2003 Christmas Series Number 3
THE WISE MEN, "I’LL GIVE MY TIME
Hope Christian Church
December 14, 2003
David L. Haun
I remember, when as a child, Christmas seemed to take forever to arrive. Packages under the tree kept calling "shake me, shake me!" My father used to say "as you grow older, time will fly." That made no sense to me as a teen ager. Time passed slowly for me. I thought I’d never reach 16. But you know, as years have passed, I most clearly understand what my dad was saying. Time does pass faster as one gets older. In fact, as Einstein wrote in 1916, time is relative. (1)
The account of the Wisemen is found only in the book of Matthew. Let’s consider together their experience.
Matt 2:1-12
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 in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
"’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (NIV)
. LET’S CONSIDER THOSE WISE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR TIME TO COME SEE JESUS.
A. Who they were.
They were philosophers, Astrologers, astronomers from the East. They lived chiefly in Persia and Arabia, and were highly honored by society and respected by rulers.(2)
How many? We don’t know. One ancient scholar says there were 14(3)
They left their home, and, according to Max Lucado, traveled as much as two years and thousands of miles following the star they had spent additional years seeking through study.(4)
B. What they tell us in their gifts.
They brought GOLD - Sign of Royalty
They offered FRANKENSENCE - A specific tree sap, dried, ground, and burned as part of their worship service.
They presented MYRRH - A different tree sap, used for relieving pain and inbalming at the time of death.
What might these three gifts symbolize for us?
The Wise Men brought gold, and confessed their acceptance of his kingship.
They brought frankincense and admitted their consent of Jesus as worthy of their worship.
They brought spices of suffering and death, predicting that this royal king, worthy of worship, would be rejected.
II. ARE THERE TRUTHS WE CAN LEARN FROM THESE MEN?
A. Look at time from GOD’S POINT OF VIEW..
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)
We can become so impatient with God’s timing. Dr. Betsy, Steier, Associate Regional Minister of the Christian Church in Florida, remembers early in her ministry when she helped to start a new church. They were in such a hurry to succeed. "But," she said, "it took time. We met in a movie theater, a school cafeteria, and a bank community room before being in our church home. The average time for building a new church is five years, and many go through various locations." (5)
B. Choose that one thing that is eternally worth while and POUR out your life for it.
The wise men were the only ones coming that day to honor Jesus. There were no neighbors or friends of Joseph present. We may be the only ones in our neighborhood, or on our job, or in our family, who bother to worship this Christ of heaven. But God counts on us to do it, even if we are the only ones.
A Christian theologian, Matthew Henry, wrote in his commentary: "Whatever others do, we must serve the Lord; if they will not go to heaven with us, we must not go to hell with them." (6)
Matt 2:1-12
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 in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
"’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (NIV)
C. Sometimes God uses DARKNESS to reveal his direction.
The wise men followed the star at night. God uses the darkness to reveal his stars. "If your heart has been shadowed by the darkness of loneliness or grief or disappointment, look for the light that only he can give."(9)
As Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. (Jn 8:12)
When we find our life the darkness is the time to recognize the purpose and direction God has for our lives. None of us tend to choose to face times of darkness. But often, it is in these very times that we become open to hear the call of, and see the light of God for our lives.
"If God is able to place the stars in their sockets and suspend the sky like a curtain, do you think it remotely possible that God is able to guide your life? If your God is mighty enough to ignite the sun, could it be that he is mighty enough to light your path? If he cares enough about the planet Saturn to give it rings, or Venus to make it sparkle, is there an outside chance that he cares enough about you to meet your needs.(10)
III. What can we learn from these Wise Men who gave their time to find God? We might learn that GOD DOESN’T SIT WITH A STOP WATCH CHECKING OUR PROGRESS. HOWEVER, THE BIBLE DOES PRESENT GOD’S PATTERNS OF HOW WE ARE TO LIVE ... AND GIVE.
I’ve heard that what God desires is: 10% of our possessions, 7% of our time, and all of our heart.
A. Regarding our Possessions
Your % giving. How are you doing? It’s time for a personal reality check. About three months ago a group of us in a service here at Hope pledged to try % giving. The pledge was until Christmas. How have you done? Around Christmas we will have another chance to reevaluate that earlier decision. What will you do?
B. Regarding our Time. God established one day for rest and worship. He deserves 7% of our time.
1. A day in the life of one dedicated Christian
F. Deauville Walker wrote a biography of William Carey, who was a pioneer missionary to India. Mr. Walker putin his book the time record from a typical day in the life of the missionary, taken from his diary in 1806.
He rose at a quarter to six, read a chapter from the Hebrew Bible and spent some time in private devotion.
At seven the servants came in for family prayers in Bengali, after which, while waiting for his breakfast, he spent some time reading Persian with a [local pastor]and then read a portion of Scripture in Hindustani.
The moment breakfast was over, he settled down to the translation of the Ramayana from Sanskrit into English.
At ten o’clock he went to the college, where his classes and other duties kept him until two p.m.
On returning to his lodgings he examined a proof sheet of his Bengali translation of Jeremiah until dinner time.
After this meal, assisted by the chief pundit of the college, he translated most of the eighth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel into Sanskrit, and then sat down with a Telugu pundit more fully to study that language.
At half past seven he preached in English to a congregation of forty persons,
At nine o’clock, "the service being over and the congregation gone," he sat down and translated Ezekiel 11 into Bengali -- which took him nearly two hours.
He wrote a letter to a friend in England; then, after reading a chapter from his Greek Testament by way of private devotion, he went to bed.(11)
2. What is 7% of a day? About an hour and a half. How could you and I use an hour and a half to serve and praise God. The Wise Men gave years. William Carey gave his life. How can we give an hour and a half?
Morning devotions, prayer, taking with others about Jesus, doing service for God, helping a homebound, How might we give an hour and a half to serving God?
C. God wants all of our hearts
This past Thanksgiving, Twylah and I drove to our daughter Debbie’s home for the holiday. When we turned on their street, I saw my grandson Ethan shooting baskets with his best friend next door. We pulled in front of Debby’s home, and I heard a six -year old voice yelling "gran-pa’! When I opened the car door it was to step out to a leaping body with arms outstretched and love exploding. "O gran-pa," he said, "I’m glad you’re here!"
That is a great welcome. I loved it! . But how different it would have been if Ethan had walked up, put his arms around my waist and said "gran-pa’, would you get me a new Beyblade, a power ranger, a rescue hero, and a hot wheels track?" What a disappointment that would have been. I’d still love him, but can you see what would be lost in my own feelings?
Change the scene. God, our father, looks down across the starlit reaches of heaven and looks toward us in love. What do you suppose God longs to hear?
The Wise Men were so wise when they said in effect, "I’ll give my time - my life for you. Today.... What will YOU say?
FOOTNOTES
(1) Oconner & EF Robertson. General Relativity. Internet History Topics
(2) Barns’ Notes 1997
(3) Matthew Henry’s Commentary New Modern
Edition, (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers (PC Bible Study) .
(4) Max Lucado One Incredible Moment (Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson; 2002) 31.
(5) (From a sermon preached at Hope Christian in Nov. 2003)
(6) Matthew Henry. op cit.
(7) Jonathan Edwards web site: Jonathan Edwards.com)
(8) Bits and Pieces Publication. (From Autoillustrator.com)
(9) Max Lucado, Op Cit. p. 31
(10) Liucado, Max. Ibid. p. 63.
(11) F. Deauville Walker, William Carey: Father of Modern Missions (Moody Press, American Edition, 1980), page 223.+ (Autoillustrator.Com)
