Advent Day #21
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11-12
Assuming the wise men made the journey from Persia, the nine-hundred-mile journey would have taken three months on foot. Though the star that prompted their journey shone brightly at their departure, somewhere along the way they had lost sight of it, so they went to the most obvious place to find a King: the palace in Jerusalem. Imagine their befuddlement to find no one else even aware that such an important birth had occurred.
Once they learned where the prophecies placed the birth of the Messiah, they set out to find Him and the star again shone over His lodging. The Bible says that Jesus was now a young child in a house, despite what the standard nativity scene presents.
In contrast to Herod’s feigned worship, the marks of sincerity characterized the wise men’s worship of Jesus. Their worship was intentional and inconvenient. It cost them time, expense, and perhaps the possibility that they would not find what they sought. But they chose to pursue Him anyway. When they did, these grown men bowed before a little Child, humbling themselves, offering Him gifts befitting His true identity. Interestingly, they expected nothing in return. They left rejoicing that they found the One they were diligently seeking.
It is wise to consider the wise men’s example of sincere worship. Seeking Jesus will cost effort, time, and inconvenience. Is He worthy of humble worship on our faces before Him? Or are we unwilling to show such deference?
Christmas can wrap us up in so much busyness and gift-giving that we forget to take the time to give Jesus the true worship He deserves. Maybe this Christmas we can intentionally choose to seek Him and worship without expectation of anything in return. Perhaps we too will go away rejoicing that we found the Treasure we had been seeking!
His Song in the Night 
I’m sure you have read a lot of different opinions and studies on the different aspects of the Christmas story as you prepared for this series (and in the past). I find the meanings of the gifts the wisemen brought fascinating. And along with what you pointed out, think about the time they took solely to worship Jesus Christ!! Many of us can’t find the time to read our Bibles or pray, but it’s all about what is important to us….Man, leaving comments can get me sidetracked on other tangents and soap boxes as I write. Haha! Going to stop now….so thankful you decided to do your advent series this year, friend!! 💕
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I always love your thoughts! I think taking the time to study the gifts is a good idea. I have in the past, but didn’t delve into it this year. I am actually so glad I did this series too. It has helped me keep my focus on Jesus leading up to Christmas better than any time in the past. I highly recommend it for everyone! ❤️
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