Di Star Stop

Di palace gates close behind dem. Di road wey go Bethlehem stretch go inside di darkness. And then one of di travellers look up, and e catch im breath. See am again. Di star.

Di magi don come from very far. Somewhere for di east, months before, dem see one star rise, and dem understand am as di sign of one newborn king of di Jews. Dem travel go Jerusalem, di place wey everybody go expect to find king. But di king wey dem meet there na Herod, wey im heart no rest and wey dey suspect everybody. Di teachers of di law point to Bethlehem. Herod meet dem for secret and send dem go with smile and false promise. Now, at last, dem leave di city for back and take di road go south.

Matthew talk say when dem don hear di king, dem comot. Dem no waste time for di palace. Dem don get wetin dem need. Bethlehem na just few miles away, like two hours if you waka or ride animal. Di road pass through di hills go south. E fit don dark and quiet, as di lights of di city dey fade for dia back. Dem feel uneasy about Herod? Dem wonder whether dem go really find di pikin? Matthew no talk. E go straight to wetin happen next.

And see, di star wey dem see for di east go before dem, until e come stand for top of di place where di young pikin dey. Na di same star wey dem see for di very beginning. Matthew no explain how e take move, or wetin kind light e be. E just tell us say e go before dem, like guide wey dey show road. And then e stop. E stand for top of one particular place for Bethlehem. No be for top of di whole town, but for top of di house where di young pikin dey. God don lead dem every step of di way, from one far land reach di door.

And then Matthew pack im words one on top di other to show how dem feel. When dem see di star, dem rejoice with joy wey big pass measure. No be just joy. Great joy. Joy wey pass measure. E be like say Matthew no fit find words wey big reach. Imagine dis respected scholars, wey di long journey don tire, as dem suddenly dey laugh, dey hug each other, maybe even dey dance for road. All di miles, all di times wey dem no sure, all di waiting. E worth am. Di light wey dem follow don carry dem reach di King.

Long time before, for di book of Numbers, one foreign seer wey dem dey call Balaam, wey talk say e come from di mountains of di east, talk one prophecy over Israel. One Star go comot from Jacob, e talk, and one Sceptre go rise from Israel. Plenty Jewish readers understand dis one as promise of one king wey go come. Matthew no quote Balaam, but im first readers fit don remember dose words when dem hear about visitors from di east wey follow star.

Di star wey guide dem dey Matthew chapter two, verse nine and ten. One light wey go before dem, wey stop for top of one house, and wey full dem with joy wey pass words. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How God don lead you reach today, and wetin dey full you with dat kind joy?