At this time of year, the Christmas story plays before us once again.
An angel interrupted the nighttime hush that first Christmas Eve to announce the long awaited Savior to shepherds watching their flocks out in the fields near Bethlehem, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” A host of other angels joined him, chanting praises to God.
The angels left, and the shepherds quickly decided, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Although it was the middle of the night, they left their flocks and went scouting through the village, knocking at doors, peering in anywhere they expected to find a manger, looking for this infant – the Savior. Once they found Him, they did not leave quietly. They told everyone they met about the night’s happenings.
Months later, an unknown number of magi arrived in Jerusalem asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Their arrival surely made a scene. Because of the lack of services for travelers 2,000 years ago, such a distance mandated a caravan of servants to protect and care for the magi and the animals carrying their food between communities, across the desert and through the wilderness. However many came with the magi, they all went to the castle seeking the king whose star they had followed.
When Herod asked the religious leaders and teachers in Jerusalem where the Christ would be born, they said Micah had prophesied it would be in Bethlehem. The magi went to Bethlehem, found the child, prostrated themselves before him and offered him rich gifts.
No record exists that any of these religious leaders or teachers journeyed the few miles to Bethlehem to see this long prophesied king.
Maybe, they feared Herod, who at 70, jealously protected his throne and secretly plotted to send soldiers to wipe out this perceived threat to his kingship including any child associated the Christ child by their time of birth.
Maybe, years of discussing the meanings of the prophecies had jaded them against seeing them fulfilled.
We don’t know what they did – but we do know that our responses today mirror those of 2,000 years ago.
Today, some, like the shepherds, leave their routine tasks to actively track down the Christ and then eagerly tell everyone they meet all about Him – bypassing all the rules for polite conversation in their excitement. Today, as then, it is often the poor and disregarded folks – like the shepherds – who humbly, eagerly seek the king and then rush to tell others.
Some, like the leaders and teachers intellectually acknowledge the day, detail the prophecies, debate how the day should be celebrated, but never consider seeking for Him – not even as far in the next town. They talk about the theoretical Christ, but they do not bend their knee or their schedule to go worship Him.
Too many, like Herod, do not want to share the throne of their lives, let alone yield it completely. Knowing the brevity of life, they cling to the illusion of complete control and refuse to acknowledge His sovereignty over them. Even today some like Herod, seek to wipe out any mention of Him off the face of the earth. In many places around the world “Rachel still weeps for her children …” because those in authority seek out, persecute and destroy the followers of the new born king.
Others, like the magi, see only a hint or sign of the Promised One and determine go anywhere and do anything to find Him even if it means finding Him in the most humble of circumstance.
The angels have come, the shepherds have burst in with their news, the magi have pointed out the star they followed, but still, we must individually determine if we will leave all and seek out the Christ of Christmas.
(Joan Hershberger is a reporter at the News-Times. E-mail her at jhershberger@eldoradonews.com.)