Seeking a Star, Seeking a Child

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, which commemorates the “Wise Men” finding the Jesus and his family in the little town of Bethlehem. When I heard the story this year, the phrase “. . . the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” stuck with me. I recalled the past month of trying to observe the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, through tree limbs and between houses, as it was low in the southwestern sky.

On the other hand, I’ve always imagined the star being directly overhead at the ‘place where Jesus lay’.

So, let’s follow our seekers as they go through Bethlehem, looking for where this child might be. What, if, like us, they were glancing around buildings, looking for this conjunction of planets or other astronomical sign of the presence of the child? The story implies they lost sight of the ‘star’. Three strangers in town, trying not to be noticed as they searched in the twilight for where this child might be. Frustrated by houses blocking their view of the sign, which was getting lower in the twilight. Did they find a gap in the buildings, and spied the sign again? This spot that gave them a view to the sign, where someone had built a low, and lowly, stable for animals. Did they stop there, this place where they could clearly see the sign in a gap, pointing at the ‘star’ and quietly, urgently arguing over whether a king could be found in such a lowly place? Then, the cry of a baby from inside draws them in. They send word to bring the gifts, their support staff coming in from the backside of the stable, out of the eyes of the watchful local citizens. The path where the herders had brought their livestock from the stable to the grazing grounds provided the visitors the open view of the conjunction near the horizon, and a easy route to ‘depart by another way’.

The ‘star’ only has to be ‘over’ the stable as seen by the visitors, not necessary overhead, looking like star we hang on our tree or on the top of a manger. Maybe the sign was about to disappear in the Sun’s glare, like our Jupiter and Saturn scene will this month. Was the ‘star’s’ time of visibility nearly ‘over’, thus the urgency of the visitors?

Just a thought.

Matthew Chapter 2, Verses 1 -12: Revised New American Version of the New Testament

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.