Gold, Frankincense, and Fur

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"And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh."

Matthew 2:9b-11, ESV

Pop quiz: how many wisemen visited Jesus at his birth?

...the Bible doesn't say. There are three gifts, so tradition has assigned a king per gift. Maybe there were two, and they pitched in for a bonus gift. Maybe there were ten and all penny-pinchers. Who knows? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. It's just one of the interesting ways in which we allow tradition to alter our reading of the text versus letting the text define itself.

Tomorrow is "Epiphany" (sometimes called "three kings day") which acknowledges the day when the wisemen came to see Jesus. I don't think a lot of Protestant denominations celebrate this day - my own church doesn't - but I wish more did. It was a pretty spectacular happening in the birth of Jesus. What must Mary and Joseph have thought as they welcomed the royal visitors into their humble, borrowed, abode?

There is so much that could be said about these wisemen - how they may have been beneficiaries of the school of Daniel (of the "lion's den" fame), how their gifts foreshadowed the life and death of Jesus, or how their presence fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

I like focusing on the simple fact that they brought something to the manger. I don't have gold, frankincense, or myrrh to offer Jesus. I suppose I could in theory purchase them (Amazon? Walmart? Magi-R-Us?), but these types of gifts are not a requirement to come to the manger. While the gift of salvation is indeed free, it is still appropriate to bring a King a gift at his birthday party. It should be costly. It should be special. He is, after all, a KING.

For Jesus, the only gift He accepts is ourselves - our hearts, minds, and souls. It's no good romanticizing it; it's the hardest gift to give. I've been struggling with it of late, to be honest.

We think of the loyalty of "man's best friend," but I can attest that as much as I believe Squirrel loves me, his interests are still ultimately self-serving. He likes having his way!

Tomorrow, on the actual day of Epiphany (12 days after Christmas), let's bring a gift far superior to gold or costly incense; let's offer up our hearts.