One can choose Epiphany or the regular Sunday reading.

 

Ps. 72 is one of the text that turned Magi into kings.Christians transfer the king to the messiah. Note how justice and righteousness lead to shalom.vv.12-14 reminds us the the Hebrew ethic to help the weak.

Sheba and Seba seem to be Arabia, maybe into the horn of Africa. Notice they bring gold and gifts and bow down.

If naything is a good prayer for the new Obama adminsitration, much of this fits our need and hope for the new year and new administration.

 

Is. 60 starts off with what became the dreaded, rise and shine expression. Notice the light imagery throughout. Again we have kings, with camels, and Sheba brings gold and incense. (You have to turn to the worship section of Exodus 30 to find all three gifts together. We get camels in v. 6 Adam Smith would like the wealth of nations. Reagan was taken with the image of the united States being a light to other nations.  in v. 6.

 

While I'm at it, magi were counsellors of the rich and powerful. It is possible they were priests in Persian sacrificial liturgy.They amy have medical knowledge.They could be the magicians of daniel and the mag of jeremisahThey used astrology and maybe sorcery. Their influence eventually reached Rome and may have been involved in the Mithra cult. (Its use of a baptism and eucharist were condemned by Chrisitans ) We may encounter them in Acts in Simnon and Elymas

 

Jer. 31:1-14 is a covenant reading. It changes the wilderness of history to a new wilderness of the present. Love, steadfast love is empahsized. As last week we get a marriag emetaphor to show the depthof God's love for us. For New Year's building an planting metaphors are good. Celebration images fit well here too.We may have echoes of psalms here. Again, God saves the weak.Notice that this is anot only spiritual salvation. Even grief is overturned here. Thsi verges on a new creation, perhaps a messianic banquet, a feast for marriage and for deliverance.