Matthew 2:1-2
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
They saw a star.
A star unlike anything they had ever seen.
These men studied, tracked, and maybe even worshipped the stars.
But this star, it was different.
They packed up, they left their homes, they risked being robbed and killed.
But they had to find the star.
This was the star of a KING.
The journey was long. They grew weary of traveling. But they had to get to that star, and to whatever lay beneath it. They had spent their entire lives searching the stars, and now they were drawn to whatever lay beneath this one.
When they came to Herod, their search enraged him. There will always be people who oppose your search for the King. Though Herod was a king, he was not THE King for which they searched. He was a cheap substitute. They did not linger with an imitation when they KNEW that the King was near.
They followed the star.
Until finally, they saw the Savior’s humble dwelling nestled beneath it.
There was no throne. There was no fanfare for the King. Maybe they passed one of the shepherds on their way towards the door, maybe those shepherds couldn’t help but come back again to look into the eyes of the Savior.
The wise men might’ve even been taken aback by the presence of such a low class, coming from the presence of One whose star was SO GREAT.
“Glory to God in the highest, Jesus is here.”
That worship would’ve still been on the shepherd’s lips.
Jesus?
Was this the King?
They entered into his presence, and beheld him.
A small child.
But they knew.
THIS was the King they had searched for.
These great wisemen, in their fine clothes, with all the knowledge they carried, knelt before a child.
They offered him gifts and they stayed bowed in worship at his feet.
They had followed a star, until they met the One who flung it in place.
Whatever religion they had been part of before, whether they worshipped the stars, or some god made of stone, all of that changed in an instant when they beheld the King.
They had found what their souls longed for.
I don’t know how long they sat before him.
But their lives changed the day they found the King. No more worshipping of anything but this child who sat before them.
No star had ever changed their lives.
But they had never known peace until they met eyes with the King. They had never known joy until they knelt at his feet.
They laid aside all they were, all their titles, all of their wealth to kneel before a child.
And that child changed their life.
I’m sure their words of worship were just as simple and beautiful as the shepherd’s. All the worship was just as sweet to Jesus, no matter who it came from.
There was no sweeter worship than that of those he came to save.
Glory to the King.
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