Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. (Matthew 2:1-12 KJV)
While the Wisemen may not have been present at the birth of Christ in Bethlehem as portrayed by modern day manger scenes, it is does not dilute their contribution to the Christmas story. They saw the same star the shepherds did. Instead of debating what they saw or wasting time deciding how to act, their obedience was immediate.
Their response was to worship Christ. They did not let things like the length of the journey or the struggles they may endure on their journey distract them from their sole focus of worshipping Christ. Furthermore, their dedication to worshipping Christ with every fiber of their being created a desire within them to bring their best in the form of beautiful and valuable gifts. They would not settle for giving Jesus anything less.
When you worship God are you giving Him your very best? Are you just going through the motions? Or does every fiber of your being crave the presence of God to the point that you cannot help yourself in crying out and worshipping the Creator of the universe. Listen to the words of the Wiseman today as he shares how Jesus changed the very rhythm of his life leading him to respond in worship.
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