Homage or damage
The three kings, wise men or whatever you want to call them set out in search of The Messiah. The story goes they followed a star in the belief that it would take them to a moment of encounter. Going off course, they ended up in Herod’s Palace, mistakenly believing that was where royalty was to be found. There Herod met with them but only out out of curiosity and jealousy. He told them to come back and tell him where the “king” was to be found so that he too could go and “do him homage”. In reality his desire was not for homage but damage. The journey continued.
A conversation and a decision
Meanwhile in Bethlehem, in the height of a business boom, the inns are full, a conversation takes place.
She had mentioned it to him before but for some reason brought it up again: “You really should clean out the shed.” He agreed and said he had been putting it off for a while but with the census happening and the pressure they would be under in the days to come, he felt she was right. It was only fair to the few animals they had. They’d been lying on the same bedding for longer than he’d normally allow. He did the few bits around the Inn, made sure they had enough stock, had a bit to eat and headed for the shed.
It was a simple structure, at the back of their home and it seemed as if it had been there forever. He wondered who had built it but had never asked. As children, they played there – “hide and seek” and other games that took them beyond the day to day life of Bethlehem. Imagination was the only toy they needed and, in the shed, it took on a life of its own. He took out the old straw and, for some reason totally foreign to his way of thinking, decided to sweep up the odd bits that he’d normally just cover over. He checked the lights and put more oil in than he might normally use. All the while, the cow and donkey watched – they too knew him to be a gentle man and he had a respect for them that they knew wasn’t always found in the human kind. Kind! Yes, that’s what he was a “kind” man.
He spent longer cleaning the shed than usual. He let his mind wander and he remembered his father one time giving the use of the shed to some people that passed through the town. He wondered where those people slept that time but knew there were no complaints. “In fairness”, he said to himself “it’s not a bad place. If I didn’t have the few animals, I often thought it would make a nice room.” Then he looked at the two, as they chewed away and said “Don’t worry, as long as you’re here, this shed is for you – you alone.” But he thought again about his father offering shelter all those years ago. Strange, he hadn’t thought of that in years ….
“How did you get on cleaning the shed?” she asked him that evening. “You should see it,” he replied, “amazing! It’s fit for a king!” They laughed.
That little shed!
Who’d have ever imagined it would be the destination of the Wise Men? Who’d have thought it would be the destination of Joseph and Mary and the birth place of Jesus. How could anyone have imagined it would become the central piece of our Christmas celebrations and that its shape and wonder would be re-created in millions of homes, churches and places of gathering around the world?
Maybe its time to look around us and wonder – is there a little shed, a little space somewhere in my life that could make a difference?
A tune
Always liked this one from Neil Diamond