Wise Men Still Seek
Him
By Jeannine Sawall
“Where is the one
who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come
to worship him.”
Matthew
2:7 (NIV)
Something
was out of the ordinary. A star shone brilliantly in the distance demanding
their attention. They had never seen something so extraordinary before, even
after studying stars for years. The Scriptures foretold of a King who would be
born…could this be the sign? They were wise men - - the philosophers of the
East - - but this was something they couldn’t explain. They made arrangements
to follow the star and, if the prophesy was true, find the one born King of the
Jews. They left prepared to find the Messiah and to worship Him.
I
love the story of the wise men. These were unbelieving; pagan magi of the East,
yet God met them in their own personal interests: the study of the stars to
draw them to Him. God made the first move, motivating these men to come and
seek Him and find Him. He shined His extraordinary light on them to light their
way to the new Messiah.
The
wise men were receptive to God’s invitation. Not only did they see the star,
they had receptive hearts and were willing to go to whatever lengths it took to
find Him. It is estimated that they traveled 900-1,000 miles to pay homage to
the new King, bringing gifts to present before Him. The gifts they offered - -
gold, myrrh and frankincense - - were fit for a king. They were willing to
cross racial, geographical, philosophical, political and relational barriers to
find Jesus and worship Him. And when they finally found Him, they responded
with great joy, bowed down to worship Him and offered the best they had to
give.
The
challenge to us is not to lose sight of the One Born King of the Jews. It’s so
easy to get caught up in the business and festivities and simply push Jesus to
the back of our minds. The wise men are an example to keep His light always
before us. We are to seek Him out no matter the barriers, and we are to
approach him with great joy. In His presence, we are called to bow down and
worship Him and offer our best gifts. The magi followed the star in obedience
not knowing what they would find. When they found Jesus, their lives were never
the same. Wise men (and women) still seek Him and our lives are never the same!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
What obstacles are you willing to cross to keep Jesus the focus of your
holidays?
2. What gifts are you willing to offer Jesus?
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and busy mother of four active boys. She works in property management
and actively walks along those experiencing grief.
