So…
What was the best Christmas gift you received this year?
I got Weather Tec floor mats for my truck?
More importantly, what was the best Christmas gift you gave this year?
I gave Sue and emerald, because she is a gem for putting up with me! (for those not in the know, I had quadruple bypass surgery in October.)
The second question is, I think, more important than the first, first, because it reflects the whole Christmas/Epiphany story of giving gifts to honor the King of Kings, and second because it is an indicator of character.
Why character? Well, because receiving gifts doesn’t real much about you, although if you are pretty self-centered then maybe, especially if you think all the gifts out to be about you.
But giving gifts, and the gifts you pick to give, reflect on what you think about the other you are giving to, how much they mean to you, how valuable they are in your life, and …
They reveal how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to express your love and care.
I mean, after all, it appears that the Magi, or Wisemen as they are often called, traveled a huge distance to bring gifts to the newborn king. They evidently weren’t concerned about the distance they had to travel, or what it might cost them, since they traveled very likely in a large caravan with a good bit of security with very expensive gifts.
We don’t know where they came from exactly other than that they came from the east and saw a new constellation in the heavens while in the east that they thought, astrologers as they were, star gazers, that this must mean a new king had been born (new constellation – new king).
They were not from Judea, and knew that entering a foreign land that they had to go to the palace as it were to get credentials, a visa of sorts, to allow them to travel in country, and so told their story to the current reigning king , Herod.
They weren’t interested in local politics, they were interested in cosmic events, and so though suspicious of Herod’s solicitous help, traveled to Bethlehem to seen a new king so powerful that the heavens told the story!
Even Matthew, the disciple of Jesus, was shocked by what this meant, so much so that he chose to tell the story as part of his birth narrative, different than Luke, who told of angels and a choir and shepherds.
While Luke’s narrative was very Judean and Jewish, with only God’s people visiting the king, an oddity for the writer who so often took a wider view that encouraged Gentiles to see the story as their story too - Matthew, who so often takes great pains to make sure that all the “I’s” are dotted and the “t’s” crossed in terms of Jewish law and tradition, here introduces the cosmic element of Jesus’ birth with the arrival of three (and the number is speculative based on the number of gifts) gentiles, and all of them seemingly not followers of the Jewish law.
This child born to Mary and Joseph, who themselves are relatives of the great King David, have a son who is both then related to the greatest Jewish King, and as the new born constellation tells, to the God who controls the universe!
And these Magi bring gifts fit for a king. It seems that whatever tribute the Magi gave to Herod, they kept some in hiding for the new king they were about to meet, a fact that certainly would have been peaked Herod’s interest even beyond the thought of a child who could be king.
And they presented those gifts, nothing practical like diapers and formula and onesies, but gifts for royalty, gold and frankincense and myrrh, all precious, all a statement of their joy and delight to be able to meet the one who had changed their sky forever.
Gift giving at Christmas has been a tradition ever since, although, the tradition is to bring gifts to the king, not necessarily each other!
So, in honor of Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi, today we are all invited to bring a gift to the king as well. In your bulletin you will find a envelope and a blank card for you write down what you are going to do this year to honor the king.
Seal the card in the envelope. Place it in the baskets at the back of the sanctuary. No one will ever see what you have written, that is between you and God.
But remember, your gift, as always, suggests your character, your commitment, and how much you love Him. Choose wisely!
Happy New Year. And Amen!
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