Three Wise Women, Part 3

 Part 3 of Three Wise Women

The journey of the three wise men (and Miranda) continued, across deserts and mountains, through forests of giant cedars and beside muddy rivers. They arrived in Jerusalem, and while the three men met with King Herod, Miranda wandered around the palace, hearing whispers and rumors about Herod. When the three men returned to her, all four were in agreement – they were not going to trust this “king.”

Eventually, they followed the star to Bethlehem, and they found who they had been seeking. Early one morning, they found Mary and Joseph in the home of a distant relative of Joseph’s. Mary was holding the newborn Jesus. He was crying; she was distraught, as new mothers so often are. Miranda, not a rookie at being a mother, having seven grandchildren of her own, carefully took the baby from Mary, and held him, swaying in that way mothers have (or learn), until the child stopped crying.

The three men knelt before the parents and the child, presenting their gifts -- gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh as oil for burial. Joseph accepted their offerings with a look of disbelief on his face, but Mary quietly watched, and Miranda knew she was learning about her son, the new king, through her husband and his friends. Miranda watched wisdom as it was born on this young woman’s face.

Before Miranda handed the baby back to his mother, she gazed at his face, mesmerized by him. He was just a baby – he looked just like any other baby she had seen, but she knew, deep down, that this child was different. This child would change the world. This child was more than a king. She knew that after seeing this child, face to face, she would never be the same. She was changed.

She left with her husband and his friends. They bypassed Jerusalem on their trip home, going a different way. Balthazar told her, “To go back through Jerusalem would be backtracking,” but she had heard him telling her husband about his dream – a dream warning them to avoid Herod at all costs.

Years later, back in their hometown, she would often remember her journey to follow the star. She had been right; her life had been changed. Her status in the community, the amount of gold in her basement – none of it mattered anymore. Taking care of her neighbors had become a priority. Loving her family and friends and sharing what she had with those in need were the ways in which she honored the king she had met.

She heard rumors of the woman they had met in Russia – Babushka. It seems that she did give in to her longing to find the king, but that she had left too late. The star had set, and when she finally arrived in Bethlehem, the child and his family were gone. Devastated, she returned to her home, but during the cold nights of winter, she would leave gifts for the children in her neighborhood, wanting to share the love and kindness she had intended to shower upon the king.

Three women – Miranda, Babushka and Mary – each in her own way changed forever when they met the king, become three wise women, full of wonder and delight.

When you meet Christ, face to face your life will change.

Inspiration for the idea wording of the last line is from Floyd Taylor's devotion, which you can read here (Validation).

Three Wise Women, Part 2

Part 2 of Three Wise Women

The three wise men had planned everything. They had packed all of the food and equipment they would need. They had brought other men to help on the journey, they had spare camels for when the ones carrying the loads got too tired to continue. They had their star charts and their telescopes. The one thing they had not planned on was clouds.

A storm passed through, obliterating their view of the star. Now what?

They traveled on, hoping they were going in the right direction. The caravan eventually ended up in a small Russian village.

When Melchior told Miranda where they were, she said, “What? A Russian village? What are we doing in a Russian village? We need to turn around! We’re obviously lost.”

“No, dear, we can’t go back. Balthazar never likes to back-track. We’ll keep going.”

As he said this, Miranda saw a woman watching the caravan from the window of her home. “Melchior, at least ask her for directions.”

“Directions?! We don’t need directions.” He laughed, and rode off.

Miranda scoffed. Men. She pulled her camel to the side and walked up to the woman’s home. The woman was very welcoming, asking Miranda to come inside. Miranda was very impressed by her house – it was spotless and neat, with not a speck of dust or crumb in site. The two women went to the back of the house, to the equally spotless kitchen and sat down to talk, in the way that women do.

Eventually, Melchior noticed that Miranda wasn’t with the caravan and went back to find her. The Russian woman’s son opened the door and led him back to the kitchen.

“Melchior! Come and meet Babushka.” Melchior sat at the table with them, and of course, the conversation led back to the star and their journey. Melchior, as always, almost to Miranda’s embarrassment, was just as enthusiastic about their journey as he had been when they started. Amazingly, Babushka was enthralled by Melchior’s words.

“Oh, I would love to meet this king. Even here in my village, we have heard of the Jewish prophecy. How wonderful that you are going to find him!”

“My lady, Babushka, you should come with us! You should meet this king.”

“Come with you? Oh, I can’t come with you. I have too much to do here! I have house work to do, and tomorrow, I have to prepare a community meal. I can’t just leave. I can’t go seek this king!”

As the couple was leaving, to return to the caravan, Babushka told them goodbye, saying, “If I get everything finished, maybe I will follow you, and find the king myself.”