Christmas: When the Wise Men Stopped Being Wise

The story of the wise men is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible. These were men who travelled from the East to Jerusalem in search of Jesus. By “the East,” we are referring to modern-day Iran. Church tradition calls them wise men—and rightly so—because it takes wisdom to seek Jesus. These men were astrologers by profession. They studied the stars, and through their learning and intelligence, they discerned that a King had been born. What they discovered intellectually, they pursued obediently. So they set out on a journey—from modern-day Iran to Jerusalem—not just to see Him, but to serve Him, to praise Him, and to worship Him. That journey was no small one. By land, it was approximately 1,200 miles, and considering the means of travel at the time—likely camels or donkeys—it would have taken them no less than a year. For an entire year, they were led by the star. Take left. Take right. Take left. Take right. Long before Google Maps, God was already guiding people to their destination. God used a star to lead these men. That star took them through different terrains—over hills, through valleys, across rivers, and through varying atmospheric conditions. For one whole year, the star led them faithfully. These men were known as wise men, and rightly so, because they were wise enough to look for Jesus. But here is the tragedy. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they stopped following the star. Pause and think about that. For an entire year, they had been led by divine guidance. Yet the moment they felt they had arrived, they stopped following God. That has always been human nature. When we feel we have “arrived,” we stop following God. The wise men assumed that if a King had been born, then surely He must be in a palace. So instead of continuing to follow the star, they asked for directions to the palace. They reached a junction. They asked for the palace. They turned away. And the star remained. They went to King Herod and said they had come to worship the newborn King. Herod replied, “When you find Him, let me know, so I too may worship Him.” But there was no King in the palace. When the wise men realised their mistake, they returned to the junction where they had left the star. And when they looked up, the star was still there. It had never moved. Whenever God leads us and we decide to take our own initiative, God does not follow us. God will not follow your wrong path. God will not endorse your erroneous decisions. Many of us take our own turns and expect God to follow us. But God never follows error. The star remained. God will never authenticate our wrong moves. Scripture says that when we miss the way, we will hear a voice behind us saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” That voice calls us to realign. When we miss God, we must return to the place of order—the place where we left Him. Scripture reminds us: “Remember your first love, and return to where you have fallen from.” Many people were once led by God, but when they felt they had arrived, they stopped doing what they used to do. They stopped praying. They stopped praising. They stopped worshipping. They stopped giving. They stopped loving God. Some prayed for marriage, received it, and stopped serving God. Some prayed for a job, received it, and stopped going to church. Some prayed for children, received them, and now say they are too busy for God. Ironically, the very things we prayed for became the reasons we drifted. Like Google Maps, when we miss a turn, it recalibrates. But here is the difference: God may give us another chance, but He does not recalibrate to follow our wrong direction. We must go back. God is stationary. He never moves. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are the ones who drift. The further we keep going in the wrong direction, the further we move away from God. But when we return to the place where we left Him, we will find Him there. That is exactly what the wise men did. They returned to the place where they left the star, and once again, the star led them—this time to the true destination. And there, they found the King. Not in a palace. But in a manger. Not every King is born in a palace. God often works in unexpected ways and in unlikely places. When the wise men finally reached Jesus, they laid their gifts before Him—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their joy was full. Their journey was complete. Happiness comes from a journey well followed. If you have drifted, realign your path. Return to the place of order. Return to prayer. Return to faith. Return to the Word. God is waiting for you with arms wide open. The star is still there. Watch out for the next episode. Catch you.