FROM THE PULPIT: WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."(James 3:13)

Most of us have recently finished celebrating Christmas, the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. My favorite Christmas story as a child was the story of the wise men coming to worship Jesus.(You can read this in your Bibles in Matthew chapter 2).

It is amusing to me the traditions that have arisen about the wise men which are not necessarily factual. For example, the wise men probably didn't arrive Christmas night right after the shepherds. They probably didn't arrive for days, weeks, or months. They may have come from Persia (modern Iran) or Sheba (southern Arabia), trip which would have taken some time. Further, they did not worship the Christchild in the stable, but "in the house" where Mary and Joseph were living at the time. (Matthew 2:11) Nor are we told how many wise men there were, in spite of the carol "We Three Kings." (they weren't really kings either). There were three gifts, and tradition has assigned a personality as bearer of each gift.

No matter when the wise men came, who they were or where they were from, they can teach us some very important lessons if we are willing to learn.

They made a priority of seeking Christ.

Christ himself said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,"(Matthew 6:33) Christ is the embodiment of God's righteousness. Christ invites people, "Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened," Matthew 11:28).Christ came into the world to forgive sinners (Romans 5:6-8) The wise men knew Jesus Christ was God's anointed king, come to rule the earth. Whether they knew His rule was to be a rule of love is not known, but the Bible tells us that. Why then do we not make the effort to seek Christ diligently, as the wise men did?

They worshipped him.

In a day and age when people look for an excuse to not worship, the wise men remind us it is wise to do so. "But I don't have to go to church to worship and pray," you may say. If that is your opinion, you had better review the Bible, for it is not God's opinion. Not only did the wise men come to Christ's house to worship, we have the command and example to do so all through the Bible. (Four examples may be found in Exodus 20:8-11, Psalms 96:8, Luke 4:16, and Hebrews 10:25).

They gave him gifts.

Their offerings were not pocket change. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were quite costly and valuable.It was not leftovers from their paycheck, insignificant, or less than their best. Yet we look for ways to not pay God 10% of our income, or give Him "quality time" or wholehearted effort, in spite of Him giving Himself for us.

They disregarded the opinion of others.

The wise men were not concerned with what Herod thought of their plan to worship Christ. And Herod was the king in whose jurisdiction they were traveling. Yet we often let our friends and neighbors sway us into not worshipping, not doing what we know is right, not seeking Christ. Rather, the wise men were intent on doing what-was right and good, no matter at what cost to themselves.

Christmas may seem long gone, New Year's old news, the holiday spirit long forgotten (already!). The lessons of the wise men, however, are timeless. If we take them to heart, our 1998--and our forevers-- will be blessed. After all, wise men still seek Him.