Where Is He?

How much did the wise men know when they arrived in Jerusalem?

I’ve been thinking about that today as I pondered their conversation with King Herod. They had seen a star which indicated that an important new king had been born. They were convinced enough to make a long journey, bringing expensive gifts and fully anticipating that they would see the new king.

But Jerusalem was apparently as far as they could get without further instructions. It’s noteworthy to me that, when they spoke with King Herod, they led with a question.

Where is he that is born King of the Jews?

Matthew 2:2

Perhaps they expected to find the baby in the royal residence. Clearly, the star, which subsequently “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was,” didn’t show them the precise location at first. They didn’t find Jesus until the chief priests and scribes explained to them and to Herod that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, about 6 miles south.

As Nephi entered the city of Jerusalem six hundred years earlier in a third attempt to obtain the brass plates, he didn’t know what to expect. “I was led by the Spirit,” he later wrote, “not knowing beforehand the things which I should do” (1 Nephi 4:6).

Faith is a willingness to act in the face of uncertainty. If you already know what will happen, then you aren’t really exercising faith. That’s why Alma said, “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true” (Alma 32:21).

The wise men were wise because they had studied the words of prophets and knew the meaning of the star. They were wise because they had watched for the sign and recognized it when it came. They were also wise because they were willing to act upon that knowledge, without knowing precisely where they would find Jesus. They started their journey in faith and then asked for help along the way.

Today, I will exercise faith by acting on the knowledge I have, even when I’m not sure what will happen next. I will remember the wise men, who didn’t know precisely where they would find Jesus, but who traveled to Jerusalem and then received the help they needed to move on to Bethlehem.