This coming Sunday is the celebration of The Epiphany of the Lord. As much as we want to combine the nativity stories of Matthew and Luke, they really have no points of contact other than the birth of the child Jesus. Luke’s story is set among the lowly shepherds; Matthew’s story is set among royalty, chief priests and wealthy foreigners. The desire to make them one story is natural, but to do so misses the uniqueness and point of each gospel writer. Which would be a loss since Matthew’s story arcs across the ages and geography of the Middle East.