The Three Wise Men: The Role of Men

The blog this week looks a little different. It is specifically directed towards men. Even if you don’t regularly attend church services, you’re probably familiar with the Christmas story. The event is recounted in the books of Matthew and Luke.  In the book of Matthew, we find the story of the Magi. Now, these men have been referred to by many other names, some more historically and/or theologically correct, but for the sake of this, I’m going to refer to them as the Three Wise Men simply because of the wisdom I found in their story.

To summarize what has happened up until this point in their story, these three wise men from the East saw a star rise and they understood that it meant that a really big event had occurred, the one who is said to be the King of the Jews had been born. They travel to find and worship Him. They stop to meet with King Herod, the king of Judea, and ask where to find he who is born King of the Jews. The King gathers his chief priests and own wise men to figure out where this event had occurred and points the Three Wise Men from the East in the right direction. He does them to return to him to let him know where the child is. Below is what happened next from the Bible:

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2:9-12 (NIV)

When I was re-reading this during the Christmas season, something was highlighted to me in this story. Ryan Michler, host of the Order of Man podcast, has three foundational principles that being a man is all about. Those are to Protect, Provide, and Preside. The Wise Men in this story show how God used them for these purposes.

Preside

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.”

Matthew 2:11 NIV

First, we see that God presides. To preside is to be in a position of authority. God demonstrates this through Jesus as a child. A child brought these Wise Men to their knees in worship. As men, we too are called to preside over our families and within our sphere of influence. Now, we aren’t to expect to be worshipped as baby Jesus was, but we are called to preside over what has been stewarded to us.

We see this throughout scripture:

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

1 Timothy 3:4-5

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word- Ephesians 5:22-26

Provide

“Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” –

Matthew 2:11 NIV

Here we see that God provides. Through these Wise Men, God provides this new, young family with funds that would be needed for their refuge in Egypt. They wouldn’t know that they’d need to flee, but God provides for them in this moment.

Likewise, it’s our duty as men to provide for our families. In his letter to Timothy, Paul says:

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV

Protect

Finally, we see God’s protection:

“And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

Matthew 2:12 NIV

In this, God protected Jesus’ family from the evil Herod would do by warning the Wise Men not to return to the king.

It’s no secret that the Christian life is one of hardships and battles. Sometimes we see them physically, but a lot of the time it’s a spiritual battle. God’s Word is full of battle and warrior language. Look at some of the Psalms of David. Ephesians describes to us the armor we don to fight the spiritual battles. A quick read through Revelation shows us the impending war that will be waged on the Earth.

As men, we are called to protect our families. Spiritually to start, but I wholeheartedly believe we are called to be protectors of our families in the physical aspect as well. After all, Jesus tells his disciples to sell their cloaks to buy a sword before going on their own.

If you’re unsure of what protecting what you have been steward looks like, contact us. We’ll be happy to get you pointed in the right direction.