As a catholic, I grew up with the story of Christ's birth embedded in my mind. Year after year I heard the story about wise men, shepherds and angels visiting the baby born in a manger. God's own son.
But as I grew older, the magic faded and Christmas became just another expensive tradition. I found myself getting so caught up in the holiday madness I forgot I could still follow Bethlehem's star.
It wasn't until I took a breath from all the things on my 'To Do List' and focused on the biblical account of the virgin birth that I began to make my way back to the manger.
I started my journey in the book of Matthew chapter 2 and while I read, I traveled with the astrologers known as wise men to overcrowded Jerusalem during the time of a census of the entire Roman world. We are told these wealthy, well educated scholars from the east read the stars and believed a new king was born. When the star they followed settled over the stable where the Christ Child slept they rejoiced and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Gold is considered by most people to be the universal symbol of love when given as a gift. Like the wise men, we can give Jesus our hearts and attention as we enter this busy time of year. When we pray and worship Him throughout the days ahead, imagine your voice and thoughts rising up to heaven like the fragrant scent of frankincense burning in the temple. Myrrh is a healing resin. When we lighten someone's burden this holiday season we are serving the King of King this Christmas.
I switched gears and read Luke 2:8-14 to see what I could learn learn from the shepherds who were watching their sheep in the fields. Unlike the wealthy men who followed the star to Bethlehem these men were simple folk working for a living. They were not looking for anything special that night but angels met them in the fields and told them about the miracle that was taking place right around the corner.
Imagine... thousands of people were in the city for the census and no one else noticed the bright star in the sky or heard the angels voices.
It could have been a scene from modern day New York City, California, Washington D.C. or any other metropolitan city in the United States with multitudes looking for peace, love, and joy in all the wrong places.
Millions of people miss the reality of God's message to the world each year. Whether you are a bystander or a seeker this Christmas...don't miss the manger. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. "When you seek me you will find me when you seek me with all of your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
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