TICKLISH?

It sounds like 'the brothers', whom we know as the wise men, got tickled by 'a star'. They took their arithmetic, and their sense of astronomy, history, culture, language, geography, and religion and followed this oddly roving thing in the sky. They packed up their stuff, packed up their grub, settled their accounts, and said their goodbyes. It would be quite a long trip. They let their faith be smart, yet adventurous, even brave, across what was known, and what was to be revealed.

God offered a 'feather' from the sky [figuratively speaking] and tickled them! Their response: 'they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy'. [I'm not sure, but I think they gave each other high-fives]. Clinically there are two types of 'tickle', knimesis, a lighter tickle which is more of an irritation, and gargalesis, a heartier type of tickle that we'd ascribe to causing laughter. Both types seem to require an element of surprise to occur.

In a way, the coming of Jesus into the world, with it's details, is God's way of tickling the world, alerting us, on the one hand of our need for a Savior, and on the other hand, revealing His arrival - Emmanuel, God with us, the promised, brought... Love incarnate! Exceeding Joy! "...they rejoiced with great joy... and they fell down and worshiped him...” [Matthew 2:11] We do not know whether they laughed per se, but with Bibles open, we know that their joy was extreme, as the cause for their joy was without natural comparison... perhaps, a response to a divine tickle.

They might've been acquainted with Micah 5:2 stating, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”  They might have known "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." [Isaiah 7:14] {I believe they chuckled!} What a tailgate party! Joy to the world!
 
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, for that touch of grace that saves, thank You. Thank You for forgiveness that covers a multitude of sin. Thank You for patience, born of loving mercy. Thank You Lord, for such kindness as to come near. Thank You for joy! Unspeakable joy! Amen. We don't deserve this gift, and certainly couldn't earn it! Thank You, Lord-God! Amen! Happy 'Birthday', Jesus!
By Dea. McNeal Brockington