Thoughts at Christmas Time
Part Four of Four
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” —Matthew 2:1-2 NASB
It’s January 1, 2024. A new year has begun—and with it, the usual ponderings about how we should live differently in the days ahead. Whether you’re a “resolution maker” or not, all of us want to do better and live happier. That’s a natural human inclination. One of the best ways to make change is to study wisdom and what makes a person wise. By looking at the famous “wise men” or “magi” in the Bible, we can learn important lessons from these mysterious men who traveled an incredibly long way, convinced that a new star meant a king had just been born in Judah. How in the world did they know this? Why in the world did they travel so far?
They studied. To know a brand-new star has arrived, you must be very familiar with the existing stars. I doubt many of us would have a clue on our own whether a new star had appeared. However, the magi knew the night sky, and after years of seeing the same age-old constellations and patterns in the sky, they knew that something quite unique had appeared.
They sought to understand. Not only did they discover the star, but they also asked a further question: “What does it mean?” They must have read many documents and ancient scrolls, perhaps left over from the Jewish nation in exile, to conclude that the star signified the birth of a king, very specifically, one born in the land of Israel. Perhaps they read this verse from Numbers: “I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel ...” (vs. 24:17a).
They acted on their understanding. Once they realized what this phenomenal occurrence meant, they acted upon that knowledge and prepared to take a long and arduous journey to see this king. Why? To worship Him. Even though they were wealthy and comfortable in their own land, they realized this was an incredible and unique circumstance. They knew they must meet this king and pay Him homage. So, off they went to find Him!
And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. —Matthew 2:11-12 NASB
They chose faith. Once these wise men found Jesus, they were not put off by the fact that He was a tiny child, born to poor people, living in an obscure village. Jesus was not a typical newly arrived king! Yet, down they fell before Him, believing His greatness, even though He was so small.
They honored God. Their gifts were lavish. They knew they were in the presence of royalty, and they gave accordingly. We don’t know how much they understood about the baby, but we do know they held Him in high esteem—and we know that He was God-in-flesh.
They were obedient. They were told in a dream to change their route home and not return to Herod, who was at this point already plotting to kill Jesus, even if it meant killing all the children His age in and around Bethlehem. Like Joseph, who was also terrific at obedience, these humble magi changed their own plans and followed God’s plans.
The faith and wisdom of the Magi is, quite frankly, stunning. I hope we meet them in Heaven and have a chance to hear their stories in more detail! Their journey to Jesus was incredibly unique and would never have happened without their love for wisdom.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
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To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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Thank you Sharon! What a great example to follow.
It was fun to do some musing for this Musing on their wisdom!
Thank you, we humans need a lot more wisdom, may we always try to live wisely and humbly as we honor you, Lord. Help us to give and give more, to be generous with all we have been given.
Amen!