Matthew 2:11 NIV “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.”
I often think back on gifts I’ve received throughout life and I have to say, my dad was a really thoughtful gift giver. This man really paid attention to what the people around him enjoyed and desired. One year, he took me on a hot air balloon ride for my sixteenth birthday. I can’t imagine how much work that took, and how he was able to keep it as a complete surprise, but that was the experience of a lifetime! Another year, I woke up on Christmas morning to find a go-kart standing against the wall. I honestly assumed it belonged to my brother until my parents had to ask me if I was ever going to say anything about the obvious gift. I was overcome with joy if I’m being really honest.
I’m not trying to brag though. I know that not everyone gets to experience these extravagant gifts. However, there’s one person in history who got gifts far greater than a go kart or a ride in a hot air balloon.
Matthew and Luke give us very similar accounts of the details surrounding the birth of Jesus. However, Matthew tells us about something special that happened after the birth of Jesus.
Three travelers came from the East, following a star. They were known as magi, which just means wise men. These men were most likely interested in dreams, astrology, and magic. Yet, they were men who had deep faith enough to follow a star to a baby called The Messiah. Had they followed prophecy? Studied the stars? The Bible isn’t specific about any of that but there is plenty of scholars and commentary to study if you’re interested! [My favorite can be found at Enduringword.com]
At that time, it was common- especially in the east- that one would never appear before royalty or a person of importance without bringing gifts. The wisemen brought gifts of gold [for royalty], frankincense [for divinity] and myrrh [for death]. Again, there’s no way of knowing if these particular wise men saw what their gifts foreshadowed or if they simply wanted to honor a king. We also don’t know if Mary and Joseph ever used these gifts for anything, although I’m willing to bet there are differing theories about that too. It does make me think though. If these wise men were bringing their best for a baby king they didn’t know, but believed in enough to make a long journey for…what does that say about society today?
We obviously don ‘t give directly to Jesus, but we do give to his people on his behalf and for his benefit. So what gifts are we given that we can use to glorify the Lord? Some can sing and lead worship, others have the gift of speaking and drawing people in to hear the word of God. There are even people who are gifted to care for and support the grieving and hurt. A lot of us actually have multiple gifts. These gifts call us to action. The wisemen didn’t just admire the star, they did something about it by following it. Then they entered in the house of Joseph and Mary, and they worshiped Jesus.
So, in this next year, what gifts will you bring to The King?
Never Ending Praise The Lord 
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