Understanding the Word

By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Isaiah speaks of enlightenment. He cries out to Jerusalem, “Arise!” “Shine!”  Jerusalem is not only delivered from its misfortune by God, but also it is reestablished as a thriving city. Its dispersed inhabitants return, its destroyed reputation  is restored, and its despoiled prosperity is reconstituted. This is not a promise  to be fulfilled in the future; Jerusalem’s salvation is an accomplished fact. It is  happening before the city’s very eyes. Such good fortune is evidence of God’s  favor. This good favor is another reason why the city is summoned, “Arise and  shine forth!” 

The Letter to the Ephesians declares that in Christ the Gentiles are coheirs,  comembers and copartners with the Jews. According to the author, the status of  the Gentiles had to be revealed because it had been secret until now. The apostles and prophets constituted the foundation of the church. Now, it is through this  appointed messenger that the Spirit reveals a new revelation to that established  church. This new revelation contains a startling message. It claims that in Christ  the Gentiles are coheirs, comembers, and copartners with the Jews. This is a radical insight for a church with Jewish roots and traditions. 

The story of the Three Kings or Three Wise Men was probably a kind of  haggadah or popular Jewish story fashioned from diverse biblical material intended to make a spiritual rather than historical point. This does not mean that the  story is not true. It means that the truth of it is more in the total story and its  meaning than in any or all of its details. The point of the story is that these men  were not Israelite, but they were nonetheless open to and in search of God’s  plan. The story illustrates that people of good will, regardless of their ethnic or  religious background, can be responsive to the revelation of God. These men  searched for and found the child, and they did not go away disappointed.

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