| “When King Herod had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.” |
| —Matthew 2:4 |
Has anyone ever stopped you to ask for directions? Were you able to help them find their way? Did that act of kindness make you feel useful and good?
One would think that being asked for help would engender warm feelings of accomplishment. But, when the wise men came to King Herod to enquire where the King of the Jews might be born, Herod was furious.
He called the chief priests and teachers of the law together and asked them the question. He did so fully believing that they would report no such person could possibly exist. After all, he had been appointed by Rome to keep the Jewish citizens of the region under control. He had the title “king”—but he was merely a figurehead of the harsh Roman rulers who controlled him from Rome.
Imagine Herod’s surprise when the chief priests and teachers of the law came back with a location: Bethlehem. I can imagine Herod saying the name of that little town with a sneer: “Bethlehem? Bethlehem? That grubby, awful town?”
Bethlehem was a small town just about five miles south of Jerusalem. It was a dusty little place. It was certainly not the kind of place where a king might be born. Herod must have felt disgust and a great deal of anger that anyone might take the place of him or his sons on the throne of this region, let alone someone born in Bethlehem.
Here’s the Apostle Matthew’s account, as found in Matthew 2:4-6:
When King Herod had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
If someone were to ask you today, “Where might I find this Jesus, King of the Jews?” How would you respond? Would you tell him or her that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus lives in your heart, as well as occupying His rightful throne in heaven? Would you share the wonderful way that Jesus leads you along the pathway of life that He has opened up before you? Would you explain how your sins, some of which you inherited from your parents all the way back to Adam, and some of which you have willfully committed yourself, have all been forgiven by the precious blood of Jesus—the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?
During this Season of Advent, much celebration swirls around us in our culture today. Yet, very little has to do with the real reason for this season of joy and delight. As ones who love and follow Jesus, we need to gently and tenderly share what He has done for us whenever the Holy Spirit nudges us to do so. Our testimony of God’s mercy, grace, and love is our gift to others who cross our pathway during this special Season. Throughout this new day, may we freely give this gift and tell others the direction—the way to find Jesus for themselves.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, December 15, 2016
