Popular culture holds that there were three wise men and that they came from Asia, hence the song "We Three Kings From Orient Are." Some even claim to know their names. While I'm not sure how much of that is supported in the text of the Bible, I'm pretty sure that some of it isn't. I don't think we know how many wise men there were or exactly where they came from or whether or not they were actually kings. One theory popular among Mormons is that the wise men included Samuel the Lamanite and Alma (the Younger, I think), but we don't have any proof for that, either. The exact number and nationalities of the wise men is a secret that was lost to time, but a favorite Christmas quote of mine implies that there are far more "wise men" than we've considered so far.
"Wise men still seek Him"
And I might add:
"This season, and always."
The wise men who sought Jesus weren't just the ones that were carrying Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. They were also the ones who followed Him through Galilee, who walked on water to meet Him, and who touched the hem of His clothes. They include everyone who profess His name and follow His teachings. If we are wise enough to follow Him, the group of "wise men" also includes us.
It is no longer possible for us to literally follow the Star of Bethlehem, bearing gifts to the newborn king, but we can still follow the light of the Master, bearing gifts of broken hearts, contrite spirits, and all our good works, and offer them to our Heavenly King. By being born a few thousand years after His birth, we've missed our chance to see Him in-person, but sooner or later, we're all going to come face-to-face with our Savior, whether we want to or not. The question is not whether we'll ever go to see Jesus, but what "gifts" we'll bring with us when we do. My hope is that we will seek Jesus during our lifetimes, so we may have good gifts to present to Him when we meet Him, just as the first few wise men did.
1 comment:
Beautiful and wise post.
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