Star of Wonder
I heard a snippet of a sermon on the radio speaking of the Magi following a star that the Jewish priests had ignored, even though they knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. All the talk of Jupiter and Saturn aligning this week got me thinking.
The Magi, you know, were not Jewish, but were from the East- probably Persians. They were astrologers, seeking knowledge of future events by studying the stars. They read and applied ancient texts from all traditions and belief systems to what they saw and believed in the stars. In Numbers 24:17a (BSB), Balaam prophesies: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel…” The Magi likely compared this verse to other Jewish prophesies predicting a coming Messiah, and inferred that this unusual star announced the birth of King of the Jews.
The Magi followed the star. I doubt they arrived at the stable on Christmas Eve, as our white-faced nativity scenes portray; the Bible says they visited Jesus as a small child, not a babe in a manger. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the Magi inquired of King Herod as to where the King of the Jews would be born. Herod called the Jewish chief priests and teachers and asked about this Messiah, and they all replied, “He’ll be born in Bethlehem.” I imagine them quoting scriptures with pride; they could have rattled off verses all day, but weren’t these leaders of their faith even curious to see whether this Christ had indeed come? If the Magi had come after the birth, wouldn’t the priests and teachers of the law have already heard rumors of the shepherds who saw the angels and the star and the baby, Immanuel? Wouldn’t a group of foreign Gentile kings seeking the Jew's own Savior have prompted some investigation of their own?
The priests didn’t seek the newborn king, for besides the fact that following a star could have been considered idolatry, they already had God as “their own,” because they kept all the rules. They put in the time, long hours of rote rituals to gain favor with a God who hadn’t spoken in 400 years. Why would God notify Persians and lowly shepherds of His Son and not reveal it to His holy priests who were doing all the “work”? It didn’t seem possible. The priests were zealous to perfect His rules and regulations, to point out the sins of His people, to exact punishment and provide forgiveness through blood sacrifices on the altar. In an effort to make themselves “more holy,” they’d added tons of rules to the ten commandments. The priests believed that if God were to send His Son, He’d certainly tell them about it. Surely, He’d not be born to regular citizens, but as one of their own, worthy of the title “Son of God.”
It’s interesting that the Magi believed that the sign in the sky correlated to ancient texts of another culture. It’s also interesting that Herod also believed and soon sought to destroy the King of the Jews by killing all baby boys age-two and younger in the region of Bethlehem. Yet the very priests who were thought to be closest to Yahweh remained out of the loop and denied it.
Since the Pentecost, God's Holy Spirit's ever-present in the lives of believers. When our hearts are seeking Him rather than focusing on our own strength or status, He reveals Himself in many ways. In the Christmas story, God spoke to the humble, prayerful Mary, the lowly shepherds, even to the noble Gentile outsiders, who were seeking the reason for the star which had intrigued them. Earlier, as Joseph considered whether to marry his betrothed: the pregnant Mary, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream; the first of several visits to guide him as stepfather of the Son of God. All were seeking when God revealed Himself to them.
The Magi, upon finding the small child, fell down and worshipped and presented gifts. They, being not even Jewish, worshipped this new king, not because of the star which led them, nor the prophesies which foretold of it, but upon the experience of following, seeking and seeing Him, being in His presence. All the evidence correlated, and they knew this was Him: God in the flesh. They believed. Because they were seeking and believed, an angel told them to go home by a different route, so Herod wouldn’t question them about Jesus. It is when we are seeking that the Lord’s guidance comes.
It makes me think, are we like chief priests, resting idle in our God, in the fact that we were baptized, read the Bible, go to church? Is that enough to expect His divine Word to come us in a burning bush, or a loud, audible voice from Heaven? It IS enough to believe that Jesus Christ, that Babe in the manger, is the Son of God who shed His blood to redeem us from the punishment our sins deserve. We need do nothing more than believe that to be saved and spend eternity in heaven. But what happens when we regard and seek Him and His Word with an inner vigor and enthusiasm, -to have such a close relationship with our Lord, that should He speak to us in the smallest whisper, we’re listening, focused, able to recognize His voice and poised to obey? That should an unusual star in the sky remind you of His promise, you seek Him as diligently in your heart as the Magi sought Him across deserts?
Our pastor spoke last week of how God chose a humble, smelly stable for His Son to be born in. I’ve been in Marie Antoinette’s opulent bedroom in the palace at Versailles. Near the elaborate golden bed there’s an observing gallery, from which viewers could witness her babies’ births, to be certain of the child’s royalty. Those babies were born into shimmering splendor, over-indulgence unimaginable, yet I cannot remember their names. That Babe in the barn, neither a palace nor a parsonage, in His humble life of perfect love and His ultimate spotless sacrifice for each of us, and His resurrection proving Life eternal, Him will I seek.
The “Holy Wow’s” of this writing? On the day I began writing this (12/13), Stuart and Jill Briscoe’s ©1997 devotional, “In a Quiet Place” reads, “We have all come across people who may know an awful lot, but who still are very lost. People are made for God, but they have lost God. They may be driving around looking good and sounding intelligent, but they are totally disoriented… Sometimes we take stock of our lives and are horrified at how far we have strayed from where we intended to be.”
Today’s reading (12/17) in Dr. David Jeremiah’s “Why the Nativity?” (©2006) advent devotional speaks of the star the Magi sought, adding the scientific fact that in 7BC, Jupiter and Saturn aligned to create a “super star.” They will line up again on December 21, 2020. I’m not claiming that this is Jesus’ Second Coming, but I will look for that star and remember His first coming in a new way this Christmas season. I will try to keep seeking Him, aware, listening and remembering how unworthy I am that He’d die for me.