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“As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold: As with joy they hailed its light. Leading onward, beaming bright: So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore be led by Thee.
“As they offered gifts most rare At Thy cradle, rude and bare, So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heav’nly King.”
The wise men brought “gifts most rare” to the Christ Child. Their offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were expensive gifts fit for a king. Scripture does not assign any special significance to these gifts, but tradition suggests a meaning for each one: gold for a king; frankincense as an offering to God; and myrrh, an oil used in ancient times to anoint a body for burial. These were appropriate gifts for the Savior, who is our King and God and the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Are the gifts we bring to Jesus rare or expensive, like the gifts of the wise men? What costly gifts do we have to give the King of kings? In terms of ordinary gift giving, we may wonder what to give to someone who already seems to have everything. God has said, “All the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5b). What can we give to God, who created all things? What does He want to receive from us? We know the story of the poor widow who gave two copper coins, an offering Jesus recognized as everything she had. Jesus gave us the serious challenge: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). The Lord has claimed us for Himself, with everything we are and everything we have, and we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
When early Christians gave offerings to help their brothers and sisters in Christ, the apostle Paul said of them, “They gave themselves first to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5b). First giving themselves to the Lord, and then giving of their worldly possessions, they reflected the love of the Lord Jesus, who “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9b). Giving Himself for our salvation, Jesus gives to us the riches of forgiveness and eternal life. Now we, in turn, give ourselves to Him and to others, offering up worldly wealth because we know we have greater treasure. We give our “costliest treasures” out of love for our King because we have been ransomed at great cost, “not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18b-19).
WE PRAY: Jesus, King of kings, You gave Your life to save me and I belong to You. Accept the gifts that I bring to honor Your holy Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “As with Gladness Men of Old,” which is number 397 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
- Did you receive a particularly memorable gift this past Christmas? What was it, and why?
- Do you think the wise men were surprised to see the gifts they brought were given to a child?
- How is giving ourselves (daily) to Jesus the best gift we could ever give to Him?
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