Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

The ‘Magi’ come to worship.

Matthew 2v2 “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’” (NIV)

This Friday (tomorrow) is celebrated by much of the global church as “Epiphany”. It is the last of the 12 days of Christmas celebration. In everyday language, an epiphany is a moment of sudden realisation or revelation, a “eureka-moment” when something suddenly makes sense. ‘Epiphany’ is the name given to the day which recalls the visit of the “Magi”, “wise men” or “kings” to see Jesus.

While in Matthew most translations simply keep the Greek word ‘Magi’, elsewhere, the Greek word ‘magi’ is translated ‘magician’ or ‘sorcerer’ (e.g. Acts 8v9, 13v6). This is quite a revelation: the people who came were foreigners (not Jews), of a different religion (almost certainly Zoroastrian), of a different culture and language (Persian – probably from Babylon area); but, God had spoken to them by a star and their hearts’ desire was to worship Jesus.

These Magi persisted in their determination: they probably spent best part of two years in their journey (based on Matthew 2v16), and their search required the help of others – even those hostile to Jesus!

All in all, this is an extraordinary Epiphany moment in the Bible story. God is bringing into his worshipping community those who were by nature far away.

Are there people around you seem so far away from God? Maybe people who are searching, but in completely the wrong direction? If God can bring such as the Magi to worship him, he can bring those around you in too.

Never give up hope in the God who sent Jesus to be the Saviour of all kinds of people.

With love and blessing,

Roland