The Journey

So what is Christmas all about? The typical answer is the birth of Jesus and while that is very true, I think there is even more. Wild things were happening in the lives of many different characters if you read the Christmas story in the New Testament.

Take the wise men. The wise men story that is shrouded in mystery. They seem to just show up mysteriously – and just as mysteriously they are gone. One thing I am certain about is that the number of wise men and women increases in every generation as people continue to seek. Here’s some of what I have learned from the story of the wise men in the New Testament from Matthew.

A wise man’s, (woman’s), journey is one of faith, sacrifice and change!

What would prompt someone to leave the comfort of their homes to go on a dangerous journey? Romance? Yes. Wealth? Most definitely. But faith? They had seen the star – the evidence was real – now where is He? They had faith that He was alive –now all they needed to do was to find Him. They were willing to risk everything to find Him. They were willing to leave the safety of their homes – to risk a pearliest journey to seek a King.

Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh but no GPS!

Can you imagine their neighbor’s reaction? “Are you going on a journey?” “Yes.” “Where are you going?” “We don’t know for sure.” “How far is it?” “Well we don’t know that either.” Boy for wise men you sure don’t know much do you?

Was there a price to be paid for the wise men’s journey? You bet. They had given themselves to a journey. Travel in those days was not very comfortable, in fact it could be down right dangerous. The wise men had sacrificed their own comfort to find the king and worship Him.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Matthew 2:12

Isn’t it interesting that after they worshiped Jesus they could not go back the same way they had come? I find that to be a fact even today. A spiritual journey changes things – it changes you!

It’s much easier to coast through life on the surface without ever diving beneath to see down into the dark blue depths. But if we choose to ignore that there is more to life than the daily rush, and the hoarding of possessions – what happens when we come smack up against suffering? When we get ill, or someone we love leaves or dies, or when we near the end or our life (which could be at any time)? If we’ve just coasted through life without going into the depths, we’ll feel disorientated and lost – without any mental or spiritual resources to help us deal with suffering.

Are you on a spiritual journey? If not, why not start it today?

• Start by asking a question: “What is my life about?”
• Give yourself silent space to reflect, even if things are crazy right now.
• Start a journal and write down three things that you are grateful for each day.
• For me, reading the New Testament made a huge difference. 
• Hang out with others who are also willing to look deeply at life.

Caution: Your spiritual journey will probably involve faith, sacrifice and change. But I think it’s worth the cost!