Jerome's Jottings
Polmont Old Parish Church

WISE PEOPLE STILL SEEK HIM

The Bible records many responses to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

1. For Mary, it was humble acceptance of God's will for her life. This was in spite of the possible terrible ramifications she faced for making such a choice.

2. For the innkeeper, it was an attempt to accommodate Jesus. You know, find a tiny little space for Jesus in his very busy and important money-making concerns.

3. For the shepherds, it was the abandoning of their employment and daily concerns, to find Jesus and worship Him. They found Him, and they went home rejoicing.

4. For the wise men, it was a long, long time of seeking and searching. They, too, found Him, the object of their hopes and dreams. They worshipped Him and gave of their best for Him.

5. For Herod, Jesus threatened his throne, the throne of his life. He could not bear to have his throne challenged in any way. Imagine Jesus, the Lord of Herod? That would not do. For Herod, Jesus was to be feared and removed from his life.

6. For the Romans, Jesus was nothing. Another number in the important business of a census. A statistic that affected them in no other way. They were proud, arrogant and indifferent. They were powerful and secure. Who needed Jesus? Ha!

7. For the angels, Jesus was just the same as God. They worshipped Him. The night He was born, it was as if Heaven could not contain itself. They sang, engaged in pyrotechnics, and rejoiced.

8. For Joseph, Jesus was an embarrassment to be put aside quietly and forgotten. It took a great deal for God to persuade him otherwise. But he listened to the words of God, allowed his heart to be softened and took the risk of faith. He was right to do so. He was given the privilege of naming Jesus and raising Him as his son.

So many different responses.
Which one is yours?

Jesus said, "Everyone who acknowledges me here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. But everyone who denies me here on Earth, I will also deny before my Father in Heaven. Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the Earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword."
(Matthew 10: 32 - 34)

Jerome

Christmas Star

There are stars everywhere we look at Christmas time - on trees, cards or used as decorations. But the star only appears in one version of the Christmas story:
(St Matthew 2: 1 - 12 ).

Modern astronomers say that it wasn't a new star, or a meteor or a comet. What was unusual in the heavens was that the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were close together forming a triangle in the group of stars known as Pisces.



The wise men who saw the 'star' and followed it, would have interpreted this as a sign of a great event in the land of the Jews.

Many countries still celebrate the Christmas star in special ways:

The 'Festival of the Star' is held in Poland after the evening meal on Christmas Eve, when the village priest, as the 'Star Man', asks the children questions about their religion. Three young men will dress up as the three wise men and bring gifts for everybody.

In Alaska, children carry a star-shaped figure around the houses and sing carols, hoping to be given Christmas treats.

Contributed by Sandra Reid