After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." -- Matthew 2: 1-2 (NIV)
Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? Oh come let us adore Him! Christmas has become so much about the world that the birth of Christ seemingly gets lost in the commercial shuffle. Jesus Christ is the gift beloved! He is the present from God to us. A present we did not deserve yet God in His infinite love and mercy for us has bestowed upon us anyway! We can never do anything to earn this gift -- we just need to accept it. Continuing in our look at some of the characters of Christmas and what we can learn from them for our own walk, we come to the Magi. What can we learn from them, which we can incorporate in our own walk with God today?
First of all, they were seekers and followers. Known for their prowess in astrology, they were studying the sky when the Star of Bethlehem appeared to them. After meeting with Herod, they followed this star until it settled over that manger in Bethlehem. They did not accidentally see the star. They were studying the sky and seeking. They then sought out this King of the Jews and followed their sign until they achieved their goal. God wants us to be seekers and followers as well. I have written a bit on the modern church's latest obsession with leadership but it bears mentioning again. In our acceptance of secular leadership theories of church growth, we have accepted the notion that we need more and more leaders to fill the holes in ministry. The true leadership principle of God however is "follow me as I follow Christ." The sad truth is the church needs more followers. We also however need more seekers:
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. -- Jeremiah 29: 13 (NLT)
There are too many Christians today who walk without the true power of Christ unleashed in their lives. They walk in defeat or under condemnation. They walk thinking that their eternal life is some far away distant prospect they get to enjoy after they have suffered enough on this mortal coil. Nothing is farther from the truth!
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. -- John 10: 10 (NLT)
Jesus is talking about our life now beloved! We are supposed to live a rich and satisfying life now. The truth is though that too many people live in spiritual poverty. That is because we are not the seekers Christ wants us to be. The Magi were seekers and their seeking was rewarded when they found the Christ. You may be saying to yourself that isn't fair! They had a star to follow! So do we -- it's called the Bible. That is step one for seeking God -- reading His Word. Step two is prayer and fasting. Step three is praise and worship. Step four is fellowship with believers. These are all seeking activities that draw us closer and closer to God. Maybe we do some of these well and others not so much. Maybe we do all them equal but sparingly. Whatever the case -- seeking God is how you find Him! I know that sounds simplistic but I think sometimes there is just too much passive Christianity. The Bible says to seek Him in everything we do.
