A Star Shining In the East

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Chapter 5
A Star Shining In the East

After our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They were following a very bright star that appeared in the sky the day our Lord was born. The wise men knew that this star was very special. They were scholars, which means they were men who read a lot and knew a lot.

They had read that when a King was born, there would be a bright star in the sky.

These men lived very far away and traveled for many, many months. They came from other countries and back then there were no cars or planes or trains. They traveled by foot or by camel. They followed the star all the way to Israel.

When they reached Bethlehem, they thought the King would be born in a palace so they went to King Herods palace and asked, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

This upset king Herod very much. He thought that this new King was going to take his place. King Herod did not know that the newborn King would not rule in a palace but He would rule in our hearts.

King Herod asked his chief priests where the new King would be born and they told him in Bethlehem of Judea. Then he secretly called the wise men and asked them when they first saw the star. They told him and King Herod asked the wise men to go and search for the young Child and when they have found Him, to come back and tell him (king Herod) where the young Child was.

When the Wise Men left king Herod, the star appeared to them again. They followed it all the way until it stopped on top where the young Child was.

When they saw the star they were so happy, happier than they had ever been in their whole lives.

Then they went into the house where the young Child was with Mary, His mother and they fell down to the ground and worshiped Him. Then they presented to him special gifts.

They brought Him a gift of gold because this young Child is the Great King of Kings.

They brought Him a gift of frankincense (the same as incense that we use in church) because this young Child is the High Priest.

They brought Him a gift of myrrh (it is a spice that tastes very sour) because this young Child will grow up and face a lot of pain on the Cross.

Then they were warned in a dream not to go back to king Herod but to go home another way.

For the Parents:
Discuss the following points with your children as you read this chapter to them:

How to be humble in front of God
The wise men were kings from far away lands. They were used to luxury and people serving them. But when they saw the star in the sky they knew that they had to follow it to the place of the Great King. They left everything behind them and traveled for a long time until they reached the place of the young Child.
Even though they were kings themselves, they were humble and went in search of a greater King then themselves.
Lets be like these wise men and humble ourselves in front of God. When we are good at something, lets not show off. When we are not sure of something, lets not be afraid or ashamed to ask someone we trust, like mom or Abouna.
Always remember that no matter how good you are at drawing or writing or building things, that it is God who gave us all these talents and we must use them for the glory of His name.
Never give up on doing what is right
The Holy Bible recalls that by the time the wise men came to our Lord, He had grown from an infant into a young Child. For many months the kings traveled through dirt roads and rocky roads; in rainy days and when the sun was very hot in the desert. It never occurred to them to give up and go home.
When we decide we will do all that is right, dont give up if no one else is willing to do like us. We need to remember we are leaders in this world and not followers. The great Saint, Pope Athanasius always did what was right. One time some people came to him and said, Why are you fighting Arius (an evil man who said that our Lord Jesus Christ was not God)? See the whole world is with Arius and against you. But Pope Athanasius answered them and said, And I am against the whole world.
Pope Athanasius was not afraid to do what is right, even when the whole world was against him. He was fighting the Lords battle and he was going to fight for what is right, no matter who stands against him. Pope Athanasius never gave up and history tells us that he saved for us the true Christian faith.
Look for Gods signs
When the Star of Bethlehem appeared in the sky it appeared to everyone. But only three men noticed the star and they were from lands far away. Our great God gives us signs and messages everyday but we need to have the holy eyes to see them.
To have these holy eyes, we need to have a relationship with our heavenly Father. We need to talk to Him in prayer. We need to go to His holy house, the church. We need to learn about Him in Sunday school and by reading the Holy Bible. All these things will grant us to have the holy eyes to see what God