Get Real November 23 Devotional
November 23, 2024
MATTHEW 2:2, 5, 9-11 | 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been
written by the prophet.”
9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The wise men, or Magi, were foreigners who were strangers to God’s covenants with Israel, His revelations, and His commandments. Outsiders and aliens, they tried to connect patterns in the stars and planets with earthly events. Though their premises may have been rooted in superstition, and their science unscientific, God used their beliefs about astrological events to lead them to Jerusalem and to the scriptural clues they needed.
They model for us genuine curiosity and the humble willingness to ask questions and admit ignorance. They were true seekers, willing to make sacrifices to find truth. All of us have imperfect reasoning, yet if we are to find answers, we must be seekers. God reveals Himself in the natural and scriptural worlds, giving us complementary ways to meet the Christ child.
Are you a seeker?
To whom do you voice your questions?
