Other Little Ships: His Star

Sunday, December 8, 2024

His Star

Chapter 17 His Star

From Other Little Ships

". . . . for we have seen His star . . . " Matthew 2:2

Imagine a little baby having its very own star!

I have a very close friend who has discovered that anyone can have a star registered in their name through a recognized astronomical society. He has done so as a romantic gesture for his wife. She now can imagine her own special claim to the star "Dubhe" that twinkles in the constellation "Ursa Major" (the Big Dipper). It resides at the coordinates Right Ascension 11 hours by 3 minutes by 24 seconds, at the Declination 64 degrees by 41 degrees by 37 degrees.

But Jesus' star was quite different. If Matthew's account and the Wise Men's description are literal this was not a natural occurrence or phenomenon.

Only the Wise Men could see Jesus' star. Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds, King Herod, HIS wise guys, or his murderous, infant-killing soldiers are never said to have seen this star.

Even OUR wise men lost sight of the star for a brief time and had to stop and ask directions. (By choosing to ask HEROD where the new King of the Jews as born showed that they were not INFINITELY wise!)

It is true that navigators "follow" stars to reach various destinations . . . but the Nativity Star "went before" the wise men and then "stood over" where Jesus was.

No, this was not your usual heavenly body. It was not in the heavens at all. It was not a super nova or a meteor. It was a miraculous beacon in our own atmosphere. And when our eastern travelers found what they were looking for . . . . the star disappeared.

I want to be exactly like that wonderful Christmas apparition! I want to be in the right place at the right time . . . where people are lost and searching; I want to lead them to the Savior and then just drift out of the picture.

My prayer; to be HIS STAR!

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Mark 4:35-41

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

OLS

When I began writing many years ago, I self-published everything that I produced under the auspices of "Other Little Ships," (in reference to the miracle of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41, where Mark mentions that there were "other little ships" involved in this familiar story).

It has always interested me that in this larger-than-life miracle story there were "little people" in the background, behind the scenes, under the radar.

I've always been more than happy to just get honorable mention in anything that God is doing. I'm proud to be sailing in one of those other little ships as long as I can be a small part of the story.