Scripture Scribbles: January 2, 2022
the Gospel
Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
the devotion
Here we are in the Christmas season celebrating the birth of our Savior!
For many of us, this journey has been much like the magi: pilgrimaging from far and different places, yet toward the Lord; asking where to find Him because we’ve seen a sign of His glory, but do not know where to look; sometimes along the way encountering those who seem well-intended, but do us harm and attempt to lead us away from Him.
Then, Behold!
We find Him in the most unexpected place of humility, vulnerability, and wonder. Unlike the magi, we have nothing to offer Him, no gift - only ourselves, hoping He might accept us. His mother wraps us in her mantle like swaddling clothes gazing upon us with love as the star shines above, knowing we need her guidance to Him as much as the magi. And so we pay Him homage, prostrating in magnificent wonder at the Treasure who will grow to show us the Way to His Heart.
The One who will take the world’s sins upon Himself, die, and conquer it all so we may be with Him eternally. For now, we bask in the mystery of His birth with the magi. Heart throbbing and overflowing, we go another way, never to be the same for the Gift this adorable newborn King has given us surpasses anything we can offer.
Those voices that ask us to return to our old path no longer bode well with us, so we move forward in hope to deepen our love for Him, the one who loves us all - magi or shepherd, gentile or Jew, plumber or lawyer, homeless or millionaire.
What gift do you need from the Lord this week to be shown the way deeper into the Treasure of His Heart?
Today’s devotion was written by Diana Giard.
