Finding Jesus
In our Children and Worship time at church during
the last Sunday of Advent, we talked about the Wise Men and their
journey to Bethlehem based on Matthew 2:1-12. In our
discussion time, I asked the children if they thought it was easy or
hard for the Magi to find Jesus. Since I was expecting someone to
say “Easy! They just had to follow the star, “ I was a little
taken aback when a shy girl answered, “Hard.” I asked her why
she thought it would have been hard for the Wise Men to find Jesus
and she said nothing. Not wanting to conversation just to end like
that, I thought I would say something. But what could I say? I was
prepared to talk about how easy it was. Then it hit me.....
Jerusalem... Herod.
Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea, during the time of Kind Herod, Magi from the east came to
Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of
the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
The star had led the Magi to Israel but
not to the exact location of Jesus' birth. They still had the
challenge of figuring out exactly where he was. So they asked Herod
who was disturbed by this question and asked the chief priests and
teachers of the law. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for
this is what the prophet has written.” (Matt. 2:5)
Now the search became easy
(technically) as they knew the town to go to and the star went ahead
of them “until it stopped over the place where the child was.”
(Matt. 2:9) but they still had the challenge of Herod. He
commissioned them to “make a careful search for the child... and
report to me...” (Matt. 2:8) but they were warned in a dream to not
go back to him and instead returned home via another route (Matt.
2:12).
Why did this catch my attention today?
I think it is because through this season of Advent, I've been trying
to remember that although the coming of Christ is wonderful, His
birth had challenges surrounding it. God's way of encountering
humans was not fairytale-like or sentimental back then nor is it
today. The first Christmas was awkward and messy. Why do we expect
anything else in our journey of getting to know Christ? Finding
Jesus takes faith, perseverance, reliance on God's Word (often taught
by others), and maybe even disturbing some people.
The amazing thing is that God can
provide us what we need in order to truly find and worship Him. Even
though the road to Bethlehem may be hard, it is possible to walk it.
And the joy and peace found in knowing Christ are real. I pray that
your Christmas is filled with God's presence and provision.
In Christ,
Tracy
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