The Gifts We Bring

Hectic week this week!  No excuse to not blog, but . . . that's the best I can do.  :0)

I wanted to talk today about the Magi.  This will be my only message this week.  Let's look at Matthew 2:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem  and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east  and have come to worship him."  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
 " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
      are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
   for out of you will come a ruler
      who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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 and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.  (verses 1 - 12)

There are so many topics to cover here, don't you think?  First of all, some background:  who were the Magi?  There's an article about ten years old that I found on the internet at http://ldolphin.org/magi.html that shares a ton of information.  I will continue to talk about the Magi next week, but for today, I want to talk about the three gifts they brought:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  

These gifts were prophetic, "speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death."

Which makes me think about the gifts that I bring Him on a daily basis.  Do my gifts of my life, my actions, my thoughts . . . do they represent Him as king, as priest, as savior?  When I speak of Him, or speak for Him, can He see that He is king of my life?  Can others see that He is my priest, my shepherd?  Is my heart reflective that Christ is my savior?

As you enter these next two days, exchanging gifts, eating, hanging out, think also of the gifts represented in your heart and life.  Are they worthy of the Christ child?  The Christ who was and who is and who is to come?  Nothing we could ever offer is worthy- no gold or silver, no castles or lands.  The only thing He wants . . . is everything.  All of us.  All we own, all we care about, all we love, all we hate, all we think about . . . all of it.  As a King, He could come in and just take it.  As a Priest, He could force us into a religious rituals.  But as the Savior, He destroys those myths and shows us daily, continually, continuously, that a King is strong enough to serve.  That a Priest refutes religion and strives for relationship.  And that a Savior loves so passionately, He would humble Himself, be born as a babe, and give the ultimate sacrifice.

So.  Hmmmm.  All He wants is everything.  Are you giving Him everything?  Your good stuff, bad stuff, in-between stuff?  He wants it more than anything.  So this Christmas, give Him the best gift, the only gift - give Him you.