Matthew 2:1-12

Be Still: Lord, quiet the noise within me that I may hear your voice.

Read: Matthew 2:1-12
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ’In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written’ (v1-5)

Encounter: Every December, a little nativity scene held pride of place on my nan’s mantlepiece. I have fond memories of placing Lego figurines in the stable scene and took great joy in seeing Spiderman with the shepherds and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles alongside Mary and Joseph. It is strange to see such a familiar scene with characters who don’t belong there.

Much has been made in Christmas sermons about the scandalous nature of the characters present in the nativity. Still, today’s passage made me wonder about a group of people who were not present -- the chief priest and the teachers of the law.

The magi only made it to Bethlehem because of them – they told them where Jesus would be born. The teachers of the law knew where the king was to be born, but they did not go to Bethlehem. They heard the word but did not heed it. 

Imagine if they had! They might have been immortalised in the Christmas story, with little figurines of chief priests and teachers in nativity scenes across the world and on my Nan's mantelpiece. Instead, they are remembered as those who knew the truth but didn’t act on it.

The challenge? Whenever we hear God’s words but do not act on them, we miss out. I don’t want to miss out in 2025, do you?

Apply: Spend some time thinking about any areas where you have not acted on the word of God.

Devote: Holy Spirit, help me hear and heed your word.