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<p>Matthew 2:</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>
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<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the
3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the
radical faith of the wise men.</p>
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<ol><li>Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and
maintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let
alone known.</li></ol>
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2.The wise men believed in the promise against the
unbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness
of the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. 
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3.The wise men believed in the universal kingship
of baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.
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<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>
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<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother's grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>
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<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>
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<p>A religion that waits for all to be settled when Christ comes down and the curtain is drawn is not a faith based religion. The time to exercise faith is now, the time to uphold Jesus is now, the time to trust and follow in His foot steps is now.</p>
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<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm
is an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>
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<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>
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