How is it that I'd never processed this vital information about Epiphany? Herod sent the Wise Men. Well, God sent them first, but when they ran into Herod and he gave them a "mission" (that conflicted with God's Mission) to find the Christ child and then report back to him.
Here's the super-important part: when the Wise Men found the Christ child, they were overcome by His presence and they did NOT report back to Herod.
Okay, you may be thinking, "Duh. This is the basic story. We all know it."
I knew it so well, I had been missing a giant part of its meaning.
We all have some naysayers in our lives. Perhaps those who want to find fault in you especially because you are Christian. Those hell-bent on "destroying" you through their gossip (or worse). Well, while the Wise Men themselves did not want to destroy Christ, Herod sure did. And he was certainly happy to try to get the Wise Men to help him out with his plans. But when they arrived, they could see Him in all His glory and they did not want Him killed. An angel advised them not to return to Herod.
That's what I want people to see in us, in our family, shining through the cracks of our imperfection. I want them to see Christ. And when they see this, I pray that they turn their backs on the Herod within them and find their way Home by a different route.
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