The Magi

 

Wise Men

 

Scripture Matthew2:1-12 (NIV)

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people, Israel.’

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 

Devotion:

            We continue to look at the stories surrounding the birth of our savior. This piece contains the mysterious Magi who came looking for a new born king. Matthew’s story does not give us many hints as to the number of Magi that came. Tradition holds the number at three. Matching the number of gifts that they brought to Jesus. But we cannot know for sure. Who were these mysterious visitors from the east? The Greek word for Magi means astrologer. They had seen a new star appear when Jesus was born, and they followed that star to the manger where the baby Jesus was.

            The three gifts the Magi brought were gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh as anointing perfume for a burial. Thus, prefiguring the life and ministry of the child they came to worship. This worship must have felt out of place in a stable surrounded by animals, But the Magi would not be deterred they knew what almost all the world overlooked. That the tiny baby laying in that feeding trough would one day be recognized throughout the whole world. We should give thanks for Magi for being willing to travel to a land distant from their own to find the true king who had come into the world.

 

Prayer:

            Holy God we bring our gifts of praise to the baby born in Bethlehem. That humble baby now sits with the Almighty Father on his throne in heaven. Angels praise him there constantly. One day we will all do the same. Jesus thank you for being willing to leave your heavenly abode to come as a tiny baby through whose life, death and resurrection would save us from our sins. We give you our grateful praise this day and every day. Amen.