The Star

King Herod has held the baby Jesus in his own arms - and doesn't even know it. When three magi arrive following a star, Herod sends them to Bethlehem to find the child, but keeps their companion Eugene as a hostage and throws old Simeon into the dungeon beside him. In Bethlehem, Connie helps Mary care for the baby, and her heart melts when he smiles at her. Then the star blazes over the little house, the magi bow with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh... and Eugene and Simeon burst in with a warning that Herod means to harm the child. Warned by God in a dream, Joseph flees with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, helped by a Roman captain who risks his own life to see them safely away. Back at Whit's End, Connie and Eugene marvel at the people they met - people willing to live, and even die, for a newborn king.

Found on At Home and Abroad Album 12 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

1 of 2 0171 The Cross of Cortes When a mysterious map from an old missionary friend draws Whit and Eugene to Mexico, their fact-finding trip turns into a treasure hunt shadowed by a dangerous rival.

2 of 2 0172 The Cross of Cortes A hunt for a legendary golden cross deep in a cave-riddled Mexican mountain turns treacherous when Whit, Eugene, and Dan discover they can't be sure who's really on their side.

0173 A Thanksgiving Carol When Eugene claims God has nothing to do with modern Thanksgiving, Whit and the gang set out to prove what the "thanks" is really about - by staging their own classic holiday tale on Kids Radio.

0174 Where's Your Daddy? A struggling mother and her two children, new to Odyssey and hiding a painful secret, find unexpected kindness at Whit's End as Christmas approaches.

0175 East, Winds Raining On Pearl Harbor Day, old Joe Finneman finally tells his great-niece what he saw in Honolulu on December 7, 1941 - and why his best friend, a Japanese American codebreaker, is the reason he can't hate anyone for that day.

1 of 2 0176 The Star A trip through the Imagination Station's new Christmas adventure separates Connie and Eugene in the ancient world, where each finds an unexpected guide on the road to the Christ child - and to King Herod's Jerusalem.

2 of 2 0177 The Star While Connie helps care for a very special newborn in Bethlehem, Eugene arrives in Jerusalem with three star-following magi - and their search for a newborn king draws the dangerous attention of King Herod.

0178 Room Mates When a college fumigation leaves Eugene homeless for a week, his distant cousin Bernard takes him in - and two stubborn know-it-alls discover just how hard sharing a house and a window-washing job can be.

0179 You Gotta Be Wise When a shock-rock cassette by local bad boy Rodney Rathbone sweeps through Odyssey, newspaper editor Dale Jacobs finds the battle over its lyrics landing squarely in his own daughter's bedroom.

0180 Isaac the Pure After a round of after-school jokes leaves him feeling dirty inside, a boy sets out to make himself completely pure - no matter what it costs him.

0181 It Takes Integrity When a cynical schemer runs unopposed for student body president, an idealistic school reporter enters the race to prove that integrity still matters in politics.

0182 The Scales of Justice When two thousand dollars in found cash sparks a courtroom showdown at Whit's End, Isaac must prove the money is rightfully his against the scheming Rathbones.

0183 Tales of Moderation When Connie asks why a wealthy man like Whit lives so simply, he hands her a book of three tales that make the case for moderation better than he ever could.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 13 more roles

13 supporting roles

Mary (a) Actor Unknown Benjamin (c) Hal Smith Joseph (b) Chuck Bolte Mary (b) Actor Unknown Balthazar Parley Baer Gaspar Corey Burton Melchior Dave Madden Simeon (b) Hal Smith Man in the street Bob Luttrell Proclus (b) Kenneth Mars King Herod's herald Phil Lollar King Herod Barry Stigler Chief Priest Corey Burton

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Phil Lollar Writer · Director · Producer Paul McCusker Writer Dave Arnold Sound Designer · Producer Bob Luttrell Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

The story picks up right where Part I left off, in Jerusalem in the days of King Herod. Herod has just held the baby Jesus in his own hands without knowing it, and he hands the child back to Mary, scoffing that there is no Messiah at all. Once the king moves on, the old rabbi Simeon warns Mary and Joseph that they must leave the city at once. Joseph has found carpentry work in Bethlehem, so that is where they will go, and Connie asks to come along. Mary welcomes her gladly - she can use the help with the baby.

Meanwhile, three magi named Balthazar, Melchior, and Gaspar arrive in Jerusalem with their companion Eugenius, who is really Eugene. They have followed a star from the east and have come to worship the newborn king, so they seek out Herod at the temple. When they ask to see the child, Herod is baffled, but his chief priest recalls the prophet Micah's words: the Christ is to be born in Bethlehem. Herod sweetly sends the three magi off to search for the child and report back to him - but he keeps Eugene behind as an "assurance," and locks up Simeon as well, since the old rabbi knows more about the Messiah than anyone and refuses to tell Herod a thing.

In the dungeon, Simeon tells Eugene how he blessed the child and met a girl named Connie. Captain Proclus, Herod's own guard commander, overhears them and realizes this is the same child Connie spoke of. Quietly, he sets the prisoners free.

In Bethlehem, Mary gently coaxes Connie to hold the baby Jesus, and Connie is amazed when he smiles at her. That night the star bathes the house in light, and the magi arrive to bow before the child with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Eugene and Simeon come close behind with a warning: Herod means the child harm. Joseph reveals that God has spoken to him in a dream - he is to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt, and the magi's gifts will pay for the journey. Even Proclus appears, not to arrest anyone but to see the child for himself before hurrying them all away. Simeon knows the captain will pay for this kindness with his life, but he tells the others not to grieve: Proclus has found a reason to live that is worth dying for.

With Mary, Joseph, and Jesus safely away by caravan, the adventure ends, and Connie and Eugene find themselves back with Whit. Connie treasures the memory of holding the baby who smiled at her, and Eugene marvels that the wise men, Simeon, and Proclus were all willing to live and die - not just for what they believed, but for him. For Jesus.