These gift givers weren’t just any men.  Here's what we know; they were “wise” men, they travelled from eastern lands a great distance, they were seeking a king, they followed a prominent star and they brought with them expensive gifts.  Clearly these men were wealthy and they held some status as they were able to boldly approach King Herod requesting the whereabouts of a newborn king.  Let me restate that last part another way, they asked the reigning king, who was a renowned ruthless dictator, to point them in the direction of the newly born king so they could go worship that baby who they thought to be taking the place of the reigning king.  People of the day must have thought they were either crazy courageous or just plain crazy. 

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They had seen a star and somehow knew of the prophecies concerning the Messiah so they sacrificed their time and wealth to come find Him and worship Him.  Whatever was going on in their lives and their families, they dropped everything and came in person to worship Him.  They didn’t wait for a news report to show up sometime later explaining this strange, bright star.  They didn’t send someone in their place to find out and report back to them.  They packed their gifts, travelled across an unwelcoming terrain and followed a star as their compass.  If you didn’t grow up hearing this account as part of the annually recited Christmas story, would you not think this was lunacy?

 

And following this star, where did they come to park their camels?  They stopped outside the humble dwelling of a young carpenter and a teenage mother with a toddler.  Do you think they were probably expecting to find a more royal family? And yet, the story doesn’t have them shaking their heads or saying to one another, “are you sure this is the right place”?  No, instead it has them joyfully entering the home, bowing down in worship to the Christ child.  They didn’t question his lineage; they didn’t judge his home or family.  They worshipped the Messiah without any hesitation!  And they presented Him with their wealth, chests full of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  They packed expensive gifts because they thought they were honoring a royal; instead, they found a baby that lived in no regal palace, but this didn’t change their minds or hinder them from leaving their lavish gifts.  They laid it all down with joy.

 

Here is the twist to the story that is revealed later in the Gospel…. Jesus would grow up to be a gift of Himself for them and for us. He gave Himself as a sacrifice in place of our sins. He pursues us and meets us right where we are, and He takes us exactly how we are.  

 

The wise men didn’t know how Jesus was going to be the long-awaited Savior nor did they know that His throne was going to be in Heaven. They had no idea that their journey would be recorded and recited for thousands of years to come. They simply followed a star until they could lay it all down in worship at His little toddler feet. We can learn from these men that sometimes the greatest joy is in the simplest acts of obedience and worship.

   

Lord, let us pursue You with the same reckless abandonment of the wise men. Give us the courage to boldly proclaim You to be the King of Kings to this world that often rejects You. And may we enter Your courts with worship and honor You with our gifts joyfully. Thank you Lord for your grace, that you receive us just how we are!