Gifts on the Altar

Unexpected, late arriving guests.

Have you ever had late arriving unexpected guests drop by bearing gifts? Yesterday was Epiphany and today is actually Baptism of Our LORD Sunday. However we are going to talk about the visit of the Wisemen today. Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas and the day the Wisemen finally show up.

Today we’re going to wrestle what it means for these unexpected visitors to arrive. What have they come to do? Why are they late? Why such extravagant gifts for the new born king of the Jews?

What does this mean for us? If Gentile astrologers journey so far and literally risk their lives to come worship, and leave their best gifts at the feet of Jesus, how should we respond to the birth of Christ? What gifts do we bring to lay at the feet of Jesus?

The Wise Men

Unexpected

The wise men were an unexpected visit for a couple reasons. 1 they were gentiles who came to worship the new born King of the Jews. 2 they were pagan astrologers who interpreted the stars.

They followed the light of a new star that heralded Christ’s birth all the way to Jerusalem. We can learn a few things about the wisemen here. They thought nothing of asking people in Jerusalem where the new born king of the Jews was to be born. Perhaps they arrived in Jerusalem expecting to find him in a palace. This got Jerusalem and King Herod in an uproar. The wise men either didn’t understand the risk of asking such a question or their need to find Jesus trumped the risk.

They get the location of Christ birth from non other than King Herod. Herod is now also interested in finding Jesus but for a much different reason.

These unexpected visitors are so intent on finding Jesus that nothing was going to stop them. Nothing was going to stop them from worshipping him. Nothing was going to stop them from laying their gifts at his feet.

Gifts

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Exegetical Perspective

Gold was precious, worthy of a king; frankincense was incense worthy of a divinity; and myrrh was a spice used in burials. So the gifts were appropriate for one who was a king, a God, and a suffering redeemer. They could also symbolize our response: gold—virtue or good deeds, incense—worship or prayer, and myrrh—suffering and sacrifice.

Gold- A gift fit for a king

Frankensense-Incense prayers rising to God

Myrrh-burial mortality

They have come to worship him

Three times in 12 verses come to worship is repeated. twice in reference to the wisemen and once by Herod. Nothing was going to get in the way of their long journey of worship. To present their gifts to the new born King of the Jews.

Romans 12:1 NRSV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Matthew: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition From the Text

These two responses create a stark contrast, but also reveal two aspects of Christian worship. First, worship is christologically centered. From Matthew’s perspective, the worship of the Lord is now redefined around Jesus. The magi, upon seeing him, prostrate themselves, which in Jewish tradition is reserved for the worship of the Lord

King Herod’s religious leaders gave the directions on where to find Jesus. Which made Herod want to search for Jesus but not to worship him but to kill him. John 1:11-12

John 1:11–12 NRSV

11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,

What Gifts Do We lay on the Altar?

Nothing stopped the wisemen from coming and leaving their gifts on the altar at the feet of Jesus. Nothing stopped them from coming to worship the new born king of the Jews.

May we be as tenacious as the wisemen and let nothing get in the way of worshipping, and let nothing, not even a snow storm, stop us from leaving our gifts at the feet of Jesus.