“Now,
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, magi from the East arrived…and they came into the
house and saw the Child with Mary
His
mother; and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their
treasures
they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh…”
(Matthew
2:1a, 11)
December
3, 2017
When
I was a child, we were encouraged each year to make a list of what we
wanted for Christmas. Of course our imaginations would run wild like
most children’s, but being from a large family with limited
resources, I learned early in life not to ask for, or expect too
much. When money is tight, parents often give what a child needs, not
necessarily what a child wants. To keep my list short, I only
requested things that I truly wanted. It must have surprised my
parents therefore when, almost every year, I included on my list (and
got) the same thing--an Etch-A-Sketch. {This was a device whereby one
could draw pictures on a screen by turning buttons, and erase the
picture to start over again by turning it upside down and shaking it.
I loved that toy, and was kept happily occupied for hours drawing
with it, but it was always broken by the next Christmas —so I
always requested another. }
It
was therefore comforting to me, the first time I read the Christmas
story, to realize that even though His Father had unlimited
resources---Jesus Himself only received three gifts for Christmas.
Now, for years I have read of the gifts of the magi and
subconsciously thought —‘surely these were gifts He only needed:
things picked out for Him by His Father, and not things He would have
wanted
for Himself.’ But when this thought rumbled about in my
subconscious this year as I reread the story, it got me thinking:
Of
course Jesus and His Father’s will are, and always have been, one.
This means, therefore, that Jesus did get what he wanted. I
wondered—‘how could that be—why would He have wanted such
things?’ In meditating on the gifts themselves, I realized,
not only did those gifts represent what Jesus once wanted as an
infant—but they are His own ‘short list’ even now of what He
wants us to bring Him whenever we approach Him. And He requests
the same things year in and year out—because
we always ‘break’ our gifts to Him: Myrrh, Frankincense &
Gold.
Myrrh
is a resin from a small thorny tree species (Commiphora myrrha),
that’s
obtained
by making deep cuts that cause the tree to ‘bleed’ sap. It was
one of the items Joseph’s brothers took in trade for him (Genesis
37:25), was used in the holy anointing oil for High Priests and Kings
in Israel (Exodus 30:23; 1 Samuel 10:1), was a perfume used by Esther
in preparation for being brought into the King’s Presence (Esther
2:12) It was mixed with the wine (turning it bitter) offered to Jesus
at the cross (Mk 15:23) (which He rejected since He’d told his
disciples he wouldn’t drink wine again until he drank it new with
them in the Kingdom), (Luke 22:18). It was purported to be the thorny
branches used in Christ’s crown of thorns and thus represents the
bitterness, suffering and affliction caused by sin—since thorns
came into the perfect Garden only as a result of sin and rebellion.
Myrrh was used as an embalming oil for burial, as it covered odors
(John 19:39). It is also a healing balm used to disinfect, and
cleanse wounds.
Frankincense
is
an aromatic resin obtained by the cutting of (in particular) the
scraggy but hardy Boswellia sacra trees.
The
trees are tapped by slashing the bark, which is called ‘striping,’
and allowing the exuded resin to bleed out and harden. These hardened
resins are called ‘tears’. Boswellia sacra trees are considered
unusual for their ability to grow in environments so hostile, rugged,
and unforgiving that they have the ability to grow where there is no
soil; sometimes even growing out of solid rock. Therefore this tree
is a symbol for resilience, strength and endurance.
