Freedom to Choose

 “Where is the new born King of the Jews?" Matthew 2:2

May my heart seek You O Lord, just as the wise men from the east followed Your star!

What amazes me is Herod. While many in Jerusalem were awaiting the Messiah with longing, he wanted to destroy this promised King. True, he wasn't a Jew, but the wise men, these astrologers, weren't either. Herod was blinded by power and his own selfish desires. There were so many prophecies regarding the Messiah, and he obviously believed in them or he would not have bothered to call all the chief priests, scribes and the magi to question them. Unfortunately he asked them questions, NOT to find the Messiah, but to murder Him!

How about us? Are we like the astrologers who went out of their way to seek the truth? When they found Him, they were filled with joy, worshiped Him, and gave Him all they had. Or are we like Herod, who tried to protect his way of life from the intervention of God at all cost? We may also be like the scribes and high priests, they who knew the prophecies, and did not even bother to travel a little way to find the truth for themselves. We may know the Word, read the Bible, but do we apply it?

We are all given freedom to choose. When we read this passage in Matthew, it seems easy to choose the path the astrologers took. But most of the time, we choose to follow our own path, protect the status quo, and fear leaving the familiar to follow the path God wants us to take. A lot of times we want to keep what we have, refusing to see that whatever we give up for God, He will multiply a thousand fold.