“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.”

Matthew 2:11
When the Magi arrived at Mary and Joseph’s home, they may have been expecting a young king on a throne, surrounded by servants and the niceties of royalty. What they found, instead, was a poor family in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. To the average onlooker, unfamiliar with the ancient prophecies and unaware of a guiding star, this was all quite dull.

But to these men whose hearts were open to God’s leading, who were truly seeking, they saw what the prophets predicted, what the angels serenaded, and what Mary understood: there toddling in a dirty tunic was the Son of God! Accordingly, the prestigious men dropped everything and offered the only right response to Jesus: worship.

It must have seemed surreal to Mary and Joseph … their young child receiving the worship of royalty; the wealthy bowing before the impoverished. We see now how very much this is characteristic of the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God. And we praise the Lord for the angel’s reminder to Mary and to us that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).



Scripture Focus

Matthew 2:11-12

Insight

Nobody forced the Magi to give. They did so willingly. Giving doesn’t get you to Jesus, but it is a sure sign that you’ve met Him.

Bible In A Year

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