Journey Through Matthew: Epiphany

Jan 12 in General

Epiphany

This is the season in which we celebrate the visit of the 3 Kings, or wise men to the Holy Family in Bethlehem. It is the final part of the story of the Christmas Crib, the time at which all the figures are in place.

The account of this visit is only found in Matthew’s Gospel    Follow this link to read it.
Matthew has included many messages in his report of the Magi arriving to see the infant Jesus.

Which one should we choose?

• Do we think about gifts, and reflect upon the meaning of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?
• Do we consider the way in which the natural world proclaims the work of God?
• Do we reflect on the way in which God communicates by using angels?
• Do we explore the ways in which the story makes links with the Old Testament?

Matthew has given us a tantalising tale which challenges us to think about all of these things. It raises all of these questions and more.
And that is rather the point. The Gospels all paint a picture of Jesus who spent his whole ministry trying to encourage people to think. Matthew can be very challenging. This is particularly true of the way in which he confronts the religious establishment – have a look at all the ‘woes’ in chapter 23 for example.

Do you think that any of these woes apply to today’s church? I wonder which ones?

As we find our way through Matthew let’s keep in mind two questions:
What is the Gospel saying about Jesus?
How is the Gospel helping us to think?

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