On the 8th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of Worship

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:10-12

Do you have just a moment to spend with me today? May I have just a few minutes of your precious time? I know you’re busy! You may be reading this on a blackberry at the mall as you try to find those last minute gifts, or you may be taking a break from wrapping up those treasures for those you love. May I ask a question? What gifts do you bring this Christmas? Do you stress over what to purchase each family member and friend? We want to buy something we know they would like and hope we don’t go broke in the process! But what gift can you bring to Christ this Christmas? Let’s take our cue from the Wise Men from long ago.

What did the Magi bring with them on their journey to see the Christ Child? They had no Wal-Mart on the way to Bethlehem! No Macy’s! No Saks 5th Avenue! What royal treasure would suffice for a new king? We can all recite the gift list from all the retellings of all the Christmas stories we’ve heard all our lives: The Wise Men brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what is the significance of these gifts? What can we learn from them?

They brought Jesus the gift of gold. Gold has always been precious. It signifies the best one has to offer. What is the best you can offer Christ this year? Life takes a toll on your heart, but you can still offer Christ the gift of loving Him best, desiring Him most. Oh, that can be so hard to do when we get so caught up in the busyness of this season! But worship Christ this Christmas by giving Him the gift of loving Him best and desiring Him most.

Frankincense was considered one of the world’s most treasured commodities, and in fact, rivaled gold in it’s value. It’s resin had such a sweet, sweet fragrance. The trees which produce this resin grow in such unforgiving environments that they seem to grow out of solid rock. Perhaps this sweet fragrance represents those things in life that you love most, that you hold dearest to your heart. The family you cherish, the dreams you have. Will you worship the Christ Child with your dreams? Will you honor Him by trusting Him with your most precious dreams, even the dream you have for your family? Will you gather with family and friends and worship this Christ Child this year? What a gift to lay at the manger!

Myrrh is a resin that comes from a tree, often referred to as a “weeping tree”. It is bitter in taste, yet has a sweet fragrance. It has been used in embalming and anointing of the dead, thus it represents suffering and sorrow. However, myrrh was one of the most valuable treasures of the day, so this gift was given to the baby King! If your heart hurts from sorrow or hurts you have experienced this year, you can worship through your tears and sorrow. He understands the pain of a heavy heart. Bring Him the gift of worship through tears.

When we bring the Christ Child the gift of our worship, our circumstances become smaller and smaller and God becomes bigger and bigger. As we begin to open our treasures before Him--giving Him the best we have to offer Him (represented by gold), worshipping by trusting Him with our dreams and worshipping with family and friends (represented by frankincense) and worshipping through suffering and sorrow (represented by myrrh)--He accepts our worship and will deal with us as we lay these treasures at His feet. What amazing and costly treasures!

There is a hidden gem in the passage of Scripture you may not have paid much attention to in the past. It’s the verse that says “the magi left for their own country by another way.” (Matthew 2:12) When you truly experience Christ at Christmas like the Wise Men did, when you fall down in true heart-felt worship and lay your treasures at His feet, you too, will leave a different way. You will not stay the same. When you allow yourself to become vulnerable in the presence of an Almighty God wrapped in the robe of human flesh, you will not--you cannot--stay the same. When you fall at the manger in honest worship, you will leave another way. God becomes bigger, your problems--even infertility--will become smaller.

So take a cue from the Wise Men this year. See the star of Bethlehem. Worship the newborn King. Rejoice! Exceedingly! Bring your treasures and lay them in worship at His manger and then leave another way.

No wonder they called them Wise Men!