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| (The Gift of the Magi) |
Matthew 2:9-11 "they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
So often we preach the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh in reference to their market value - the opulence of the gifts get linked to a notion of value denominated in their desirability (as if these costly gift have inherent worth). Do these gifts have real value? No - not really. They are costly but make no mistake - the cost is not a market price. We preach and speculate on the meaning in these costly gifts, we wonder if they are linked to Christ's future life and mission among us but they are never mentioned again in Scripture. The true costliness of these gifts is in their distraction. Our lust for material wealth blocks us from seeing what's really going on; it blocks us from seeing the truth that gives value to the gifts.
Does this statement make sense? The day after the death of the wise person gold, frankincense and myrrh have the same value to the wise person they did the day before the death.
In 1905 "The Gift of the Magi" was published. It is set during a Christmas in the early 1900's. The story is of Jim and Della a poor, young married couple unable to buy each other a gift for Christmas. Each sacrifices their greatest treasure to give to the other. In market terms their meager sacrifice was nothing, a pittance really. Likewise, the gifts then obtained and exchanged were equally pittances. In truth, the real value was not in the physical gift at all. The real value came in the willingness of each to put the other before themselves - to love the other sacrificially. These stories (both from year 0001AD and 1905AD) of Magi gifts then, illuminate the Love story of God's incarnation.
Sacrifice, humility, obedience and love are the value in the gifts of the Magi. The true value is not a commercial or financial concept denominated in currency. The true value is an eternal concept denominated in Love. Sacrifice, humility, obedience and Love are the mindset we are called toward in Jesus; these then are the values that lead us to the eternally valuable gift of the Christ of Christmas.
So often we preach the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh in reference to their market value - the opulence of the gifts get linked to a notion of value denominated in their desirability (as if these costly gift have inherent worth). Do these gifts have real value? No - not really. They are costly but make no mistake - the cost is not a market price. We preach and speculate on the meaning in these costly gifts, we wonder if they are linked to Christ's future life and mission among us but they are never mentioned again in Scripture. The true costliness of these gifts is in their distraction. Our lust for material wealth blocks us from seeing what's really going on; it blocks us from seeing the truth that gives value to the gifts.
Does this statement make sense? The day after the death of the wise person gold, frankincense and myrrh have the same value to the wise person they did the day before the death.
In 1905 "The Gift of the Magi" was published. It is set during a Christmas in the early 1900's. The story is of Jim and Della a poor, young married couple unable to buy each other a gift for Christmas. Each sacrifices their greatest treasure to give to the other. In market terms their meager sacrifice was nothing, a pittance really. Likewise, the gifts then obtained and exchanged were equally pittances. In truth, the real value was not in the physical gift at all. The real value came in the willingness of each to put the other before themselves - to love the other sacrificially. These stories (both from year 0001AD and 1905AD) of Magi gifts then, illuminate the Love story of God's incarnation.
Sacrifice, humility, obedience and love are the value in the gifts of the Magi. The true value is not a commercial or financial concept denominated in currency. The true value is an eternal concept denominated in Love. Sacrifice, humility, obedience and Love are the mindset we are called toward in Jesus; these then are the values that lead us to the eternally valuable gift of the Christ of Christmas.
Philippians 2:2-5 "make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
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