2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
What present would you give God?
- 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 my heart.
And then there is that Little Drummer Boy. It's very romantic if not just a bit crazy to imagine the little drummer boy at the manger, giving what he could. But really. Shepherd drummers? Calming an infant? The drummer boy could have given the drum! Mary might have objected at that point, but that little kid held out on God. Little piker.
Wise men brought not what God needed, but what they valued:
Gold - the stuff of life and comfort
Frankincense - the spice of holiness, used to show the presence of God.
Myrrh - the spice of death, the clinging to life.
What if they weren't just gifts (these were wise men after all) what if they were also requests for healing. "Here is what I value, here is what I am afraid of losing. Here is what I am anxious about. Can you help me?"
We picture the wise men as impassive, silent, robotlike figures delivering their gifts without passion, without care.
What if their faces were lined with worry. What if they were real people. Professors who gambled too much, librarians with dark secrets, experts with a checkered past, magicians wondering if they are complete fakes, wizards full of hot air.
Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar
Caspar, the friendly Magi, brought gold.
He was anxious about it. He worried
- someone would steal it
- would it be enough
- someone would steal it
- was it too much
- what would his wife say
Deep down he was actually feeling guilty:
- he wasn't good enough
- he hadn't been forgiven
- long ago something horrible
He was anxious about
- getting sick
- every cough bothered him
- he took his pulse every few hours
- he ate honey
- dying
Jesus heals our anxiety about life death.
(c) William H. Levering 2009
