Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12
The Battle of
Milvian Bridge was fought between Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius in
312. On the evening of October 27, with the armies preparing for battle,
Constantine had a vision. A most marvellous sign appeared to him from heaven.
The famous sign in the sky was a cross of light,
with the inscription, Conquer
by this. At this sight he himself was struck with amazement, and his whole army
also, which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle.
Constantine
delineated the sign on the shields of his soldiers, and proceeded to battle, and
his troops stood to arms. Maxentius was defeated in the battle, and Constantine
was acknowledged as emperor by the senate and people of Rome. Constantine’s
victory brought relief to the Christians by ending persecution.
300 Years before
Constantine, God’s sign appeared on the
sky as a luminous star. It announced the good news that A Saviour was born to
emancipate humanity from the clutches of evil. This sign was read by the simple
shepherds and wise men. It led the wise men to Bethlehem.
Bethlehem was a
little town six miles to the south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem had a long history.
It had a prominent place in the mind of every Jew. It was there that Jacob had
buried Rachel. It was there that Ruth had lived. It was the home and city of
the great king, David. It was from the line of David that God was to send the
deliverer, and
He would be born in the city of David.
Isaiah
visualized this glory:
Above you the Lord now rises
and above you his glory appears,
The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.
The close of the
First Century BC was the most expectant period in History. The Roman and Jewish
historians recorded the great expectation of people for the birth of a Saviour.
The wise men of that time had been calculating and reading the signs of time to
see the realization of this hope. Then, some heavenly brilliance indicated to
the Magi of the entry of an extraordinary king into the world. They were
determined to search for Him. The star guided them to Bethlehem. There work of
guidance completed, the star disappeared.
It reached the
ears of Herod that the wise men had come from the East, and that they were
searching for the little child who had been born to be King of the Jews. Any
king would have been worried at the report that a child had been born who was
to occupy his throne. Herod was troubled. He reacted instantly. The reaction of
Herod was the reaction of hatred and hostility. He was afraid that this little
child was going to interfere with his life, his power, his authority, his
wealth and his influence. Therefore his first instinct was to destroy him.
History shows
that evil forces joined hands many a time to annihilate Jesus and his
redemptive work. The first of its series started with Herod. In his frantic
attempt to destroy Jesus he slaughtered numerous innocent children. When Jesus
started his mission, the religious authorities tried to silence him. Finally
Pontius Pilot gave the verdict to crucify Him. But, the enemies of Jesus could
not wipe Him out. He rose from the dead, and His disciples continued His work.
Then the evil forces turned against them. St. Stephen was stoned to death.
Matthew was slain with a halberd. James was beaten and stoned by the Jews. Mark
was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria. Peter was crucified with his
head down and his feet up. Paul was beheaded. For the next three centuries Mass
persecutions occurred under many emperors, and thousands of Christians were put
to death. Even today there are many who would do anything to destroy Jesus
because they see in him the one who interferes with their interest, their
beliefs, and their way of life.
There was the
reaction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It was one of fear. They knew the
cruelty of Herod. The people of Jerusalem knew well that Herod would not spare
any one whom he suspected as a threat to his power. So he murdered his wife,
Mariamne, and her mother. He assassinated three of his sons on the grounds of
suspicion. So they were troubled and
worried. This is the reaction of the people who would never want to give up
their comforts in life. When their faith begins to place demands on them, they
tremble, but never show courage to resist the evil.
There was the
reaction of the chief priests and scribes. It was one of complete indifference.
Herod summoned the chief priests and scribes. The scribes were the experts in
scripture and in the law. The high priests were the priestly aristocracy. So,
Herod summoned the religious aristocracy and the theological scholars of his
day to know where the anointed one of God should be born. Herod’s revelation of
the birth of the Anointed Messiah, whom they had been expecting for long, and
whose birth they had been calculating, did not make any difference in them.
They were totally engrossed in their Temple rituals and legal discussions that
they completely disregarded Jesus. He meant nothing to them. Even today there
are many among us who disregard Jesus. He is considered as a noble person to be
worshiped and adored. But he is not given any role in their personal life.
There was the
reaction of the wise men, the reaction of adoring worship, the desire to lay at
the feet of Jesus the noblest gifts which they could bring. Wise men from the
ends of the earth were gathered at his cradle. It was the first sign and symbol
of the world conquest of Jesus. Their journey in search of the King of peace
was heroic. Neither distance nor uncertainty of the destination could hold them
back from their decision to find the new King.
God lit their way; His light shone above them, and they followed it.
Mother Teresa
once visited a poor man in Melbourne, Australia. He was living in a basement
room which was in a terrible state of neglect. There was no light in the room.
He did not seem to have a friend in the world. She started to clean and tidy
the room. At first he protested, “Leave it alone. It is alright as it is.” But
she went ahead anyway. As she cleaned, she chatted with him. Under a pile of
rubbish she found an oil lamp covered with dust. She cleaned it and discovered
that it was beautiful. And she said to him, “You have got a beautiful lamp
here. How she said to him, “You have got a beautiful lamp here. How come you
never lighted it?” “Why should I light it?” “No one ever comes to see me.”
Will you promise
to light it if one of my sisters comes to see you?” “Yes,” he replied. “If I
hear a human voice, I will light the lamp.” Two of Mother Teresa’s sisters
began to visit him regularly. Things gradually improved for him. Every time the
sisters came to visit him, he had the lamp lighted. Then one day he said to
them: “Sisters, I will be able to manage myself from now on. Do me a favour.
Tell the first sister who came to see me that the light she lit in my life is
still burning.” (M K Paul p.18)
The light that
God lit to announce the coming of His son is still burning. The Magi followed
the path of the great light and reached the cradle of Jesus. When they found
Jesus they laid down their gifts before Him. For the last twenty centuries many
have followed the footprints of the Magi. When they found Jesus they, too, laid
down everything they had at the foot of Jesus just like the Magi made their
offerings. Today, Jesus stands before us declaring, “I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light
of life.”(Jn 8:12)
The spirit of
God has always been there to guide those who have desired to walk in the light.
So the Angel of the Lord guided the Magi to return to their own country, ‘by a
different way”, and to a different life. The Magi’s meeting with Jesus brought
about a total change in them. It lit their minds and removed the darkness from
them. Jesus revealed Himself as their Saviour, and they accepted Him. Emperor
Constantine was given a sign. He accepted it, and his acceptance gained him
victory. When Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, he accepted Jesus, and his
acceptance led him to change his way of life.
When we accept
the light, the Spirit of God will be with us to guide us in all our endeavours.
Thomas Guthrie wrote: “And let no man lose heart, and abandon a good scheme
because he meets chopping seas and cross winds at the outset, since God may be
thereby driving him on a better course, and toward greater ends than he ever
dreamt of.”
Satish