2014. A New Year. A chance to make a new start. A chance to lead the life that you want to lead, to be the person that God calls you to be.
Do you want to be wise in 2014? What would that look like, to be wise? Today we are on the cusp of the Feast of the Epiphany, the day that the Wise Men arrived at the manger. They were so wise that they found their way to the baby Jesus. Do you want to be like that?
We call them the Three Kings but there is no word in the Bible about them being kings or about there being three of them. They are simply called Wise Men from the East and there could have been two of them or twenty. Tradition calls them kings because they bring kingly gifts of gold, frankencense and myrrh, but then again, they were wise and knew what gifts would be appropriate for the King of Kings. And we may picture three men because there were three gifts.
What made them wise? We have only to examine their behavior to see. And the first thing that they did was to listen. They were watching the stars. They looked up and they listened. This is the most profound kind of prayer, listening to what God is doing in your life and in the world. The Wise Men took the time to reflect on the events of nature, the signs of their times and they wondered about what these things meant. I do believe that God speaks to us through the events that surround us, both globally and locally. So ask yourself what God might be calling you to do in response to what is occurring around you. The Wise Men listened.
The Wise Men did something else that was incredibly important. They asked for directions. All you men out there, do you hear me? Wise Men ask for directions!! And I am not just talking about while driving. How can we possibly lead wise lives if we make our decisions without the help and perspective of others? It takes courage to actually ask for feedback and evaluation, but that is wisdom, so if you want to be wise seek out those who are excellent in your field and ask them to give you honest direction and feedback. Where are you and where are you going? You cannot see clearly from out of just your own head. The Wise Men asked for directions.
The Wise Men also were willing to move. Life is a journey. If you think that you are going to plant yourself and get comfortable, you are not being wise. God is often best found while we are in motion, in times of upheaval and change. To be truly wise, you must be willing to change and adapt. You must be willing to get up and leave all that is comfortable and familiar in pursuit of God above all.
The Wise Men traveled together. No doubt, they leaned on each other, protected each other. God does not ask you to make the journey of your life alone. Wisdom comes when we travel with others. No wonder Jesus sent out his disciples two by two. So don't tackle your life alone. God meant for us to travel together.
The result of wisdom? When, the Wise Men reached their destination, when they laid their eyes on the holy child of God, the Scripture says that they were "overwhelmed with joy." Wouldnt you like to be overwhelmed with joy in 2014? I know that I would!
And strangely enough, our Bible Challenge reading today gives us the opposite of the Wise Men. In this reading from I Samuel, we hear of an UnWise King. Poor Saul, who does not listen carefully to God and does not do what God asks and then gets scared and runs away from God and even tries to hunt down and kill his son-in-law David. Saul becomes consumed with fear and insecurity and these feelings obstruct his vision and make it impossible for him to listen to God or follow God. Fear and insecurity can do that, they can obstruct your way to wisdom, block your path, cloud your vision. Never make a decision based solely on fear or insecurity for these feelings do not come from God.
Saul's story is a tragic unraveling of a man who fails to listen to God, does not trust in God and tries to make his own decisions. As Saul's life progresses, he becomes less wise and more and more scared, insecure and angry. He tries to kill his son in law because the people favor David and want him to be king. Instead of stepping down and honoring God's will, Saul tries to murder his competition. And when he is in a cave going to the bathroom, David sneaks in. David could have killed him but David is listening to God and he cuts off a piece of Saul's cloak to show he was there. Then he confronts Saul. He explains that all this hunting is purposeless. David is not Saul's enemy. David says
"What are you chasing? A dead dog? A single flea?"
Saul was chasing nothing. Nothing but his own fears and insecurities. Nothing at all.
I suppose that, when you boil it down, wisdom consists in the choice to follow God rather than something else or someone else. For we all will follow something. Will it be your ambition? You anxieties? You might as well follow a dead dog or a flea, for these guides will take you nowhere. Or are you willing to step out of your own mind and listen to the mind of God? Being wise is unpredictable and it is scary, for you never know what God will do next. But listen, watch, ask for directions and travel with others.
When the Wise Men arrived at the home of the baby Jesus, they did another wise thing. They came to Jesus not to take anything, but to give. They were not like the crowds that would later come to Jesus to be healed. They came to give. They gave gifts to God. Now, that is wise. Nothing feeds the soul like generosity.
And lastly, those Wise Men went home another way. They were willing to change course and do things differently. They were flexible. They stayed away from Herod and found their way home by another route. Even after they had seen Jesus, the listening never stopped.
To be Wise, listen, ask for help and directions, lean on your friends and travel with them, be generous and flexible. And you will be overwhelmed with joy. I'm not saying that life will be easy, after all the Wise Men traveled a long way and had to work hard. But you will find joy as they found joy. For true wisdom breeds joy, it generates joy.
2014....Will you be wise?
