Words To The Wise

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”  – Matthew 2:1-2.

The wise men are a staple of the Christmas story. The wise men were from a distant country, but God had given them a sign in the heavens—a special star—telling them of the birth of a new King. They went to Bethlehem, found the young child, and gave Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Bible says they, “bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11).

The wise men did not have the news told to them by angels, they sought out the Christ. They traveled for two years without even knowing what they would find at the end or how long it would take. They followed the direction God called them to follow. God showed the wise men what direction they would go, not what they had to do. They followed the star in faith. Should we not do the same?  

It would seem logical that during their journey, the wise men were constantly looking up because they were guided by a star. “We saw the star as it rose…And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (Matthew 2: 2,9-10)  Again, should we not do the same? Should we be consistently looking upward seeking the Lord and His presence?  Seeking the Lord means seeking His presence. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”  (Colossians 3:1-2) We will never get our bearing unless we are looking up. And we will never find our way out of the storms of life without the presence of God with us.   

Think for a moment on the sacrifice the wise men made. Not only did they receive a message from God, they acted on it. And in the process, they invested a great deal of their time, talent, and treasure to find a baby they had never met. Why would they do such a thing?  Because finding and worshipping Jesus is worth it. It begs the question, what have you invested in in order to worship Jesus?  How much of your time are you giving to find Jesus, to spend time with Jesus, and to worship him?  Are you using your gifts for Jesus? Why should you make all those sacrifices today? Because, wise man still seek Him and because He is worth it. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Does the wise men’s action surprise you? What is most amazing about how they responded?
2. What can we do this week to look up even in the storms of life?