As the leader goes......

Matthew 2:1-12
We have been focusing on the birth of Jesus and on Christmas day we left him in the manger with the shepherds in attendance.  It is interesting how all of the Nativity scenes show both the shepherds and the wise men standing in front of the stable. However, a careful reading of this passage will reveal that the visit of the Magi was most likely several months or even as much as two years later.  They arrived in Jerusalem and began asking around about the  prophecies concerning a king that was to be born.  Verse 3 says that Herod was deeply disturbed by their question as was all of Jerusalem.  When the King is worried about something, everybody worries.  Obviously Herod didn't want someone usurping his position even if it was the one that the scriptures had predicted.  It's clear that Herod was merely a puppet king for the Romans.  He had been appointed by Rome to help keep the natives from uprising.  This event could seriously rock his world.  So he pretended to want to worship this child and told the Magi that the prophecies indicated Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah.  He didn't count on God's power to protect the anointed one that God had sent.  Unfortunately, we have seen this same kind of courting of the religious by politicians.  They often will quote Scripture and make allusions to their faith but if we watch their actions we will see that it is nothing more than lip service to keep the Christian constituency happy.  Rarely have we seen a politician that really lived and led by the covictions that they espouse.  It almost seems as if they worship at the altar of public opinion.  But what they, as did Herod, fail to take into account is that God is the one who is in control.  God is the one who will decide the outcome.  God is the one who will ultimately get the victory.  As Paul said, "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in Jesus Christ."  We don't need to worry about what this new year and this new decade witll bring as long as we put our faith and trust in God and not in our political leaders. Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow...seek first the Kingdom."