Devotion.al

Feed Your Soul

  • Comfy Story

    Psalm 72; Isaiah 60:1–6; Micah 5:1–6; Matthew 2:1–12

    The richness of the story of the could probably fill volumes. Magi were people who retained, studied, and added to ancient knowledge. In many respects, they were a combination of priest, counselor, academic. They would be the people who advised the rulers but were probably not kings themselves. Them not being kings is not to dismiss the significance of their pilgrimage to Judea. Due to their likely significance to their king, being sent by the king was a of and to a king assigned by the heavens. They were ambassadors.

    Matthew is making a not-so-subtle point. The leadership of foreign peoples, who probably did not or honor God, came to Jesus, calling him king. The equivalent leaders of the Jews—Herod and the priests—appeared completely clueless that a king was born. Those who “should” have been first to proclaim God’s anointed one had to be told by unbelievers.

    Non-Jewish Christians() look to this story as Jesus being their savior, not just the savior of the Jews. This is true, and very much part of Matthew’s . For those of us “born” as Christians and/or raised in Christian households and/or who have been Christians for a long time, we ought to re-read this story as a cautionary tale. There is often a point where we become a combination of Herod and the priests. We become numb and/or blind to the story and -changing nature of Jesus. It is the danger of becoming comfortable.

    The Advent of Jesus’ birth shook the “should be”’s and the comfortable. The arrival of the wise men to a backwater town to visit some insignificant toddler disrupted the “proper” ways. When we are comfortable with the stories, it is time to reflect on our with Christ.

    1. What do you think the Magi thought when they met with Herod and the priests?
    2. Do you think your non-Christian friends or would see you like the Magi or Herod and the priests? Why?
    3. How does the story of the Magi inform you regarding those who do not yet follow Jesus?
    4. [KD] Why do you think the Magi visited Jesus as a baby/toddler, rather than waiting until he was an adult?
  • Too Busy To Live

    Too Busy To Live

    Exodus 5:7-9; Romans 8:5-8, 12-17 Recently, there was a song going around the internet called the “Rich Men North of Richmond”. It mostly speaks to the anguish of a working man who is striving and working and is not making ends meet, and, yes, there are some digs that many are questioning, and sometimes just…

  • Beautiful Words and Songs

    Beautiful Words and Songs

    We aren’t called to only enjoy well played and sung songs.

  • Wise in Whose Eyes

    Wise in Whose Eyes

    We are often presented with the wisdom of Solomon. Yet, Solomon retained his freedom to make choices contrary to God revealed instructions.

  • Wise Wisdom

    Wise Wisdom

    Theoretically, each should should be evaluated by their past successes and failures, yet, it just doesn’t seem to actually work that way. We Christians are often complicit in this. While we are called—whether by James, the wisdom of Solomon, or the Psalmist—to be wise, we often succumb to the world’s temptation to follow the arrogant.