegation which system the Chosen One is supposed to be from.  And then Vader asks them to come back and tell him where they find the Chosen One, so he can swear his service to the child, too.

The delegation goes and finds the child.  They lavish expensive gifts on him and pay him homage.  Then, warned in a vision, they avoid any "Imperial entanglements" on the way home.  Warned in another vision, those responsible for the welfare of Luke and Leia spirit them away—Luke to Tatooine, of course, and Leia to Alderaan.

When the delegation doesn't return to the Death Star, Vader does what any dread Lord of the Sith would do when faced with such a threat to their power.  He takes a Star Destroyer full of Imperial Stormtroopers to the star system in question and he kills every male child under the age of two.  Problem solved.

Ok, so, this is where the metaphor breaks down.  Luke Skywalker is no Jesus Christ.  Although, in the end, Luke defeats the Emperor through non-violence if you think about it.

Speaking of non-violence, let me share a little epiphany I had about, well, Epiphany.  The Magi had a great deal of wealth with them.  And the country was full people who'd been taxed into the ground—and then when they couldn't pay, their land, their homes would be taken away.  What I'm trying to say is that, warned in a vision that Herod was an evil bastard, the Magi probably could have raised an army and started a war.

But that's not what God wanted.  God wanted them to avoid a conflict with Herod and simply go home by another way.

And I think that says something important about both God and Jesus.  Don't you?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
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The scripture lessons for January 4th—Epiphany Sunday—are:

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
   and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
   and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
   they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
   and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
   your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
   the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
   the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
   all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
   and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14

Give the ruler your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a ruler's heir.
May the ruler judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
May the ruler defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor.
May the ruler live while the sun endures,
   and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May the ruler be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
   like showers that water the earth.
In the ruler's days may righteousness flourish
   and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May the monarchs of Tarshish and of the isles
   render the ruler tribute,
may the monarchs  of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
May all monarchs fall down before the ruler,
   all nations give the ruler service.
For the ruler delivers the needy when they call,
   the poor and those who have no helper.
The ruler has pity on the weak and the needy,
   and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence the ruler redeems their life;
   and precious is their blood in the ruler's sight.

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 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: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 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." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

'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.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 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." 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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.