Devotionals

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MT 2:9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east n went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (NIV)

If ever there were a set of travelers who deserve some consideration, I think it’s the Magi. They were holy men who studied the stars to find the Star that marked the birth of Jesus. This was done without the aid of the Hubble telescope, the advantages of a supercomputer, and likely without the benefit of the knowledge of the pundits of Judaism.

Travel in those times was not merely uncomfortable. It was downright dangerous. Highway robbery, wild beasts, oppressive tribesmen. Law enforcement was only as good as the nearest soldier. The Magi traveled with significant treasures over lands without roads, certainly without rest stops, and a scarcity of inns. If Herod’s order to kill all boys under 2 years old was based on the travel of the Magi, they were on the road for those two years. “Are we there yet?” doesn’t begin to address the length of this trip! Two years without a kitchen or a roof. Two years without the comforts of their families. Two years without a vacation. Two years of “Where do we go now, Xian?” “West, Chan, every day, it is west.” I also imagine that their travel had to be at night to see the Star. If you’ve ever had to work a graveyard shift, you know what it does to your sense of time and your sleep-wake cycles. This was not a pleasure cruise on the back of a swaying (not to mention spitting) camel. It was a pilgrimage, a quest to behold the hand of God. Would I have taken it? Would you?

What were they looking for? Were they disappointed to see Jesus when they actually did? How did they know this was Jesus? After all they suffered: heat, thirst, hunger, cold, the elements, and comfortless, endless travel – how did they recognize the Christ-child? What would make them leave home? Having found Him, what would make them return home? Did this encounter save their souls? Will I ever stop asking unanswerable questions!

They followed a Star to find a King. They went to a palace and found leanness of soul. They went to a humble home and found glory. They expected pomp and circumstance. They got homespun fabrics and unleavened bread. They presented treasure and found the Pearl of Great Price. They met a Boy and worshipped God. Some journeys simply must be taken.

So, when we’re slogging through sluggish traffic, fighting mall crowds, and standing in interminable checkout lines, let us remember the prolonged and challenging journey of the Magi. And let us remember to find the Christ-Child at the end of our journey through Christmas. Because He is certainly there.

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