November 30, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, November 30.
Today, on the threshold of December, we focus on the nativity characters who journeyed the farthest to see the Christ Child. This morning we consider the kings, the wise men, the magi.
The magi are only mentioned in the 2nd chapter of Matthew. The verse, perhaps, that sums up who they were and what they did is Matthew 2:11 -
When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
You probably have at least one nativity scene in your house this holiday season and it undoubtably features the shepherds on one side and the wise men on the other - gathered around the Holy Family in the stable. This is a lovely tradition, but as we see in this verse, it is not true to biblical fact. The wise men came to a house, not a stable, and they saw a child, not a baby.
But, more important than where or when they encountered Jesus is what they did when they met him. This verse tells us that they "fell down." This wasn't a formal, dignified bow from the neck or waist - these visitors went to their knees and lowered their foreheads to the floor - a dusty, dirty floor. These were men of some wealth and reputation and they were wearing garments that Mary gazed at with awe. But, none of that mattered when they came into the presence of the Son of God.
And we can't forget their gifts - filled with so much symbolism. The gold... fit for a King. The frankincense... fit for a God. And the Myrrh, to remind us all... that this baby was born to die.
The next verse in Matthew tells us that they returned to their country by a different way. I'm guessing that that wasn't the only thing different about these men. I'm thinking that the magi were changed profoundly, changed completely, changed forever.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
