I know it's not Christmas, but...

This morning I was reading Matthew 2 which contains the account of the Magi coming to visit the Lord Jesus as a child in Bethlehem (Jesus could have been up to two years old at the time, since Herod had all boys under two killed when the Magi didn't return and tell him that they had found Jesus).

As I was reading this familiar passage, it struck me anew that these men were magi. "So what?" you may be asking! It is important for us to know that these men were magi because every Christmas season we sing or hear them sung about as kings who are bringing rich gifts to the Christ Child. While the gifts are rich, the magi are not kings. Magi are most likely astrologers from the area of Babylon and Assyria (modern Iran and Iraq) -- those who sought to tell the fortunes of the future by looking to the stars. They were those who were employed by kings and peasants alike for guidance.

What struck me is that these men (perhaps three, since there are three gifts, but we cannot be sure) are normal people. They are not the high and mighty, not the powerful of the world, but those who are just like the people in Bethlehem who had no room.... What a wonderful thought that God chooses to receive worship from us, normal people, those who are not especially significant in the eyes of the world.

And yet, these magi are proof that we, too, can seek out the King of kings and give Him our gifts, our all and be received into His presence.