Matthew 2:1-12 v 9 “After this interview the wise men went on their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.”
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. About that time some wise men from Eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this. “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem! He then called for a private meeting and told them to let him know when they had found him. After this interview the wise men went on their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God had told them in a dream not to return to Herod.
This map is based on the trade routes of the time and could represent the journey of the wise men from the East. When you are looking for a king, it would be reasonable to go to the nearest palace to find him. Being practical, this is what they did. They were provided with more information and went on to the town of Bethlehem, where to their joy the star positioned itself over a particular house, in which they found a child, and they worshiped him and presented him with gifts. The successful journey completed they then went home a different way as they had a dream not to return to Herod.
Today as we travel deeper in our understanding of ourselves in relation to the world , each other and our God we need to follow the directions from the bible like the wise men, look for the things that tell us we are on the right path, seek counsel from Christians around us, and find joy in what we do. And as we complete one task we go on another way to the next. Travel as the wise men did!
Prayer: Heavenly Father guide us each and everyday as we travel into a deeper relationship with you. Amen.
CrossWalk 