When I was a little boy, there was always competition when putting together the Christmas pageant. All of the boys wanted to be one of the wise men. After all, the shepherds and Joseph had to wear bathrobes but the three kings got to wear special costumes with crowns and were given beautiful jars and jewelry to carry. Who wouldn’t want to be one of those three?
The biblical wise men were probably astrologers who knew something special was going on when they saw the rising of a dynamic star (Matthew 2:2). The text in Proverbs talks of a time when wisdom and knowledge begin to shape us (Proverbs 2:9-10). That happened to these three. They followed the star even when they did not know exactly where it would lead. Have you ever answered a call from God when you did not know exactly what was going to happen?
One of the significant ingredients in this week’s lesson is the fact that these traveling worshipers were not Jews, but they sought the “king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) that they might honor and worship him. The Gospel writer Matthew recognized that God’s loving relationships included Gentiles as well as Jews. The “king of the Jews” came to save the world, and not just one corner of it.
The wise men brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). There were other times when people brought such to Jesus (John 12:4; Mark 16:1). What would be today’s equivalent offering? Here’s a thought. In today’s culture, the gift of time might be the most precious and honoring gift we could bring.
Back to Christmas pageants. I remember watching such a play once when a fellow who was one of the wise men turned to see if the others were following him down the church center aisle. When he turned, he banged into a pew, dropped, and broke the beautiful vase he was carrying. He paused for a moment, and then he picked up the fragments of the vase and carried them to the baby Jesus. As I reflect on it, that encourages me, because seldom do I have an unbroken self to bring to our Lord. Let us kneel and pay Him homage (Matthew 2:11)!
What Someone Elsee Has Said: Shirley Erena Murray (Hope Publishing Company, The Faith We Sing, Abingdon Press) has written a hymn that begins: “Star Child, earth Child, go-between of God, love Child, Christ Child, heaven’s lightning rod, This year, this year, let the day arrive when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Even now, I come to You, O Lord. What gift do I bring?...”
