Scripture Verses that caught my attention today: Matthew 2:1-2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 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.”
Observation: The star led the wise men on the round-a-bout path—first to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem.
Application: Usually when I think of this story I tend to mentally skip this part. Instead I envision the wise men being led directly to Jesus in Bethlehem. But the Bible says that’s not so. First they were led to Jerusalem.
I suppose we often envision that the Spirit should lead us directly on our appointed life path as well, preferably in direct fashion. But it often doesn’t work out that way. Usually we assume that we must have just misread the signs. And indeed that probably is often the case. But there may also be times when the indirect route is exactly the one through which we grow in faith, maturity, and even passion for the ways of God.
It occurs to me that those early years for Joseph were a big mixture of fear and faith, knowing and not knowing. Like the wise men, he was led in one way, and then another. Matthew says the reason was so that Scripture would be fulfilled. That’s fair enough. But I suspect there may be another reason as well; faith and fear often go together. Fear without faith is despair. Faith without fear? Well, I’m not sure that’s really faith. Even though the Bible often says “do not fear,” ironically it is that very fear which makes faith necessary to begin with—it provides a context within which faith can be exercised. Joseph was busy in that regard. Sometimes I am too.
Prayer: Lord, along whatever path you lead us and/or beckon us, help us too allow our faith to calm our fears and our fears to drive us to faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Matthew 1-4)
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