One of the Christmas subjects I will talk about is the Wise Men. Much less is known about them, than you may believe, yet they remain grand objects of wonder. We don’t know how many of them came to Bethlehem, nor exactly where they were from. Some suggest the Oriental cities of Ori and Tar, but this is mere conjecture.
One thing we know for sure is that the Bible titles them Wise. And wise they were in that they acted on wisdom they had concerning stars and followed one that turned out to be a messenger of God to them due to the knowledge they had concerning signs in the heavenly sphere. Also, they were seriously interested in learning more about the Child. Even they knew enough to worship and honor the Child.
Their desire for deeper/wider knowledge piqued my memory and sent me to rummaging through my pile of quotes and sure enough I dug up the one I was looking for, which I now share with you. It could improve your life, as it often has mine:
“It is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus.
Unlike the supposed wise of our day, the ancient Camel Riders had such an understanding of the world around that they followed the logical conclusion that truth is given by God. It is given for understanding the workings of our Creator more clearly and acting on the received information. Action leads to appreciation of God and His ways of informing us of His labor on our behalf in Creation.
The Wise Men’s knowledge led them to Jesus Christ! Shocking isn’t it? In our day, wise guys posit that knowledge leads to rejection of any idea of God, creation, and into the mire of believing man is the measure of all things. This idea brings man to the point of being the prime force in saving Creation, though Creation is an act in which they do not believe.
It’s amazing that the Wise Men were willing to look, not only to the heavens for enlightenment, but also to stoop to search the lower things of life, a manger, a house, a puppet ruler, Herod, and the humble Joseph and Mary. Wise Men used the principle posited by Emerson when he stated,
“I consider every man my superior in that I may learn from him.”
Smart Alec’s consider a peasant beneath them, yet the wise learn from each person as none of us know everything and God hid the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom in a barn!
The Biblical account is found in Matthew 2:1-12 and is loaded with insight concerning the ignorance of an Edomite King and his religious advisers as they had to learn about their religion from Oriental Wise Men. Strange isn’t it, that true knowledge of the meaning of His Star was in the Bible hundreds of years prior to the event?
Copyright © 2016 Larry Lilly
Great IT work! Oral Deckard
Comments welcome at larrylilly@larrylilly.net
One thing we know for sure is that the Bible titles them Wise. And wise they were in that they acted on wisdom they had concerning stars and followed one that turned out to be a messenger of God to them due to the knowledge they had concerning signs in the heavenly sphere. Also, they were seriously interested in learning more about the Child. Even they knew enough to worship and honor the Child.
Their desire for deeper/wider knowledge piqued my memory and sent me to rummaging through my pile of quotes and sure enough I dug up the one I was looking for, which I now share with you. It could improve your life, as it often has mine:
“It is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus.
Unlike the supposed wise of our day, the ancient Camel Riders had such an understanding of the world around that they followed the logical conclusion that truth is given by God. It is given for understanding the workings of our Creator more clearly and acting on the received information. Action leads to appreciation of God and His ways of informing us of His labor on our behalf in Creation.
The Wise Men’s knowledge led them to Jesus Christ! Shocking isn’t it? In our day, wise guys posit that knowledge leads to rejection of any idea of God, creation, and into the mire of believing man is the measure of all things. This idea brings man to the point of being the prime force in saving Creation, though Creation is an act in which they do not believe.
It’s amazing that the Wise Men were willing to look, not only to the heavens for enlightenment, but also to stoop to search the lower things of life, a manger, a house, a puppet ruler, Herod, and the humble Joseph and Mary. Wise Men used the principle posited by Emerson when he stated,
“I consider every man my superior in that I may learn from him.”
Smart Alec’s consider a peasant beneath them, yet the wise learn from each person as none of us know everything and God hid the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom in a barn!
The Biblical account is found in Matthew 2:1-12 and is loaded with insight concerning the ignorance of an Edomite King and his religious advisers as they had to learn about their religion from Oriental Wise Men. Strange isn’t it, that true knowledge of the meaning of His Star was in the Bible hundreds of years prior to the event?
Copyright © 2016 Larry Lilly
Great IT work! Oral Deckard
Comments welcome at larrylilly@larrylilly.net
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