“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold wise men from the East came to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1).

These men from the East, veiled in layers of mystery, were perhaps the most intriguing characters in the Advent story. They showed up without warning, then left under the cover of night, disappearing back into the East. So who were they, and where were they from? Some say they were kings from what today is Yemen. Were they Zoroastrian priests, or astronomers or astrologers from the present-day Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq or even further east? Or were they official ambassadors from a king in one of those regions?

Whatever they were, wherever they were from, the obvious message intended by Matthew is that they came from a great distance when having discerned from signs in the heavens that a King had been born to their Mediterranean neighbor in the West, Israel.

The point is clear. The highest value to these high-ranking noble fellows was not comfort or convenience. They did not come searching for a “discount.” They were prepared to travel great distances at great cost (most likely there was a large entourage with them) in order to be a welcoming presence and present their gifts in the presence of this newborn King of the Jews.

We will look at the extent of their homage to this “King from across the river,” but for now, let’s ponder the questions that hang over this scene. How far am I willing to travel to get next to Jesus? Would I have been content to send an Emoji-laden text? What am I willing to bring Him? What do I need to leave behind as I approach Him? Am I as wise as these wise ones?

Whatever the cost, may we take the first step in our long journey today. “Go west, young ones, go west!”

I love the book of Job. I am so glad that God included it in the Bible. Its wisdom and raw gritty honesty about suffering is refreshing. One of my favorite sections, though there are many, has been Job’s cry for wisdom in chapter 28. It is beautifully written poetry that yearns in us as “deep calls out to deep” at the noise of His waterfalls (Psalm 42:7). Job’s cry for wisdom to speak into the circumstances of his life is one that stirs my soul as I too long to find God’s wisdom for my life.

Job says, “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore” (Job 28:1-2). “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price” (Job 28:12-15).

“From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears’” (Job 28:20-22).

“God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure, when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding’” (Job 28:23-28)

Of all the things precious in this life, God’s wisdom is the most valuable resource, and it is hidden!

Other precious resources are hidden too. Gold is not easy to find, and when it is located, there is a massive “rush” to go dig it up. There are many stories of gold rushes and the trials that come with them in modern history. Many people have even died as a result of these gold rushes. For example, during the California Gold Rush between 1948-1950, more than 300,000 people poured into California as word spread of gold being found there. Fights and rivalries resulted too and over 4,000 of the native population were even murdered by enraged miners! During the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890’s, men and women left everything behind to go search for gold in the extreme conditions of the Yukon. An estimated 100,000 people migrated north to try their luck at finding gold, even though the isolated and severe circumstances would mean that very few succeeded, and many died trying.

These just serve to illustrate the lengths that people will go to, to find something that they really want. But here in the book of Job we see that when we are going through trouble, gold and all the earth’s most precious resources are not what we need. We need God’s wisdom! But it is hidden, even more so than the gems and precious resources of this earth. Proverbs encourages us to dig it up.

“…Incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Proverbs 2:2-6).

It’s very encouraging to know that the Bible is clear that if we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him.

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). I love that in the end of the narrative of Job’s life, we find that Job does receive the wisdom from God that he so yearned for. He receives a very personal encounter from Yahweh in chapters 38-41. Consider Job’s response to the wisdom He received: “You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…’I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’”(Job 42:3,5-6).

God is a God of words. He speaks to us in our sorrows and in our joys. From the beginning, He Spoke the world into existence. And He currently speaks through His living Word to us. The Bible once spoken is the living Word that still speaks through the Holy Spirit. Do you need wisdom from God? Cry out to Him for it, doubting nothing as James 1:5-7 says. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…”

God wants to speak to us! That is so exciting to me. I would rather hear a rebuke from God, as Job and Isaiah did (see Isaiah 6) when encountering the Almighty, than to hear nothing at all! I hope you will join me as I cry out to God for the hidden wisdom for life.

Have you ever been in love? Have you experienced compelling, intense, strong feelings or emotions for someone? Have you yearned to spend time with someone because it felt so good to be in his/her presence?

Have you ever dreamt about spending the rest of your life with him/her? Have you ever eagerly anticipated reading a love note and wondered, what will he/she say?

