Gifts of Epiphany

 Have you ever gotten a gift that you wondered, “what in the world…” on Christmas morning, but found months later it was the best thing you could have not asked for? 

I have to think that was what Mary was thinking as the Magi from the east made their way out of her modest home that evening.  Imagine the scene with me…

Jesus, probably around the age of 15 months toddles from around his mother’s skirts to get a better look at the strange men who have appeared at the door.

 “We have come seeking the king,” they claim.

 “You’re off by a few miles, buddy,” comes the short reply from Mary’s neighbor.  Obviously strangers, the well-dressed, travel-worn wise men ask permission to enter Mary’s home.

 “Please, let me ask my husband to come in,” she may have quickly stalled.  After making sure the men and their animals have something to drink and a place to sit a moment, she scoops “the king” into her arms and rushes to Joseph’s wood shop.  She doesn’t make it all the way there as he has already been told of the strange visitors.

 “What do they want, Mary?  Do they mean harm?  How could they possibly know anything?”

 “I don’t know, Joseph.  They don’t seem to mean any harm…their words were, “we have come to worship the king.”  But I don’t understand how they found us…him.”

  At that moment the “leader” of the group rounds the corner.  “I don’t mean to startle you, nor do I mean to eavesdrop.  But I can understand your concern.  I hope you believe me when I say we certainly did not expect to disrupt your little community as we had no idea we would find him in such…humble surroundings.  We traveled first to Jerusalem, assuming he would be among the royal families.  Imagine our surprise when the star kept moving, bringing us to this…quaint village.”  Though kind, the man’s words are unmistakable, even if they do align with Mary and Joseph’s thoughts:  what is the Messiah doing here??

The star.  Just another one of the mysteries surrounding Jesus.  There had been so many…so many steps of faith.  Joseph had stopped trying to figure it out.  A man could go crazy trying to figure out the mind of God…especially when that man is tasked with feeding the mouth of God.  Mary seemed content with all the mystery.  Perhaps having the mystery grow inside of her changed her somehow.  They had wondered at the star that seemed to follow them since the night of Jesus’ birth.  But asking anyone would have started a conversation they were unprepared to finish.  So they were left to wonder…one of the questions they would ask this son of theirs…once he learned to talk.

Now the other travelers joined the tiny family in Joseph’s shop.  Even more rudimentary than the house, but certainly quieter. (Not that there would be any way to stop the gossip train in this small town.)  The travelers explained their discovery, their journey, their desire to worship Messiah.  Their knowledge…almost greater than Mary and Joseph’s…certainly gave credence to their story, and the couple found themselves wanting the men to stay.  They were the first since ancient Simeon and Anna to join Mary and Joseph in their astonishment over the coming of Israel’s Redeemer.  But probably more startling than the visit, were the gifts the men left when their visit came to an end: gold—the gift for a king; frankincense—the gift for a priest; myrrh—the gift for the dead and dying.  These were not traditional “baby gifts” at all…but then nothing about this baby had been traditional.

It was no wonder none of them could sleep that night—their minds were spinning!  Gold for a king! Almost laughable in Nazareth!   Even Jesus seemed restless as Mary tried to bed him down.  Finally, heavy eyelids drooped and dreams began to swirl through busy minds.  
“Joseph!” 
 Joseph was becoming old-hat at these angelic dreams!  “Gabriel!  Good to see you!  Pull up a chair!”
  “Joseph!  The baby is in danger.  Take him and his mother to Egypt tonight!  Joseph!” 
 Joseph sat straight up in bed.  A dream?  A nightmare?  As he glanced to make sure that Mary and Jesus were safe in the bed his eyes caught Jesus’ big brown eyes.  The tiny boy seemed to be begging Joseph to believe, act in faith, obey!  It was all the push Joseph needed. 
 “Mary, get up.  The wise men were sent to warn us…Jesus is in danger.  No time to pack Mary, we have to go now.” 
 Mary, who was quickly learning, as the mother of Messiah, to improvise, threw together the baby’s needs first, then a few things for Joseph and herself.  Her eye caught the pouches, material more expensive than her entire wardrobe, filled with the precious minerals and spices.  She unbundled the clothes, dropped the pouches inside, and quickly retied the pack.  Joseph brought the donkey (not that beast again, thought Mary) and they were off.  Quietly, quickly, miraculously, the tiny family who had just created quite a stir in the neighborhood disappeared into the night not to be heard from again for years.

I can’t imagine the fear that must have swallowed the parents with each step.  Will they find us?  Who is chasing us?  Who can we trust?  If we make it to Egypt, how will we live?  How will we care for Jesus?  How will we eat?  How will we worship?  So many questions to join the list.  If I am supposed to take care of God, who is going to take care of me?

We sometimes scratch our modern heads at the gifts of the wise men as well.  We like to joke that wise women would have brought more practical gifts…a casserole at least.  I know what I would do with gold, but I would struggle to recognize, let alone utilize frankincense and myrrh.  But think about this:

.  What would gold mean to a family having to flee their hometown overnight?  What would myrrh, with its medicinal properties, mean to a family struggling with poverty and unable to secure healthcare?  What would frankincense, a holy treasure offered in the temple, mean to a family who had no access to the temple because they could not afford the proper offerings (already gave doves…a poor man’s gift). 

What seem like silly, wasteful gifts to us are actually practical, provisional gifts.  And just in time!  It’s like God was in control or something…

And what if He is?  Even in the overwhelming task of parenting the Son of God, God’s very presence brings gifts of provision.

Can we believe the same thing for our lives today?  Has God given you a vision, a mission, a purpose, a responsibility?  When we are tempted to believe that birthing God’s vision is an impossible task, first can we stop to see what provision he has made, what unexpected gifts grace our lives?

What do you have in your hand?  What has God given you? 

What does it say about our (1) faith (2) gratitude (3) ingenuity to claim “I don’t have what I need.”

As we enter conversations in 2013 about who we are, what we are to be about, and who we are to serve, let’s first pause with gratitude for the abundance of gifts that God has blessed us with.