Entering the house, the wise men saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route. Matthew 2:11-12
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know?”
My words…
I often wonder what compelled the wise men to travel for months to visit a child king of a foreign country in which they shared no social, political, or religious ties. They knew the prophesies: a King of the Jews would be born in Judea, and He would lead His people to freedom, but they really had no stake in that event. So I asked You, Lord: Why? And You answered me: “It’s what wise people do.” I have pondered Your answer for days, and it has lightened my heart. Wise people embrace prophesies and watch for their fulfillment. They act on signs sent by You. They sacrifice their time and their wealth when they find the One who is worthy to receive it. And they know to whom they should offer their purest worship.
The world sees a child in his mother’s arms living in a simple home in Bethlehem. Just a child. The wise see a King, the Hope of the world who lived and died and rose and now sits at a very special place, waiting to return. Because that’s what wise people do.
