Epiphany | January 6th 2026 | The Rev. McKenzi Roberson

I imagine you might be wondering what we’re doing here tonight. What are we doing gathered together, this small but mighty crowd, on a rainy Tuesday evening, pulling together a full Sunday morning expression of worship? Why are we not cozy at home?

Tonight, twelve days after Christmas, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. We will then observe the season of Epiphany until Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The history of this feast day is a little complicated, and it serves to mark different events in the western and eastern traditions of Christianity. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this is the day that they remember the Baptism of our Lord, which represents the institution of baptism and the revelation of the Trinity. God the Father claims Jesus the Son through an act of the Holy Spirit. That’s a pretty big deal.

In many Western traditions, however, Epiphany is when the church remembers the arrival of the magi, the wise men from the East to bring gifts and worship Jesus, when Jesus was made known to the gentiles.

The Anglican Church, in its way, observes both of these events by dedicating two days to the feast, January 6th and the first Sunday after January 6th. Which is to say, tonight we will explore and contemplate the arrival of the wise men at a young Jesus’ home, and on Sunday you’ll get to hear me talk about Jesus’ baptism.

Both of these events hold a great deal of importance to the shape of our faith, and so it becomes an important part of our formation to make space for both in our worship.

And so – Jesus being made known to the gentiles. It is hard to overstate how radical this is. In Jesus’ time, the Jewish self-understanding was that they were the people of the covenant. The descendants of Israel had a binding agreement with God: they will be God’s people, offering worship and praise, and God will be their God, offering protection and guidance. Part of this covenant is to be a blessing to the nations, but those people, the nations or the gentiles, were not considered to be part of the promises. There were clear boundaries between us and them.

Then Jesus comes along, meets those boundaries, and shatters them. In Matthew’s gospel, there is a clear turning point for Jesus on this issue. After Jesus feeds the 5,000, in chapter 15 we hear a story of a Canaanite woman asking Jesus to heal her daughter. Let me read you this portion real quick:

[Jesus] answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

This story is followed by another feeding miracle. There are two small details to these feeding miracles that give shape to the meaning of this interaction with the Canaanite woman. After the first feeding there are twelve baskets of leftovers gathered up, and after the second feeding there are seven. It might seem disappointing, as if this second miracle is lesser for not being as extravagant, but understanding the Jewish symbolism of numbers is key.

Twelve, perhaps obviously, symbolizes the people of Israel because there are twelve tribes. Seven, on the other hand, symbolizes completeness or the whole – such as the seven days of creation. In the first feeding miracle, there is enough leftover for the people of Israel. After the second miracle, following Jesus’ interaction with this Canaanite woman, there is enough for the whole of creation.

Jesus takes God’s promises of grace and salvation and extends them to all of creation. You don’t have to be from the right family or belong to the right club. God’s love is for everyone. No one is outside of the reach of God’s saving embrace.

The reality of this incredible grace is foreshadowed in our celebration tonight. In Matthew’s account, these magi are the first people to visit Jesus. The King of the Jews, the one long prophesied, was not welcomed to earth by religious or political leaders, he was not acknowledged by the people he was coming to save. No, it was strangers, outsiders, who were able to hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit and follow the signs to God made human.

God still gives us signs today. Now, they often aren’t as dramatic as stars in the sky to follow, and let me tell you how much I wish we were still into casting lots as a way of discernment, but God’s signs are still there for us to follow. Sometimes they are found in the peace we feel after making a hard decision that centers generosity instead of fearful selfishness. Sometimes it’s in the words of affirmation, or rebuke, from our neighbors. Signs are a little nebulous, so it’s good to think and pray through them with trusted people, but I do believe that God still speaks to us from time to time in more ways than we can imagine.

And just as God speaks to us, God speaks to everybody else, too. This is what I was getting at earlier, nobody is outside of God’s reach. God is calling to each of us, regardless of whether or not we know God’s name. God’s love, mercy, and justice are the bedrock of creation and that is not confined to our understanding of who God is. Even the very stones will proclaim God’s praise.

This truth makes people in power deeply uncomfortable. The Kingdom of God turns human power structures on their head, threatening familiarity and comfort. God cares for those we are tempted to treat as mere resources or burdens on society. The reality of Jesus was so disruptive to Herod’s power that directly after this story, Mary and Joseph had to become political refugees because Herod set about killing all the baby boys under two years old in an attempt to thwart this prophesied king from challenging the system. Perhaps this is a sign of God’s presence, too, political leaders lashing out against acts of compassion and justice.

We spent all of Advent leaning into our longing for God’s presence and redemption in this world. In Christmas we celebrated God with us, God coming to earth as a baby, sanctifying and restoring dignity to our lives. And now, in Epiphany, we get to marvel at who Jesus is, fully God and fully human showing us again and again how to live into the vision of the Kingdom of God.

Our God is a God of abundance and love, a God who spent time on earth welcoming children and the sick to his side while flipping the tables of corrupt businesses and condemning leaders who were more concerned about their public perception than the welfare of their marginalized community members.

I wonder what your version is of the star that is leading you to a fresh encounter with Jesus. I wonder what signs there might be in your life these days, and what actions of love and resistance they are calling you towards as you walk with and towards the God who loves us all.