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My friends and I are scholars.  Wise men some call us, Magi others, and Kings still others.  We live far to the east of Israel.  In Persia actually.  And over there we are rich, powerful and influential men.  We spend the majority of our time studying.  Most particularly we study the stars for in them we believe it is sometimes possible to glimpse bits and pieces of what is about to happen. 

Most nights it’s the same old thing.  We routinely chart the stars in their courses, knowing that in most cases, they don’t mean anything.  But if we don’t watch we may miss something important.  It’s usually the same old thing.  Except for one night.  One night something truly wondrous happened.   That night a new star appeared and we couldn’t have missed it if we had tried.  I called my friends over and they, too, had witnessed the star.  What did it mean?  A star that amazing suddenly appearing must mean something.  But what?  When we charted its position we realized what it meant.  A king had been born.  A king born to be king of the Jews.  There was no doubt.  We had to go.  That star was calling to us to follow it.

A trip of that magnitude takes a while to organize.  After all, it would take us months, perhaps over a year, just to get there and then we would have to find the child.  And you don’t visit a king empty handed.  You must bring gifts.  And you can’t bring just any gift.  They had to be gifts fitting for a king whose birth was announced in the heavens.  Gold is always appropriate for a king.  A king whose birth was heralded by a star must be divine, so Frankincense was chosen.  I don’t know why, but we also chose Myrrh.  Myrrh is a spice often used in burial.  With its association with death, it normally wouldn’t be thought of as a gift for an infant.  But, somehow, we knew that it was appropriate.  And so we set off on our long trek.  And the star, that hadn’t moved as we prepared, went before us and guided us to Judea. 

I don’t know what we expected but nothing could have prepared us for what we found when we arrived.  When we found the child we gave him our gifts and then we did the only thing we could.  We fell down and worshiped him.  Many kings around the world claim to be divine.  This child truly was.  We may be kings but he was THE king.  Nothing can prepare you for meeting the King of Kings and when you do nothing is ever the same. 

The Shepherd
 

I’m a shepherd.  I guess you could say I was among the first to welcome him.  Oh, that was a wondrous night, but it didn’t start out that way.  Far from it!  It started out just the same as any other night.  But it sure didn’t stay that way.  We were gathered on a hillside just outside of Bethlehem that night.  Normally we don’t gather the flocks together at that time of year, but the weather was a bit cool and so we banded together to keep a bit warmer.  It was just an ordinary night.  The sheep were all bedded down, and so were most of us, for that matter.  There were just a few of us up at the time, taking our turn at watch while the others slept.  It was a quiet night.  Those of us watching spent the time joking and quietly telling stories.  Anything to keep awake.  Just an ordinary night out on the hillside around Bethlehem.  Just us and the sheep. 

Then, without warning, everything changed.  What once was blackest night, suddenly was brighter than the brightest day.  One moment we were alone, trying to fight off sleep, the next we were all wide awake and trembling in the presence of a being too bright to behold.  One minute everything was ordinary, the next, nothing would be ordinary ever again. 

The first words the angel spoke were “Fear not.”  I’ll never forget them because they are the most needed and, at the same time, most useless words ever spoken.  After all, you stand in the presence of an angel of God and I defy you not to be petrified.  And no amount of urging to “fear not” will change that.  But I did manage to calm down enough to hear the angel’s message. 

“Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this night in the City of David a savior who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign to you.  You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 

As soon as the angel finished the sky became a hundred times brighter as the entire sky, as far as the eye could see, instantly became filled with angels.  All of them praising God.  I will never forget that sound as long as I live.  It echoes in my ears even now.  All the musicians in all the world throughout all time could not produce a sound one-tenth as beautiful as those Angels singing “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”  And just as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone. 

You didn’t have to urge us twice.  Immediately we began to run as fast as we could toward Bethlehem.  We wanted to see for ourselves what the angel had told us about.  It didn’t take long to find Him.  Usually, shepherds are a boisterous lot, but not that night.  The best word to describe us that night as we entered the stable was reverent.  And one look at the child would tell you why.  I can’t put my finger on what it was, but that child was special.  He captured me that night, and he holds
me still.  I will never get over that night.  And you know what?  I don’t want to. 

