Message of the Wisemen

By Robert Hurtgen

One of my favorite pieces of the Nativity story in the Bible is that of the Wisemen. Many of us are familiar with the story of the Wisemen through the Christmas song that summarizes their story;

Star of wonder, star of night,

star with glory beauty bright.

Westward leading, still proceeding,

guiding them with its perfect light.

When the Wisemen read the star, they knew it was the sign of the birth of a new king. We are not told their number or the exact place their journey began; we are only told that they came from the east with purpose. Traveling with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, they navigated their course. Their mission was clear: They would find the one whose birth the star proclaimed and worship him.

One of the traits I enjoy about the Wisemen is that if it were not for God, they had no reason to be there. God included these learned men from an afar country to show us all are invited to come to Him, no matter where we live. All the gold, regalia and the ancient eastern refinery faded away because they believed a promise of God.

I am convinced the Wisemen were not at the manger the night Jesus was born. I do, however, love seeing them included in the manger scene that sits on my living-room table. The picture of the wealth of the Wisemen next to the poverty of the shepherds is a reminder we all are welcome in the presence of king Jesus, no matter where we have come from or the station of life we reside,

Christmas is a time of year to be reminded of the great love God has for all the people of the world. It is a time to remember the promises he made to bless the entire world. A time to remember those who appear to have all things, and those who clearly have nothing, are equally valued in the eyes of God.

The blessing of Christmas is not the gifts, but the promise made to all and for all. To quote the Wisemen, "A king has been born, and we have come to worship him."