See the Lights, Follow the Light of the World (Matthew 2:1-6)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:1-6 (ESV)
The Wise Men
So, I have been doing a million Christmas play practices for school. And I got to thinking about the wise men. These men don’t even live in Israel, but they have studied the prophecies of the Jewish prophet Micah. They see the star as a sign of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
However, they are not just intellectually interested in this discovery. They completely disrupt their lives to take action.
Disrupting their lives to take action
They see the star and travel all the way to Israel. They even meet with the current king of the Jews. They are seeking the fulfillment of the prophecy.
Thousands of Jews had probably read, studied, or been taught the prophecies but did not recognize or take action when the star appeared in the sky. They went on about their lives, ignoring the advent of the Messiah. Nothing was as they expected it to be. (For a blog post on expectations, check out last week’s post: What are You Waiting For?)
What kind of people will we be?
What kind of people will we be? Will we go on about our lives, ignoring God’s movement in our lives? Or, will we be like the wise men, seeing the signs of God’s activity in the world and taking action on them?
After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11 (ESV)
Taking action when they saw what God was doing led the wise men to great joy.
Great Joy
When we open our eyes to what God is doing, and then act on it, our obedience brings great joy. They brought gifts and worshiped Jesus. But I have to think that God was just as happy with their choice to pursue the fulfillment of the prophecy as He was with the treasures they brought.
Action Step:
This Christmas, when I see the lights of the season, I want them to point me to the Light of the World. When I see Christmas lights, I am going to use it to remind me to connect with God. I hope you will too!
Emmanuel means “God with us.” With us. In our daily lives, involved, and leading us to take action.
Prayer:
Dear God, every time I see Christmas lights this season, help me to remember to take a moment and connect with you. Enable me to stay in Your word, to listen to Your still, small voice, and to pray through this busy season. Show me where you are at work and help me to take action. In Jesus’ name, amen.