Watching for warnings

Jesus, help me to trust my "gut feelings!" Amen.

After Jesus was born, three wise men came to King Herod, asking, "Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We followed His star here and came to worship Him." Herod worried that this "new king" might take over, so he sent the wise men to find Jesus and come back. The men found Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But an angel warned them that Herod would kill Jesus; so, instead of returning, they went home another way.

It's important to "trust your gut." Have you ever had a feeling something was wrong, but you ignored it? Often, you find out later that your "gut feeling" -- that funny feeling in your stomach when something seems strange to you -- was right.

Whether it's a grownup who's acting creepy or a bully suddenly pretending to be your friend, you know that trusting that warning from your gut is usually a good idea. The three wise men learned that lesson in this week's Gospel (Mt. 2:1-12).

When the wise men came looking for Jesus, the first person they asked for directions was King Herod. He heard them call Jesus a "newborn king" and got really worried, since Herod wanted to keep being the king himself.

Herod acted really nice to the wise men. But their "gut feeling" -- their warning that Herod wasn't as nice as he seemed -- came from an angel later on. Instead of reporting back to Herod, the wise men sneaked home by another road to keep Jesus safe.

Like your gut feelings about bad situations, there were danger signs from Herod. Why would he be so nice to the wise men, who were strangers? Why would he want to find Jesus if he thought Jesus was going to take his job?

It never hurts to trust your gut. When the wise men trusted their instincts and the message from an angel, they saved Jesus' life!