Resolved

“Turn left where the PeeWee Golf course used to be.”
    ~ Uncle Frank, giving directions to an out-of-town visitor

Remarkably, the Magi found their way to “the place where the child was” with only minimal directions — just the name of the town, nothing more. And as far as being led by a star! If you’ve ever traveled by train or car (or camel!) by night, you’ll know that the moon and the stars only “stop and stay” when you do; otherwise they seem to be on the move, appearing to follow along beside you.

What was it, then, that made it possible for these seekers to locate the right house? How did they know which child was born to be king of the Jews? His name, his family connections, even the boy’s precise age was a mystery.

It was a treasure hunt conducted without any clues. And yet those traveling star-gazers were able to discover what neither Herod nor any other member of the citizenry could see: the divinely-sent king who had been born in their midst. But the blindness of those who did not recognize Jesus for who He was can be understood: He was not the sort of king they expected. In fact, Jesus was as far from the sort of king they expected as Bethlehem was from Jerusalem — not in distance, but in wealth, prestige and power.

What is Expected of a King

Kings were expected to born in palaces to members of the elite: the interrelated, “important” families; their mothers elegant ladies, their fathers lords of the realm. Even in infancy these children were dressed in soft furs and silk, surrounded in comfort, waited on by servants; untouched by and unconcerned for those outside their circle.

But the little fellow nestled in his mother’s arms, swaddled in rough cloth, born in a stable, with no crib for a bed, surrounded by birds and beasts and stray dogs? Clearly this “Jesus” was not royalty, and certainly not rich or powerful, how could he possibly be the one for whom the Magi were searching! Who would even think to look for a newborn king in such a place as that?

It would, of course, depend on who was doing the looking, and what they were seeking. What did the Magi understand by the term “king”? Perhaps to them it meant one who was filled with grace and truth: someone who knew love and gave it freely, who was compassionate and caring; a man of wisdom and understanding, possessed of a genuinely blessed and holy nature. If that is so, perhaps it was not so extraordinary for these wise men to find a king born to and living among “ordinary” people.

Hidden in Plain Sight

“You can’t get there from here.”

Herod achieved and maintained his nominal status as King of the Jews through cunning and betrayal, violence and political maneuvering. Throughout his life Herod’s kingship hung by a slender thread — utterly reliant on the support and good will of Caesar.

Desperate to remain in power, terrified of enemies (real and imagined), King Herod ordered the murders of hundreds of his subjects, including three of his own children. Potential claimants to the throne were eliminated, along with any who might possibly be their supporters; over 300 military commanders were executed by royal decree in a single year. That the rumor of a newborn “king of the Jews” would provoke Herod to wholesale slaughter of innocents is quite in keeping with his character.

Hidden in plain sight, his anonymity a blessing; Jesus was kept safe. Yet it was not so for others. There is a terrible irony in the fact that the birth of the Lord of Life came during the reign of a ruthless murderer. The heavenly King who healed and comforted his subjects was the absolute opposite of the earthly king who ruled by threats and destruction; it is no wonder that Herod could not find Him.

The Journey

Which brings us back to Epiphany: to our celebration of the Magi’s discovery of the baby Jesus. These travelers found the child after a journey of many miles, in a land and a town which was unknown to them, without any way to identify him — no name, no address, no distinguishing marks. How did they do it?

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
    ~ Mt 7:7; Lk 11:9

How do you know when you’re in the right place? Sometimes we don’t know. Sometimes we make mistakes, get lost, realize we’re somewhere we shouldn’t be, go back, start over, follow directions we should ignore, ignore advice we should follow, get lost again, and, eventually, with God’s grace, arrive where we ought to be. It can take a while. Years, often. Perhaps that’s why the story of the Magi is so well-loved, so persuasive; their story is everybody’s story: a long, long journey of yearning and hope — seeking a happy ending.

Sometimes it is in the getting lost that we are best able to find where we are supposed to be; only in mistakes that we discover what is right for us. If we never set out on a journey, we will never arrive at our destination.

If we never ask, if we never look, if we never seek, we will never find the treasure that is awaiting us.

The One You Seek

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be, also.
    ~ Mt 6:21; Lk 12:34

The Magi took a big chance in making their long journey across unknown lands, leaving behind all that was familiar and comfortable. They risked injury, robbery, trickery, deceit, and misdirection, hunger, thirst, and failed transportation…. in search of a king they had never met, born to rule a kingdom they had never seen.

It was a journey of faith and courage — and perhaps a degree of madness, daring to believe that they would find what they sought: a new king, a sign of new life and new beginnings. And there, in the immense expanse of the raven-dark desert, they found the true Light, shining.

In Him was life, and that life was the Light of humanity.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not, has not, and never shall overcome it.

May the holy Light inspire and guide you in your journey,

Deborah  ✟

Suggested Spiritual Exercise

What makes the Light shine in you?