When we think of Christmas, our minds turn naturally to the story of God's great and marvelous gift to us of God's Son, Jesus. Indeed, we are enthralled by the drama and mystery of how love was made so perfectly clear to us, through the birth of this special child. Jesus was God's gift to us. But we know of other gifts that this gift inspired. Surely you have heard the story of the Three Kings or Wise Men -- not simply the biblical narrative, which at best is brief, but the more popularized version that names the three as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. The tale intricately details their adventure to the stable and their gifts -- gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is a delightful story that demonstrates how God's gift of Jesus engenders some response from those who behold his arrival among us.
Some years ago, author Paul Flucke added an interesting twist to this familiar story by expanding on the gifts that were given. He says that the Angel Gabriel met each King at the door to the stable and inquired of their gift. "Your gift," Gabriel said, "must be something of the essence of yourself, something precious to your soul." Each King claimed to have brought such a gift. But when they laid it before the baby, it miraculously became something else. for Gaspar, the gold became a scarred and ugly hammer; for Melchior, the flask of frankincense became a flask of vinegar; and for Balthasar, the brass box containing the myrrh became a soldier's spear. Thus, each gift represented the life each King had led -- the hammer suggested that Gaspar had run rough shod over others to get every advantage of life; the vinegar revealed that Melchior had lived a sour life of jealousy and resentment; the spear acknowledged Balthasar's thirst for power and control over others. When confronted with their "sins," each King wanted to retract their gift, but they could not. Their plea that their gift could possibly harm the Child was answered like this: "that worry you must leave to heaven." Flucke's version ends with a question: "What of the gifts -- the hammer, vinegar, and spear?" Flucke responds, "Another story tells how they were seen once more, years later, on a lonely hill outside Jerusalem. But do not worry. That is a burden heaven itself took care of as only heaven can."
Though fiction, I like this story for a lot of reasons. First, it ties the whole Jesus narrative together in foretelling his death on a cross in the midst of the celebration of a newborn baby. But even more than that, this story highlights the fact that each of us brings a gift to Jesus, though we may not always be conscious of that gift. It is, as Gabriel said, "the essence of ourselves, something precious to our souls." We may think it to be some finery, something worthy of the Child of God. But in most cases, it likely is our true nature, our brokenness, our ignorance, our shortcomings, our unfaithfulness.
These things we have trouble admitting to ourselves. But when they are given to Christ, it seems we are transformed and our burden of sin is removed. I tell you this is really good news! It is the Gospel!
The title of this article seems clear: God's Gift! But that title can be taken one of two ways. Some would see that God's gift is none other than Jesus. You would be correct. But others might understand God's gift as being that which we ourselves give to God. Ad you would also be correct. I think Christmas is about both gifts. Let's receive the gift of Jesus with joy and wonder. Then, let us give ourselves to Him -- humbly, honestly, and more fully.
May you grow closer to God this Christmas as you contemplate God's gift to you and your gift to God.
