Wisdom from the Wisemen
We are alive in a time that offers near immediacy to all our wants, desires, and questions. We always have information at our fingertips. Insight and education can be sought from numerous sources. To prove it, we can get the degrees and all the letters to add behind our names. The ability to learn and educate ourselves seems endless, even informally.
Continuing with our cast of Christmas, I found it interesting that there is a significant difference between our Shepherds and our Magi. While the Shepherds’ journey would have been short and quick, the story of the Magi has much more depth.
Based upon the fact that these individuals brought gifts, we know they were wealthy, and historically speaking, where there is access to wealth, there is access to education. Where there is access to education, there is the ability to gain wisdom. These men were students of the sky. They observed the sky so often that they noticed when a new star appeared at the time of Jesus’ birth. Intrigued, they began a journey to learn more.
These men had studied past things so they could be aware of the present. They knew the sky so well that they had to investigate it as soon as something new appeared. It was the past that kept them informed, but the present that held their curiosity. It is important to note that Angels did not visit the Magi as soon as Jesus was born. It was their education and their wisdom that led them on a long journey to Bethlehem.
Matthew 2 states, “the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.”
Despite their education, they still needed to be led by a heavenly host, the star. Although they were the ones bringing gifts, they still bowed in the presence of Jesus. I find it incredibly encouraging that after they visited with Jesus, they were humble enough to submit to the instructions received in a dream to avoid King Herod on their return.
What can we learn from these Magi? Today, it is easy to become wise in our own eyes. We can do the research, find the answers, and ask all the questions, but that will eventually only take us so far. We can have conversations with those in power, those with impact, and those with perceived authority, and even then, be sabotaged or misled by the selfish desires of those leading. Ultimately, we must be willing to submit to something greater than ourselves, regardless of how wise we may be or how long it takes to see the result.
I pray this Christmas season that we take a lesson from the Magi. Be wise, but stay humble. Learn, dig, and ask questions, but never be too proud to submit to the guidance of heaven above.
Listen to the message here.