We're fine.  We didn't even loose power.  Had something pull down the box and meter off the wall but no other damage.  Lots of branches down.

The Innkeeper


Did I know him?  Why, I was there when he was born.  I run a small inn in a small town by the name of Bethlehem.  It isn't a large town.  The only reason it is known at all is that King David was born here.  Like most small towns, things are usually fairly quiet.  That is until Caesar ordered everyone to go back to the town where their ancestors had lived to register and pay a new tax.  So much for a quiet life, at least for the foreseeable future. 

It didn't take long for the town to fill up.  After all everyone who's ancestors had lived in Bethlehem had to come.  And, even if they had small families that's a lot of people.  And, face it, we Jews are not known for small families.  Needless to say, my inn was soon filled to the brim, with no chance of change any time soon.  Truth be told, there wasn't a room to be had in the entire area.  Mind you, I'm not complaining.  After all, more people means more money, and what business man doesn't like that. 

So, in the middle of all this I get a knock on my door.  Right away I knew what it was.  Someone needed a place to stay.  That didn't surprise me.  With everything that was going on someone needing a place to stay was normal.  What surprised me was who they were.  Not that they were anyone special.  Just a man and his young, very pregnant, wife.  I'm an innkeeper, not a physician, but even I could see that she had no business taking a trip.  Not in her condition.  The trouble was, I didn't have any place for them to stay, and I told them so. 

Naturally they were dejected.  I could tell they were tired as they turned to go.  They must have tried everywhere else.  I couldn't let them sleep in the street.  Not with her in her condition.  She looked like she was about to give birth right there.  I soon found out I wasn't far wrong.  I did the only thing I could think of.  I let them have some space in the stable.  It wasn't much, and certainly not what a woman about to give birth should have.  But it was all I had, and at least it was clean, dry, and somewhat private, if you don't mind the animals, that is. 

It wasn't long before the woman gave birth.  It was a boy, and such a boy.  I don't know what it was.  There was something about him, even then.  I don't know what it was.  The only way I can describe it was there was a "presence" about him.  I will never forget him, or that night.  And not just because of the crowds, or the shepherds and Kings that showed up and worshiped him.  That was unforgettable as well.  But it was the child that I'll never forget.  The rest will fade but never him.

Joseph


Did I know him?  I was his father.  Oh, not biologically, I know that.  Just one look at him and anyone could see that he was not an ordinary child, even though you couldn’t put a finger on what it was that made him different.  But I was his father none the less.  I watched as he took his first steps.  I guided his hands as I taught him how to be a carpenter, like I was. And I was with Mary while we searched Jerusalem for him when he was 12 and found him talking with the elders in the Temple. 

I’ll admit, when Mary told me that she was pregnant and that an angel had told her that the child was the promised messiah I found it very hard to believe.  After all, we were nobody special.  We were peasant people, living simple lives in a small, backwater town.  There was nothing about us that would single us out, or prepare us either, for that matter.  Why would God choose us?  I wish I could say that the news made me excited, but nothing could be further from the truth.  My first thought was to end our betrothal quietly, and spare Mary as much of the shame and humiliation that I could. 

That was before God spoke to me in a dream.  He told me not to be afraid of what was going to happen.  That the child was, indeed, the promised messiah.  What can you do?  When God speaks, you listen, and you act.  So I married Mary as soon as I could.  Was I nervous?  Extremely!  After all, how can you prepare to raise God in the flesh?  All you can do is hold on and trust that God will guide you.  And that is exactly what I did.  And God was faithful, and stood by me, and guided me as I helped raise a very special Child.  It was a challenge but would I change things if I had the chance?  Not on your life.  

Thanks.  There are currently 18 different readings.  And not all of them are from people whose experience was positive.  For instance I have included Judas and The Rich Young Ruler.  Currently I'm thinking of posting 1 a week.

Went to see my GI doctor this morning.  Mainly talked to the PA.  The stricture in my throat was worse than was expected.  He was able to stretch it to a large degree.  But not as much as he would like.  So I have to have another in October.  That one Will be my 12th, and it's already scheduled.  It's a little later in the morning than I would like but it's either then or wait until December.  And this one was only available due to a cancelation so I jumped on it.