The Christmas story itself is full of journeys. Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem because of the census. The Angels traveled from heaven to tell the shepherds about Jesus’ birth. The shepherds travelled to the manger. Joseph, Mary and Jesus all travelled to Egypt to escape Herod’s death sentence. But the most famous journey of all is that of the wise men. These men were seekers. They wanted to know the truth. They studied. They looked for wisdom. The wise men even looked outside of their own tradition, outside of their own religious background. They were not content to just sit and passively take in what they were told. It seems that only these few noticed this strange light in the in the heavens and made the connection. The wise men were engaged in their world, watching for signs of God. When the wise men finally saw this sign, they dropped everything. Their commitment to find where God was showing up caused them to re-organize their whole lives. Their time, their comfort, their money all of it was tied up in finding Jesus. Along the way, The wise men brought their very best gifts. They were seeking God, but not for what they could get out of the journey. They were seeking with the intent to give. That’s what the Bible means by worship. We bring what we have to give to God. We bring our best. That’s what these wise men were bringing: things that were precious, that mattered, that were costly. The wise men simply had hope that the words of scripture were true, that they could make the long journey safely, and that they would get to see this baby king. That’s the very definition of faith. Trusting God’s leading without guarantees, trusting so much that you step out and you follow. These men aren’t the ones that Christmas is about, after all. And yet, they have something to offer us: an example, perhaps inspiration. When I consider my own spiritual journey, what do I see? Do I long for God enough to make this kind of trip? Fortunately I don’t have to walk across the desert. Jesus has already come. God is pursuing us. But we get to decide how we will respond when God shows up. We get to decide how central God will be to our own lives. As you celebrate Christmas this year, consider the wise men, and ask yourself these questions: •Are we seekers or sitters? Do we really care to know truth? Do we seek it out? •Are we watchers? Do we retreat from the world into a comfortable space, or do we engage the world, looking for where God might show up? •Do we follow? When we have a sense that God is asking something of us, do we follow through? Do we re-organize our lives so that we can follow where God is leading? Are we willing to make God’s priorities the very center of our lives? •Do we step out in faith? Do we require guarantees from God? Or are we willing to follow even when we don’t know the outcome? •Are we worshippers? Do we seek God simply for what we can get out of it? Or do we bring our very best gifts to honor God? Do we give the best of our time, our emotion, our resources to honor God? Christmas tells us that God has come seeking us. We don’t have to be separated. We are not alone. We are loved. Jesus’ Christs name is Immanuel. It means “God is with us.” God is near. God wants a relationship with you. God wants you to know Him. God is seeking you. That’s great news. In Jeremiah 29:13 God made a promise. God said: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” This is what the wise men did, and it’s ultimately what made them wise. This Christmas let them be an example to you and an invitation for your own life. Be Blessed My Friends
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 04:27:19 +0000
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