Saturday, July 17, 2010

Wise Men

Matthew 2:3
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When the word of the wise men, that He who was to be king of the Jews had been born, the Bible says that Herod was troubled.

We know, of course, why. He was troubled for his job. A rightful king, whether really from God or just perceived to be by the people, meant problems for his own reign. Loss of power, problems managing the people and associated troubles with the Romans, would be the only results to these claims so far as Herod could see.

But the Bible says that all of Jerusalem was troubled with him. I can assume some of those troubles are related. If Herod was troubled that in itself could mean trouble in Jerusalem. That the man was violent is obvious from his future actions in Bethlehem. Jerusalem would have known what he was capable of before Bethlehem and it would certainly have troubled them. But the testimony of the Jews reveals that they were not on a whole honestly seeking the King of the Jews. Christ came to them but they received Him not. Religion has a way of becoming its own movement and losing its sole function of bringing men to Christ. Jesus can Himself become a problem for the religious man. He disturbs the plans men in religion have set in motion.

The wise men seem to have been a different sort. Though we think of them as kings, wealthy and powerful what they really are is a dispossessed and sojourning people, probably few in number, they gave what was valuable to Christ and left homes, society, properties and what would have been considered worldly successes just to find Jesus. So willing to follow the Lord were they that when they left Israel, at the warning of the angel of God, they went another way. What they were used to, what was their custom, was abandoned to be honest followers of the Lord.

May that also be my testimony.

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