Wisdom of the Ages
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’”[1]
Matthew 2:1–6
For whatever reason, only Matthew introduces us to the wise men from the East. An important piece of Matthew’s writing was to clearly link Jesus’s coming as the Messiah of the Jews. He begins his story with Jesus’s birth in David’s city, Bethlehem. It is interesting to note that there was another city named Bethlehem, roughly seven miles northwest of Nazareth. Matthew writes “Bethlehem of Judea” to stress that Jesus came from the same people and area as the Davidic kings.
Let me touch again on humility. We are told that once Jesus was born, wise men came asking where to find him. Some interpretations suggest that the men were a mix of astronomers (those who studied the stars) and astrologers (those who read signs in the stars). Whatever the case, the “star” itself was an announcement that something big had occurred. It was more expansive than the wisdom of the wise, or Herod’s fear, and bigger than the power of the powerful.
The wise men clearly knew their scriptures, as they quoted the ancient prophet Micah. To step beyond what the announcing star meant, they drew not from their wisdom, but from the wisdom of the ages. This necessitated humility before the Holy Scriptures to learn from them and discover such greatness. It brought the wise men excitement.
Pride is a tough pill to swallow. That means its antonymic quality and humility must be equally as difficult to digest. During His ministry, Jesus taught, “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14) Humility is not a kind of quivering submission. Nor is it self-abasement that would devalue the love God has for us, or that we should have for ourselves. Instead, humility is usually a quality that springs to life out of our relationship with Christ. It is fruit from a well-planted tree. It is hard to try and be humble because, in doing so, one would likely slip into pride. An example of this might sound like, “Ah! Look at how humble I have become.”
The very first Christian creed was not the Apostle’s Creed, authored around 110 A.D. nor the Nicene Creed, authored in the year 325 A.D. The first creed was simple, composed of three words: “Jesus is Lord.” Ancient Christians who were ready for baptism were asked to proclaim this creed and, in doing so, were granted admission into the Christian family through the sacrament of baptism.
Recognizing Jesus as Lord has been done by princes and paupers, garbage collectors and presidents, scientists and train conductors. Humans of all ages, races and nations recognize Him as such. Yet, in order to call someone “lord,” there must be an element of humility; one must recognize that lord’s authority. To call Jesus “Lord” is to recognize His ultimate authority over our lives. Such submission means that when our lives bump up against that authority, the authority wins — no ifs, ands or buts.
The wise men were ready to put aside their wisdom in favor of a greater wisdom. Here we see a hint of what Jesus’s entire life would soon be about: the call to follow Him as Lord and King. We have before us the choice to call Him King and live our lives for Him. Living with Christ as Lord means He is Lord of all of us — our work, leisure, possessions, relationships, morals and ethics.
We do, of course, struggle. There are days in my own life when it is clear as glass that Jesus is not Lord of every aspect of my life. That does not lessen or weaken the invitation to embrace His Lordship and take up the mantle of Christian living. Yet, when we stumble and fall away from that Lordship, we return to Him again with that same humility that brought us to Him in the first place.
One more point about humility and the Lordship of Christ: Virtually every good or great thing I ever learned, I learned from someone or something with more knowledge and wisdom than me. Humility is an ongoing quality that leads to better or greater ways of living. Some may see humility as humiliating. Humility could suggest one has restricted themself to new parameters we might not have known before. Some would also suggest that to call Jesus “Lord” takes away our freedom to be our own lord.
Yet, if heeding that call leads to a better life full of peace, spiritual health and salvation, is that bondage or freedom? A road without guardrails next to a cliff may seem like real freedom until the car spins into the ravine. The “lordship” of the rails helps the car get to where it is going. To become who God created us to be by following Christ means we are freer than we could ever be without His Lordship. This is precisely what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The wise men began to find their way to their King by humbling themselves before the wisdom of the ages and gained more with every step toward him. One could, out of pride or fear, reject or run from that wisdom. That is precisely the path that Herod chose to take, and with that a dark cloud appears on the horizon of this wonderful story.
For now, let us consider the path of the wise men.
A Question to Ponder as you Prepare Room for the Christ Child
Where in your own life have you gained by submitting to the wisdom of another? What, if any, part of your life resists the Lordship of Christ? What holds you back from allowing that part to call Him Lord?
A Prayer
Guide us, O Lord, in all the changes and varieties of the world; that we may have evenness and tranquility of spirit: that we may not murmur in adversity nor in prosperity wax proud, but in serene faith resign our souls to thy divinest will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jeremy Taylor, d. 1667
[1] Micah 5:2.
