Hi
Here’s today’s Holy Nougat
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,” Matthew 2:1 NRSV
Why did they go to Jerusalem? They were supposed to be in Bethlehem. There’s no record of Mary and Joseph bring in Jerusalem during the early Jesus years, is there. Nor was Jerusalem part of the prophecies surrounding Jesus’ birth. Do why if Jesus had been born I. Bethlehem? we’re those magi in Jerusalem?
Technically, they were lost. Their journey was off by 8.2 km. As one who has mastered the art of going off the GPS grid quite often; I dare say that could have costed them as much as a day on their own. And since they followed a star … well then.
But was it the star that led them to Herod, or was that their own decision? I know that the star ‘disappeared’; but we’re not told that the star stopped over Herod’s palace. And ultimately that stop was deadly, so why did they stop? (Or in other words, why did God allow them to stop?)
I’m not sure about your take, but this is one of those disturbing aspects of the birth narratives. For with that stop came loads of calamity for the toddlers in Jerusalem.
One theory I’ve come up with is that the magi CHOSE to stop; thinking Herod would know where the new prince would be. They weren’t looking for trouble – neither to make trouble nor to be the recipients thereof. And so they stopped to get directions.
But they got NO directions; and trouble followed in their wake. Which leads to my second hypothesis – what if Herod was being given the opportunity to redeem himself? To choose to genuinely worship Jesus the babe instead of being threatened by Him.
Likewise, some of the detours we face seem to carry NO intrinsic value. Yet we make them, and despite our good intentions; havoc follows. And we may find ourselves wondering why? Sometimes God’s cosmic story is way bigger than the sliver we are privy to (actually always); and being off track isn’t about us.
When we do get off track then, it might be a good time to just listen.
For God
And then to pray for God’s will.
Why did the magi stop in Jerusalem? I’m not entirely sure; but when they listened; they found what and Who they sought and worshipped.
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
