missions

The Magi & Your Path Abroad: “We Have Come to Worship Him”

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Wise men.

There’s a lot of beautiful mystery in the story of the magi.

I picture camel hooves sponging a desert floor, heavy treasures banging in woven luggage, faces and limbs wrapped from the sting of the sand.

We’re not told who these magi are or the stories that compelled them to follow a celestial sign, an ancient prophecy.

But in their story, I see a bit of yours.

Crazy Talk

I wonder what their communities said. These men saddled up, following a celestial phenomenon to a place unknown, or made costly (to the point of being weird) personal sacrifices for an unseen king.

Did one of them get sick? Did all of them grow tired? Perhaps they wondered about their own sanity and dragging other people with them.

I wonder if there was loss along the way.

I speculate about whether they doubted their interpretation of what they’d read in Scripture, coupled with the alignment of other signs. Would they get there and wish they’d never come?

In hindsight, moments stood out where they were wrong; deceived (say, by an egomaniac king). [su_pullquote]”‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:2-3 [/su_pullquote]

Maybe there were moments, when it was all said and done, when they heard of the devastation following their visit and wondered if they could have acted differently, more…wisely.

(Did word of the infanticide ever reach them? Did they realize the ways they’d done things without knowing, and wonder if they’d made the right choice to go?)

I’m certainly not justifying infanticide or any other outcomes. Still, we see in the story of the magi a courageous faith, a persevering journey, so they and others could worship Christ as much as they were able. [su_pullquote align=”right”]”When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Matthew 2:10 [/su_pullquote]

So they could bring the finest gifts they could, for honor he deserved.

“We Have Come to Worship Him”

Packing up to head home, none of them was asking, “Was that really worth it?”

Here’s what we do know. The magi represented the first worship of the Gentiles, with great sacrifice and adoration. [su_pullquote]”And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 [/su_pullquote]

Their obedience and perseverance in a curious journey meant people worshiped Christ as he should be. (Remember John Piper? “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”)

That baby had a way of leaving an impression on people. I think of the shepherds, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20).

Because the path to worship this baby changed people. They came away feeling like the lucky dogs.

As you perhaps say some goodbyes this Christmas and wonder about a path and even a possible desert before you, may you take heart. Your act of worship is sacred, beautiful, and endlessly worth what it asks of you.

May Christ be lifted up in a distant land.

Lord, it is fitting to rejoice in your beauty and to gaze upon your handiwork. While others may call this a waste of time, we recognize that unless we sit in adoration of you, we will forget whom we serve and for what purpose. Remind us why worship is always our first response to you. Amen.

Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Everyday Radicals

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Go. Serve. Love

After seven years on staff with Cru, Janel and her husband packed up their family of six to--yup, Go. Serve. Love in Uganda with Engineering Ministries International (EMI). EMI focuses on poverty relief and development, providing structural design and construction management for Christian organizations in the developing world. After 5.5 years there in East Africa, Janel and her family recently schlepped back to the U.S., where they keep working on behalf of the poor. She writes and loves on her family from Colorado. You can find more of her ideas for practical spirituality and loving each other at AGenerousGrace.com.