Today’s scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Penny Dean):
Whenever my dad would see a detour sign, he would belt out, “Detour, there’s a muddy road ahead, detour….” Since I never heard more than this single line, I’m not sure if he was singing a real song or a ditty he had composed himself. The point, however, is that a detour often keeps drivers from road hazards: bridges out, roads closed, power lines down. Wise people will heed these warnings and thereby avoid harm. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the Magi are referred to as “wise men”: they heeded God’s warning not to return to Herod and went home a different way.
Here in the second chapter of Matthew, we find the only account of the wise men’s visit to Jesus. We don’t know much about the Magi or the events surrounding them. Scholars agree that their visit occurred months or years after Jesus’ birth and, therefore, was probably in Nazareth rather than Bethlehem. But scholars cannot agree on where the wise men came from or even if they came from the same country. They aren’t even sure there were only three Magi or if the star was an actual star and not some other cosmic event.
What is clear from this story is that the Magi were not fools. These were men who were attentive enough to signs and events to go in search of God. They were also men of action who didn’t wait around for God to come to them. They took the initiative and set off on their long, hard journey, returning home, via a different route, only after God told them not to return to Herod.
How many times do we not listen to that still, small voice that says, “Hey, watch out!”? Or we ignore a feeling that something’s amiss? Or we close our eyes to the big flashing neon sign that screams, “Danger!”? A detour might be the long way home, but it might also be a means of escape.
Thought for the day: Are you resisting taking a detour? What would happen if you heeded the signs?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.