Week 2: Day 10: Worship Him

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?’  Matthew 2:1

The magi came asking a question – “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” One would think that after travelling the distance they had travelled, over dusty, dry terrain (following a star) they would have asked where the best hotel was so that they could rest and refresh. But no, they were intent on finding the king whose birth caused the stars to align so that they could worship him. So they went straight to the top, King Herod, for the king would surely know where this baby King was.  But Herod didn’t know. He called the chief priests and found out he was to be born in Bethlehem. He relayed this to the magi and knowing they were close, the magi immediately set off for Bethlehem to find the new King. 

We know the magi were from the east – inferring a great distance in those days. At great sacrifice to their personal comfort they would have travelled in a caravan by camel or foot, taking with them the necessary food and shelter for the journey. We are also told they did not go empty handed – they did not need to go shopping for a gift once they got there. Finding the new king was paramount and they went prepared so that nothing would distract them from their mission once they arrived – to find the newborn King, the one whose birth caused a great alignment in the stars. They had put together everything they could in order to seek the newborn King.

So, as I proceed through the days of Advent, as I seek to make this time more about Jesus and not just about the holiday, what questions am I asking? Will these questions lead me to the King? Will I seek with everything I have and am? Or will it be as in other years, overtaken by the to do list? The call to ‘prayer and fasting’ during this season can be the star that leads us to take the time to ask those questions and to find Him. And as the shepherds were amazed at what they found in the stable, and the wisemen knelt in worship, so may I, may you, seek, find and worship Him.