A Gift Fit for a King

The story of the wise men (or magi in the original language) is one that has intrigued me more and more in recent years. As a child, one simply accepts the story as is, which is not a bad thing, but a number of nagging questions surround this account; questions such as: who were these guys? Where were they from—besides “the East”? What was it about the star that caused them to undertake such a lengthy and expensive journey? Matthew keeps the details to a minimum, and where Scripture is silent, human speculation loves to play “fill-in-the-blank.”
For example, there’s the old Christmas and Epiphany standard, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Dr. Paul Maier points out in his book “The First Christmas” that in just the opening line of that song, three assumptions are made that are unverifiable and probably faulty. First is the number three, you know, as in “We Three Kings.” The three wise men…it is simply assumed by nearly everyone that three magi came to worship the newly-born King of Israel. But does Scripture support that assumption? Not necessarily. A close reading of Matthew 2 reveals that Matthew never mentions a number in connection with the wise men. The only grouping of three we are told about is the three gifts given to Jesus; and from that the assumption was made: three gifts, three givers; one gift per wise man. That is possible—but it’s also possible that there were two or twelve. Matthew never says.
Next, there’s the “Kings” of the title, which is in the right neighborhood, but is a few streets away from accuracy. Good scholarship and research tells us that magi were not kings per se; but would likely serve as top advisers to heads of state in the ancient world. Magi were both magistrates and magicians. They were part college professor; part doctor; part astrologer; part fortune teller. Today they might be called “futurists.” But whatever they were, they were not Chief Executives—more like cabinet members.
Then there’s the “Orient” of the title. That too, while not totally impossible, is unlikely, given what we know about the magi of Babylon and Persia (which correspond to modern-day Iraq and Iran, respectively). Located east of Israel, the histories of the cultures provide us with most of what we know about magi, and in the case of Babylon, there would have been direct interaction between Israelites and magi during the exiles, which may help explain why the magi were interested in the first place.
All of which is to say that the magi are mysterious figures when you really go digging for information. But there is no mystery as to why they made the journey. It was to worship the Child. It was to present their gifts to the King. About that Matthew leaves no doubt.
Even little children know the gifts that they brought: gold, frankincense and myrrh, and much has been said about the significance of those gifts. Today I just want to bring the story of the mysterious magi down to a simple level. Here’s a review of the facts we know: some non-Jewish, well-schooled individuals went through a lot of personal and political trouble to bring their gifts—and their worship—to Jesus. On a global level, this signifies that Jesus is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or social standing. Much closer to home, we see the wise men bring Jesus their gifts and their worship…and we are given the chance to ask ourselves, “What gift do I have for Jesus? What gift can I bring the King of creation?”
After all, he is the greatest gift, born into the world to help the helpless—to save us from eternal darkness—to bathe us in the life-giving light of his forgiveness. His birth and perfect life—his suffering and death—his own resurrection and ascension into heaven to rule over everything—all is pure gift. Jesus is God’s gift to us sinners, who would be spiraling downward to destruction if He were not given to us. But given the gift of Jesus was—God, in flesh and blood, came to rescue you and me—and given the gift of Jesus is—that same flesh and blood offered in His Church through wine and bread for the forgiveness of your sins. He’s come to promise you eternal joy in heaven. There’s no other gift like this.
So as we kneel alongside the magi, I ask you again, what gift will you bring to Jesus? We can learn a lot from our children, you know. This past week I asked a group of four and five-year-olds that same question: “What gift will you bring to Jesus?” and do you know what one little girl said immediately? She said, “My heart.” I’m not sure a better or more profound answer could be given to that question. “My heart is the gift I will bring.”
What else would Jesus really want? He wants your heart—as broken or scarred or corrupt as it might be. He wants the very heart of you; wants you to turn away from yourself and turn away from sin and to turn to Him. He wants you to stop placing your trust in yourself or in the wisdom of the world, and wants you to place your trust instead in Him. He wants your heart so he can cleanse it and remake it to resemble His own. He wants you to believe His Word, and in so doing, to enjoy the unexpected gifts of forgiveness, wholeness, and new life.
Here is true wisdom, available to all. Jesus: God in flesh and blood—our rescuer. Lay your gifts before Him and worship your King.