Epiphany 2025

Matthew 2:1-12

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

An epiphany is an appearance of the divine. In scripture, we call an epiphany anytime Jesus appears to manifest God-traits. In the Eastern Church, January 6th, Epiphany is celebrated at the baptism of Jesus and when Jesus performs his first sign, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. But the Western Church, of which we are part, celebrates Epiphany, January 6th, as the coming of the foreign astrologers to the toddler Jesus. The passage we hear every year on Epiphany Sunday does not start out “Once upon a time, in an unknown place far, far away.” Instead, we hear of a specific era, during the reign of a specific ruler, and a birth in a particular place. The Gospel writer is trying to establish that these events actually happened, as improbable as they seem for 1st century, backwater Judea. Probably the one part of the story that does not seem unbelievable is the panic set off in the palace when foreign astrologers come looking for a newborn king. Herod goes into a tailspin, threatened by signs in the stars. And once he realizes the magi are not coming back, he sends soldiers to kill all the toddlers in Bethlehem, just to make sure no possible interloper survives. We, however, might learn more from the magi, non-Jews, people who did not worship Lord YHWH, who nevertheless traveled for months to pay homage to a Jewish baby. Then, after they spend time with the holy family, they return home although by another route. The question we might be left with is: What difference did their visit make? Because if we can figure out what difference an epiphany made to those astrologers, we might be able to figure out what epiphany might mean in our new year. From the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, listen for the word of God.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Everyone has moments that can change their life. Probably you can recall such an event. Like when you learned something new and amazing about the world that opened doors you never imagined before. Maybe someone introduced you to the oxygen rush and joy of singing in a church choir, or the broadening experience of visiting another country, or the amazing possibilities of power tools. And then you got to decide if it would actually change your life or merely be a warm memory of a singular event that didn’t make any real change at all. Do you wonder about the magi, after traveling for as much as a year, finally getting to spend time with the toddler? And when it was time to leave, they had to decide. Would meeting this child change their lives or would it be a warm memory of a once in a lifetime adventure that would not make any real difference at all?

Think what the Magi learned. Going half-way around the known world perhaps, their travels must have taught them plenty. Certainly, they learned what anyone learns when traveling. There are people very different from us in food and customs and religious practices, and yet they are like us in many ways too, eager for their children to be healthy, for their homes to be warm in winter, for their community to flourish in safety.

But the astrologers were not just traveling; they were looking for the newborn King of the Jews. So, what did they learn from that discovery? If they listened to talk about Jewish faith, they learned of God’s love for all people and that God expects the Jewish people to love others and treat every person, no matter who they are, with respect. And if they discovered in Jesus the Gospel message that God’s generosity has been manifest in this little person? In fact, more than God’s generosity, if God’s presence is somehow manifest in this little person, so that even they – non-Jewish, gentile foreigners – are welcome to receive God’s gift of divine presence, would their lives be changed? They could see that the light illuminating from the life of the Christchild is God’s light. But then when those astrologers got home, they could ignore what they experienced, merely keeping it as an adventurous memory, or they could allow the light of Christ to shine through them, communicating the unconditional love of God for all persons. These foreigners who brought royal gifts for the baby received the priceless gifts of God’s forgiveness and absolute acceptance. And the lesson of the gifts they received from God could result in their learning to give themselves away in loving generosity to others.

I like to think the magi went home so completely changed that all the lessons they observed in the household of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus became their choices for the rest of their lives. I like to think the Magi learned the Good News of God’s love through Jesus, and that they were forever re-shaped according to that love.

And now we get to choose too. Two thousand years later, we have the same choice the magi had. We can look back on our recent experience of Christmas as an ancient narrative. We can love to hear the baby story every December, listening to the scriptures on Christmas Eve, holding our candles as the lights dim and we sing “Silent Night,” but then we can essentially not let God’s incarnate love touch us much for another 11½ months. We could do that.  Or we can allow the lessons of Christmas, or better yet, the presence of Jesus, to make a permanent difference in our living. So, if we decide to let a Christmas visit to the baby make a difference in our lives, what would that mean?

First, it means recognizing that all the glitz, fancy advertisements, and blow up lawn ornaments are not about the Word made flesh. Jesus was born into the dust and smelly muck of real life, which is actually pretty terrific because most of us live in real life. Even now, Jesus comes wherever we are, and he shares the unconditional love of God with us. In Jesus, God has chosen to be at home wherever we find ourselves, bringing us into the Good News of God’s acceptance. So when we experience Christmas, the glow, the joy, the holy night, we can let it sink into us. Christ can be born in us today. And then, like the magi, we can return to where we really live, but since Jesus was content to being born in a smelly earthy place, with foreigners some of his first visitors, willing to share the message of Christmas as universal grace; then as we return to normal life, we can realize that we carry the light of Christ with us. If Jesus is within us, his light will shine through us. Jesus is present wherever his followers go, and the Word is enfleshed all around. So let us choose to accept the light of the Christchild to be present within each of us, to shine through us proclaiming the unconditional love of God for every person, no matter where they are. Because once we have been to the baby Jesus, if we are paying attention, we realize he never leaves us. Epiphany is always happening.