Did you find how many wise men were there? No? Did you know
that early Christians believed there were twelve wise men, traveling in a giant
caravan, with servants and supplies and all the trappings? Can you imagine
adding that to a Christmas nativity?
God as screenwriter seemingly leaves us wanting for the
details of this story – how did Herod call all the religious leaders together
so quickly? Wasn’t there animosity between them and King Herod? Where exactly
is the “East?” Whatever happened to the wise men as they traveled home? Sometimes
we feel that way about our own lives – why didn’t God stop this from happening?
Why won’t God let us in on the future plan? What details has God seemingly left
out of your story?
But when we stop worrying about what has been left out and
start looking at what is there, a whole new story opens up. A way to Jesus
appeared for a group of people who weren’t Jews, who weren’t part of the ‘in crowd.’
God sent signs for those not even expecting a Messiah, while the king of the
Jews Herod hadn’t the slightest clue. By sending the exotic foreigners to worship the Christ child, it is a signal that all are welcome into God's kingdom, that salvation through the Messiah is not limited to the Jewish people.
God acts again and again in our lives. God puts a star in
the sky, a light in our lives to show us the way, so that we can offer ourselves
to Christ. God offers us epiphanies – revelations – of God’s presence in our
lives over and over again. Are you paying attention like the wise men, looking
for direction? Are you responding to the God-actions in your life, the
God-nudges? For when God acts, God expects us to respond. And what a joyful
response we can offer, because our God loves us enough to continue writing our
story and calling “Lights, Camera, Action!”
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kate
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