“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.”
The three wisemen have only a brief appearance in Matthews gospel. But those verses have spawned a myriad of traditions about who they were, why they brought their gifts and what the visitation means. Behind all of it is a simple idea: the birth of Christ was a momentous event and this King is worthy of honor and due the gifts of our own hearts. [hear sermon audio]
This week, take some time to go deeper. Use these scriptures and questions to reflect on the meaning of Epiphany for your own life.
Texts to read:
- 1 Corinthians 12
- Romans 11:1-7
- Numbers 24:15-19 (chapters 22-24)
Questions to ponder:
- What gifts have been given to you?
- Who in your community could be helped by your gifts?
- What part does fear play in the gifts we give and the gifts we withhold?
Do and share:
- Take a spiritual gifts assessment like the one at: http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/spiritual-gifts-online-assessment
- Take a picture of you sharing a gift with someone else and share it on our Facebook or Twitter (@dpumc) with #GiftOn
Pastor's Notepad 