“Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts…” Matt 2:11

The Wise Men came to worship.  It’s as if God said, “My Son will be worshiped. If Israel won’t respond to the birth of their Deliverer, then I will drag a bunch of people from Persia to acknowledge Him.”

God has a way of getting things done.

If we don’t cooperate, He will find someone who will.

The Magi traveled hundreds of miles over several months.  You’d think the trip alone would have been offering enough.  But they didn’t come empty handed. They came prepared to give magnificent gifts.

Toward the end of our church service, the ushers come forward with gold offering plates. They make their way down the aisle, passing the plates through the rows of people. For many, that’s the cue that our worship service is about over. There is some chit-chat as people whisper about dinner plans or what time the game starts.  We forget that opening our treasures (our checkbooks) and presenting Him with gifts is a high form of worship.  The offering is not something tagged on at the end of a service in order to pay the light bill. Instead, it is an opportunity to express our love for, dependence on, and trust in our God.

The Magi didn’t sing praise songs or hymns.

They didn’t share joys or concerns.

The Wise Men bowed down,

opened their treasures,

and presented gifts.

The star may have directed them to the Christ Child,

but once they found Him, the Wise Men knew exactly what to do.

God is still looking for worshipers.

“…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”  John 4:23