Calendar

WISE MEN FROM THE EAST
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Matthew 2:1-12

Daniel 1:1-5

 

“He shall be great…”

 

WISE MEN FROM THE EAST
 
Some time after Jesus was born, Scripture tells us that wise men from the east came to worship Him. We know very little about these men. What we can surmise from Scripture is that they were probably Gentiles who practised the art of astronomy and had knowledge of medicine and other sciences. (It was to a group of wise men such as this that Daniel was given for training during his captivity in Babylon.) We do know they followed the star to the Lord’s birthplace, supporting the view that they were knowledgeable in astronomy, and had heard and believed the message of the coming King. They continued to be tender to the voice of the Lord as He warned them in a dream to go home a different way so as to avoid Herod (Matt 2:12).
 
We know little about these wise men. Yet they fit into the picture of faithfulness and love toward God that was so clearly shown by a few when the Saviour came. We think of Simeon and Anna waiting faithfully at the Temple while others went noisily about their business. Now these wise men were surely from among the few in their nation who believed. And could it be that this lesson in faithfulness goes back hundreds of years to a young man who had lost all he held dear? For so it was with Daniel. Although he lost family, fortune and home, he resolved not to defile himself with the things of the world (Dan 1:8). Perhaps the Lord rewarded Daniel’s faithfulness by keeping the message of truth alive so some of the descendants of his spiritual sons could see the Christ-child face to face.
 
Today, Christians often feel alone in a world where there is little interest in the things of God. Yet we could hardly be more alone than these we have just considered. May God find us as faithful as these men and women of old.
 
THOUGHT: What did the presence of the wise men show?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may I be numbered among the faithful few.

Search