December 20, 2003
Meditations on the Birth of Christ II: The Gifts of the Wise Men
What are gold, frankincense and myrrh and why did the Wise men give these gifts? There are many interesting tidbits behind the gifts of the magi. First and foremost, did you notice that the number of Magi (wise men) is never noted in the Bible. Over the years, we have assumed that there were three because of the number of gifts they gave Christ – one gift per wise man.
The wise men can typically be associated with magic, astrology, or interpreting dreams. They were also obviously wealthy, which can be deduced by the three gifts given. As the shepherds who come to see Our Lord are considered Jewish, the wise men are seen as portraying the gentile world visiting the newborn Christ.
Now to the three gifts. First, why three? Perhaps they represent Christ’s ministry (as some have suggested): prophetic, royal, and priestly. There isn’t a set answer to this, but they could also represent the trinity or various other aspects of God and man. And yet there were three: Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The gold was given to represent the kingship of Jesus. It is a strictly material gift that focuses on his eventual role of King.
The frankincense is a form of incense, which is burned to represent our prayers going up to God. It represents the divinity of Christ and is a purely spiritual gift. This focuses on Jesus’ role as Priest.
The myrrh, the final gift given, is a burial spice and also a medicine for wounds. This is the most complex of the three gifts. It is very a bitter spice that represents sorrow and suffering. It was the burial spice that Mary would have used to embalm Jesus’ body and represents the sacrifice of Christ. This gift is both material and spiritual; it signifies that Jesus will one day die for us.
We can discern from these gifts that Jesus is our King, our Priest, and our Sacrifice. He is the door through which we get to heaven. In our lives, we can offer material and spiritual gifts to God: our tithes as well as our prayers and our works. It is important that we offer all of these gifts, rather than just one. What can you offer Christ during this Christmas season? Give to the poor, feed the hungry, help the homeless. We can all make a difference.
God bless,
Jay
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