Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem...
wise men from the east came...
- Matthew 2:1
The Magi are among the more mysterious characters in scripture. They appear around the time of Jesus' birth, then fade away (only to reappear in second-grade Christmas pageants and nativity scenes).
There are a few traces as to who these men were and from where they came. But really, these aren't so important. What we do know, and what I think is most relevant about these shadowy figures, is this: these wise men were SEEKERS.
Each of us seeks something. Actually, we seek many things. Some seek reputation; others, meaning. Some seek acceptance and approval; others, power. Some seek material stuff; others, peace. Some seek fame; others contentment. And this list could go on and on. Ultimately, all the things we seek serve as evidence of the MAIN THING that consumes our search.
Here's the point: Wise men and women are seekers. The wisest are seekers of the right things.
Wait, that's part of it, but here is the real point: The Wise Men didn't seek the star. They sought that to which the star led. Their ultimate seeking, was the person to whom the heavenly arrows pointed. And sometimes stars get in the way. (Yeah, that last part - that is the point.)
We have every opportunity to stop short in our seeking journey. These Magi could have said, "We've seen a star no one ever has." They could have been the star-finders, and left it at that. They could have turned back anywhere along their arduous trek. They could have arrived in Jerusalem to an audience with the king and said, "Cool, that's enough." But they knew their star was not the ultimate point. Instead, it pointed toward the ultimate fulfillment of their seeking.
I've often parroted something I heard a preacher say decades ago: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing - TMTITKTMTTMT. Paul put it this way:
That I may know Him... One thing I do: forgetting
what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 3:10, 13-14
Bono (U2) sang, ...but I still haven't found what I'm looking for. The Magi-traveler in each of us relates to this longing... this heart-cry. But we must keep seeking. We must keep following the stars we see; knowing they are indicators, road-signs, but they are not the destination. The destination is a person who provides all we long for.
Jesus said, "Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened." We've mistaken the heart of his statement. We seek stuff - some good stuff, some self-serving stuff, some damaging stuff; all the while claiming that our cosmic genie has promised it. What we miss, is that in the seeking and the knocking, what he opens to us is more and more of himself. And that's the point! (No, really, this time it is the point.)
Since I couldn't incorporate a couple thoughts coherently above, I'll just leave them hanging here at the end:
- The journey begins internally long before the travel takes to the road...
- The commitment must be solid before opportunity is revealed...
- Often, only a general direction is given. Steps of faith are required to discover the next star...
- Wise men and women are - above anything else - still seekers...
God, help me to be a seeker...
For now...
D