The
initial means of attachment to the rock is unknown, but is
accomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk. This
growth prevents it from being ripped from the rock during violent
storms. This feature is slight or absent in trees grown in rocky soil
or gravel. Frankincense
was another of the commodities traded in exchange for Joseph. (Gen
37:25 where it’s called ‘aromatic gum’) Frankincense
was an important component of the services in the Temple in
Jerusalem. It was one of the ingredients of the consecrated incenses
offered on the sacred Altar of Incense. (Exodus 30:7-9; 34-38) and
therefore, is an emblem of prayer. (Psalm 141:2) God commanded the
priests to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and
evening, the same time that the daily burnt offering were made. The
incense was to be left burning continually throughout the day and
night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Frankincense was also one of
the ingredients in the perfume of the sanctuary (Exodus 30:34), and
was used as an accompaniment of the meal-offering (Leviticus 2:1;
2:16; 6:15, 24:7) When burnt it emitted a fragrant odor, and the
incense was a symbol of the Divine name (Malachi 1:11, Song of
Solomon 1:3). It was often associated with myrrh. (Song of Solomon
3:6; 4:6). An especially "pure" kind, ‘lebhonah zakkah’,
in Hebrew, was presented with the showbread (Leviticus 24:7)
Gold—
Historically, the value of gold was rooted in its relative rarity,
easy handling and minting, easy smelting and fabrication, resistance
to corrosion and to most acids, etc. As a precious metal it’s been
used for coinage, jewelry, and other arts throughout recorded
history. Gold's high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion
and most other chemical reactions, and conductivity of electricity
have led to its continued use in corrosion resistant electrical
connections in all types of computerized devices (its chief
industrial use). In all ages, gold has served as an article and store
of enduring value. Unlike silver, it is highly resistant to oxidation
and corruption. It is soft and malleable, warm and beautiful, and
holds its value over long periods of time even as other goods and
commodities rise and fall. As such, gold
has
become a universal symbol of love.
For example, gold is commonly used to make wedding rings, serving as
a symbol of the love between the two partners. In a religious
context, gold especially symbolizes spiritual and heavenly love—and,
of course, divine
love. That is why the most sacred articles of the Tabernacle were to
be made of gold, overlaid with gold, or interwoven with gold (Exodus
25:10-40; 28:6-30; 30:1-10), and also why the streets of the New
Jerusalem, are made of “gold as pure as glass” (Revelation
21:18,21).
Christ’s
Christmas list is so very short…shall we not give Him what he asks
of us?
We
offer the heart of Jesus the healing balm of Myrrh,
when we HUMBLE
ourselves
before him, coming into His Holy Presence, realizing &
acknowledging he was sold into bondage in our place and died on our
behalf, that He wore the crown of thorns for our sake and acknowledge
Him as our King and High Priest. As such, we now willingly agree to
die to our self-wills and accept the bitterness, suffering and
afflictions of this life which will come to us, as we enter into the
fellowship of His sufferings. Such humbling brings us to the Blood of
Christ, represented by the bleeding sap—which will cover, cleanse
and disinfect the stench of our sin before Him.
We
offer Christ the gift of Frankincense
when we CONSECRATE
our service
and sanctify our hearts for consistent
COMMUNION
with Him. Once we are Christ’s, the Holy Spirit will show us those
things that are not in keeping with Christ’s will for us, and will
gently show us what needs to be ‘stripped’ from our lives.
Despite our tears, we must remain consecrated to Christ regardless of
the cost or what storms may assail us. We are to cling to Him and
commune with Him in constant prayer, even when there is nothing else
on earth to support us; and He will strengthen us and enable us to
endure to the end. As His priests we are to intercede for those He
has brought around us, sharing His Love and Gospel truth with them,
and bring their needs to Him. As such, our prayers will be a soothing
aroma before Him—well pleasing in His sight. (2 Corinthians 5:9; 1
Peter 2:5) By clinging to Him in obedience, He will keep us from
being torn from our Rock in any storm we may have to go through. We
offer all we do with the sweet aroma of Frankincense of the Name of
Jesus—though whom only are our sacrifices pleasing to God.
We
offer our Beloved Bridegroom the Precious gift of Gold
when we express our FAITH
& TRUST
in
Him
by allowing His
Divine Love to rule in our hearts. When His Love abides within us, we
will find ourselves to be easily molded to His will, able to both
receive his Word as well as conduct it to others without the
corruption of our own acid influences. Our manner will be soft and
warm, even when correcting those who oppose God. He will be able to
more fully stamp His Image upon our lives, making us a rare jewel in
His crown. Our hearts’ deepest LOVE is what Jesus yearns for and
deserves, and our trust in Him is what will most perfectly expresses
it.
As
for myself, I have but a single wish this Christmas—and this year,
it is not for an Etch-A-Sketch: That God would fulfill the following
verse in the lives of all of us….
“In
this you greatly rejoice, even though now, for a little while, if
necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof
of your faith, being MORE precious than gold, which is perishable,
even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter
1:7)
Merry
Christmas to you all
Joann
