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Quite an Epiphany                              Matthew 2: 1-12                               January 6, 2008

The hit Broadway musical-turned critically acclaimed Johnny Depp movie, Sweeney Todd, has a song in it titled, simply, "Epiphany."

Like much of the story, the song is pretty gruesome. It is sung at the point where Sweeney, a barber, decides to avenge the loss of his wife and daughter by slitting the throats of his customers while shaving them.

"There's a hole in the world like a great black pit," Sweeney sings, "And the vermin of the world inhabit it. But not for long. . ."

"They all deserve to die. Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why," he goes on to sing, "Because in all of the whole human race, Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two. There's the one they put in his proper place, And the one with his foot in the other one's face. Look at me, Mrs. Lovett, look at you. Now we all deserve to die. . ."

"I will have vengeance. I will have salvation," Sweeney concludes. "I will get him back even as he gloats. In the meantime I'll practice on dishonorable throats. . . I'm alive at last! And I'm full of joy!"

Quite an Epiphany!

It's fair to conclude, I think, that this word "epiphany" can have a wide range of meanings. If you strip everything else away, though, it refers to a dramatic revelation - a breakthrough, a profound realization.

The "demon barber of Fleet Street," as Sweeney Todd is called, had such a revelation. He decided that revenge would be his motivation - justifying his horrible, heinous acts.

Certainly, the Epiphany that we are celebrating this morning - on this twelfth day of Christmas - is of a different kind. The revelation we Moravians commemorate today is one celebrated by most Western Christians. It is a commemoration of the visitation of the Magi - who also had an epiphany. An epiphany that, interestingly, is the very opposite - the inverse - of the epiphany of Sweeney Todd.

These Magi - or "Wise men from the East," as Matthew describes them, followed a moving star and traveled to Judea seeking the King of the Jews. Their search brought them through Jerusalem and to an encounter with Herod. It culminated in their finding the Christ child and worshipping Him.

These Magi were led by the star before finding Jesus and his family, and they were led by the Spirit after finding Him. And their revelation is the symbolic announcement that the God whose history up to this point was limited to the descendants of Abraham - this God who created everything - is now and forever will be accessible to the whole world.

Herod, the King appointed to rule Judea by the Roman authorities, is a character no less evil than the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. More so, in fact. He was ruthless: murdering his wife, his three sons, his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law, an uncle, and many others.

Herod was a tyrant who could not tolerate any contenders for his throne. He was a power hungry, self-absorbed, ruthless, controlling oppressor.

And in his most vicious, inhuman act, he slaughters innocent children in a warped attempt to preserve his power.

The Magi, after finding and worshipping Jesus, return to their country; but their revelation of just who this baby was - their epiphany - causes them to disobey Herod and return a different way. Mary and Joseph and the Child flee to Egypt, where they avoid Herod's upcoming horrible slaughter of children in Bethlehem. The epiphany of the Magi saves Jesus from Herod's slaughter, and it opens the door for us to be saved as well.

Quite an epiphany indeed!

So here we sit this morning, with the decorations of Christmas still surrounding us on every side. Like the Magi, we have seen the star. And we have worshiped the baby born in the manger.

The question, for us, is this: What will we do with our revelation? What will our epiphany cause us to do?

The Magi, you'll recall, changed course. As did Sweeney Todd, by the way, when he had his epiphany of a different sort.

At some level, an epiphany is always a change of direction.

And while I am certain that no one here will follow Sweeny Todd's lead and conclude that vengeance will be our new direction, I wonder how many of us are prepared, this year, for a course correction.

One scholar suggests that the key to epiphany is wonder. That the reason the Magi did what they did was that they were so completely in awe when they encountered the Christ Child that they followed a dream. He may be right.

Perhaps the thing for us to do on this Epiphany Sunday is to stop listening to those voices - whether they are outside or inside our heads - that tell us that following a star is a foolish thing to do.

Perhaps the thing for us to do when we leave this place today is to allow joy and wonder to lead us.

Once again, it could prove to be quite an Epiphany.

                                                                             AMEN