From Ben – 19 Dec 2021
This Christmas I have once again been captivated by the wise men. Tradition suggests there were 3 and they came on camels to worship Jesus in the manger. However, when you read the scriptures we see they do not tell us how many there were, where they came from or where they went to. Nor does the scripture tell what they travelled on or that they worshipped Jesus in the stable. Sadly there is a lot of legend and tradition connected to the wise men from the East. One thing we do know is that they went to Jerusalem and the palace of king Herod to find the one born to be king. In a way, that would be the most logical place to go if you were looking for the king of the Jews. Kings are born in capital cities and they live in palaces with marble floors, ornate columns and attending servants.
What a surprise it must have been for these wise men to ultimately find Jesus, not in the ornate pristine palace, dressed in the best of linen and the finest silk, but rather in remote Bethlehem, of all places, and what is more, in a simple house. No attendants, no staff no finery, only poverty and simplicity.
I believe God taught them a lesson that we need to learn this Christmas. Christ came in poverty and humility without the trappings of human wealth that He may be the Saviour of all who would come to Him from every station in life. The only criteria is that we must come to Him humble and repentant.