Life Long Lessons From The Wise Men

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (New Year’s Day – 2023); Psalm 148; Isaiah 63:7-9

Life Lessons from the Magi – 1. Ask Questions 2. Be an Active Listener 3. Learn to Obey the Lord’s Directions - Practice the Grace of Obedience

INTRO:

Grace and peace this morning!

2023 – who would have thought that we all would be here in the year 2023?

Remember back to the years 1999 and 2000 – when millions of people thought the world would end before the beginning of the New Millennium?

How about 2012 – December 21, 2012 in particular when according to the Mayan calendar Armageddon was supposed to happen?

Or how about the fall of 2015 when the last of the Four Blood Moons occurred and people were proclaiming a sudden end to the world?

Of course, we all know that the world didn’t end.

Now, some are pointing to the year 2031 when at least according to some climate change theorists the world will come to an abrupt end or at least humankind will cease to exist.

All I know this morning is in our part of the world it is 2023 and the New Year has started.

+However, if you follow the Jewish calendar, it is the year 5783/5784

+The Chinese Calendar says that is the year – 4720 – the year of the water rabbit

+The Buddhist calendar says that is the year 2565

So, all that being said – Happy New Year!

Our passage this morning takes us into the story of the Magi. The story of when they visited the home where Joseph, Mary and Jesus were living in Bethlehem. We know that while they were there that they worshipped the Christ Child and shared several gifts that included gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We could take a great deal of time this morning and demyth or demystify all the traditions that has arisen around their visit. But in the end that wouldn’t accomplish much. We all have grown up hearing various stories about the Magi. For example:

+That there were three of them – One of them was from Asia Minor, another one was from Africa and the third one came from the Orient.

+That their names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar

And we could go on and on and on.

The fact is we really don’t know how many Magi visited the Holy Family or exactly where they were traveling from. All we know is that they came from someplace east of Israel. That means they could have come from Iran or Iraq, but they could also have come from as far away as ancient India, China and even Russia. We just don’t know.

What we do know is what I want to share this morning. We know some life lessons that they lived that can help us in this New Year – 2023.

I. They lived a life of Asking/Seeking

I think we could say that the Magi were curious at the least.

+They searched the stars for answers

+They searched the ancient records for answers

+They went all over the city of Jerusalem asking seeking answers

+When they talked to King Herod, they continued to asked questions

There is nothing wrong in asking questions.

We find a number of wonderful questions seeking answers in the Bible:

+ The angel askes Hagar - “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8)

+ Job seeks an important answer - “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14, ESV)

+ David asks - “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” (Psalm 119:9)

+ Simon Peter asks Jesus - “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21)

+The Rich Young Ruler asks Jesus “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18)

+ The Prison Guard asks the Apostle Paul - “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)

+ Paul asks the Congregation at Rome - “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1)

It is good for us to ask questions like those and to seek how the LORD answers them.

When we start asking questions like those it means that we are wanting to have a serious talk with the LORD.

It means that we are seeking more than a surface experience with the LORD.

God likes that. In fact, the more you read the Bible, the more you talk to God you quickly discover that God likes for us to ask Him questions. He loves for us to seek wisdom, knowledge and truth.

In fact, the LORD promises us that His Holy Spirit will guide us, teach us and reveal to us the way we are to live this life that He has given us.