I am passionately in love with my wife. I love to spend time with her. Being with her feels great to me. The twenty-five years that we’ve been married have been the best years of my life. And I don’t want to imagine life without her. My wife assures me that she loves me too, but she has also confessed that there is another man in her life. She has no shame about it either. Furthermore, on more than one occasion, she has let me know that her feelings for Him are stronger than for me. Although the first time she told me I was upset, I’ve now come to accept that this is how it should be. It’s not that we have some forward-thinking marriage; it is because we have an upward-thinking marriage. The man is Jesus. Jesus is the master passion of a disciple’s life.

Jesus wrote a love note to the church at Ephesus [Rev. 2:1-7]. It was delivered through the Apostle John about thirty years after Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians. It is a love note from a Man who appreciates the one He loves and offers abundant praise for her many good traits and behaviors. But He also confronts to the one He loves that she has drifted from Him. He wants her back because she is loved, and He urges her to return to her first love, because she needs Him, whether she realizes it or not. In essence, Jesus commends, corrects, and offers a cure.

The commendation

Jesus praises the church in verses 2-3, “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” The church was commended for good works, steadfast faith, and sound doctrine. First, it is wonderful and encouraging to know that Jesus is aware of all that we do for Him. Second, the commendation is impressive. Any church that does good works to advance the kingdom, patiently endures through steadfast faith, and is known for doctrinal integrity is deserving of an accolade or two. What were the conditions that created such a praiseworthy assembly? We can attribute the health of the church to the legacy of great leaders connected to the church at Ephesus: Paul, Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos, Timothy, and the Apostle John. Undoubtedly, the church’s passion to make disciples, develop leaders, and reach their world for Jesus influenced the commendation.

But I believe the clue that reveals the key to their commendation is found in the correction …

The correction

Jesus corrects them in verse 4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” First, I believe this is the clue that reveals why this church was praiseworthy. Because they loved Christ supremely, they passionately sought to advance His kingdom and remained steadfast during adversity. The love for Christ was kindled by the sound doctrine they received. And they sought to live (apply) the solid teaching, because they loved Christ supremely. Yet, the church was corrected for drifting from Jesus, “You have left your first love.” First, love speaks to priority not chronology. They had made Christ their master passion, but over the course of time, other passions, unbridled objects of affection, had crept in. At first, the seemingly innocent flirtations of these other affections appeared harmless enough. There was still so much to commend about this sure union. But then the love letter is delivered, and we are gently confronted by the One who has loved us supremely. The One who not only knows our good works, but also knows our hearts better than we know our own. And unless we have become completely callous to this One whose love has been so compelling towards us, we are convicted if He delivers this letter to us.

Nevertheless the words not only bring conviction, but they bring comfort, even before we consider the cure. These words bring comfort to every disciple, because they confirm that there was a time when Jesus was the master passion of their life. It reveals that they are loved, and even though they have drifted, the One they have loved continues to love them supremely, and He wants them back. I am yearning to come back, and when I wonder how, I discover that He has made the way.

The cure

Jesus reveals the cure in verse 5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works …” First, we are called to remember from where we have fallen. In essence, reflect upon a time in your life when you were supremely in love with Christ. What did it look like? Remember your passion for Bible learning. Recall how you read the Scriptures like you were reading a love letter from God and hanging on every word.

Reflect upon your prayer life, worship, sharing your faith, service, giving, and relationships with other believers. Second, we are called to repent. I need to change my thinking about God, my drifting from Jesus, and the reality of allowing other affections to obscure the One I’m committed to truly love. Then third, return and do the first works. When we return and do the first works, there is the depth of mature love. A passion that is distinct from the zeal of young love. A supreme love is that which has been nurtured through seasons of testing, discovery, and realization that no other love satisfies, like being supremely in love with Jesus.

Lifework

1. Describe a time in your life when you were supremely in love with Jesus.

2. Reflect upon your current situation. Have other affections obscured your love for Jesus? What might they be?

3. If Jesus is currently your supreme love: Rejoice. If Jesus is not your current supreme love, consider what changes you will make to return to Jesus.