Bending the Knee: What True Worship Looks Like
Pastor Rasol Manouchehri Ardakani - 17 December 2025
“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.”
Welcome to Day 17.
When we hear the word "worship," most of us immediately think of music. We think of a church band, a pipe organ, or perhaps our favourite carol playing on the radio. We tend to associate worship with the things we do with our voices.
But in today’s reading, the very first act of worship in the New Testament doesn't involve a single note of music. It involves a posture.
We are looking at the arrival of the Magi, often called the Wise Men. We don't know exactly how many there were, but we know they were significant figures. They were scholars, astronomers, and likely men of great wealth and status in their own country. They were used to people bowing to them. They were used to being the most important people in the room.
Yet, when they find Jesus, they do something shocking. They do not stand tall and shake His hand. They do not offer Him some advice. The text says they "bowed down."
In the original language, this implies falling prostrate on the ground. Imagine that scene for a moment. These dignified, wealthy, grown men are face-down in the dust before a toddler. They completely abandoned their own dignity to acknowledge His.
This is the heart of worship. It is a "bending of the knee." It is the decision to make ourselves small so that God can be big.
Sometimes we struggle with worship because we are holding onto our pride. We are worried about what we look like or what others might think. But the Magi teach us that you cannot truly worship Jesus while standing on your own pedestal. You have to step down.
The second thing they did was open their treasures. They didn't just give Jesus a polite token; they gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were gifts fit for royalty. They were incredibly expensive.
This challenges me. So often, I give God the leftovers of my life. I give Him the spare change of my time or the last dregs of my energy after a long day at work. I fit Him in when it is convenient.
But true worship always costs us something. It might cost us our time, our money, or our reputation. As King David once said in the Old Testament, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."
God is with us in our worship. When we bow our hearts and offer Him our best, we are connecting with the very purpose we were created for. We are acknowledging that He is the King and we are not.
So today, think about what you are bringing to Him. You probably don't have a chest of gold, and that is fine. He doesn't need your money. He wants your heart. He wants your attention. He wants you to bow your will to His. That is the most precious gift you can lay before the King.
Prayer of the Day:
Lord Jesus, we bow before You today. We acknowledge that You are the King of Kings and that You are worthy of all our praise. Forgive us for the times we have given You our leftovers. Like the Wise Men, we want to open the treasures of our hearts and give You our very best. We surrender our pride and our plans to You today. Amen.