So many parts of the Christmas story offer deep lessons for those who take the time to study and ponder.
For example, early prophecies specified that Jesus would be born in the small town of Bethlehem. When Caesar Augustus declared a census of his empire, he unwittingly forced Mary and Joseph to come there, thus fulfilling prophecy and providing evidence of God’s foreknowledge and power.
The angels who heralded Christ’s birth came to poor and lowly shepherds, not to the wealthy and, by the world’s standard, important people. The message here, and of Jesus’ life and ministry among the humble, is worth pondering.
The Magi
Another central part of that Christmas story has to do with the Magi, or the Three Wise Men, as they are popularly known. Their experience applies to the modern world in many ways.
People today, and especially during the holidays, are prone to rush. They dash to finish their shopping, weighing price and appropriateness to a degree that seems to lose exactness and fade like dissipating snow clouds the later in the season it becomes.
The tendency is to become so lost in the mechanics of Christmas that we miss what is important.
On a more serious level, people today can become discouraged by news reports of violence, especially against believers, as seen recently in a deadly attack against Jews in Australia. When viewed through the lens that terrorists try to impose, the world can seem a dark, dismal and discouraging place.
These are not attributes unique to our time. People in every time period have gotten lost in the mundane matters of life. They have suffered through hardships, violence and war.
At the time of Christ’s birth, we suspect much of the world either did not notice the new star or missed its significance.
But the Wise Men noticed. They had studied. They had pondered. They had sought the divine in quiet moments of contemplation.
Appropriate gifts
They chose gifts that were appropriate, wise and symbolic. Then, as now, gold was the standard of wealth, the most valuable of minerals. Frankincense was considered even more valuable and was used in sacred temple rites, symbolizing spiritual strength and worthiness. Myrrh was used in healing ointments. This was a substance most suitable to honor the master healer of both body and soul; the one who could restore all things and wipe away all tears.
The Wise Men decided to travel to meet the Christ Child in person. They could have stayed home and sent their gifts with couriers or messengers. Instead, they embarked on a lengthy trip that scholars estimate could have covered 900 miles or more and taken perhaps two years.
The journey could not have been easy. Skeptics might have questioned the men’s faith in finding the Messiah. They had, after all, abandoned their homes for several years in order to embark on this quest. They may have faced moments of doubt. There were no super highways. They may have encountered hardships. Yet they persisted, day after day.
When they finally came to King Herod in search of more detailed directions, they were sensitive and perceptive enough to recognize a dream as revelation, and they decided not to return to Herod with information, as he had requested. Meanwhile, their gifts no doubt helped Mary and Joseph survive as they then fled to Egypt, warned by a revelatory dream given to Joseph, and escaped Herod’s cruel massacre of children.
The Bible account of these Wise Men is sparse, but it has much to offer.
Today’s world
Our world is one of noise and commotion, with endless voices competing for attention on social media and over airwaves. There are pundits, hawkers with wares, influencers with philosophies, advice and promises of ways to find popularity. The world is filled with wars, cruelties and injustices.
Like the Wise Men, we would do well to seek peace, to study and to listen for inspiration. We should cut through the noise and look for true beauty.
Our journey to peace and joy may be long and filled with hardships. We need the persistence and faith of those men, having hope that the end goal will be worth the trouble. We need a faith strong enough to recognize dangers and deceit when they come hidden behind smiles.
Finally, we need to be willing to give the Christ Child the most important gift of all — our heart.
Then, as now, the journey to find the divine takes real intent and determination. Tinsel and glitter may be pleasant to look at. They may raise warm feelings and cherished memories.
The real spirit of Christmas, however, will elevate the soul and last far beyond one day in December. As the Wise Men more than two millennia ago knew deep down, this is worth the journey.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas.