It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11, The Message.)
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I have spent a majority of my life traveling. I’ve done it solo, in groups, and with my family. I’ve heard once or twice the question, “Are we there yet?” I’m familiar with the dynamics of travel—the planning, the multiple means of transportation, the waiting, the detours, the cost, the timing, the breaking down of vehicles, planes, and ships, the missteps and wrong turns when I thought I was right. (I have witnesses!) Some of those journeys I have enjoyed more than others. But there is one part of travel that I’ve always enjoyed: arrival. I’ve reached the end. Destination at hand. All the effort to get there has now paid off. Now we can get on to what we came for.
I’m trying to imagine how these star-scholar travelers felt. They had endured a journey of untold miles, lasting for weeks or months across the Middle Eastern desert, and rivers and mountains. They didn’t have air-conditioning, but no doubt they had wind, especially the kind accompanied by sand! They had heat, but not the kind they could turn down with a thermostat. I wonder how large was their entourage? How many of these scholars were there, and were they accompanied by servants and several camels? Was the original expeditionary crew still intact on arrival in Bethlehem? Did anyone get sick or even die, or camels come up lame? Did they ever come close to running out of food and water, for themselves or the animals? The text indicates that they had some valuable luggage; I wonder if they ever encountered would-be robbers. And I wonder about their routing: they followed the star, but the shortest and most direct route to follow it might lead them over hostile terrain, and they would need some zig-zagging. Did they have any early maps? Or did the star take them on a major trade route for the most part, and thus, even though it wasn’t an Interstate highway or modern motorway, complete with rest stop facilities and ‘Eat Here’ signs, it was fairly well traveled?
We aren’t told those details because the point of the story was their arrival. They somehow navigated all that we don’t know about, and had arrived in the capital city of this land of Israel, and found their way to headquarters. They asked where the new king was who had been born. They were directed to Bethlehem, and followed the same star to the exact GPS (God’s Positioning System!) location. They entered the house. The journey was successful. There he was! They were in the right place, at the right time!
The Scripture says they were overcome. Their physical response was to kneel before him. This was accompanied with a heart response of worship, and that was further demonstrated with a presentation of valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The text says that they found the baby in the arms of his mother. No indication if he was breast-feeding, or being comforted, or just being held (like mothers do with their babies: they cuddle and stare.) The text doesn’t say. It also doesn’t say if the whole lot of the ones on this entourage entered, or if it was just the scholars who did so. Was Joseph even there when they arrived? We assume so, but again, the text is silent on that point. Was he there for her to hand off to him the baby Jesus while she received the gifts in their luggage? While we are told their response was one of being “overcome”, we aren’t told hers. But I imagine it was something along the lines of “Who are these guys?! And what are they saying?!”
I don’t interpret the fact that they were overcome as a feeling of relief that the journey as an arduous physical activity in itself was over. I take it to mean that they were overcome to be in the presence of the King. Little did they know this baby King was the King greater than all Kings, and thus to be identified as King of Kings. And Lord of Lords.
We aren’t told about their theology. But we are told about their scientific certainty, their journey, their inquiry, and their response. It’s fairly certain that they were not Jews, as they had come from outside Israel. And with all the scholars in Israel, none of those were the ones who saw and followed the royal star. That star was in the sky for all to see! But it was foreigners who saw it and followed. And who looked for the king whose birth was announced in the heavens.
I believe this is all a bigger deal than we make it. I try to absorb what they went through to get there. When I do, I understand a bit better about them being “overcome.” They knew a king had been born. They had demonstrated they would not stop until they had found that king.
Have you found that king? And, are you overcome when you come into the presence of King Jesus?
“Father, thank you for those who traveled so far to see for themselves the newborn King! We pray for those among us who are traveling—some are heading towards you, and some, unfortunately, who are heading away from you. We thank you that you are on the journey with us, at all times. I pray for those who are seeking you, and that as the star-scholars, they will be in the right place, at the right time. We are certain that you will be there to greet them, and to receive them. We can’t help but be overwhelmed in your presence!”
Freddy Boswell 