Wise men see value in light, and so they pursue it as it leads them to wisdom, humility, and great joy. Evil men, however, see value in darkness, flee the light, and hate it because it exposes who they are. The darkness whispers to them that they can remain king of the pleasures of their world, so long as there is no light. They are disturbed, horrified, and repulsed by the light. The apostle John put it cleanly when speaking of Jesus he said, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19).
John’s truth is physically demonstrated in the story of the wise men and King Herod during the time that Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1-12). The wise men had followed the light of a star for possibly 800 miles. The star led them to where they believed they would find a child who would become the King of the Jews. Their intent was to submit to his greatness, and to worship the child. They were open, public, and in the light with that intent – expressing it plainly. When King Herod heard of their trek, the bible says that he was disturbed. Hiding his intent, he instructed the wise men to bring back to him the location of the child so that he, too, could worship him. But worship was not on Herod’s mind. Instead, he was bent on killing the child as a means of maintaining his kingship (Matthew 2:16-18). His dark and wicked intent resulted in grief, dismay, and weeping when he ordered the murder of all boys two years old and younger as a way to ensure the death of Jesus. Pursuing darkness amplified the turmoil, malevolence and evil that lived in his heart.
In contrast, when the wise men found Jesus at his house with his mother, Mary, they were overwhelmed with joy (Matthew 2:9-10)! In their wisdom, and in light of their station relative to Christ, those wise men were more than willing to bow to the true light, and to bestow on him treasures to mark his royalty. But just as profoundly, in their wisdom they knew that in the presence of God, there is not only complete joy and pleasures forevermore, but also light for the path of life (Psalm 16:11). Warned in a dream, the wise men took a different path home, and avoided the malice of Herod.
How are you letting the light shine into the heart of your life?
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