Better brush up on your French a little, because I am about to toss one to you! Here goes. Are you ready? Doesn't matter, going for it anyway and here it is - Joyeux Noel, y'all! I haven't lost my mind, no not yet! However, some days, I really do think if my head wasn't attached to my shoulders, I would accidentally leave it somewhere. I would imagine that you have days like that too. Isn't it frustrating! I'm going to warn you up front, this one is a little different. So make sure your eyes aren't crossed, because, I guarantee you that they will be! I might have had just a tad too much coffee when I was writing this one, so if you get blurry eyed, blame the caffeine!
If you follow the Christian calendar, tomorrow is the Feast of the Three Kings or Joyeux Noel in France. It is also known as Twelfth Night and it is the beginning of Epiphany. It marks the day that the three kings arrived in Bethlehem to visit the newborn King. In late November and most of December, we were in the season of Advent. Advent is an exciting time in the church. It's a season of hope and anticipation leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas! Christmas runs right up to the twelfth night celebration, and depending upon which calendar your church follows, it is either January 5th or 6th. And so begins Epiphany, a season of discovery, awakening, a day of divine manifestation. The day of the three kings, the Magi, and a celebration of their "discovery" in the little town of Bethlehem. (Good name for a Christmas carol, isn't it?)
I jump around a lot when I read my Bible. I'm not a cover to cover type person. I have read it cover to cover, but when I have something on my mind, I look up scripture and read and look up more and read until things fall into place in my head.
If you paid attention to the title today, you see three rather unusual names: Gaspar (which has several variations and spellings), Melchior and Balthasar. WHO ARE THESE GUYS? Research! Here I come and this is what I found. First, the Gospel of Matthew is the only place in the whole Bible that talks about visitors from the East; AND I've read Matthew over and over and over, specifically Matthew 1:2. No where in that chapter did I find names for the three travelers from the East. As a matter of fact, I couldn't find them in the Bible at all. AND, big AND, it doesn't even really say that there were actually three of them or that they were even kings. But, assumptions being what they are, historians assumed that there were indeed three and that they most certainly had to be of a higher stature in order to afford the lavish gifts that they brought with them for the Baby King. Three gifts, three wise men, or kings. (I know there is a joke about finding three wise men together in one place, but let's not go there right now). So, my question is simply this "who decided that these three guys were aptly named Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar? The only thing mentioned in Matthew is the gifts they brought with them for the Baby, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Hmm. Ponder, Ponder, Ponder. Here's my answer. I don't really know. If the three were from the East, my guess is that they were probably from Persia (which by the way, is now what we know to be Iran), and maybe, there were historical records back to that time and there were really three wise men with those names, and maybe, just maybe, they all went on a journey together at about the time that Christ was born. That's a lot of maybes, but here's my best, best guess. Don't worry about it. Their names are not important, only the reason for their journey, and that was following that one bright star that led them to Bethlehem to see the Babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger, to see and honor the newborn King. Besides, the ONLY ONE that really counts was lying in that manger nestled down in the hay. And, God already knew their names before their journey even began. Tomorrow is a celebration. Are you going to celebrate? Just remember, it is not three Kings that we celebrate, but four. That fourth one is more important than the other three, but I'm sure you already figured that out.
I mentioned in a previous blog, that there wouldn't be Christmas without Easter. One of my friends told me that I had perplexed them when I said that and they had never really given it any thought. It was really kind of neat to see that light bulb click on over their head. I love to make people think, really think. They tried to convince me that it was a chicken and egg dilemma. No, no dilemma at all. Later that day, I got a phone call and all that was said was "I GET IT". I'm so glad! The only way God could save us from ourselves was to sacrifice Himself for us as a man. With that being said, the sacrifice for our salvation was an important part of the first Christmas and God coming to Earth in human form as a tiny babe completed the plan. It's "frontwards and backwards" all at the same time. You couldn't have one without the other. You wouldn't have Christmas without Easter without Christmas without Easter, and so on, and so on, and so on.
Do you remember when your children were babies? They seemed tiny, helpless, totally dependent upon you for their every need. You look at them as they lay snuggled in your arms and you wonder what their future will be. We have no idea, do we? But quietly cuddled up in Mary's arms, was a tiny baby boy, like every baby born in every aspect, but one. This tiny precious life that came to us through an immaculate conception and a virgin birth, was God Himself, a Baby born to wear a crown of thorns. A Baby born to grow up to be a man that would willingly spread his arms on a rugged wooden cross and sacrifice His life for our salvation. By His wounds, we are healed. Praise God. Mary's faith and love for God and this Child in her arms sustained her for her entire life and kept her strong and guided her all the days of HIS earthly life and ultimately, His death on the cross.
God is all about His plans for all of us and we need to be all about taking the time to be still and quiet and just listen. It's so amazing what can be accomplished when we take the time to do just that, listen and march on with what what He calls each and every one of us to do. Have faith and remember, if you are listening with your ears, you won't hear it. You have to listen with your heart.
I'm going to leave this right here. I just want you to celebrate a little tomorrow, maybe quietly, maybe a special dinner fit for a King, maybe renew your passion and your commitment for the One that planned for you from the very beginning.
I want you to close your eyes. Place yourself in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. You witness a huge pressing crowd and you see shepherds and peasants and animals as well. You here beautiful harmonies wafting through the night air. There's a damp chill in the air and then you sense an unexplainable hushed anticipation as you draw closer and closer so that you can see, so you can be a part of that tiny radiant miracle born to save us and give us ever lasting life. A beautiful, but tired young woman beckons you closer. You hesitate and then you see Him. As you drop to your knees, you are overcome with an awe and a peace and love that has laid itself out before you. You know, you just know. As you kneel there before Him, you have words, but cannot speak, all you can do is quietly weep and smile at the glory of God that lies in His mother's arms, cooing and smiling sweet little baby smiles. All you can do is whisper sweet praises to God for what you see before you, a perfectly beautiful tiny baby boy, the newborn King, your Savior. And then, with everything you have inside of you, you glance at His mother for her nod of approval as you reach out to gently touch a tiny hand and simply welcome Him to our world.
I send Peace and continued blessings to each and every one of you, may the love and spirit of Christmas AND Easter, carry you through each day as you travel through life.
As Always, In Him!
Kaye
please take time to enjoy the link. This is what it's all about......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogWRU29J78I
