Christmas Eve is tomorrow. As the story goes, the wise ones are getting closer on their journey to see the child that their religious tradition has told them about for generations. Isaiah 60:6 mentions bringing gifts of gold and myrrh - gifts worthy of a King - to show admiration and praise. These were brought to Jesus to show an understanding that this child would be King of a new era of peace. The myrrh was brought to foreshadow Jesus' death. My reading of the three gifts from the three wise ones has been somewhat different from the traditional Christian reading. I always found it interesting, that even though they were about to meet the Messiah, the one sent by God to bring peace and justice throughout the world, these wise ones brought gifts that any human being facing life's challenges would need. The first thing they brought was gold. Perhaps they realized that even their Messiah had to find a way to make it from inside the social and economic hierarchy he was born into. He was born in a stable so gold was probably a much appreciated gift.
The other two gifts are stranger in their historical context. What are frankincense and myrrh anyway? Both are products of dried tree resin. When burned, both give off a sweet or spicy scent that people used to perfume themselves after bathing. Others dried and crushed these resins to make a cosmetic powder they wore on their eye lids. Frankincense was often burned during religious rituals to sweeten the prayers as they drifted heavenward. Frankincense and myrrh were also believed to have medicinal qualities. They were remedies used to treat illness and to counteract poison. Myrrh was used for embalming people to show reverence for that person's life. In some ways, what an odd gift to give to a baby.
I have enjoyed imagining that maybe the wise ones knew that even though they believed this little one was the Messiah, he would still encounter pain, disappointment and even death. If this is what they thought, as it turned out, the wise ones were right. Jesus grew up to be a revolutionary who worked hard to end the corruption and violence he found in his society. He protested the status quo by teaching publicly that violence against women was not okay [John 8:7]; that it was not okay for the wealthy to have so much and the poor to have so little [Luke 18:22]; that God asks that we do what is just rather than benefit from the suffering of others [Matthew 21:33-46]. Maybe few of the characters who gathered together in the story of Jesus' birth realized how much he would need these practical gifts to ease his pain and to perfume his prayers. He was a lonely and prophetic leader beloved by all those society had forgotten. Not an easy path to walk. Maybe the wise ones knew just what they were doing when they gave gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gifts worthy of a king. Gifts for any one in need of comfort, healing or a reverent awareness of their own mortality. Gifts to inspire a full life.
May you receive gifts this Christmas that nourish you. Wishing you blessings and love on Christmas day and after,
Eve
