“On coming to the house, they saw the child and his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 (NIV)
Maybe Mary was having a bad day. If you’ve ever been home with a busy toddler, you know you can’t get a thing done until nap time. (And that’s assuming you stay awake yourself!)
I imagine life was not easy for Mary and Joseph. Their needs were met, but there were probably not many extras.
I wonder how her walk with God was. By this point, have she and Joseph settled into a routine, doing life together? Did the miracle of her pregnancy fade into the demands of daily life?
Maybe, life felt somehow, ordinary.
Unbeknownst to her, there were wealthy wise men making their way to worship her boy. While she was washing clothes and cooking meals for her family, God was sending these men to her, guiding them with the godly GPS of a golden star.
Mary was doing her calling. Although it may have felt mundane and even ordinary, she was where God wanted her. He knew her heart’s desire was to serve her God by serving her family.
He also knew her thoughts. Her insecurities. Her wondering mind. Her unfounded shame. Her lonely sadness of not being recognized by people as she was by God.
He was and is a just and loving Father. He was and is an adoring Father. He was and is a Father of His word. Let’s look at some of what God did that day when the wise men arrived.
The wise men’s arrival probably served many purposes:
- It most likely financed the family’s flight to Egypt.
- It offered eye-witness accounts to be taken to a foreign land whose inhabitants had yet to learn of Jesus.
- And, I imagine, it was another confirmation to a weary Mary, that yes, God had given her a miraculous baby and He was indeed the Son of God. Also, God saw her. He knew her heart. He knew her thoughts. Not only would He provide for her and her family financially, He would provide spiritual encouragement and confirmation to her. He reminded her that He was performing the extraordinary in the midst of her ordinary.