Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from
eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the
Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” ¶King Herod
was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He
called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and
asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they
said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of
Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come
from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
After this the wise men went their
way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went
ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the
star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with
his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their
treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matt. 2:1-6; 9-11)
Holiday time, for many, is highway time. Ever since the magi packed
their bags for Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus has caused people to hit the road.
And those Christmas trips have a lot in common with the one of the wise men. We
don’t camp with camels, of course, but we’ve been known to bump into a
knobby-kneed in-law on the way to the dining room. We don’t keep an eye out for
star lights, but flashing lights of the highway patrol? We watch for them at
every curve. And we don’t ride in a spice-road caravan, but six hours in a
minivan with kids might have made the wise men thankful for animals.
It’s not always ho ho ho on the high, highway. Extended time in the car
reveals human frailties. For instance, dads simply refuse to stop. They apparently
hearken back to the examples of their forefathers. Did the pioneers spend the
night at a Holiday Inn? Did Lewis and Clark ask for directions? Did Joseph
allow Mary to stroll through a souvenir shop on the road to Bethlehem? Of
course not. Men drive as if they have a biblical mandate to travel far and
fast, stopping only for gasoline.
And children? Road trips do to kids what a full moon does to the wolf
man. If one child says, “I like that song,” you’d like to hear the other one say,
“That’s nice.” But that won’t happen. Instead, the other child replies, “That song
stinks, and so do your feet.” And then there’s the issue of bathroom stops. A
child can go weeks without going to the bathroom at home. But once on the road,
the kid starts leaking like secrets in Washington, D.C.
The best advice for traveling with young children is to be thankful they
aren’t teenagers. Teens are embarrassed by what their parents say, think, wear,
eat and sing. So for their sakes, and if you ever want to see your future
grandchildren, don’t smile at the wait staff, don’t breathe, and don’t sing
with the window either up or down. Frankly, it’s probably wiser to just simply postpone
traveling with children until they’re a more reasonable age — like thirty something.
Christmas and travel. The first has a way of prompting the second, and it’s
been that way since the delegation from the distant land came searching for
Jesus. “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.
About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is
the newborn king of the Jews?’” (Matt. 2:1-2)
Matthew loved the magi. He gave their story more square inches of text
than he gave the narrative of Jesus’ birth. He never mentions the shepherds or
the manger, but he didn’t want us to miss the star and the seekers. It’s easy
to see why. Because their story is our story. We’re all travelers; all
sojourners. And in order to find Jesus, every one of us needs direction. And God
gives it. The story of the wise men shows us how. “We have seen His star in the East
and have come to worship Him.” (Matt.
2:2) God uses the natural world to get our attention. The heavens declare the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1)
God led the wise men to Jerusalem with a star. But to lead them to
Jesus, He used something else: “King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard
this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests
and teachers of religious law and asked, ‘Where is the Messiah supposed to be
born?’ ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they said, ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:
“And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling
cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my
people Israel.” (Matt. 2:3-6) The star sign
was enough to lead the magi to Jerusalem, but it took Scripture to lead them to
Jesus.
People see signs of God every day. Sunsets that steal the breath.
Newborns that bring tears. But not everyone who sees the signs draws near to
God. Many are content to just simply see the signs. They don’t realize that the
riches of God are intended to turn us toward Him. “Perhaps
you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts
and lives.” (Romans 2:4) The wise men,
however, understood the purpose of the sign. They followed it to Jerusalem,
where they heard about the scripture. The prophecy told them where to find
Christ. It’s interesting to note that the star reappeared after they learned
about the prophecy. The star “came and stood shining right over the
place where the Child was.” (Matt. 2:9) It’s as if the sign and word worked
together to bring the wise men to Jesus. That’s because the ultimate aim of all
of God’s messages is to shed the light of Heaven on His Son.
“They came
to the house where the Child was and saw Him with His mother, Mary, and they
bowed down and worshiped Him. They opened their gifts and gave Him treasures of
gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matt.
2:11) A simple dwelling became a cathedral, and the seekers of the Christ-child
found Him and knelt in His presence. They gave Him gifts: gold for a king,
frankincense for a priest, and myrrh for his burial. They found the Christ
because they heeded the sign and believed the scripture.
Noticeably absent at the manger were the scholars of the Torah; the religious
know-it-alls. They reported to Herod that the Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem. So didn’t they read the prophecy? Yes, but they didn’t respond to
it. You’d think at a minimum they would have accompanied the magi to Bethlehem.
The village wasn’t far away, and the risks were small. At worst they’d have been
out a little effort, but at best they’d have seen the fulfillment of prophecy.
But the priests showed no interest whatsoever. The wise men, on the other hand,
earned their moniker because they did.
Their hearts were open to God’s gift, and the men were never the same.
After worshiping the Christ child, “they departed for their own country another
way.” (Matthew 2:12) Matthew uses the word “way” in other places in his gospel to
suggest a direction in life. He speaks of the narrow “way” (Matt. 7:13-14), and
“the way of righteousness.” (Matt.21:32)
Maybe he’s telling us that the wise men went home as different men. Called by a
sign. Instructed by Scripture. And directed home by God. It’s as if all the
forces of heaven cooperated to guide the wise men. And God uses every possible
means to communicate with you and me. The wonders of nature call to you. The
promises and prophecies of Scripture speak to you. God Himself reaches out to
you. He wants to help you find your way home.
Many years ago I watched the television adaptation of the drama The Miracle Worker, the compelling story of
two females with great resolve: Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Helen was born
in 1880. She wasn’t yet two when she contracted an illness that left her blind,
deaf and mute. When Helen was seven years old, Annie, a young, partially blind
teacher, came to the Kellers’ Alabama home to serve as Helen’s teacher. Helen’s
brother James tried to convince Annie to quit, but the teacher wouldn’t
consider it. She was committed to helping Helen function in a world of sight
and sound; and Helen was as stubborn as her teacher.
Locked in a frightening, lonely world, Helen misinterpreted Annie’s
attempts. The result was a battle of wills. Over and over again Annie pressed
sign language into Helen’s palm, but Helen would pull back. Annie persisted.
Helen resisted. Finally, in a moment of high drama, a breakthrough. During a
fevered exchange near the water pump, Annie placed one of Helen’s hands under
the spout of flowing water. Into the other hand she spelled out w-a-t-e-r. Over
and over, w-a-t-e-r. Helen pulled back. Annie kept signing. W-a-t-e-r. All of a
sudden Helen stopped. She placed her hand on her teacher’s and repeated the
letters w-a-t-e-r. Annie beamed. She lifted Helen’s hand onto her own cheek and
nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes! W-a-t-e-r.” Helen spelled it again:
w-a-t-e-r. Helen pulled Annie around the yard, spelling out the words.
G-r-o-u-n-d. P-o-r-c-h. P-u-m-p. It was a victory parade of sorts.
Christmas celebrates a similar moment for us — God breaking through our
world, and in a feeding stall of all places. He will not leave us in the dark.
He is the pursuer, the teacher. He won’t sit back while we miss out. So He
entered our world. He sends signals and messages: H-o-p-e. L-i-f-e. He cracks
the shell of our world and invites us to peek into His. And every so often a
seeking soul looks up.
May you be one of them. When God sends signs, be faithful. Let them lead
you to Scripture. And as Scripture directs, be humble. Let it lead you to
worship. And as you worship the Son, be grateful. He will lead you home. This Christmas, may God give you eyes wise to
see, and a heart humbled by the babe in the manger. This Christmas, may you be
changed by the Christ who gave his life so that you may find yours – forever.
Merry Christmas!
Randy
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