Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him
Matthew 2:1-3
My immediate family all live down in San Diego so, whenever I get on the 15 South, I’m typically driving down to where they live. Recently however, I was going somewhere in Rancho Bernardo and due to that routine, I completely missed my exit. As soon as I got on the freeway, my mind slipped into autopilot, headed for San Diego. I simply just wasn’t paying attention. If I’m completely honest, I think that I revert to autopilot in more cases than just driving. Sometimes I get so stuck in my routine that I’m not anticipating anything different or new.
I’d like to think that those who were in the closest proximity to this star would’ve been the most keen to see where it led. However, that’s not what we read in this passage. The wise men, from the east, saw the star and knew that it was a signal of the Messiah’s birth. If they saw this star from as far as the east of Babylon, wouldn’t those in Jerusalem see it even brighter? I would argue that this illustrates something bigger. The people of Jerusalem could’ve seen the star, yet they missed the calling to go and see where it led.
Advent is our invitation to not only anticipate the return of the Messiah, but to also prepare for it. These wise men were uniquely positioned to follow the star not because of proximity, but because of preparation. How often do we spend time in what I’d call ‘God’s neighborhood’ without actually pursuing time to spend with Him? Maybe those in Jerusalem thought that because they were in the vicinity, that they couldn’t miss the Messiah when He arrived.
Just like how I missed my exit, it’s possible that the community in Jerusalem were not paying close enough attention to the fact that the prophecies they’d always heard were being fulfilled. What would it look like for us, as the season of Advent comes to close, to be preparing ourselves to hear from the Lord and experience Him in a new way?
Kassie Lowe
YA Women’s Intern / Modern Worship Leader