3 Reflections on Epiphany - Reflection #3 – Gifts Suggestions

The three gifts the magi bring to Bethlehem are often considered as symbolic indicators of Christ’s nature. Origen, the 3^rd century theologian, gave us a concise example of this way of understanding the gifts when he wrote “gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God.” This was the interpretation I grew up with, and one that still resonates with me today. However I would like to suggest another way of interpreting the significance of these three gifts.

I would like to propose that the three gifts given by the magi to the Christ child can also represent a proper response for all of us who seek to honor and worship the Saviour. The gifts of the magi can help us understand what gifts we can offer to Jesus, in the here and now.

Gold – it seems to me the giving of gold by the magi suggests that we give to Christ from our resources, through our offerings of time, talents and treasures to the work of the church and beyond. Giving of our gold (money) is really a way of sharing our time and talents. Money is both a measure of the time we have worked at something and an indication of the value of our skills and abilities. When we give from our resources to others, especially to those less fortunate than ourselves, we are giving them to Christ. As the Gospel of Matthew quotes Jesus “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40 NIV)

Frankincense – as incense was used in Biblical times in religious ceremonies I would suggest that the giving of frankincense by the magi would indicate that it is appropriate that we give to Christ our worship, our prayers. We offer our petitions to the Lord because not only is Jesus worthy of receiving our prayers, but also because as the Son of God Jesus is able to receive our prayers and respond. The gift of frankincense indicates that the one born in Bethlehem is also the one we can turn to in prayer, in worship. With the psalmist we say “May my prayer be like incense in your presence.” (Psalm 141:2 NJB)

Myrrh – I would suggest that this final gift tells us that it is appropriate to give to Christ the gift of our serving, specifically serving as agents of healing and reconciliation in the world. Myrrh had a number of uses including as a medicinal agent in healing balm. We are called to make the world a sweet smelling place, not through dousing everything with perfume, but by spreading the healing and pleasant aroma of love – not a romantic love, but the self-giving love of God, shown to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Loving service inspired by Christ, the caring serving of others to honour Christ, this brings light into a dark world, brings healing into a broken world, and as the gift of myrrh suggests, brings a sweet aroma into a world made putrid with hatred, vengeance and exclusion. “Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.” (Ephesians 5:2 CEB)

Perhaps these Epiphany thoughts of mine can best be summed up with the words of the closing verse of the carol written by the English poet Christina Rossetti - "In the Bleak Midwinter”

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.

3 Reflections on Epiphany - Reflection #2 – Journeying Together

There is some significance in the number of magi who came to Judea. I am not talking about the number three, that number is never specifically mentioned in Matthew's account – tradition simply assumes this because of the three gifts. The group of magi could have been larger, for example the Syriac church tradition has twelve magi making the journey to Bethlehem. The important thing for the point I would like to make is that there were simply more than one. We know this for sure because the Greek word (magi) is a plural form, hence the English translation “wise men”.

It struck me this year that the magi were a group - a group who most likely discussed and planned together, then traveled together, and ultimately worshiped together. It is that communal aspect of the magi’s journey that I noticed in particular this year. I saw it as another example of the communal nature of the Christian faith. There is wisdom in making our journeys of faith with others. In community we can provide support and companionship for one another. In community we have access to a wider perspective and broader understanding when seeking to discern meaning. In community our joys are multiplied, and our sorrows divided. In community we experience relationship, which is central to faith. The Christian faith places relationship with God through Jesus as the foundation to everything else. The way we live our lives grows from that relationship with God to impact how we relate to others around us. The magi, by arriving as a group, suggest that this will be about ‘God and us’, not ‘me and God’.

This late 19^th century painting by James Tissot, called “The Journey of the Magi” is one of my favourite because it shows the whole community that was needed for such a journey. Not only do we have the magi, but many others in the camel train. Perhaps there were cooks and labourers, soldiers for protection and herders for their knowledge of the animals. This painting depicts people with a diverse range of backgrounds all making the journey to honour the Christ child. Tissot’s painting reminds us that Jesus was born for all humanity, not just the powerful and mighty.

This insight, which grew out of my pondering the story of the magi this year, is a reminder to myself that a community of faith is important. We need to resist the lure of a culture that raises the individual above all else, a society that places personal preference as more important that what’s best for the whole. Even the wise and mighty magi knew the value of journeying together – we should not forget that lesson.

3 Reflections on Epiphany - Reflection #1 – The First Gifts

Epiphany is an ancient Christian festival day that centers on the revealing of Jesus as God incarnate. In Western Christianity the season of Epiphany begins with a commemoration of the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. The visit of the Magi which is found in the Gospel of Matthew, often gets mixed in with the birth narrative found in the Gospel of Luke, but to mix the two stories together misses the unique themes and messages of each story. In this post, and the two to follow, I will reflect on some of the particular insights I gained from pondering this account of the Magi this year. I begin with the first gifts.

The first gifts given in this story were not the gifts of the Magi, but were instead gifts from God. The first gift is the gift of knowledge. It is a gift of the Creator that humans have the ability to think and wonder, to interpret and imagine, to remember and to plan. Without this gift the Magi would not have been seekers of truth, exploring the heavens and the earth for a deeper understanding of the world around them. Without this gift the magi would not have been able to read and understand the writings of others, or have the ability to plan for a difficult and lengthy journey. The magi remind us that the ability to think is a gift from God, one to be used rather than discouraged. Faith does not require us to turn off our brains, rather it should motivate us to use this gift that God has bestowed on humans to the best of our ability.

The second gift is the gift of the star. This is the gift of a pointer, a sign which helps direct the seekers. I believe God gifts us with signs, whether something in nature, or in the actions and words of others, or in the passages of sacred scripture. Signs can be highly personal, meaning something for one person, but not for others. There must have been others who saw the star of Bethlehem, but they either didn’t pay attention to it, or were unable to discern its meaning. The aurora borealis have sometimes been a sign for me in the night sky, a sign of God’s presence and an affirmation of certain directions I’ve taken in my ministry. On one level I know that the northern lights are simply the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun, but even while knowing this I still acknowledge that in some way the aurora borealis have become a sign for me. I think it is less about when the aurora are visible and more about when I notice them. The star the magi noticed had a deeper meaning for them than simply an astronomical phenomena, it was a sign to be pondered and interpreted.

The third gift is the most significant, it is the gift of the Christ child himself. God incarnate, the Word made flesh! This gift is beyond our ability to understand fully, yet it is the centerpoint of time – after this gift was given everything changed. This mystery, this wonder, this surprise, this babe born in Bethlehem remains the greatest gift given to humanity. While Mary could hold this child in her lap, no human can hold the fullness of this gift within their own understanding. In many ways we continue to unwrap this gift given two millennia ago, discovering a fuller, deeper relationship with God as we draw this gift closer to ourselves, and as we share it with others.

In each of these gifts the common denominator is that they were given first. These were not earned, they were not deserved, they were not lucky coincidence. Instead they help us understand the love of God, given as a gift always first and foremost. All we can do is receive such gifts with gratitude. That these gifts from God are first-given is grace, this is God’s way, this is good news. So how do we respond to such gifts? That question I will explore in another post.