You are starving hungry. You follow a delicious smell. As the scent grows strongest, you meet another man who has not eaten for weeks. He tells you where the food is handed out, but will not budge from the bench on which you meet him.
You are desperately sick. You hear of medicine being distributed. As you draw near the place, a dying man calls to you from his doorway, telling you where to find the doctor, but then goes back into his house and closes the door.
You are fearfully poor. You hear of a great benefactor who distributes to all who call on him. On your way to his home you meet a beggar in threadbare clothes. He has heard of this generous giver, and points you to his house, but turns away to ask passers-by for a few coins.
These are desperate, tragic cases. The needful remedy is known and near, but there is no interest or appetite. The same thing happened when the Lord Jesus was born. The same thing may be happening as you read this article.
Sad scene
One of the saddest scenes in the narratives of Christ’s birth is found in Matthew’s Gospel, 2:1-12. The wise men have come from the East – a journey of many miles and months – in order to worship the King of the Jews. This is more than paying political respects: this is religious homage, bowing down before the divine.
