A young Christian man writes: “While
auditioning for my church's Christmas pageant years ago, I had the good fortune
to be chosen as the narrator. Each
rehearsal went off smoothly and I was confident when it came time for the
pageant. At a certain point in the
drama, I said in a loud voice: “And the
kings brought gifts to the baby Jesus, gold, Frankenstein and myrrh.”
I recall a cartoon of the nativity which pictured three
women standing near the manger. The
caption read: “After the three wise men left, three wiser women
arrived each presenting a gift to the baby Jesus. Fresh diapers, casseroles for a week, and
lots of formula.”
Which takes us to the story of the Magi. Are there lessons the Magi can teach us? The Magi were guided by a celestial body,
which according to the star-gazers in their day meant that a special birth, the
birth of a king, the King of the Jews, was coming into the world. So they packed their suitcases, said good-bye
to their families, climbed upon their camels, and set out on an adventure to
find this king. Yes, it was a modern
day road trip.
I think this story captures our imagination, because it's a
reminder that all of us are on a quest, a journey which we call life. Magi were Wisemen, Astrologers, or Magicians
from the east. The East in this context
has traditionally been identified as Persia ,
modern day Iran . The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem signified that
this astonishing birth was inclusive, intended not only Jews, but Gentiles,
non-Jews, represented by the Magi.
The presence of magi confirmed that God sent Jesus not just
to be the savior of Israel ,
but that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, God’s anointed one for the whole
world. Centuries earlier we hear the
prophecy of the prophet Isaiah: “Nations
shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
The Magi followed a star.
The story reminds us right off, that people follow all kinds of things
in life don't they? Some things, like
stars, are positive, good, inspiring, and beneficial. There are stars that help our lives to grow
and others' lives to grow. There are
stars that lead to meaning, joy and fulfillment. There are stars that contribute to society,
e.g. worthwhile causes, careers, family, medical research, military service,
and spirituality. Other people follow
things that aren't stars, but follow them anyway. Things that are dumb, foolish, worthless,
harmful or trivial, like trouble, materialism, radical ideologies, pleasure,
greed, crime, using and exploiting people for personal gain, hurting others, and
the god of money and wealth.
I remember a conversation with a man when I was pastor in Colorado who had
followed his love for gambling for many years.
He told me he once had a family, a job and a home. But over the years, his love for gambling
became an addiction and caused him to lose everything. When I met him he had come a long way back
from the bottom. He had become a
Christian, was no longer gambling, was dating a woman, was trying to re-connect
with his children and had started a new career.
We all have the opportunity to follow stars or things. It's critical to distinguish between them,
because what we follow makes all the difference in our lives. Choosing wisely is crucial. What are you following?
The story of the magi further reminds us that God sends
stars into our lives. Now please don't
be too literal here. Think
symbolically. I'm not picturing a
celestial body hovering over your head while you are walking in your home or
walking around outside. God can use
anything as a star to get our attention and to guide us according to His
plan. God can turn anything or make
anything into a star; we are after all talking about God. God sends stars to us in order to fulfill His
purpose for our lives.
I think of a pastor friend in Los Angeles who saw a star or sensed God's
call to get personally involved in the tough neighborhood around his
church. He started playing pick-up
basketball, in parks in his community and befriended a number of troubled
youths who were involved in illegal drugs and violence in the
neighborhood. God used this pastor's
faith, his personality, his athletic ability, his presence to help steer many
young men away from trouble, or prison or death on the streets and into
productive lives. He led many to come to
faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord.
Yes, God sends stars into our lives and can even use us as a star to
guide others, to inspire others, to point others to the glory of Christ.
I further believe the Magi story reminds us that in
following stars we must persevere. Just
because God set's a star before us, and we have a clear direction, a path, a
call to follow, doesn't mean the journey will be easy or comfortable or stress-free
or risk-free.
Clearly the journey the Magi took involved suffering,
sacrifice, discomfort, and struggle. The
distance from Iran to Israel is well
over a thousand miles. To make that
trip, crossing deserts by camel would have pushed one’s inner-strength to the
extreme. They would have faced untold
hardships. But these Magi persevered,
they didn’t give up, they endured the journey, battling the elements in their quest
to find the promised king.
Their story reminds us about what’s involved in truly
following Jesus. It means at times we
must persevere and endure hardship, and remain faithful, amid difficult
circumstances. Why, because Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior is worthy of such faith and endurance. Why, because God’s purposes for our lives
matter. God’s purposes are worth
persevering after.
I think of valiant people in the Bible, men and women of
faith, who battled on amid adversity like Ruth and Esther, and Micah, and
Elijah, and Mary Magdalene, and Joseph and John and Timothy and the Apostle
Paul.
In the letter of Hebrews we read: “Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us.” In the letter
of I Timothy we read: “Fight the good
fight of the faith; pursue righteousness, faith, love, endurance.”
Christ calls us to persevere, to carry on and that includes
every aspect of our being. It includes
our intellect, our emotions, and our soul; the intellectual, emotional,
spiritual and physical aspects of our being, for sometimes we are plagued with
questions and doubts, or we are downcast emotionally or spiritually
exhausted. Sometimes we are physically
drained. This is where prayer, getting
down on your knees and going to God in prayer, is so essential.
Hardship doesn't mean you have mistakenly followed a star
that you thought God had placed before you.
It doesn't mean that you are following the wrong star. It doesn't mean God is punishing you because
you aren't following in the manner God expects you to or in accord with God's
timetable.
This is where we Christians sometimes misread God's plans
and purposes for their lives. In fact
just the opposite can be true. If the
journey is too easy, too comfortable, you just may not be following the star,
the path, the destination which God has in mind for you. It is clear in scripture and in the lives of
Christians today, in this nation and around the world, that following stars
takes faith, determination, courage and a thankful heart for the privilege of
God sending stars into our lives.
The author Fleming Rutledge writes: “As our life of thanksgiving deepens, we discover that the more mature
prayers of thanksgiving are not only those offered for obvious blessings, but
those spoken in gratitude for obstacles overcome, for insights gained, for
lessons learned, for increased humility, for help received in time of need, for
strength to persevere, for opportunities to serve others.”
My friends trust this, when God sends a star to you He will
lead you. The Magi traveled along their
route with a sense of direction in mind.
They could not predict where the journey might take them, or what
fortunes or disappointments they would encounter, or what detours they might
unwittingly take, but they trusted the star to lead them to where God wanted
them to go, Bethlehem ,
to where they could worship the king.
It’s been said: “The
future is an opportunity yet unmet, a path yet untraveled, a life yet
unlived. The direction we take now,
determines where we will end up in the future.” When you aren’t sure which way to turn, what
decision to make, or what you should do, remember and rely upon Jesus’ promise
“I am the way.” And fall down on your knees and pray.
I have spoken to many believers over the years who have told
me about the guidance and direction God has given to them. I too am personally thankful for the stars
God has placed before my life, which have led me and have been a guiding light
for my path, my walk, my journey. Yes, I
think the Magi have lessons to teach us after all.
Proverbs says: “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, do not rely on your own insight, in all your
ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Amen.
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