Would you have made a good wise man? That’s the question I found I was asking myself this morning.
Examine their characteristics; they were studious, (they studied the skies looking for a sign), they were diligent, (they didn’t give up looking just because they didn’t see it right away), they were persistent, (they traveled a great distance and time to find the Christ child), they were consistent, (they weren’t distracted from their search) and they were dedicated (they committed to the task and didn’t stop until they reached their goal). And then they were reverent, they worshiped the Christ child and not the nation’s king.
“After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.”…The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:1,2,11 ERV
It’s believed that the wise men’s journey took about two years. They found a child and not a babe. They traveled at their own expense and then they brought gifts, lavish gifts, to the child. It cost them something – if they had been wrong in their search, it would have cost them more than their finances, it would have cost them their reputation.
So, I asked myself, what am I seeking?
Jesus told Martha, and us, that only “one thing” was needful – that was to hear His word.
“Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. 40 But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work that had to be done. Martha went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. 42 Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ERV
Lord, my desire is to be wise – to seek but one thing, You!