A Rewarding Journey
December 10, 2019
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:1-2 & 9-11 (NKJV)
The older I get, the less I want to leave the house. This time of year, being cold, it is even harder. When I get home from work, I want to put on my pajamas and curl up on the sofa under a blanket. So when I read about the wise men from the East following a star, it made me wonder, What they would have done if Jesus was born today? If it was me…
Instead of asking King Herod for directions, I would have checked social media and the local newspaper website for news of the birth. Then, I would have punched up Google Maps and found out the shortest route and the amount of time the trip would take. I would have used an app to book a hotel in Bethlehem with free breakfast.
Instead of carrying around that heavy gold, frankincense, and myrrh, I would have ordered the perfume from Macy’s (the fragrance destination) and had it FedEx-ed to Mary’s house. When I got to Bethlehem, I would have hit an ATM just before dropping by the house for some cash to put in the baby card.
After the visit, if I decided to take an alternate route home, I would have checked Google Maps again and then gone to Trip Advisor to get ideas on what sightseeing I could do on the way home. Maybe go to Graceland or see the Grand Canyon?
Or maybe I would not have gone at all?! Could I have just sent an Edible Arrangement and called it good? I wonder…
Unfortunately, my way turns an epic journey into a social obligation that misses the whole point. As Christmas approaches this year, I am deliberating concentrating on verses 10 and 11. They tend to get lost in the story of the wise men.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. [My emphasis added.]
This year, I am meditating on my search for Jesus. My own epic journey ended in accepting Him into my life. When I found Him, I had great joy and fell on my knees in grateful worship. This Christmas, amid your holiday rushing around, remember your journey to find Jesus. Find time to worship Him and REJOICE WITH EXCEEDING GREAT JOY!
