THE MAGI: A RESPONSE TO THE BIRTH OF JESUS

“‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:2 

One of the stories we tell at Christmastime is that of the Wise Men who followed the star that led them to the place where Jesus was and of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that they presented to him as they worshiped him there. There’s an interesting lesson that we can learn from this story, and it has to do with the reaction to the news about Jesus’ birth. Sadly, it is the same reaction that Jesus is met with today: animosity, apathy, and the busyness that keeps people from taking an interest in the Savior of the world.

 The Bible says that when the Wise Men, or Magi, arrived in Jerusalem and asked about the one born the King of the Jews, King Herod was disturbed and all of Jerusalem with him. Herod called the chief priests and teachers of the law, and he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. When they told him that the prophecy indicated it was to be in Bethlehem, Herod sent the Magi there with the request that they let him know as soon as they found him. Unfortunately, Herod had no intention of going to worship Jesus. His plan was to kill him. When the Wise Men were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, he had all of the Israelite boys, two and under, killed in the hope that it would take care of the problem of another “king,” who might threaten his sovereignty.

 So Herod responded with animosity; and sadly, there are those who respond with the same animosity to Jesus today. He is mocked in the media and among those who consider themselves to be too enlightened to follow what they consider to be the myth of God taking on flesh and coming to his own here on earth. The real problem is that, like Herod, they don’t want another king over them. Yes, they’ll put up a Christmas tree. They’ll take a little religion, and perhaps even go to church on Sunday. But they are opposed to letting Jesus be Lord over their lives. They don’t want Jesus to interfere with their personal plans. But, you see, Jesus came to be not only our Savior, but also our Lord.

How about the religious authorities whom Herod consulted? They confirmed that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Why, then, didn’t they run there with the Magi to worship the long-awaited Savior? Actually, they were too busy with their rituals and their religious observances and with the pomp and circumstance that came with their position in the religious world of their day. They didn’t want anyone to upset that. And so it is that way today, as some prefer to have just religion rather than a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Finally, we have the people of Jerusalem who were all astir because of the visit of the Magi. Why didn’t they follow the Magi to Bethlehem where Jesus was? They were too busy! The Bible says that the people of Noah’s day were busy eating and drinking and marrying when the floods came; and that at the second coming of the Lord, people will be doing the same. There was no room at the inn when Jesus came into this world, and there is still no room or time for him today.

This Christmas, let’s not respond with the animosity, apathy, and busyness that characterize the world’s response to the birth of Jesus. Let’s celebrate his birth, not only in Bethlehem, but especially in our hearts.