Discussion for 4 January 2015

Matthew 2:1–12

2In the time of King Herod, 

after Jesus was born in 

Bethlehem of Judea, wise men 

from the East came to Jerusalem, 

²asking, “Where is the child who

 has been born king of the Jews? 

For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay

 him homage.” ³When King Herod heard this, he was 

frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together 

all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired 

of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him,

 “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the 

prophet: ⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are 

by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from 

you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people 

Israel.’” ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men 

and learned from them the exact time when the star 

had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, 

saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and 

when you have found him, bring me word so that 

I may also go and pay him homage.”⁹When they had 

heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went 

the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over

 the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw that the star

 had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On 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. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to 

return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

For Consideration
-In the Christian tradition, the season of Epiphany is a season for 
new sight, new vision, and paradigm shifts. How does this passage
correlate to an Epiphany?