The Gifts of the Magi

January 5, 2025 homily on Isaiah 60:1-6 and Matthew 2:1-12 by Pastor Galen for Epiphany Sunday

If the Wise Men Were Women

There’s an old joke that says, “You know what would have happened if there had been three wise WOMEN instead of three wise MEN, don’t you? The three wise WOMEN would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the Baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and given practical gifts to baby Jesus.”

While this joke plays way too much into gender stereotypes that are not always true, it does raise a valid question about the gifts that the Wise Men (or “Magi”) brought to baby Jesus. Namely, why on earth did they bring frankincense and myrrh?

Now, first of all, I should point out that we don’t really know whether all of the Magi were men. Nor do we know exactly where they were from, or whether they were kings, or how many Magi there were. We know that they came from the East, and we know that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We assume there were three Magi since they brought three gifts, but we don’t know for sure.

The gifts that the Magi brought sound a lot like the gifts mentioned in Isaiah 60, where it talks about kings being drawn to “the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:30), and a caravan of camels coming from Midian and Ephah bringing gold and frankincense, and so traditionally the Magi have been depicted as kings riding on camels—in fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah. 

But why did they bring these gifts in particular? Gold I can understand. It’s sort of like giving someone money or a gift card. If you’re not sure what someone likes, just give them a gift card and let them buy what they really want for themselves! (Most likely the gold proved useful for Joseph and Mary when they needed to pay their way to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod after Jesus’ birth.)

But frankincense and myrrh? Didn’t any of the Magi think these might be strange gifts to give to a newborn baby? Frankincense, after all, is a type of incense used in temple worship. Myrrh was used for anointing and embalming of corpses. Not exactly gifts that you would typically bring to a baby shower!

Gifts Fit for a King

But if these gifts were not practical gifts for a baby, then perhaps they were symbolic. Sort of like how towns used to present visiting celebrities with a “key to the city,” or how we give athletes trophies or medals. These gifts might not serve a practical purpose, but they do convey honor and esteem.

Frankincense and myrrh were items that were often imported into the Mediterranean region from the East, and so perhaps the magi gave these gifts as tokens of their culture — like how we might send Old Bay seasoning or Berger Cookies to friends or loved ones representing the treasures of Baltimore. 

Perhaps the magi brought gold and frankincense and myrrh as symbols of who Jesus was and is, and why he was born. The gold may have represented Jesus’ royalty; the frankincense may have represented his divinity (since frankincense was used in worship); and the myrrh could have been symbolic of the fact that Jesus came to be our atoning sacrifice (since myrrh was used for embalming).

Even though the magi may not have fully comprehended the symbolism of the gifts they brought, I believe the Magi were inspired to bring these gifts, just as they were inspired to come and worship the baby Jesus when they saw the star.

The Faith of the Magi

Speaking of the star, I’d like to invite us to think for a few moments about how much faith and courage it required for these Magi to leave their homes and travel hundreds (if not thousands) of miles to worship and bring gifts to baby Jesus. They had received no written invitation, and they seemed to have no connections to the royal family in Jerusalem. All they saw was a star that clued them into the reality that something of great significance had taken place. And so they followed the star to the place where Jesus was born.

What was it about the star that caught their attention? Some think that it was a supernova explosion, or a comet. Others think it was a conjunction of planets. Indeed, in the year 2 B.C.E., Jupiter had a very close conjunction with Venus that would have caused it to appear like an extra bright star. Jupiter also passed by the star Regulus twice that year. Both Regulus and Jupiter were associated with kings, and so this might have signified to the Magi that a new king had been born.

But whatever the celestial event was that caught their attention, these Magi went to great lengths and personal expense to pay homage to baby Jesus.

The star that the Magi followed led them to Bethlehem, which was just 5 miles outside of Jerusalem. It’s not hard to imagine why they assumed the star was leading them toward Herod’s palace in Jerusalem, since that’s where one might expect a new King to be born. And so they stopped by Jerusalem, and contrary to the joke about the wise men vs. the wise women, these Magi did stop and ask directions. Of course, King Herod had no idea that a new king had been born, and this upset him greatly. He called for the theologians to ask where the Messiah was predicted to be born, and they rightly told him that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. And so Herod instructed the Magi to go and look for the baby and report back to him once they found him. Upon leaving the palace the Magi saw the star which led them to the exact place where Jesus was. And when they saw him, “they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:11-12).

