Matthew 2:1-12
Children’s Time on Epiphany Sunday is always a fun and unpredictable experience. I have had so many laughs over the years as I have tried to explain the story of the Magi, or Wise Men, to the younger members of my congregations. Of course, I ask them a lot of questions to see what they already know about the story. And I get all kinds of interesting answers. For example, one time when I asked the kids if anyone knew what gifts the Wise Men brought to the baby Jesus, one little boy said, “Gold, and myrrh, and …” He had to think about the last one for a minute. Finally, he blurted out, “And Frankenstein!” Well, he was almost right! And one morning the kids and I were talking about how strange those presents were to give to a baby, and what kind of gifts might be more appropriate. Some of the suggestions were a rattle, a blanket, some bottles. And one little girl, who had a new little sister at home, stated loudly, “I know what I’d bring baby Jesus. I’d bring lots and lots of Pampers!”
The story of the Wise Men – often called the Three Wise Men, though the Bible doesn’t tell us how many of the Magi there were – is both wonderful and terrible. It is a wonderful story of how God’s revelation of his activity in the world was extended even to the Gentiles, who were the first to worship the newborn King. But it is also a terrible story of a jealous king who brutally murders innocent children in an effort to preserve the throne for himself.
We often picture the Wise Men showing up at the stable and bowing before baby Jesus lying in the manger. But this is probably not accurate. Matthew states that they found the child in a house; apparently Joseph and Mary were staying in Bethlehem indefinitely and had sought out a more permanent place to stay. There are some who believe that Joseph had extended family in Bethlehem and that he worked there for some time – perhaps two years or more – after Jesus was born, based on the fact that Herod killed boys two years old or younger. I have a friend who never places her Wise Men at her Nativity set; she has a shelf in her hallway, and that is as far as they get. When Epiphany rolls around, she moves the stable and animals and shepherds, and has the Wise Men with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. A strict follower of the Biblical account, that one!
And the gifts that the Wise Men bring do sound like strange presents to give to a baby. But they weren’t really baby gifts as we would understand them. Gold was used as a form of currency, as well as to make jewelry, ornaments, or other objects. Incense, or frankincense, was burned to produce a pleasant odor for both secular and sacred purposes. In Israel it was used ceremonially as part of the recipe for the only incense permitted on the altar in the Temple. Myrrh is the sap that comes from a small tree found only in Arabia, Abyssinia and India, and was used in incense, as a perfume, or in preparing dead bodies for burial. In traditional interpretations, gold has been seen as representing the kingship of Jesus; incense as representing his deity; and myrrh as representing his sacrificial death and burial. But there are probably more practical reasons that these gifts were given. They showed the great esteem that the Magi had for the Christ-child and show the honor they believed was due to him as the king of the Jews. Plus, the gifts were probably very helpful in supported the family when they had to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous plot of King Herod.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “In the Bleak Midwinter,” the words written by Christina Rosetti in 1872. The last verse is my favorite: “What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give him my heart.” I have pondered many times the question, what can I give him? Of course, I give him my heart. I gave Jesus my heart when I was 10 years old. I was baptized and became a member of the church. And my heart has belonged to Jesus ever since then. But what can I give to Jesus now? What do I have that Jesus could possible want?
During this time of year when people make New Year’s Resolutions, maybe I can make resolutions about giving of myself to Jesus, and to others for the sake of Jesus. Maybe I can give Jesus my time. You might think that as a pastor Jesus gets all of my time. Well, I can tell you that over the past six weeks, the Boy Scouts have gotten more of my time than Jesus has! I had 15 meetings between Thanksgiving and Christmas related to the BSA settlement. I routinely spend a lot of my time on administrative tasks, making phone calls, returning emails, designing bulletins, putting together newsletters, preparing Bible studies and sermons. Sometimes my time with Jesus gets squeezed out. But this year I can make my first priority every day the time I sit and read my Bible – not for work, but for my own spiritual growth – and journal and pray. I can give Jesus my time.
Maybe this year I can give Jesus my gift of music. I haven’t taken the time to play the piano or guitar in months. And God gave me the gift to do so. I have not been using that gift. I have not used it to honor him or to take pleasure from that gift. I have not written any new music in years. And so this year I give Jesus the gift of music.
What can you give Jesus this year? What are you holding back? What have you allowed to get squeezed out of your schedule? Maybe you just need to give Jesus more time? I invite you, when you come to receive Communion in a few moments, as you approach the altar, to make a pledge in your heart to give Jesus something of yourself in this New Year. What can you give him? Only you and Jesus know the answer to that question.
