The Importance of the Magi

Let me share a pet peeve with you.

I hate seeing nativity scenes depicting the wise men at the manger.

I know.  I'm a Christian and a pastor and I probably shouldn't use words like hate, but it aggravates me to see the wise men standing over baby Jesus.  I'm even willing to forgive the fact that there were probably more than three and that they weren't really kings.

But I have a hard time seeing them there with the baby Jesus.

Because they weren't.  Scripture is clear the wise men came to Jesus' house.  Time had passed, probably as much as two years.  Yet, churches everywhere put the nativity up and there are the three wise men, dressed like kings, presenting baby Jesus with their gifts.

I really should get past this, but I can't.

Here's why.

As believers in Christ, we should know better.  We have the scriptures to guide us, but we let culture interfere.  We let popular songs and traditions override what the book of Matthew says.

And perhaps that's what bothers me most.  The wise men, or Magi, play a critical role in the birth narrative of Jesus.  They are the first Gentiles to worship the king.  Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Elizabeth, the shepherds and everyone else in the narrative is Jewish.  The wise men are not.  As astrologers, they saw a star and believed it told of the birth of the new Jewish king.

You see, God didn't want to leave the Gentiles out.  Jesus wasn't just for the Jewish people.  Jesus is the king of all creation and all humanity.  The wise men represent the Gentiles who will bow before Jesus.  They represent me.

I have a king in Jesus.  He rules my heart and my life.  I worship him because he's my king.  In a sense, my mission this Christmas is the same mission the wise men had.  Their mission was to find him and worship him.  I must worship Jesus this Christmas.  I can't be distracted by packages, wrapping, cards, songs, movies, dinner or family.  I am to worship my king and celebrate his birthday.

This Christmas, we must be like the wise men.  We aren't coming to worship the baby Jesus.  We're coming to worship the king of all humanity.  And like the wise men, we can't stop until we find him.

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