What shocked the wise men?

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Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I believe the same is true for many of us. I love the carols, decorations, movies and all that goes with this season. However, reading through Matthew 2:1-18 one easily comes to the realization that the events surrounding the birth of Jesus produced great tension. I'm particularly intrigued by the bewilderment that the wise men found themselves in. Matthew profoundly shares the three major  things that shocked them and thereby helping us understand how God works. 

 1. The wise men were shocked to learn that Jesus was not born in Jerusalem 

 Matthew 2:1-2  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,  2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  Going by the question they asked, it almost appears like the wise men expected to be directed not very far from where Herod was. They expected Him to be either in one of the royal chambers or within the environs of Jerusalem for very obvious reasons; this was the great city of David, it carried with it a very rich history of leadership. To their utter amazement they were directed to a little town in Bethlehem. That's how God works! God allows great people to come from insignificant places and big things to happen in highly unlikely places. You really don't have to acquire the famous "green card" in order to experience God's blessings or even relocate to a leafy suburb in order to experience great joy and happiness. You can be blessed right where you are!

 2. The wise men were shocked to learn that the political and spiritual leadership of Israel had no clue that the Messiah had been born. 

 Matthew 2:3  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. I believe these men thought that the birth of the King would bring the entire nation to a standstill. They thought that everyone was aware of this great event especially because it had taken possibly two years from the time Christ was born. How do we know this?   Matthew states in Matthew 2:7  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  It was this answer that determined the age of the children to be massacred as seen in  Matthew 2:16  Then Herod,... sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.                        
How can it be that in two years not a word about this great event in all of history was known to any of these top political and spiritual leaders? How comes that this was not the trending news? Contrary to popular opinion, God does not always accompany His great deeds with pomp and color. Ask Elijah.In 1 Kings 19:11- God was not in the strong wind, earthquake or fire. Elijah learned that God is not just a God of the spectacular. At times, the work of God is experienced in a still small voice. Yes! He's at work even when nothing spectacular is happening in our lives as echoed by Isaiah in Isaiah 43:19  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. It seems in most cases that when God is doing new things in our lives, they can hardly be perceived. There's a great push among many people today to attend and be a part of congregations where there is a spectacular move of God. This is not bad at all but in helping Elijah to understand how He works, he used the above illustation to show him that He (God) had servants who were not moving in the miraculous like he did but were still being used by God anyway. I can only imagine how shocked Elijah was when he heard in verse 18 that God had reserved seven thousand in Israel whose knees had not bowed to Baal. He's at work even when you or the great political and spiritual leaders are unaware of it. That's how God works! 

 3. The wise men were shocked by the disinterest among the Jews. 

 Matthew 2:5,8  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written...He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 

 How can you know such an awesome truth and not bother to accompany the wise men in seeking the King? They did not even move an inch. It's more or less what we have in our generation today. Christians living in war torn countries and countries where there is no freedom of worship, Christians who literally risk their lives to attend outlawed church services and prayer meetings, would be shocked to know that in a great country like ours (Kenya) there are christians who rarely attend Bible studies, Church services and prayer meetings. 

 We've travelled for two years following the star in order to find this king and yet you, who are only a few miles away cannot bother to travel the short distance to worship Him. This level of apathy explains why He does not show up in our lives even today. He hid himself from Herod and company but revealed Himself to the wise men. That's how God works! He says in Jeremiah 29:13  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Proverbs 8:17  I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. 

 In this Christmas season I learn more about how God works. His ways are truly not our ways. How I pray that we'll be more like the wise men who kept on searching and were finally rewarded for the star re-appeared in verse 9 to their great delight.    

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