Have you ever wondered about the wise men, this Epiphany? Were there really three of them, or did they chip in together to buy the presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh? How wise were they to go travelling during the holiday season?
Those things may not make them wise, but there was one thing that showed their wisdom. They were looking for Christ, so that they might worship him. In this, they were wiser than most people.
They caused quite a stir when they arrived in Jerusalem, guided by the star. The magi were expecting to find the newborn king of the Jews in the palace at Jerusalem. After all, that was the capital city. Yet Herod and the residents of Jerusalem were in confusion by the talk of a new king. Herod was quite comfortable on the throne and didn't want any pretenders or rivals. So when he asked for word of the child so that he also might go and worship, he had no notion of worshipping!
But even sadder, and more foolish, were the scribes. When Herod wanted to find where the king might have been born, they were the ones who found the answer. They knew their Scriptures, and knew where the Messiah would be born - Bethlehem, as Micah 5:2 had prophecied. With the magi arriving, they must have known this was the time, this was the day of Messiah. Yet they don't go with the magi. They just ignore the entire event and go merrily on their way.
Even today, people can know their Bibles, and yet ignore the Christ contained within. They can score top marks in a Bible trivia quiz, yet not know the Lord Jesus.
Jesus - wise men still worship him.
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