Recently I came upon an Epiphany story, that I don’t believe I’ve shared with you. In this story the three wise men, Gaspar, Balthassar and Melchior, were thee different ages. Gaspar was a young man, Balthassar a middle aged man and Melchior an elderly man. They found a cave where the Holy One was and entered to do him homage one at a time. Melchior the old man entered first. He found an old man like himself in the cave. They shared stories and spoke of memory and gratitude. Middle aged Balthassar entered next. He found a man his own age there. They spoke passionately about leadership and responsibility. Young Gaspar was the last to enter. He found a young prophet waiting for him. They spoke about reform and promise. Afterward when the three kings spoke to each other about their encounter with the Christ, they were shocked at each other’s stories. So they got their gifts of gold frankinsence and myrrh together and all three went into the cave. They found a baby there, the infant Jesus only twelve days old.
There is a deep message here. Jesus reveals himself to all people, at all stages of their lives, whether they are Jew or Gentile. Our pictures of Jesus are basically those as conceived by Western European artists. That’s OK, but Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew. If you were to go to Mexico, representations of Jesus would be that of a Mexican. Or an Asain in many places in the East. That is all acceptable, because Jesus has revealed himself of coming for all people, all places. In the Second reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul says that this is the great secret of the ages: that the Christ came not just for the Jews but to be one with all people, Gentiles or non-Jews alike.