by Marcus

Created on: February 21, 2008

Epiphany is:

1)a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2)an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3)a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

4)a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight. (according to dictionary.com)

Matthew's Gospel, is an epiphany in itself, and it hinges on The Sermon the Mount, chapters 5-7. The rest of the Gospel, for the most part, shows Jesus living out what he preached, but more than that, he showed that we are able live out his message as well. He also warned us that practicing the life of faith is difficult. We have to be mindful that the world doesn't want to share wealth and possessions. The Kingdoms and Empires of this world are made from the darkness of greed and controlling power, so that the rich amass more wealth and possessions for themselves and the poor are ignored and become poorer.

To Jesus and us who follow him, the world is upside down and the Kingdom of Heaven is right side. Remember, the first will be last and the last will be first.

The first four chapters of Matthew prepare and set the stage for us to see Jesus sitting down w and preaching with rabbinical authority. Matthew Chapter 1 gives an account of Jesus' ancestry, a brief description of his conception and how Mary became Joseph's wife.

Which brings us to Matthew Chapter 2:

Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Herod. After his birth astrologers from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Judeans? We observed the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage. King Herod was greatly perturbed when he heard this, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together the chief priests and scribes of the Judeans and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. At Bethlehem in Judea they replied, "for this is what the prophet wrote: Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah: for out of you shall come a ruler to be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod summoned the astrologers to meet him secretly, and ascertained from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child,

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