FRIDAY
In this rather odd scene, Matthew portrays the beautiful truth that the kingdom is expanding to every nation, tongue and tribe. He also gives us a picture of worship.
Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”… 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
In this text, Matthew is giving us a picture of what genuine worship looks like. I have five characteristics of worship from this story of the magi:
- Watching
- Joy
- Sacrifice
- Humility
- Jesus
We don’t know if they knew what they were watching for (i.e., if they knew any of the prophecies of the Messiah). But they were alert and noticed the star. Jesus will later criticize the Pharisees and Sadducees by telling them they don’t interpret the signs of the time (Matt. 16:3). He also calls his disciples to note the signs of his imminent return (Matt. 24:33). So, disciples should be alert and watching, as a form of worship.
Think of something you have really desired. You eagerly watched for it. I know I did and I still do. As a kid I watched the days count down til Christmas. When I was single, I eagerly watched for anyone who would be willing to date me. When I was in the market for a house, I watched for new listings. When I was looking to buy a truck, I eagerly watched for available trucks. We watch for what we want.
What are you watching for the most?
When they saw that the star had stopped over the place where Jesus was, they were overjoyed (v. 10). Joy should characterize our worship. Worship should be an expression of our joy at finding what we have longed for the most. In worship we are praising the one we have longed for the most because we have found Him.
What brings you the most joy? The answer to that question will help reveal the true object of your supreme worship.
The magi sacrificed a lot of time, money, safety, and likely other things to make this journey. They came from a different country in the east. Travel was incredibly slow in this day and age, so their journey was, at minimum, weeks long and likely months or even years long. A journey of this length would obviously cost a lot of money. They had to purchase food for themselves and their companions, as well as fodder for their animals. Untold expenses would arise on the journey—carts break, animals get injured, people get sick, etc. This is not to mention the cost of the work lost by them not doing their normal jobs at home. They also brought expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. “Frankincense and myrrh were both aromatic gum resins derived from trees and bushes and imported from the east. “ - David L. Turner, Matthew, 86. Commentators have historically seen symbolism in the gifts: gold = king; frankincense = divinity; myrrh = his death and burial. However, it’s probably better to view these as fulfillments of passages like Gen. 49:10 and Isa. 60:6 as noted above as well as Ps. 72:10-12.
Our worship will require sacrifice. I should say, if we genuinely worship God supremely, we will joyfully sacrifice for him. We will sacrifice our time in the sense of attending worship service, small group, helping others, devotionals and private worship, etc. We will sacrifice our wealth by tithing and using our resources to bless others and support organizations doing kingdom work. All in all, look at what you are willing to sacrifice the most for and you will find what you worship as ultimate.
The text specifically says they “bowed down and worshipped him.” These two terms imply the physical postures of kneeling or lying prostrate before someone. They imply humbling oneself before one who is greater than thou. These postures signify one’s devotion or humility before another. They were assumed by someone of lesser social status than the one knelt or bowed before. Now imagine this scene—bowing before a child age two or under! Mom is still changing his diapers and wiping boogers from his nose and these guys are bowing before him! And it’s not like he’s the obvious child of a king in a palace. Mary and Joseph are poor and they’re in a small house in a tiny little town. There is nothing grand about this setting.
Humility is an essential part of worship. In worship we acknowledge the greatness of God—a greatness to which we cannot compare or even imagine. This is why we kneel when we pray. In doing so we take the posture of a servant and acknowledge God’s superiority. When was the last time you knelt or prostrated yourself before God in prayer and worship? This isn’t necessary, but it is a physical representation of the posture of your heart. Is your heart postured towards God in humility, honor, and reverence?
Matthew notes that they saw the child and his mother. He makes no mention of Joseph, which is interesting, but we shouldn’t read too much into. Even though Mary is mentioned they bow down, worship, and present their gifts to Jesus. Imagine presenting gifts like these to a child under two! This scene is all about Jesus.
In the same way our worship is directed to the Godhead, Jesus is included as the second person of the Trinity. Worship of anything else is the essence of idolatry.
Cultural Christianity, as we talked about yesterday, doesn’t worship Jesus.
So the question shouldn’t be, “Am I a Christian?” This question can easily mask a cultural Christianity. The question should be, “Am I a worshipper of Jesus?”