January 2, 2023

Matthew 2:2 “We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

This is the Magi, or Wisemen, speaking when they arrived in Jerusalem. This story has several references to Worship. The one above is the first. In verse eight, Herod tells the Magi that after they find this baby, “I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Finally in verse eleven, “They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.” What is worship anyway? According to https://www.wesleyan.org/worship-equals-worthship, “The root comes from the Old English weorth meaning ‘worthy’ or ‘honorable.’ The suffix -ship is the state of being of whatever comes before it. Thus, worship means ‘the state of being worthy.’” For the Magi, the trip of many miles and the gifts they gave were worth it. When we take an hour to be before God with other people, we are saying it is worth it to do so. You might say that whatever you find to be worth your time, attention and money is what you worship. Would you say that?