Opening Their Treasures

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 

Matthew 2:10-11

 

May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles

     render him tribute,

 may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! Psalm 72:10

A multitude of camels shall cover you,

     the young camels of Mid′ian and Ephah;

     all those from Sheba shall come.

 They shall bring gold and frankincense,

     and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. 

Isaiah 60:6

We tend to value most that for which we pay the highest price. Payment takes many forms. Time, effort, prayer, patience, suffering, hope. Money is, in fact, a lesser form of payment among life’s greatest treasures.

We don’t often part easily with such things.

To give to another something that cost me dearly is not my nature. I tend to hold tightly to my treasures, even before God. But not so the Magi. They were bent on worshiping the King of kings. And they did it by opening their treasures.

God does not need our treasures. The baby Jesus did not need gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when I give God what He does not need, that which I think I need or desperately want to keep, my giving becomes worship. Essentially, I am telling God that I want Him more than I want my treasure. I am showing Him that He is my greatest treasure, exceeding even that precious person or thing I have sacrificed so much to possess.

The best gifts are those we give out of our treasures, that which has cost us the most. #Christmas Click To Tweet

Out of their treasures, the Magi gave. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are not easy to come by, even for kings.

Gold is often hidden and must be found. Gold requires a patient process of searching, sifting, waiting, watching, and finding. It can take years.

Both frankincense and myrrh require wounding.

Frankincense comes from trees in Somalia, Yemen, Oman, and some parts of India and Pakistan. Careful lacerations must be made in the trunks of the trees, allowing their milky sap to collect on the surface of the bark and harden with exposure to air. Only then can the resin be painstakingly collected. Frankincense is famous for its healing properties, and it was once so valuable that historians attribute the wealth of Southern Arabia two thousand years ago not to oil but to this exceptional spice.

The thorny myrrh tree grows in Ethiopia, Arabia, and Somalia. Myrrh harvesting begins in many cultures with an elaborate and tedious incision ritual that has been passed down through generations of farmers. Myrrh then weeps through the bark and over several months the liquid slowly hardens into globules called tears. Afterward, it can be harvested. It is quite fragile and historically did not transport well. Myrrh was used in ancient times for embalming and preservation.

It’s interesting to note that gold, frankincense, and myrrh are not particularly impressive to look at. Gold in its raw form is lumpy and misshapen. Frankincense and myrrh resin resemble shriveled golden raisins. 

But gold, in the hands of an expert refiner, becomes a masterpiece. Frankincense and myrrh, when crushed and refined, release exquisite fragrance and healing properties.

Giving out of our treasures is just the beginning. God takes our gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, intensifying their beauty, purpose, and impact.

The gifts brought by the Magi were exquisite and expensive. They were not easily acquired. There was no rapid in-and-out shopping, no quick Amazon order, no convenient after-work errand to fulfill an obligation.

Instead of rushing to a store this Christmas, I wonder what gift I might find for the King if I open my treasures.

Am I willing to bring the child so dear to me, who never really was mine to possess in the first place? Will I lay down my marriage? What about the dreams I have worked so hard for or the money I have tucked away to make me feel secure about my future? Will I bring Him all my time, so carefully scheduled and measured out? Let me see… what gift do I have out of my treasures that is fit for a king?

Opening their treasures, they offered him gifts. So will I, Lord.

Lord, be my greatest treasure this Christmas. Amen.

@audreycfrank

Photo by János Venczák on Unsplash