In 1857, John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1820-1891) wrote one of the great hymns of the church, We Three Kings. At the time, Hopkins served as the rector of the Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. However, he wrote the carol for a Christmas pageant in New York City. The carol is a combination of Bible and tradition. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us they were kings. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us there were three kings. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us the names of the three kings. Melchior was an old gray-headed man with a long white beard. He brought the gold. Caspar was young and beardless. He brought the frankincense. The myrrh was brought by Balthasar, who was dark-complexioned. Those things are interesting, but those things aren’t in Bible. We are a Biblical church, which means we are more interested in what the Bible says about the Magi (not kings).
We find ourselves today in the second chapter of Matthew. According to that chapter, sometime after Jesus was born, Magi came from the east to see the newborn king. They had seen the star which announced his birth. That sounds innocent enough, but it led to many dark days. Do you remember what they say about assuming? The Magi assumed the newborn king was born in the palace. They were wrong. They should have stopped and asked the shepherds. He was born in a barn. Their wrong assumption ignited the insecurities of the sitting monarch, King Herod. He summons all his counselors and discovers where the child was born. The Magi told him when he was born. The Magi never see Herod again. Thanks to a dream, they returned home by another route. Once Herod discovered he had been fooled by the Magi, he gave a cruel order. Based on what he knew, he ordered the death of all baby boys in the vacancy of Bethlehem who were two years old or younger to be killed. That means your nativity set is wrong. The Magi and the shepherds never met. What does the Bible say? It says the star rested over a house, not a barn or manger. Here is a question you must answer.
Why is the story of the Magi so important to us today? There are two reasons. First, the Magi illustrate for us that Jesus came for all people, the Jews and the Gentiles. The Magi were Gentiles, non-Jews. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Second, the Magi model for us true discipleship. Never forget we are in the disciple making business. In true discipleship three things must happen. The Magi do each one. Let’s look at them individually.
Shortly after Booker T. Washington (1856-1919) took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him, and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning, the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating large sums of money to the Tuskegee Institute. God uses humble people.
First, the Bible says the Magi bowed down. In other words, they humbled themselves.Who were the Magi? Many have tried to answer that question. Some say they were scientists. Some say they were astrologers. Some say they were politicians. Some say they military officers. Some say they were priests. We do not know who the Magi were, but we do know they were important, and they bowed down and worshipped Jesus. In other words, they humbled themselves before Jesus. That fact is so important. True discipleship begins with humility. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Do the people in your life consider you humble? The Magi bowed down.
Money is always a challenge in the life of the church. We are no exception. Because money comes in unequally, we never know where we stand until the end of the year. In many cases, I am convinced churches like to cry ‘poor’ because churches generally don’t want to do anything. That isn’t the case here. I saw the final treasurers report for 2019. I am pleased to report, we met the budget. In other words, all the bills are paid, and we paid our district and conference support in 2019. That is impressive. However, in my opinion, the best part of the report is the fact they we raised approximately thousands of dollars for missions. That included things like Heifer International, Estonia, Baton Rouge and the rest. That figure came from the church’s treasurer’s report and does include other groups like United Methodist Women or Helping Hand. They gave generously too. That figure does include our various collections, like the giving tree, warm weather tree, socks and food collections. Generosity is the sign of a growing church. (Don’t get too excited. We started over again on New Year’s Day at zero.)
Second, the Bible says the Magi opened-up. What did the Magi give? Everyone knows the answer. They gave Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were odd gifts for baby. Gold was a great gift for a king. Jesus is the king of kings. Frankincense was a great gift for a priest. Jesus is the great high priest. Myrrh was a great gift for the dying. Jesus died so we could live. Those gifts had one thing in common. They were expensive! That means the Magi were generous. How we spend our money says a great deal about our priorities and our spiritual maturity. Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and share with others, for such sacrifices please God.” Do the people in your life consider you a generous person?The Magi bowed down. The Magi opened-up.
Third, the Bible says the Magi changed. According to the scripture, after the Magi worshipped Jesus, they stayed long enough to need sleep. As they slept, they dreamed and in one of those dreams they were warned to return home by another route, hence avoiding Herod. In other words, they knew what God wanted them to do and they changed. In our time, we know what God wants us to do, but we seldom change. For example, we continue to love selectively, not universally. If you want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, then you must be prepared to change. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Do the people in your life consider you flexible?
Did you know on approximately 40% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution? That figure came from the Cleveland Clinic. Most resolutions revolve around three things. The first is health. “I am going to lose weight.” The second is economics. “I am going to get out of debt.” The third is education. “I am going to learn something new.” The Cleveland Clinic also tells us 90% of resolutions are forgotten in a few weeks.
On New Year’s Eve, Kathryn and I were with friends. She asked me the question many have asked me through the years. “What is your New Year’s resolution?” I have answered that question the same way I have for many years. THIS YEAR I AM GOING TO BE A BETTER PERSON. However, this year I have decided to make a different resolution. THIS YEAR I AM GOING TO TAKE MY DISCIPLESHIP MORE SERIOUSLY. I would challenge you to do the same. However, let me warn you. Discipleship is not easy. It takes work. You must do what the Magi did. They humbled themselves. They were generous with their time, talent and finances. They changed. They obeyed what God commanded. Can the same thing be said about you? Brandon Cox is the founding and Lead Pastor of Grace Hill Church in Bentonville, Arkansas. He once said, “Discipleship is the art and science of helping people find, follow and fully become like Jesus.
Russ Adams 