After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the One who has been born, King of Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

One bright day, four high school boys couldn’t resist the temptation to skip morning classes. After lunch they showed up at school reported to the attendance clerk that their car had a flat tire. The attendance lady smiled acceptingly, knowing they all just happened to have missed the big English test; she took them to an empty classroom, gave them each a piece of paper and then asked them to write down which tire was flat.

“Wisdom” - this attendance lady had it. She was able to outsmart the “wise guys”. Today our text looks at the visit of the Magi or Wise Men. King Herod tried to outsmart them, but with the Lord’s help, they were not tricked by that “wise guy”.

At one time or another each of us has probably known someone who was a “wise guy” or a “smart aleck”. On more than one occasion, I can remember family and friends using those words to describe me. In our text the “wise guy” is Herod. He thinks that he can outsmart the Magi.

Now understand that Herod is troubled by the news of Jesus’ birth. He feared that he would be dethroned by this new king. His power could be in jeopardy. Herod was ruthless when it came to holding on to power. He had had several of his own family members including his wife, sons, and in-laws murdered because he thought they were plotting to overthrow him. There has been a saying that has survived through the centuries: “it is better to have been Herod’s pig than one of his sons.”

On hearing that one has been born who will be the King of Jews, Herod was greatly troubled, and all of Jerusalem is troubled with Him. The members of Herod’s court were murmuring, “If Herod is upset and goes on a rampage will any of us be safe?” Herod quickly formulates a devious plan. He called in the Magi and wanted to know from them when this star that heralded the birth of this new born king had appeared. He had already consulted with his advisors and had been told that the Christ was to be born in the little backwater town of Bethlehem just a few miles outside Jerusalem. All this he did under the appearance of being a believer.

I believe there is a little or maybe even a lot of Herod in all of us- not that we want to kill Jesus, but the sinner in us doesn’t want to be dethroned either. How often do we, like Herod, cut down those who oppose us or those we see as rivals? There is a little Herod in us when we feign adoration and praise for God and then act in opposite ways. Maybe we tease Jesus with our inconsistent or half-hearted worship or our “whenever it is convenient” I will study His Word attitude. How often do we call ourselves Christians but behave “oh, so differently” at home, at work, or with our friends? How often do we play the “wise guy” thinking we can even outsmart or out maneuver God?

I came across a Peanuts cartoon. In it Lucy asks Linus why he didn’t go to Sunday school? Linus responds that he couldn’t go. “Why?” She asks. Coolly, he responds, “Because the zipper on my Bible was stuck.” How often to do we think we can pull the wool over God’s eyes?

We see the “wise guy” in Herod. But our text gives us the example of another group, the Magi. After they had heard Herod, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Do you see the difference? The Wise Men come into this poor and humble household and treated it as the grandest of palaces. They honored the Child as the most glorious of kings. This is not just “another baby”- don’t let your eyes be fooled by the circumstances - this is the “promised one” of God. From these humble surroundings He can raise up one to rule the hearts and hands of mankind. And they bowed down and worshipped Him.

Sometimes I believe that we are confused by circumstances and appearances. We look at the water and words of baptism and think, “is this all there is?” There must be more to it? Where is the thunder and lightning? Where is the parting of the heavens? Sometimes in our wise, earthly ways we miss all that God has put there: full forgiveness- a relationship of forgiveness- life and salvation. He saved us by a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3.5) The same may be true for confession and absolution: we confess our sins and allow The Doubter to whisper in our ears, “are they really forgiven…just by the pastor saying a few words from God?” Sometimes we miss it, for if the risen Jesus declared, then it is so. Jesus said to his disciples, the first pastors, If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. (John 20.21-22)

The same is true for the study of God’s Word. How often do we seek to be wise in the ways and teachings of the world and overlook or put aside the study of God’s Word which has no end to its depth and wisdom. And of course, there is communion. How can all that is God be found in, with and under such humble means? Is not the cup of thanksgiving for we which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? (1st Cor 10.16) Despite the humbleness the Wise Men saw and accepted. Despite its humbleness let us do the same with communion.

The wisdom of the world is challenged, baffled, by the incarnation- all that is God came to save His people- a people in rebellion against Him, and He came not with power and glory but wrapped in swaddling clothes endangered by Herod. The wisdom the of world rebels against the message of the cross- God dying to save those who have sinned against Him - the world can’t accept the meaning of the resurrection. Many have been resuscitated brought back to life, but Jesus rose from the dead with a body that was and is glorified. Left to its own devices the world including all of us would not grasp it, understand it, cling to it or have saving faith in it, But we who have been brought to faith do. By and through the working of the Holy Spirit we do believe in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We do confess our sins and receive full forgiveness. We do believe that His Word is different- efficacious- not returning to Him empty but accomplishing the purpose for which it is sent (Is 55.11): convicting proud and wayward sinners and bringing real comfort and forgiveness to sinners who crumble before God, Words that bring comfort to the hurting and direction to the lost. That forgiveness, comfort, direction along with hope, peace, even joy are here for all who believe. It is here for you and me.

Believers are made wise to accept the things that come from God, things that have been revealed from God. Oh, forgive us for so often being so unwise. Help us by the working of the Holy Spirit to be wise in the things of God.

Now the Magi returned to their country by another route. We would agree that the Magi were wise in taking a different route. But was it their wisdom that led them to do this. No, the Scriptures tell us that God communicated to them in a dream, a dream that was so compelling they did as it led them to do. They were wise not because of themselves, “heavens no,” -by not going back to Herod they broke all manner of protocol and put themselves at risk had they been intercepted by Herod’s soldiers. They were wise because they followed the leading of God, the same God that seeks to lead us even today.

The missionary J. Hudson Taylor once wrote: “I used to ask God if He would come and help me. Then I asked if I could come and help Him. Finally, I asked God to do His own work through me.” We need to ask the Son for the wisdom to do His work through us. We need to petition the Holy Spirit to guide our ways that we would be made wise in things of God and lead a Godly life so others through our guided actions would be drawn to Jesus. We need to pray that God would transform us from “wise guys” to people “wise in the things of God”.