Wise Men

“Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?” Matthew 2:2a, NIV

 

Arising from my mat I glanced outdoors.  Another day had already begun.  The stillness of the morning greeted me peacefully.  I wondered what the day had in store for me. As my thoughts meandered to the daily tasks at hand, I recalled what my wise and wonderful friends had suggested. Tonight we meet and again decipher the night sky. The stars could decode so much about life if we would just stop and observe them. Smiling, I donned my tunic and went in search of breakfast.

After a full day of decisions and moments of quiet contemplation, I eagerly walked to the observation hill as the sun was beginning its finale for the day. The sky displayed wondrous splashes of rose and lilac and gold mixing to create a bouquet of color so rich, my mind rushed to embed it in my memory. As much as I appreciated the beauty of the sunset, I anxiously awaited the arrival of both the starlit sky and my friends’ company.

Their joyous greetings broke the silence and together we stood side by side, gazing at the sky, ready to learn the world’s secrets, or so we thought.

 

As nighttime slowly descended and the stars peeked out of the shadows, we talked about our days, reveling in friendship. We trusted each other. We were more than friends; we were brothers.

Suddenly the oldest of the group pointed a wrinkled finger heavenward, to a specific star.  I squinted and then gasped.

Could this be? A new star!

What does it mean?

After much discussion and many nights observation, we knew this much: we must find this new King.  The One so powerful He had His own star.

Preparing for such a journey took days. But oh, the excitement.  We were doing something significant. We were about to meet the most powerful of kings.  Unsure what it all meant exactly, we rushed to begin our travels. We did not know how long it might take us. We did not know how far we might need to go.

All we knew is this: we must go. We must find this King, a King who had His very own star in the night sky.

Our lives were structured and busy. There were hard choices to make. Yet the answer was obvious: we must find this King of kings. We must learn about the One who was called “King of the Jews.”

 

Reflections:

 

How do you define Jesus? Do you see Him as a King?

 

How do you approach Him? With excitement? With great anticipation? With fear? Or, do you prefer not to approach Him at all?

 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, As I begin this season of celebration, please guide my heart and mind to rest on how to approach You. Please help me to gladly set aside time to come into Your presence, regardless of the to-do lists, and the piles of extra work vying for my attention, or the exhaustion claiming my mind at the moment. Remind me to follow the wise men’s example of truly focusing on You. Of truly seeing Your significance, and dropping everything to learn more. Amen.

 

Thank you for reading! Please return by next Monday, December 14, for the next post.