Lead in: Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jewish community. The Magi were foreigners from another land. By including them as worshippers of Christ, Matthew hoped to convince his fellow Christians that God intended to call all people to worship the one true God revealed in his Son.
Prompt: If God intends for all people to come together to worship God as revealed in Jesus, what implications does this have for bringing together people of the Christian, Judaic, and Islamic religious traditions?
Lead in: The Magi were scholars who carefully sought out the meaning of the pattern among the stars and planets. In describing this, Matthew is outlining a spirituality of “seeking and finding”. In other words, he was validating the different spiritual paths that people travel in their search for God and their hope of finding meaning for their lives.
Prompt: Do you relate to Matthew’s spirituality of “seeking and finding”? If so, how? If not, what do you find more helpful in your search for God and for meaning in life?
Lead in: It seems so unlikely that three astrologists from a faraway country, when travel was not easy, could brave the rigors of an arduous and long journey to find their way to the Christ Child. What desires burned in their hearts that they would endure the challenges of such an undertaking?
Prompt: What is it in your life that holds such importance to you that you would make practically any sacrifice necessary in order to find it?
Lead in: The Magi must have been profoundly affected by their encounter with the Christ Child and his parents. Once they left, they could see through King Herod’s shady motives. King Herod’s nefarious plan to eliminate the newborn Christ Child would not be. Instead of getting back to King Herod, they went underground and hastily left town before the authorities could find them.
Prompt: Was there ever a time when you refused to cooperate with a plan that you instinctively knew wasn’t right?
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you refused to go along with something that everyone else saw nothing wrong with.
Lead in: At some risk to their own comfort and safety, the Magi followed a star that drew them on into the unknown. In the process, they found themselves in the midst of an Epiphany.
Prompt: Reflect on a time that you felt compelled to follow a star that drew you into an unknown that you were not sure of, but you knew you needed to follow.
