Wednesday, January 03, 2007 Severino: Magi visit and Jesus' circumcision By Gil Alfredo Severino Think Economics
PERHAPS, it would even be more controversial if the Pope mishandles these significant events in the earthly life of Jesus, His Circumcision and the Magis Visitors, which are two historical milestones that had been ignorantly suppressed.
Traditionally, Catholic Christendom celebrates "The Three Kings" during the January Epiphany. Biblical history does not have the exact date estimates of the visitation nor the precise number of "kings" that visited Bethlehem at the stable birthplace of Jesus.
The Gospel of Matthew merely mentioned that the visitors were pagan "Magis", these are Iranian (Persian) priests learned in astrology and brought three gifts for Jesus. Traveling hundreds of miles or thousand if they were coming from West Afghanistan, it is quite illogical for only three individuals to travel and brave the perilous terrain going to Bethlehem. They must have brought provisions and servants to reach destination. "The Three Kings" tradition is historically questionable; there were "Numerous Magis" and company, by logic. The significance of their presence which characterizes the "Kingdom of Jesus" as an extended domain to include pagans or gentiles and enemies (love your enemies) is a long forgotten homily. The Filipino Christendom is centered on the "anito" syncretic infancy of Jesus rather than the love culminating in His violent Death and glorious Resurrection.
In the same vein, who is the cleric that will competently and contextually interpret the circumcision of Jesus on the 8th day after His birth? We must realize that labeling 'private body parts" is a Victorian and Puritan morality, Catholic Spaniards and Protestant American brought these here in the Philippines. This partly explains why the Vatican and American missionary community evade such theme as "the mutilation of the foreskin" when the Bible talks extensively on these as the "circumcision of the heart" for the righteousness of Jesus. Partly because Asians have a different worldview, ancient Jews have a different concept of morality, in the same surprising way that ancient Visayans were practicing circumcision, displays "penis pins" to his future wife and indulged in daily after-work community bathing, where "private parts" are exposed. Thus, the Bible, an ancient Asian document, freely talks of circumcision as a practice and symbol (and graphic love making in the "Song of Solomon"). I have not heard speakers competently handle this portion of the Birth.
Among ancient Jews, circumcision was very significant if he had entered and obeyed God's covenant which is His "contract" promised of blessing, protection, prosperity and salvation; its written provisions was recorded by Moses, hazily obtained by Adam and Eve when they sinned but clearly entered into by Abraham and descendants, then Judges and Kings (i.e. Samson and David), then the Prophets, etc., down to the "New Covenant" in Jesus. Let me emphasized, that circumcision of the foreskin (Old Testament) and of the heart (New Testament) is not man's portion of the covenant or contract, but given, initiated and will be fulfilled by God Himself; man cannot because of his Sin. Circumcision is an appropriate symbol because it is painful and bloody which foreshadow the New Covenant embodied in Jesus' violent and bloody death.
The focus, then, is not on the "birthing" but the "dying" of a 33-year-old Jesus. If we cannot connect, no amount of peace-making and value formation program can ever be realized in this country. We need to "die" (circumcised from Sin) and "resurrect" Jesus as lord of His Kingdom here on earth.
For questions and comments, please email gil_severino @yahoo.com
