"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2: 1-2
I wonder if my move toward Jesus is not a move toward dependence but toward independence. Could this be exactly what happened to the followers of God in the long period of time between the last prophetic word to the birth of Jesus?
The scripture tells of the story of the Magi coming from the east. When Herod heard the reports of a King of the Jews being born in Bethlehem he was "disturbed". But he wasn't the only one. No, "all of Jerusalem" with him was disturbed too. Wouldn't you think that the response of Jerusalem to the coming Messiah would be one of great joy? But that was not the case. Instead they were disturbed.
What caused this response in God's people? What if it was a contentment to live just a sliver of life. They had gotten there before. When in captivity for multiple generations under the rule of the Egyptians the Israelites, God's people, learned a life that really had little to no hope, peace, or destiny. They settled for a smaller existence.
What if in our lives we sometimes do the same? It's as if I need God only enough to get to a point where I feel that I don't need him anymore. This is also what the world see's us as Christians doing and even the Gospel we might preach. Get Jesus so you can get you life together. What if it was because we cease to live out of a dependent relationship with Jesus when we're not hurting. Do we really realize what good times are for? Are they for enjoyment and basking in the wonders of what God is doing in our lives. Yes. But is that only what they are for? No. They are for an increase of dependency so that you can be a vessel of hope to others. It actually requires an increased dependency on Christ to be Christ to others. When your hurting you turn the complete focus to yourself. The best thing is that God's majesty allows it as he ministers to our needs. But the purpose of our healing and wholeness is to be that same vessel of grace to others.
The trap is to never turn those moments of self-focus back to others. When we don't, we live in a perpetual cycle of me. When life becomes only about me I don't experience real life. I only experience a sliver of it. What God is always doing in our lives is hanging stars. He hangs them as a sign of life that allows us in both the good times and bad times to become increasingly dependent on him for life. Dependency then is life. Life to us and then life from us.
Let's live the Christmas story. Dependency that gives and brings life.
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