When the star appeared, the wise men recognized it as the sign of a supernatural event, then searched the scriptures to find out what it meant. They undertook a hazardous journey that would take several months. It’s quite possible they weren’t wealthy men, as tradition tells us, but men of ordinary means. They may have struggled for the money to travel and to buy gifts for the king. They were willing to do whatever they had to do to find Him, all based on faith in the prophecies. But in return they received the gift of seeing the Messiah, which transformed their lives.
When we give our hearts and lives to Jesus, we get back more than we give, although it costs us control of our lives. We find true joy, freedom, and meaning in our lives. And most of all we find relationship with God based not on how hard we work, but on Jesus’ finished work. And it can start now if we say yes to Him. He’s already searching for you.
I’d like to leave you an excerpt from my book “Search for a King: The Star Rises.” Katanes, the apprentice, has asked his mentor, Melchior, whether he’ll have enough to live on after using his life savings for this trip.
Melchior looked at Katanes for a long moment, and said, “Since the star appeared, I knew this was something more important than I or anyone else imagined. Like Balthazar said, I had to go and see for myself what this was all about, even if it caused a rift between me and my brothers, even if it meant spending my life savings, or risking a dangerous journey. I don’t fully know why, but I have to find this king.”
“I read in the Hebrew scrolls that their greatest king, David, had sinned against his God by counting his fighting men instead of trusting God. In repentance for this sin, God told him to buy a threshing floor and build an altar. The owner of the threshing floor offered to give it to David for free, but David insisted on paying the man. David said, ‘I will not offer a sacrifice to God which costs me nothing.’ Neither can I offer this king a gift that costs me nothing.”
A somber look crept across their faces as Melchior continued. “Each of us, including Orophernes, has made sacrifices to search for this king.”
“And we won’t give up until we find him,” said Katanes.