Skip to main content

A Tale of Two Kings

In the time of King Herod,
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,
“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?"

The magi’s story is a familiar one.

As we remember it, three wise men from the East see a star, follow it, arrive at a gathering with Mary and the baby, present gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense, and return home.

The Bible, however, tells a deeper story than the arrival of an unknown number of the magi and company heading toward Jerusalem.

The action begins when King Herod hears about a child, the king of the Jews, born in Jerusalem.

Merciless King Herod feels threatened and reacts with cunning and violence.

Herod gathers his priests, Jewish scribes, and Pharisees, who, by consulting texts, tell him the child is born in Bethlehem.

Herod asks the magi to find this king of the Jews so he can pay homage.

The magi, seeing a star, recalculate their travel destination and head towards Bethlehem.

The star settles over the house of Mary and the holy child.

The magi discover the star has led them to the kingdom of heaven, where they can offer their treasures of Gold, myrrh, and frankincense.

The magi are overjoyed when they realize they are in the presence of a king and a savior.

So, we have two kings: one ruling a kingdom of this world; the other, a savior, the king of heaven.

The magi's example for us is to follow the signs to the holy, lay your treasure, obey the God of holy dreams, and go home another way.

But the story continues as Herod and his family continue a murderous reign never realizing they are not the real kings.

The King of Heaven, guiding the holy family, surpasses earthly kingdoms by welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, and following God's holy dreams.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more