The Significance of the Magi

There are several things that are striking about this story. One of which is that these Magi, who were not biblical scholars, or even part of God’s “chosen people,” were still able to discern the significance of the events taking place. They rightly discerned by way of a star in the sky that a new king had been born, and they followed that star to the place where Jesus was. Even though he wasn’t born in a palace as they might have expected, when they found him, they worshiped him and presented him with gifts that appropriately symbolized Jesus’s role and mission. And finally, they were able to hear and discern God’s direction by way of a dream not to go back and tell Herod where Jesus was—thereby protecting and preserving Jesus’s life. 

Indeed, it is through this story of the Magi that we see Jesus came for people of every nation—not just for those who were considered God’s “chosen people.” In fact, the purpose for which the Israelites had been chosen was to carry God’s light to the nations (see Isaiah 42:6) — and Jesus was the fulfillment of this. Indeed, the star in this story of the Magi that drew these Magi from other nations is symbolic of Jesus — the true star that draws people of every nation to God.

Secondly, through this story we see that God speaks to people in a variety of ways — in ways they can understand. In the Gospel of Luke we see angels appearing to Mary and the shepherd, and in Matthew chapter 1 an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. God spoke to the theologians in Herod’s court through Scripture, as they rightly interpreted that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. And here in this story of the Magi, we see that God can also speak through nature (as in the star), and through dreams — methods that seemed familiar to these Magi. Indeed, even today God speaks to people through a variety of means and methods, if we will just take the time to listen and discern.

Today, God speaks to us primarily through Scripture. We are blessed to have the Scriptures available to us in our native language, and many of us have access to multiple copies and translations of the Bible in our own homes and on our electronic devices — something that was not available to these Magi or to many people throughout much of history. Even today there are many people who do not have access to the Scriptures in their native language, and there are wonderful Christian organizations actively working to translate Scripture into everyone’s heart language.

But we see here that having access to Scripture is not enough — we must also learn to interpret and respond to the Word. The theologians in Herod’s court knew Scripture well enough to discern that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but that did not lead them to go and find and worship Jesus. The Magi, on the other hand, were responsive enough to not only search for the newborn king but to also go and worship him. In doing so, they joined in with the shepherds who also responded to the invitation to go and worship the baby Jesus. Through these two groups, we see that it doesn’t matter whether someone is rich or poor, or what their status or background is — the most important thing is whether we are willing to listen to and respond to the invitation to worship Jesus and to acknowledge him as Lord of our lives.

What Gifts Will You Bring?

And so I ask us this morning, what gifts will you bring to King Jesus? Like the Magi, and like the shepherds, are we willing to listen and respond to Christi’s invitation to us this morning, to bring our whole selves to him in worship? Indeed, this is what Jesus wants— more than just our time or our talents, or our treasure, Jesus wants our all. Indeed, the gifts that we give — our tithes and offerings, our time and our talents used in Christ’s service — these are just tokens, symbols, of what Jesus wants us to bring — our very lives. 

The good news is that we bring not just our time and our talents and our treasure, but also our worries and concerns, our struggles, our fears, our sicknesses, our griefs, and our longings. We are invited to lay all of them down at the altar in worship of Jesus. This too is what it means to bring Jesus our “all.” When we respond to Jesus in worship, we recognize that our lives are not our own — and therefore, the worries and cares and concerns of this earth are not our own. Jesus took it all upon himself when he gave his life for us on the cross.

It is a tradition in many Methodist churches to pray the Covenant Prayer on the first Sunday of every year. This morning, in a few minutes, after our hymn of response, I’ll invite us to pray this prayer together. As we recite these words together, let them be an expression of our desire to listen and respond to the voice of Jesus, calling us to worship and to give him our all:

A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, Exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. 

Amen!