Day 22

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking,

‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?

For we observed his star at its rising,

and have come to pay him homage.’

Matthew 2:1-2

Journey

The story of wise travellers from the East is both familiar and puzzling. How could anyone follow a star in the night sky to discover a precise geographical location on the earth?

Of course, today that is exactly what we can do, thanks to clever satellite technology and sophisticated electronic devices! But in the days before grid references and GPS positioning, how could these travellers possibly have found Jesus?

The answer is partly that the ancients were pretty smart in the field of celestial observation and mathematics, enhanced by some shrewd on-the-ground research. However, I would guess that following the star of Bethlehem was less a matter of arithmetical calculations and scientific reasoning and much more about intuitive promptings of the heart.

My own journey to find and know the child and subsequently, the man and saviour born in Bethlehem started out as an attempt to add it all up, assess the evidence and reason everything out. But in the end what mattered more was the movement of my heart, that intuitive search and find which led to faith in Jesus. Where will your heart and intuition lead you this Christmas?

Martin