Matthew 2:9-10 “The wise men listened to the king and then went on their way to Bethlehem. And now the star, which they had seen in the east, went in front of them as they travelled until at last it shone immediately above the place where the little child lay. The sight of the star filled them with indescribable joy.”
I find it interesting, that when the wisemen moved on from their encounter with King Herod, the star appeared and continued to guide them.
If you open a bible concordance to look up the word "guidance," expecting to find a long list of verses promising guidance from God you won’t find it. Guidance isn’t there, but you will find instead the word "guide" and a number of verses promising that God Himself would be the guide of His people .
People with limited sight often use a guide dogs, not a guidance dogs! Even if dogs were capable of talking, how unsatisfactory it would be if they were mere bystanders, shouting warnings to the blind from a distance: "Careful now! You’re approaching a hole. Watch out for the curb!"
In the carol O little town of Bethlehem we have the phrase, “the silent stars go by…” Yet, the reappearance of the Bethlehem Star before the wisemen spoke loudly. This star of Bethlehem was a star of hope that led the wise men to the fulfilment of their expectations, the success of their expedition. Nothing in this world is more fundamental for success in life than hope, and this star pointed to our only source for true hope: Jesus Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “There are only two places where the powerful and great in this world lose their courage, tremble in the depths of their souls, and become truly afraid. These are the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ....No priest, no theologian stood at the cradle of Bethlehem. And yet, all Christian theology finds its beginnings in the miracle of miracles, that God became human.”
Let us kneel in the darkness,
Until we see God’s light emerge.
Let us wait with hope filled hearts,
As Christ’s image grows within us and shows us life.
Let him speak to us and teach us love,
Until we open our hearts to be his home. Amen
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