Out of the Way

One year, before we had our girls, Bekkah and I were headed off to celebrate her birthday in Eastern Washington for a night and a day.  It was going to be a quick trip but fun trip, so we headed out on the road and as we were driving we saw a sign that immediately changed our plan of when to get to the hotel that night.

You see, when we were living in California, whenever we would see this sign, unless we were running late for something we had to stop for it. It didn’t matter if it took us out off our current route because it was worth taking the detour for this sign if we could. Well as we drove by the Tacoma Mall Bekkah saw the sign and saw that it said “HOT NOW”.  Now this was the first time EVER since we had moved up to Washington that the ONLY Krispy Kreme that we know of had the sign on the side of their building lit up with the words HOT NOW.

We knew immediately that we had to stop at Krispy Kreme Donuts and get our donuts for the trip. This is why it is so important to stop at a Krispy Kreme when the sign says HOT NOW.  Now, one of the big problems that we had to face was that we had already missed the exit for the Tacoma Mall and there isn’t another exit for a few miles.  We didn’t know that.  We got off at the next exit anyway because we were bound and determined to get our Krispy Kreme donuts.  We finally got to the parking lot and we pulled in and we merrily walked into the store and as we did we still saw the sign that was lit up saying HOT NOW.  We eagerly stood in line for our free HOT NOW donut...and it never came.

You see, whenever we used to visit a Krispy Kreme in California and the sign said HOT NOW you would go out of your way to stop by because as you waited in line they would hand each customer a free glazed donut that had just come off the conveyer belt of delicious donuts. So here we were waiting in line and no one came to hand us our free donuts. What?!?!?? No free NOT NOW donut?  We just spent about 45 minutes out of our way getting off the freeway and back south to get to Krispy Kreme and we don’t get our free HOT NOW donut?  We ordered our donuts including some not so free HOT NOW glazed donuts, and we headed back on the freeway to enjoy Bekkah’s birthday and our day away. Now when we drive by and see that sign lit up HOT NOW, its not quite as urgent to go out of the way to get off the freeway and get our Krispy Kreme donuts.

The Magi also spent a lot of time looking up at the stars looking for signs. For better or worse their signs were not neon signs that said HOT NOW. Magi, or the wise men are men from the east that spend their days, like our astrologers, looking up at the stars to see signs that might mean something to the world.  On one particular night they noticed a new star in the sky, that for them and many others, meant that a new king was born into the world. The Bible doesn’t give us the first part of the story about how the magi discovered the star or why they followed it, and I’d really like to know but the appearance of the star meant a new king was entering the world and the magi knew they had to follow it.  What is interesting is that the magi were most likely pagans that had no vested interest in the birth of a Jewish king, so what was it that drove them to travel this new star to discover the king of the Jews?  All I have to say is that it must have been more profound than the neon sign that said HOT NOW. After all, not only were the magi pagans, but the art of reading the stars was considered sorcery which was one of several practices that was forbidden in Jewish faith.

It only took Bekkah and I 45 minutes to get to our sign and we got to stay in our nice warm car and not once did we ever worry about our safety.  This wasn’t such a guarantee for the magi.  They probably traveled for months in a caravan of travelers and they most likely worried all the time for their safety from bandits and other ruffians that patrolled the trade routes for easy targets. Whatever was in the sign of the new star that they saw, it must have been profound, because these magi travel from the east to not only discover but also honor this new king.  After months of searching and following the star, the sign, they finally end up in Jerusalem and the first thing they do is visit the current ruler of Israel.  After they had spent some time in court they then finished off their journey and discovered the new king.  They offered him precious gifts and were overwhelmed with joy at the discovery.

It is amazing and downright dumbfounds me that pagans from another country who have most likely have no vested interest in the politics of Israel would spend so much time, going out of the way, to discover this new king.  And then when they do find him they presented him with gifts to show their respect to him, gifts that would have supported the family for quite some time.  It seems like a whole lot of work for something that they had no idea if it would be important to them or not. After all kings come and go, so why spend the time to follow the star to this Israelite king?  It paid out in the end because they discovered not just a king, but the Messiah.

All of this made me wonder, in what ways do we go out of our way to discover the Christ-child in our lives?  Do we leave our homes and travel for months to find him?  What kinds of things have we done or can we do to make Christ an important part of our lives even when it is inconvenient or difficult for us to do?  How do we focus on Jesus when all of the decorations and celebrations of Christmas have been packed back in their bins and boxes? How do we keep this newborn king central to our lives? The magi discovered quickly that following this king was dangerous because they had to avoid King Herod and go out of their way to get out of the country to return home. Their discovery was both life changing and dangerous.

But it was worth it!  The magi, the Bible says, were overcome with joy.  All of the risk, all of the turmoil and strife and all the traveling out of the way paid off in the end when they finally discovered the newborn king. This is what is so amazing about the Christmas season.  This little baby has the power to transform lives even before he is able to speak or walk.  He hasn’t done a single healing or called any disciples to follow him, and yet in a way he already has disciples, followers, who have been changed by their encounter with him.  At his birth he had the shepherds following him like disciples and now at a few months old he has magi coming from a great distance, out of their way, to visit him and become overcome with joy at his presence. This is more than just an Israelite king being born.It is amazing how even at this point in his life, at the most fragile and weakest point in his life I would say, he has the power to transform lives.

Christ can transform each and every one of us.  We don’t have to go out of the way to make it happen.  Christ comes to us and transforms us in unexpected ways.  It may take us to unexpected places or through experiences we may never have imagined having, and maybe even to difficult or dangerous places, but Christ has the power to help and guide us all of our days much like the star did for the magi. In fact, it’s not us who goes out of the way but God, through Christ, who goes to extraordinary lengths to make us a part of the family of God.  This infant, as we know, will travel all over the countryside, going out of his way, to heal people.  He will go out of his way to visit sick and dead friends.  He goes out of his way to heal and eat with people who were considered the outcasts of society much like the magi.  He risked everything, he went out of his way to give us everything. 

If Christ had a neon sign it might say something like FREE NOW.All of this is done through a child, born to us this day.  Giving us free salvation, free grace and a free promise of everlasting life.  What an out of the way way to save the world.  What an amazing way to show God’s love for us all.  What an incredible gift sent to us from heaven. Amen.