What keeps us from doing right?

When the magi from the east came to Jerusalem, it stirred up the entire city. Herod, the king, was troubled with the news of a king being born.

Since this king was called "King of the Jews," Herod called for the professionals, the scribes and priests, for help. These men were the religious scholars, who knew the Old Testament and who were waiting for the Messiah to come.

They told him that the birthplace of the king of the Jews would be Bethlehem (Matt 2:4-6).

But there is no record of these men going to Bethlehem to find out if it were true. They didn't go to see if the prophecy was being fulfilled. They didn't go to to verify the rumors that the wise men had been circulating through the city.

They didn't go.

Why?

Maybe they were afraid of Herod. He was not known to be a gentle ruler and his throne was being challenged. They were more concerned about their lives and positions than knowing the truth, so they did what they could to stay on his good side.

Maybe it was because of arrogance. Why would God reveal this news to astrologers and not to us, His chosen people? Surely, it can't be the truth, or He would have told us first!

Maybe it was because of spiritual blindness. This was just the first of many rejections and refusals of the truth, prophesied by Isaiah.

Maybe it was all of these.

And we can be guilty of all three, too.

Fear of man.

Spiritual arrogance.

Blindness to the truth.

All three will keep us from worshiping God. All three will keep us from obedience. All three will keep us from the truth.

At times, we're not much better than the scribes and priests.