Matthew 2 tells the story of the wise men, magi who travel from a far off place to find the "one born king of the Jews." Their guide is a new star in the sky. Their encouragement is from a neuroitc King. The object of their worship is Jesus. The story is very familiar, particularly in western culture. They have been sung about, their story re-inacted in plays, and they have more than once been the object of someone's sermon. And why not...they occupy the imagination of Matthew the Gospel writer and consume one of his chapters. Of course, what Matthew offers about these sojourners doesn't nearly satisfy our imagination, so much more has been imagined by them. Did you know the following elements of the story are from folklore and not the Bible: there were 3 wise men, from the Orient, they arrived at the manger on the night of Jesus birth, they rode camels, and their names were Melchior, Caspar, and Balthesar. In spite of the details we have added to their story, there is still much we can glean from the truth of what Scripture offers. We've all seen the billboards and Christmas cards that express the sentiment "wise men still seek him." How true it is! We are wise to seek the Savior in each and every circumstance of life. Of course, we are more likely to recognize God's presence when our attitude of seeking is one of worship. When we seek God with a sense of awe and gratitude, we quickly find ourselves in a posture of worship. From that position, we resonate with the haunting hymn, "what can I give him, poor as I am...I'll give him my heart." When we seek God with a sense of expectancy, then we are more likely to recognize his activity. After all, the name he declares of himself this season is Emmanuel, God with us. The sense of adventure with which these magi seek the Savior is what really captures my imagination, though. Just think! These travelers are...seasoned. I mean, you don't achieve the status they have achieved in the first half of life. And with the titles and means they obviously possess, what good is it to go seek more adventure. But what if they hadn't? What if they had decided life was good enough, full enough? They might have died satisfied...but their likenesses would certainly not decorate all of our mantles this season. Their greatest adventure was this adventure. What about you? What is your greatest adventure? Until we cross with Jesus into the Promised Land, I suspect we all have a great adventure ahead of us. Our best days are in front of us, not behind us! So let's go together, seeking, praising, expecting God. Somehow, I won't be surprised when God surprises us all.
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