Ennathinks

(Wise Men Series – Part 2)

Last time, I told you how we followed the star from our eastern land all the way to Jerusalem. We entered Herod’s palace, still thinking like the world—that kings belong in palaces, surrounded by power.

But the King we were seeking was about to challenge every throne, including ours.

Worship challenges every other throne

When we arrived at Herod’s palace, we were honoured as learned men from afar. Herod pretended to welcome us, but we soon felt the tension in the air.

When we asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” Herod was disturbed. And not only Herod—all Jerusalem with him.

Herod already had a throne. He had worked very hard—and very violently—to keep it. History remembers him as brilliant in building, but brutal in ruling. He killed his own sons when he suspected them. He killed his own wife when he feared she might steal people’s hearts. He would not tolerate any rival—not even in his own family.

So when he heard us speak of a child born “King of the Jews,” he felt one thing: threatened.

He called the chief priests and teachers of the Law and asked where the Messiah was to be born. They answered quickly: “In Bethlehem.” They knew the prophecy. They knew the Scriptures. But not one of them went with us. They had the right information, but no desire to move. We had little information, but great desire to seek.

Then Herod called us secretly. He asked exactly when the star had appeared. He sent us to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

He spoke of worship. He planned murder.

Who is king in your life? Is it your own self—your desires, your pride, your control? Or is it Christ—His will, His Word, His rule? You cannot have two kings on the same throne. Herod would not share his throne with Christ. And if you are honest, you may see the same struggle in your own heart. To truly worship Jesus is to surrender your throne.

We came to worship

We left Herod’s palace and walked toward Bethlehem. We were only about ten kilometres away, but those last few miles felt like the most important steps of our lives.

Then we saw it again—the star. The light we had followed so far reappeared and went before us until it came to rest over a particular place. When we saw the star stop, we were overwhelmed with joy—joy upon joy, stacked and overflowing. Every doubt, every fear, every hardship of the journey suddenly made sense. The God who had started this journey with us was now bringing us to its destination.

And here our earthly thinking was shattered. We did not find a palace. We did not enter a royal court. We found a simple house. No marble, no gold, no soldiers at the door. Inside, we saw a young mother, a father, and a child.

This was the King?

We stepped inside. The moment I saw the child, something in me collapsed—not from confusion, but from awe. There was a peace in that room that no palace of Herod’s could ever buy. There was a presence in that child that no emperor on earth could ever possess.

Before I knew it, I was on my knees. My forehead touched the floor. So did my companions’. We had travelled so far to find a King, but when we saw Him, we did not stand and bargain; we fell and worshiped.

Then we opened our treasures:

• Gold, because this child truly is King—heaven’s King, not just Israel’s.
• Frankincense, because this child is more than human; He is worthy of the worship we would normally offer to God alone.
• Myrrh, a spice used for burial—pointing to a mystery we did not yet understand, that this King was born to suffer and to die.

We came thinking we were bringing gifts to Him. But in that moment, we realized: He was the true gift to us. We thought we were seeking Him. But all along, He had been seeking us.

Going home by another way

After we worshiped, we rested. That night, I had a dream—clear, urgent, unmistakable. We were warned not to go back to Herod.

We faced a choice: return to the earthly king and win his favour, or obey the heavenly King and risk Herod’s anger. We chose obedience to the higher King. So we returned to our own country by another route. We disappeared from Herod’s plans—and from your pages of Scripture.

But we went home by another way on the inside long before we took another road on the outside. We went back to the same land, but we were not the same men. We left home as star-gazers. We returned as worshipers. We left as seekers of wisdom. We returned having met Wisdom Himself. We left following a light in the sky. We returned carrying His light in our hearts.

Conclusion: Your road to Bethlehem

My name has been forgotten. My journey is finished. But your journey is still unfolding.

You may feel like one who lives in darkness, chasing many small lights—success, pleasure, religion, knowledge—and still feeling empty. I came from far away to tell you this: the Light of the world has already come near to you. The King has been born.

The question is not whether the star is shining. The question is whether you will follow.

• Do not stop at Herod’s palace; go all the way to Bethlehem.
• Do not just admire the star; come and worship the Child.
• Christmas is not you searching for God; it is God searching for you.
• Will you let Him find you?

Watson Selvasingh