The Magi: Eagerly Seeking to Know Jesus

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2

Magi were interested in all things mysterious. Many were experts in astrology and how the stars might give portents of the future while others focused on magic, dreams, or prophetic books. Some were honestly seeking truth; others were less sincere. But I like to think that the magi who visited Jesus were sincere truth seekers. And there can be little doubt that they eagerly sought Him and went to great lengths to meet Him. 

The Bible tells us the magi came from the East. It gives us no other details than that. Some speculate that they came from Babylon. There was a large Jewish settlement there which would explain how they came to know of the Jewish expectation of a coming Messiah. If they did come from Babylon, it would have been an 800 mile trip taking about 40 days for them to see Jesus. And that doesn’t even include all the time they spent trying to figure out what the star meant when it first appeared, or the time they spent preparing for the trip. All that to say, these men went to great effort to seek Jesus. Shouldn't you do the same?! 

I want to encourage you to make a great effort to get to know Jesus in 2020. Eagerly seek Him. Might I suggest you start a Bible reading plan here at the beginning of the year? Reading God's word is one of the most important things you can do for your spiritual growth. Pick a translation that works for you and read it early in the morning, or on your lunch break or before you go to bed. Or get an Audio Bible and you can listen to the word of God on your phone or in your car. Many free Bible apps already come with a version of the Audio Bible. Find a way that works for you and do it. I promise, whether it is your first time through the Bible or your hundredth, you won't regret carving out the time to seek Jesus. 

All throughout Scripture God promises to meet us halfway when we seek Him. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” And in James 4:8 we are told, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So, what do you have to lose?  Don't you think it is high time that you made a great effort to know God?! I do. 

If you need a place to start, here's the plan I will be using this year. Bible Reading Plan 2020. 

Joseph the Quiet Man

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Matthew 1:24

Scripture doesn't tell us much about Joseph. We know he was a carpenter, so he would have been familiar with hard work, splinters in his hands, and smashed thumbs. We also know he was poor because when he and Mary went to the Temple to offer the sacrifice for her purification rite instead of offering a lamb they offered two birds in keeping with a provision made in the law for poorer families. Past that we really have very little about Joseph in Scripture. He is never mentioned in Mark’s gospel and only indirectly referenced in John’s. In Matthew and Luke's gospels he is only mentioned in chapters 1 & 2. These shapshots in the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke are really all we are left with of the man who was Jesus' adoptive father.  

But there is still much we can learn from him. One of the things I've noticed about Joseph in this passage but also all throughout Scripture is that he didn’t say anything. He simply obeyed God. No words, just obedience. Scripture doesn’t even record Joseph going and telling Mary about the dream. It just says that he married her. In fact, Joseph never says a single word in all of Scripture. Not a word. 

Think of the amazingly significant role God gave this quiet man to play. He was the adoptive father of the eternal Son of God. You know God would not have chosen a wicked man or a short-tempered man to raise up His own Son. You know that God the Father entrusted God the Son into the care of a good and righteous man. Joseph was a solid, hardworking, quiet man. We have a lot of these kind of men and women in our churches and I thank God for them. The kingdom needs more solid, hardworking, quiet men and women of God who simply obey without a bunch of extra words.

You know, sometimes in the church, we give all the attention and praise to people, like myself, who talk a lot and aren’t scared to be in front of crowds, those who are willing to preach, teach, pray or sing solos. Joseph is a powerful reminder that God can use quiet people in powerful ways too. Maybe you know you will never teach a SS class or preach. You might share the gospel with a person one-on-one but you are never going to be the person in the spotlight. That's okay! God made you who you are and He can still use you in powerfully significant ways. 

Joseph was a quiet man who simply obeyed God. He didn't say a lot, he just obeyed. You do the same! Take the gifts God has given you and obey God with those gifts! Then you just wait and see if God won’t use you. Never underestimate the power of simple, quiet obedience!

Money (W.o.W. Rewind)

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:8-11

Money. 

If you get enough of it you can have almost anything you want: a big house, a fast car, nice clothes, fancy food, tropical vacations, plastic surgery, beautiful friends, and sometimes even lovers. This is just how our world works. It always has, and it probably always will. Though we claim to have grown past this level of base greed, deep down many of us still believe that more money would make us happier.

Just look at social media. You can scroll through an endless number of pictures of young people flashing big stacks of cash. These young people are merely emulating celebrities whom they often see draped in opulent jewelry and drinking expensive liquor while flanked by their cars, yachts or planes. You may be older and wiser than these kids on social media, but don't think you are beyond the allure of being rich. In my experience love of money knows no age limit. Your concept of happiness may look less like Jay-Z than a fat 401k, but none of us are above being tempted by riches.

But Scripture warns us that this desire to be rich is a trap! Proverbs 23:4-5 says, "Do not wear yourself out to get rich... Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." So, don’t work to get rich. Work to provide for your family, or to advance God’s kingdom, or to improve yourself; but never merely to get rich. 

Riches almost always disappoint and corrupt their owner. 1 Timothy 6:8-11 reveals that this desire for money can plunge us into ruin and destruction. It can produce all kinds of evil in us. Wanting to be rich is a foolish and harmful dream whose only rewards may prove to be grief, pain and apostasy. The man or woman who wants to be rich is like the dog who chases its own tail. It very likely will never catch it, and it is sure to be disappointed and hurt if it ever does. 

So be wise! Regularly surrender significant sums of your money to the Lord asking Him to direct you to some church or ministry to give to. In doing so you will not only store up treasure for yourself in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), but will also continually put to death any growing love of money that tries to take root in your heart. Be vigilant! 

For further reading...

• Luke 4:5-8- Satan tried to tempt Jesus with all the world had to offer too.

Only Yourself to Blame

Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 

2 Chronicles 15:2

This is a prophetic word spoken by the prophet Azariah to the Judean King Asa and what a word it is!

"The Lord is with you when you are with Him!" How often is God not with us because we have left Him far behind. We complain and accuse God of abandoning us, when the truth is that we abandoned Him a long time ago. Sometimes it's easier to see this in other people's lives. I've known people who played the victim and bitterly questioned why God refused to answer their prayers, when it seemed to me that they had long ago walked away from God and refused to live by His commands. In fact, these people never spoke of God until the consequences of their choices came around, then they began to speak God's name but only to blame Him for the harvest they themselves had sown. Remember "if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." Are you sure you are with God!

"If you seek Him, He will let you find Him." God isn't hiding from you. He isn't trying to keep you in the dark. He wants you to know Him and understand His will for your life. If you seek Him, you'll find Him. So take steps of faith toward Him knowing He will reciprocate. But be careful that you seek Him in earnest. Don't hold on to sin and feign a halfhearted attempt to get to know Him. He will not be mocked. If you seek Him fully with all you have, you'll find Him. In this sense, you are as close to God as you want to be. If you want to be closer to Him, then seek Him and you will find Him. If not, then understand you only have yourself to blame.