A sermon preached on the Feast of the Epiphany, 2026

There is something exotic and mysterious about of the journey of the Magi to the new born king. I think of that small place on earth where Jesus was born and how far the Magi traveled in order to reach him. 

Who were these mysterious visitors from the East? We cannot say with absolute certainty. Astronomers or astrologers, probably, for they followed the star to the place where Jesus was born. The term Magi refers to a cast of Persian priests with a special ability to interpret dreams.

When they arrive, after a detour via Jerusalem, they present their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold, worthy for a king, a ruler, one with power and authority. Frankincense: an aromatic perfume that was sprinkled on animals sacrificed in the temple - an appropriate gift for a priest, as one who offers sacrifice. Lastly, Myrrh: used for embalming the bodies of the dead before burial, a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own death.

Following the birth of Jesus, I am sure that Mary and Joseph had plenty of time to ponder what lay ahead. What kind of Messiah was their son going to be? Where were they going to live? Would they be able to protect their son from his enemies? 

The last thing they were expecting was a visit from strangers from another country. Mary and Joseph were learning that their God is a God of surprises: first the annunciation, then the birth and now the Magi. Later, when they take Jesus to the Temple, they will meet Simeon, who will have more surprises to share with them.

It is a story of paradoxes, both simple and yet complex, about the unchanging love of God set against the changing lives of his chosen people. And what changes they were! Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem for a census. Then Mary was found to be with child and Joseph wanted to divorce her. Then he changed his mind after hearing in a dream how it happened. When Jesus was born, no one knew about it, except some shepherds. Then the visit of the Magi; then going into Egypt to escape the murderous designs of King Herod.

This story has made a pilgrimage of its own, from the first century to the twenty-first, and we receive it as a gift, as the opening chapter in the greatest story of all time. What does it mean for us today? From a scriptural point of view, the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise. In our first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, are the themes of light and abundance. “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” (Isaiah 60:1) That is the message we receive today. How do we receive it? The prophet tells us to “Lift up your eyes.” (Isaiah 60:4) In other words, look beyond yourselves to see what is coming and now what is before you. 

The prophet also says, “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:3) The Magi are kings from a nation beyond Israel. This theme is taken up in the psalm, which has this verse, “All kings shall bow down before him, and all the nations do him service.” (Psalm 72:11) This is what worship is: we bow down before him - all of us, all nations on earth. The God of Israel is a God for all nations.

In their detour via Jerusalem, the Magi meet King Herod. This is the first time that Herod hears what has happened. In the gospel it says that Herod “was frightened, and all of Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:3) Already we see how, with the coming of Jesus, there is fear in the hearts of many. This fear represents another paradox - the fear of the known and the unknown. It was known from scripture that a Messiah was coming. What was unknown was how soon and how would people identify him. Our God is a god of surprises - the people will soon discover that redemption and salvation come in a way that most were not expecting. The descendant of King David will be his own man and do it his own way.

The Magi do not see Herod again, because they were warned in a dream not to. They return home via another route. This no doubt increased the level of anxiety in Jerusalem. King Herod is waiting for the Magi to return and then they don’t show up. “Why haven’t they come back?” I imagine Herod asking his court officials. No one has an answer. 

The last time we hear about the Magi, they are heading homeward. They left home carrying gifts for the new born king and now return home with the gift of the knowledge of his birth; they knew they had to see him with their own eyes. If I were a Magi, I would probably have done the same thing. Tonight we have followed in their footsteps, figuratively speaking, by making the journey to Christ Church in order to pay homage to Jesus, the Messiah. 

We are not as far from home as the Magi were, although as I am talking about paradoxes, I could say that your home is actually here, in the chapel, and the place where you live is where you stay when you are not at home. This is not as fanciful as it sounds. Imagine your heavenly home as the place where you worship Jesus and pay him homage. Everything you will need in heaven is here: God, music, prayer, scripture, angels, (although you can’t always see them) and your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

There is one other essential ingredient needed. (I was about to say incense.) That other ingredient is love. The light of Jesus is the light of love. It’s odd to think that people would be afraid of love, but they are. That’s because Jesus’ love is a force to be reckoned with. You can turn your back on it and go and live under a rock, but who wants to do that? It’s better to come out into the light and let it transform you. It’s better to accept the change that Jesus’ love brings than to resist it. 

This is what our earthly pilgrimage is for. On our journey we are following God’s light, wherever it may lead us. Sometimes you will end up in a place not of your own choosing. Sometimes you will be facing change at the most inconvenient time. Sometimes you will wonder why the light has gone behind a cloud. Often the only thing you can do in such situations is to “lift up your eyes” and trust God.

What I think is certain for the Magi is that, after their journey, they were never the same again. The journey had changed them. Of course, they would return to their normal routines and relationships. The people they met on their return would expect them to behave in the same way. But deep down in their souls they carried the knowledge of something far, far greater than themselves, something wonderful, something words cannot adequately convey. 

They realized that in following the light, the light itself had entered them. And as the light from without guided their way, so the light from within opened their eyes to the mystery of God’s presence among them: in the stable at Bethlehem, along the dusty roads back to Persia, and in the new life of god-centered love that brought heaven to earth, earth to heaven.

This is the same life that we are invited to receive as a gift from God. All we need to do is commit ourselves to following God’s light. The prophet tells us, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” The birth of Christ heralds our rebirth in the spirit. Let us go and pay him homage.

Father David