Really Rejoicing

Matthew 2:10
(10) ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα.

Matthew 2:10
(10)  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

This is one of those verses that really comes out more strongly in the Greek than in English.  Even if you don't read Greek, you can see that there is a similar form in these two words: ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν.  That is because one is a verb and the other is a noun.  They are cognates of each other and they are put together for emphasis.  This is very serious rejoicing.

What's interesting is that the words at the end don't have anything to do with joy.  You can think of μεγάλην σφόδρα as referring to "great exceedingly" or something like that.  This really serves to emphasize the enormity of their joy.

What about you?  As we wind down the Christmas season and get ready to settle back into the routine of the new year, how are you reacting to the news of the Savior?  Does contemplating His incarnation cause you to rejoice exceedingly with great joy or are you just going about your day?  If I'm honest, I have to say that I am not reacting the way the Magi did.  It is far too easy for my relationship with the Lord to become routine and lose the power of seeing His star in the sky.

My prayer is that we all would rejoice exceedingly with great joy over the Savior.  I hope you join me in that.