Take the Short Journey

I thought this was an interesting piece of the Christmas story:

True or False: When Herod heard about Jesus he was the only one concerned about this new king.

True? False?  ...  As you think, let me thank my mom for the question!

False, because all of Jerusalem was according to Matthew 2:3.
"When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;" 

Somehow, all of the Jerusalem had found out the news about the magi coming and that the great star was signaling the coming of the Messiah!

The next part intrigued me even more:
"and assembling the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  They told him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet'" (v.4-5)

Not only was the birth of Christ humble, as we all know, so was Christ's reception into the world in the year to two years following his birth; indeed during his entire life Jesus was never received well.  Though the scribes and the priests, yes even ALL OF JERUSALEM KNEW that the baby Messiah had been born in Bethlehem, NO ONE bothered to take the short journey with the maji to see the new king!

In their pride and comfort, and possibly in the busyness of their lives, even when the news was clear, people did not seek the Christ.

Is the situation any different today?  No wonder angels were revealed to the lowest of the low - the shepherds.  Only they could make the time to swing over!

Reflecting on this leads me to think about how easy it is to be pridefully blind and lazy amidst the wonderful.  I pray that God would lead me away from all pride and busyness and worldly contentment that could keep me from seeking, enjoying and sharing the wonder-ful Savior this Christmas.  I pray the same for you.

Here is the long-awaited (ok... at least by my mom!) 2008 Christmas poem - that I actually wrote a few days before my mom sent me the above question.

The joy of a Savior, 
I pray you taste its flavor,
so foreign to a man of pride, 
so content in the comforting tide

The angelic chords of majesty
could not be heard,
past the humble workplace
of low-class shepherds 

The barn and the stench
and yet the fragrance of love and myrrh,
God reveals his glory to men
but to the world it does not occur
 
That the world rushes about blind
on this holy night, 
while in that forgotten manger
all is still and bright