foreigners were welcome

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10‭-‬11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.2.10-11.NLT

The three wise men were men from Iran, Iraq or Turkey. They obviously had beliefs about an event occurring on the arrival of a special star, which we now call the Christmas star.

Having just had the Christmas star (not actual stars but the conjunction of two planets: Jupiter and Saturn), one could imagine that men of old would see this as significant, and that it held some import. This conjunction happens every 800 years. So, even for us, it is significant.

However, these non-jews travelled following the star to where it stopped, over Bethlehem. They went seeking the special someone that the star signified. The men went to King Herod to discover the truth of the matter. Herod did not know himself, but he brought in his scribes who could decipher the prophesy around this star.

First we have smelly shepherds, then we have foreigners. What does this tell us of the Christ? It tells us that He was different and that He was for all mankind. The Jews believed the saviour would be for the Jews, but God had a better plan, an inclusive plan, one for all mankind, no matter who they were.

Then what does being a Christian really mean? It definitely does not mean an exclusive club, one which looks down on lesser mortals, one filled with people too holy to touch the untouchables.

Being a Christian is accepting I am just a smelly shepherd (figuratively) or a tax collector, as Matthew was. In other words an ordinary sinner who trusts Jesus to make me right with God. I am not holier than others but redeemed from my sins, because I do sin. Pride, criticism, and all the fleshly attitudes do show up at times. I trust Jesus to be my goodness, when I cannot be good and kind, He is.

A Christian is a believer in a saviour, that's all. Otherwise no different at all.😁

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