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.
In say, that we must remember that it takes at least two to talk and requires that both have to both communicate and listen.
That leads us to the 2nd life lesson that these Magi can show us –
II. Be a listener – Be a Great Listener
It is one thing to ask God a question or to search the Bible to find the answer to a life question and it is quite another thing to be willing to hear and receive that answer.
The Magi excelled at this – they did everything they knew to be good listeners –
a. They watched the stars to see what they were saying – where they were moving in the sky.
b. They listened to the Scriptures as the priests told them where the newborn King should be born
c. They listened to the people of Jerusalem
d. They listened to what God told them in a dream about not telling King Herod about the child
The Bible is full of stories of people who were great listeners. Individuals like Enoch, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Hannah, Ruth and Deborah to name just a few.
Our Lord Jesus was a great listener.
Remember how patient Jesus was and how well he listened to the woman at the Well in John chapter four. Jesus took the time to allow her to unravel her story layer after layer after layer even though the Bible plainly states that Jesus was hot, thirsty, hungry and tired.
Most of us are not the greatest of listeners in our best moments, let alone when we are hot, tired, and hungry. And yet, Jesus shows us that if we will work at being a good listener even under the hardest of circumstances the rewards will be great.
Jesus knew her story before she shared it. He could have cut her off at any moment and said let’s get to the heart of the matter.
But that is not the Jesus way.
+He took the time to listen to her unravel her story
+He let her share it her way
+He prodded her to share even more of her story.
+He valued her as a person who loved God – not as just a divorced woman who had multiple times been shamed by men and society.
By allowing her to share her story and listening, Jesus was able to help her become the woman that God had created her to become. Jesus was able to share His true identity with Her – Being God’s Messiah.
She then becomes one of Jesus’ first missionaries as she goes back to her village and shares the Good News about Jesus.
All this happened because Jesus took the time to actively listen.
We see him doing the same thing as he is walking towards Jericho one day (Luke 18:35-43). A blind man is there begging and suddenly calls out Jesus’ name.
At the time Jesus is surrounded by a crowd of people. They is a lot of noise all around him. He is also on a mission. Jesus has some important business to do in Jericho involving a man by the name of Zacchaeus. On top of that in a few days He will be going into Jerusalem for the final time.
In other words, Jesus has a lot on his mind.
But the Bible tells us that Jesus stopped.
That’s key – stopping – pausing – taking a time out.
To hear we must stop.
I know we live in a day where we all think we can multitask. Where we can watch TV, be on the internet or doing something else while holding a conversation all at the same time. Where we can do our schoolwork and watch a game or two. Or where we can text someone while we talk to someone else.
It’s all a lie.
Yep. I said it. It is all a lie.
We can do all those things – yes. But there is no way we can be an active listener – be that person that can give someone all of themselves if we are doing two, three or four things at the same time.
I have been guilty of it. You have been guilty of it.
We all have and we all have been the recipient of it as well. Where we are trying to have a conversation, we are trying to ask some questions and the person we are talking to is busy doing something else or trying to have another conversation on their phone, their computer or are doing some other work and we know we are playing second or third fiddle to something or someone else.
It’s the sin of the 21st century.
Jesus shows us a better way.
He was busy. He was in a crowd of people. He needed to see Zacchaeus. In a few days he would be in Jerusalem being first praised as the Messiah only to be hanging on a cross by Friday.
But the Bible says – Jesus stopped. He listened. He took the time to hear the blind man. He took the time to focus on him. He took the time to bring healing in his life.
Sometimes to hear someone you must be quiet. You must stop everything you are doing. You must focus in on them entirely.
If it is important for us humans to be able to hear each other, how much more important is it for us to take time to stop, be quiet and focus entirely on what God has to say to us through His Word, during our times of prayer and meditation.
Listening is an art – but it is an art that can be learned. It is a practiced art.
These wise men asked questions.
They listened intently.
And …
III. They obeyed
+They obeyed the leading of the stars
+They obeyed the voices of the citizens in Jerusalem
+They even obeyed King Herod’s voice as he told them to go to Bethlehem
+They obeyed as they received this little boy born to some rather common folks as the New Born King
But more importantly as we see in verse 12 – they obeyed the leading of God in a dream.
Years ago, when King Saul was leading the people of Israel, he was given a rather difficult task. Instead of following God direct commandments he decided that he would try to appease God by offering Him a larger sacrificial offering. Surely, he thought God could be appeased with receiving a larger offering and overlook his little disobedience.
When the Prophet Samuel caught up with King Saul, he delivered this message from the LORD:
And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. – 1 Samuel 15:22
Jesus points to a similar truth in John chapter 6 when He speaks of obedience being better than public prayer, fasting and giving to those in need.
Sometimes it is easier to just put a few more coins in the plate than to obey God.
Sometimes it is easier to lead a prayer than to obey God.
Sometimes it is easier to go without a meal than to obey God.
Sometimes it is easier to give to others than it is to obey God.
But nothing is more important to God than obedience.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” – John 14:15
“Why xdo you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” – Luke 6:46
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” – James 1:22-25
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21
This morning, God values our obedience. God desires our obedience. God expects our obedience.
As we think about this upcoming year – I think these Wise Men are pretty good examples of how we are to live in 2023:
+Be a people who can ask to questions/be a seeker – who wants to know how to live God’s Way.
+Be a people who wants to hear what God and others have to say – be an active listener.
+Do your best to be obedient – do your best to obey God’s Word, to follow His Holy Spirit. Commit that 2023 will be the year you will be more committed and more obedient in your Christian walk.
Invitation to Holy Communion ….
