Matthew 2:1-12
What a great difference there is between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God which is Jesus Christ! In Matthew 2, we see the wisdom of man. Herod thought he was smart (vs. 8, 12). God is not impressed by man’s wisdom - “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever, I will thwart … Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:19-20). The wisdom of God is very different from the wisdom of this world. God’s wisdom fills us with joy (Matthew 2:10). God’s wisdom leads us to worship Christ (Matthew 2:2, 11). The wise men brought costly gifts to Jesus. This runs counter to the wisdom of this world. Worldly wisdom tells us to acquire riches rather than giving them away to Jesus. When we give ourselves to Jesus, the world may say, “What a waste!” The Word of God assures us that giving our time, talents and money to the Lord is never a waste. When, in joyful worship, we give ourselves to Jesus, He saves us from wasting our lives on things that can never satisfy. Looking to Him, we become less attached to the things we cannot keep - material possessions - and we learn to treasure the one thing that remains forever - eternal life.
