Fulfilling Our Assignment

The response of the woman who was “forgiven much” (Luke 7:36-50) is humbling. Her outpouring of gratitude upon Jesus places before us unabashed, unfiltered adoration -- and it is humbling. Have you ever been as free in expressing your loving service to the Savior (read the account again, just to be sure)? I don’t know that I have. But if I’m honest, I have just as much cause for untempered worship as she. This is why I need to heed the call to be “transformed by the renewal of [my] mind” (Romans 12:1-2). I need to not think of myself more highly than I ought to think, for Jesus came to save sinners, those who need to be forgiven much and those who need to be forgiven not as much (I’ll let you decide which category I fall into).

This relationship is important to establish before Paul goes on to speak of God’s intention to use every member of the church in his service. The exercise of the gifts he gives should be undertaken with gratitude and faith. And if we are clear about our lack of standing before God and the eternal peril we faced apart from his grace, whole-life service of him should not be hard to muster. 

After we’ve contemplated deeply the sacrifice that was offered on our behalf and had our hearts stirred to respond with grateful service, the next step is to utilize the gifts he assigns within the context of the local church. Though this is obvious from all that the New Testament has to say about ministering in the name of Jesus, it is too often missed by Christians. One only needs to look at the brief list in Romans 12:3-8 to understand how God intends for us to serve him by serving one another, with one another. As someone had said, “one Christian is no Christian.” Each of us is only a part of the whole and we need one another to be all that God has designed for us to be. 

Together we must prayerfully proceed in fulfilling our assignments. As we do this worshipfully and lovingly we might just “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” That is, God will show us how we can best serve his purposes in this place, at this time. 

Epiphany

The magi were men who studied the stars, poured over ancient manuscripts, and interpreted dreams. They were seers who were influential figures in their own cultures. While they were not kings (popular misconception, and there might have been more than three), they served kings. It's not inappropriate, however, to refer to them as wise men, as they represented the wisdom of their people. Additionally, they were Gentiles, non-Jews. These two facts are important for us to appreciate.

In his telling of the events it appears that Matthew wants his readers to understand the presence of the magi as signaling primarily two things. The first is the superiority and truthfulness of God’s wisdom to any other supposed wisdom. These men had come to some conclusions as a result of their research. Their likely familiarity with Hebrew writings, such as Psalm 72, led them to look for the coming of the one who would usher in a reign of universal peace and prosperity. And when they saw the star rise that heralded his birth they sought him out to pay him homage (wise men, indeed!). When they bow before him, it's as if they are laying down all of the world's wisdom at his feet. The second is the long-prophesied inclusion of Gentiles among those who benefit from the coming of the Messiah. From the very beginning, the coming of the promised one was “good news of a great joy . . . for all the people.” Salvation is not just for the Jews but for all who place their hopes in the one who was born of the virgin. 

Is it any wonder that when the magi entered the house “they fell down and worshiped him” and “offered him gifts”? Whether they were fully cognizant of what the coming of this child meant, their actions were appropriate. He was the King of Kings, the Savior of the World.