They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 MSG)
The three wise men had already seen one king on their trip. But now they are overcome when they stand in the presence of Jesus. They’d traveled completely in faith, just to see him face to face. And they did not come empty-handed.
Knowing who Jesus is, the wise men stored their best gifts in their luggage to share with Jesus and his family. Obviously, the baby Jesus didn’t need the gifts. If you think about it, this gift must have been a great blessing to Mary and Joseph as young parents. But the point is the wise men gave something of great value, something that wasn’t left over from their trip. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh was not spare change, or like a few bills left in their wallets to drop in the offering plate. No, they planned in advance to worship the Savior with their giving.
What do I have to share with Jesus in my possessions, in my luggage? Or do I only bring my baggage to lay at his feet? What am I storing up financially to provide for him and his family? The wise men could have just kneeled and worshipped. But they put their money where their mouths were. Too often today Christians profess the baby Jesus is born, but don’t let this affect what they do with their resources. If I won’t give up my valuables to worship him, I’m telling him these are mine and not yours. If the lordship of Jesus doesn’t affect my pocketbook, we’d be hard pressed to say he affects anything else.
Deep Questions 