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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 5, 2008 Wise Men |
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Frontline Devotion for Saturday, January 5, 2008 by Don
Kress
(Revised from 1/3/06)
Text for the Day: Matthew 2:1-12
Tomorrow is Epiphany, the Christian church’s commemoration of the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles (in the person of non-Jewish wise men). Today’s scripture passage is the historical record of the coming of the wise men. There’s a lot that can be written and debated about these wise men. First of all, how many were there? I looked through the 125 or so Christmas cards we received this year, and five picture wise men on them – and all five picture three, and they’re consistently depicted as kings. Then there’s that carol we sing: “We Three Kings.” So there must have been three, right? And they must have been kings, right? Some translations call them “Magi,” which could mean that they were Zoroastrian priests of ancient Persia, reputed to possess supernatural powers. Who knows? The Bible doesn’t give a number or specify whether they were kings, astronomers, or just learned men; it just says, “…behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” I don’t know how many there really were; there could have been thirty, or even three-hundred. They could have been kings, or astronomers, or just very educated men. However many there were and whatever they did, they were wealthy enough to finance an incredible journey and there were enough of them that their arrival created a real stir in Jerusalem.
They had been on the road for a long time, probably a year or two. These wise men were experts at studying the stars, and when the new star – whether actually a star or an alignment of several planets – appeared at Jesus’ birth, they were certain that this star proclaimed the birth of royalty, and also that this new king was born with an appointed time to die. That explains why myrrh was one of the gifts they brought. Gold and frankincense were traditional gifts for a king; gold speaks to the fact that the child is born a king, and frankincense speaks the fragrance of this new king’s life. Myrrh, however, speaks of the king’s death.
Their question upon arrival in Jerusalem was not one of uncertainty: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star…” How did they come to associate a new star with a king, and how did they identify it with Israel? The people of the East had a prophecy given by Balaam (Numbers 24:17) which said, “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” The wise men had that prophecy, and so they set off on a long, hard trip by camel to Jerusalem, seeking this new King.
In Jerusalem they found a king – Herod the Great. He was an Edomite who had bought his current position from the Roman Government, and the one thing he would not tolerate was competition. So, when this entourage arrived in Jerusalem asking, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”, it’s no wonder that Herod was troubled. He called all the Jewish religious leaders together and demanded them to tell him what their scriptures told of a Messiah. I’m amazed that they knew and were able to tell him right away, quoting the prophet Micah (5:2). “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” They knew all about the coming of the Messiah; they didn’t have to look it up, they could quote it! The problem is that it was academic knowledge that had no personal meaning for them. You’d think they would have excitedly gone to the wise men and said, “We know precisely where He was to be born. We’re looking for the Messiah, too. Let us ride with you and we’ll show you the way!”
How many of us are really looking for the Messiah? We study about His coming, and we talk about it and sing carols about it for the four weeks leading up to Christmas, but would we really like to see Him right now? If some wise men rode into our life right now and said “Let us take you to the Messiah,” would we gladly go with them? Or would we be troubled by their interruption and say, “You go on ahead. I’m busy right now. I’ll come see Him later.” Are we, like the wise men, willing to travel long, weary miles in the hope of finding Him and worshipping Him? Or are we content just to know the story? That’s a question that each of us much answer for ourselves. As the verse on the front of one of those five Christmas cards to which I referred reads, “His star still shines for seeking hearts.”
Prayer: Dear Christ Child, wise men sought you and worshipped at your feet. May my heart continue that celebration this day and always. Guide me to your glorious Light. I ask it in your name. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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