Our dearly loved young Chinese friend had been assigned by her university professor to help a new male Chinese student acclimate to the campus and his new life in the US. A few weeks after his arrival, our dear friend invited us to meet her and the new guy at a restaurant. I’ll never forget that day. As we sat with them, we were immediately aware of several things. The new student was brilliant, personable, and in love with our dear friend. He had come to the US to get a doctorate and apparently would also get a wife. Fast forward six years. They are married and recently welcomed their first little one. Until Covid, they faithfully attended a Chinese church. Neither he, nor his wife had been raised to believe, yet they both searched for truth and found it. Like the Magi, they were astute, learned, curious, determined, and seekers of truth. They traveled a long way from home to find their King.
The Magi, or Wise Men, were astrologers from a foreign country who were learned in not only the study of the stars, but in the meaning that heavenly bodies had to life on earth. They observed a brilliant display and interpreted it to be the herald of a new Jewish king. But being convinced that this birth was of utmost significance, they prepared with diligence and traveled with determination. That one temporary sign was all they had to go on until they arrived in Israel where Jewish scholars informed them of the town where they should look. In God’s mercy, the star reappeared to guide them to their exact destination. And so it was that after many months they knelt down in humble worship at the feet of a peasant girl with a little one. Despite all appearances to the contrary, in awe and faith, they welcomed the little king and acknowledged his royalty with precious gifts. 
Like the Magi, some of us are foreigners to religious faith. We weren’t born into a family that told us about God. We have had to overcome barriers of upbringing, prejudices, and lack of knowledge. Like them, we got a small piece of truth and acted on it with full commitment. That led to further truth and eventually to meeting the King face to face. Like them, we wanted to see the King for ourselves and offer what we had. And we were not disappointed.
The shepherds were close-by but had to drop everything, go back into their local, unremarkable town, and hunt for a newborn baby in an unlikely place. They wanted to see for themselves. They weren’t satisfied to sit by their fire and give mental assent to the angel’s announcement. They acted immediately so they could experience this happy occasion for themselves. They knew the Bible stories. They may have even been raising sheep for Temple sacrifices. In any case, they were no strangers to religion. They knew God’s promise to send a Messiah. Now they eagerly stepped into the story themselves. They wanted to see God’s salvation first hand. They didn’t want to be bystanders, they wanted to be participants. After they had seen the Baby with their own eyes, they spread the news about him with gusto. Many who would have never known about the Messiah’s arrival, found out about him because of their testimony.
Dear Husband grew up in a poor, rural community. His family raised enough cows, pigs, and chickens to feed three growing kids. Their large garden provided the rest of their food. They lived in a small house that didn’t have an indoor toilet until he was four years old. His father hadn’t graduated from high school and was a laborer. But they started taking their children to a tiny, local church. There both they and their children learned the Bible and believed it. But as a teenager, other things gradually pushed Husband’s belief into the background. It was there, just not his first priority. Then came military service and orders for Vietnam. The comfort of home vanished and life suddenly became scary. Enter a godly chaplain who rekindled his smoldering faith. No longer content to sit on the sidelines giving mental assent, Husband threw himself into a life of helping to spread the good news about Jesus to those who didn’t know. A mere two months after returning home, he started at a Bible school to prepare for service abroad. That’s where our unlikely meeting occurred. A farm boy from the West Coast meets a suburban girl from the East Coast. We had pretty much nothing in common except our faith. And the rest is history. Like the shepherds, some of us grew up in an environment of faith. But we had to make it personal. We had to search in familiar places with fresh eyes and an eager heart. We had to welcome saving grace for ourselves. And then we just couldn’t help but tell others.
Mary and Joseph probably traveled 10 days to get to Bethlehem from their hometown of Nazareth. We don’t know if they did it on foot or if Mary had the help of a donkey. We do know the trip wasn’t their choice or at their timing. It wasn’t comfortable sleeping on the ground beside the road instead of in their bed. And when they arrived at their destination, it didn’t get any better.
As people of faith like Mary and Joseph, our spiritual journey is rarely convenient or on our terms. Often, it’s in the upheaval and uncertainty of life that we see Jesus. We come close to him when circumstances push us either into despair or into his arms. Spiritual advancement always comes at a price. It takes time to read God’s Word and meet together. It takes effort to love our neighbor. Obedience takes precedent over all our other endeavors. There is sacrifice, discomfort, and challenge if we get serious about being followers of Jesus.
But the reward for each exceeded anything they could have gotten elsewhere. The shepherds received honor from angels and God himself as the first to know about the long-awaited Messiah even though they were lowest on the social ladder. The Magi got an experience of a lifetime far beyond anything they could have learned from their ancient scrolls. And Mary and Joseph, obscure peasants, became the guardians of the One who existed from the distant past. Obscure tho they were, they became well-known heroes to generation after generation the world over. As someone said, ‘People name their girls, Mary, their sons, Joseph, and their dogs Nero.’
Which of these journeys was like your journey? What do you need to do this week to imitate one of these heroes?
PS. We’re not ‘off the hook’ from doing important things just because we’re not important people. When you’re tempted not to attempt something big, remember that God often chooses small people to do big things in his kingdom.
Further Christmas reading from past year’s blogs: