More than gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the greatest gift the wise men offered the babe Jesus was their worship. In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it can be so easy to get caught up in the frenzy and forget what this holiday season is all about, love come down from Heaven. So let us examine the method and focus of the wise men’s worship and remind ourselves, in Charlie Brown’s words, “What Christmas is call about.”
The wise men gave the gift of time to Jesus. They did not come from around the corner, but from the East, about a two year’s journey away. There were many things these men could have been doing, but they felt that honoring the Babe was the most important thing, and in making the trip, they demonstrate their priorities. We can also worship God by offering our time to our loved ones. This is a time to honor the Babe by offering our time and undivided attention to our loved ones who need us, more than another sweater.
The wise men gave the gift of giving honor when no honor was required of them as gentiles. They were not Jews who would have been required to honor Jesus. They were most likely from the region known as Babylon, however, they probably knew about the God of Abraham, most likely through stories about the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon, such as those dealing with the prophet Daniel. So they respected the Jews and their God, and thus wished to give Him their worship. In this season, we can honor the Babe by offering respect to those who are different from us. We may not agree with what they do or what they believe, but we can respect the person and remember that God made and loves that person. What better time to demonstrate the love of God than when we celebrate how God extended His love to us in the form of His Son!
Finally, the wise men gave the gift of kindness by heeding a dream to avoid King Herod on their return journey, thus giving Jesus and His family time and funds to escape (remember the gold?). Thus Christmas is also a time to reach out to the vulnerable among us who need our compassion. Again we can show the same kind of care God gave us when He sent the Babe.
Worship is the gift of the wise men, which they extended in the form of time, respect, and kindness to God and humanity. Let us emulate these men from the East not only at Christmas, but all year long.