Happy Three Kings Day! In honor of this holiday, I’d like to share the beginning of a Christmas story I wrote about the magi. If you’d like to read the rest, just click the link at the end to subscribe to my blog!
The Last Tribute (A Short Christmas Story)
Photo courtesy of haileyburiana.blogspot.com.
Bethlehem: 4 B.C.
Who was I to be blessed with such a child? I still struggled so much to be the woman Yahweh was calling me to be.
Jesus cooed, and I kissed his warm forehead. He beamed up at me—his first toothless grin.
Laughing, I kissed him again, but this time a tear rolled down my face. I ran a hand over his downy head. “I promise to do my best to raise you well and always keep you safe.”
A commotion outside caught my attention, so I grabbed the oil lamp and hurried to the window.
Foreigners from the east, richly clad in embroidered robes, were dismounting camels as they spoke to each other in a strange tongue.
Goosebumps rose on my arms. What were they doing here, in this small village of farmers and herdsmen?
I laid Jesus in his hammock, grabbed hyssop, and hurried to the hand mill. In case they were here to see the Anointed One, like the shepherds six weeks ago, I needed to prepare something to serve. Spinning the handle, I ground the leaves against the stone, and a minty aroma filled the air.
Before I was finished, someone rapped on our door.
My heart skipped a beat. So they were here to see Jesus. With one last glance at him, I took a deep breath and opened the door.
MAGI
A stately man towered over me with onyx eyes and an elaborate headdress. He bowed, and my mouth went dry. I had never entertained such wealthy guests.
“Peace be on you,” I managed to say.
“And on you, peace,” he said, his words coming out choppy in our language. Then the man looked past me and stared at Jesus. “Is this he who has been born King of the Jews?”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Photo courtesy of verytopsecret.info.
His star? I glanced above me and gasped. The star that had lingered above us for some time was glowing brighter than ever before.