“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him’” (Matt. 2:1,2 KJV).
The story of the Wise Men has delighted us for years. Children, portraying these gift-bearers in yearly Christmas pageants, try to capture the awe and magic of the story of the journey to find and worship a new king. In our world today where things seem to happen instantly, we do not stop to think about a journey that took months on slow-moving camels. This trip took time, money, and commitment.
Part of the beauty of Bible reading is that it continues to unfold new ideas, new truths. One day while reading the Bethlehem story again, I discovered something new, something that until this time had not revealed itself to me. It was simply a question about the star that led the Wise Men to Jerusalem.
Think about a few of the consequences of this Jerusalem stop. King Herod was made aware of the birth of a competitor for his throne when the Wise Men inquired as to the location of the Baby. King Herod summoned the priests and scribes, and they stood before him and told him where the Baby was to be born—amazing! A heathen king made them aware of something they should have known. Were not the Jews praying for and looking for their Deliverer? Another consequence—all the male children two years of age and under in Bethlehem were killed by the king’s decree. All these things occurred because the Wise Men stopped in Jerusalem.
Parallels…Why didn’t the star take the Wise Men straight to Bethlehem? Perhaps we can only guess, but what really seems important is this thought. Jerusalem, the center of all the hubbub and activity of the Jews, is not where Jesus was found. Can we find an application to our day, to our churches? They, too, are the center for religious activity, for learning, doing, and being. This is all well and good; we need our churches for this and other reasons, too. But where is Jesus?
As important as all this is, there is another factor to be considered. It is the trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to find Jesus. This trip requires more than just being a part of the action in a religious institution. It requires effort, time, and commitment to follow the star a bit further to a spiritual awareness of Jesus. It means being quiet enough to hear Him speak. It means letting go of feelings that limit ourselves and others. Pride, selfishness, bigotry, prejudice, and all those other feelings, which are nothing more than our own personal fears working against the spiritual and emotional growth of ourselves and others.
Standing before Herod, the Wise Men announced that they had come to worship the King. Worship was the reason they were in Jerusalem. There was a great deal of worship happening in Jerusalem, but most of it did not include the worship of Jesus. Our weekly attendance at church says to our neighbors, friends, family, and fellow church members that our intention is to worship the King. However, if we stop and stay in Jerusalem, if we do not continue to follow the star, we will not find the King and worship Him, but will be worshiping at a shrine of our own making.
Wise Gifts…”When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy…They…worshipped him: and…presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:9, KJV). The extra journey to Bethlehem requires that we come away from the hub of activity and go a few more miles to find the King, worship, and give. Amazing—the Wise Men got it right, and they got it in the right order! Keeping their eyes on the star, they followed the star, they found the King, they worshiped Him, and they gave their gifts. This kind of giving truly is the spirit of Christmas.
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