January 6, 2019
To read full passage click: Matthew 2:1-12 …“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.” vs. 11
Officially, the season of Christmas ended yesterday. Presumably trees and decorations have been taken down or stored away, and folks are ready to get on with the new year. The gift-giving is over and all that’s left of the holiday are the bills! But not in some parts of the world! In those places the day of Epiphany is celebrated with enthusiasm. In department stores and malls, crowds of children gather to greet the Three Kings and receive their gifts. It’s a really big deal. For most of us however, Epiphany gets more of a ho-hum–we’re just too worn out from Christmas to give it much notice, even when it comes on a Sunday. Frankly we don’t know what to do with it. We’re familiar with the Wise Men but, thanks to biblically incorrect nativity scenes, we connect them more with Christmas. For Matthew, their appearance in Bethlehem showed the universal significance of Jesus’ birth. The wise men came following a star in the sky; but, the real star of the story is the child they encountered on his mother’s lap. This boy was the Light of the World, and in him, all nations would see and experience the love of God. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it!
Thought for the Day: What would be a good way to celebrate Epiphany?
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