Faithful, Hopeful, Prayerful Preparation

The wise men set out because a star portended Christ’s birth. They traveled to a foreign court in a time and place where such travel was not always the safest (see the parable of The Good Samaritan for evidence).
We read that and most of us think, “Oh, yeah. They saw a star and followed it. So what?”

Hold on.

They what?

They saw a star and followed it. Nope. They studied enough to know that the star they saw was worth following. They studied enough to know when and where to look. They believed enough to not only embark on a potentially dangerous mission, but to bring a significant portion of their personal wealth along with them.

They had open hearts to the point where they – rather innocently, perhaps – went to the local king regarding their mission, not assuming the worst. But their conscience was well-formed enough to discern the danger after meeting with him.

They studied, had faith, and discernment enough to bow before a poor carpenter’s son asleep in a feeding trough. To the give that child what he would need to survive, to be a king, and to be buried shows faith in a future most people that met Jesus in his life refused to believe.

All because of faithful, hopeful, prayerful preparation.

Wow.