Matthew 2:1-12; January 5, 2025; Epiphany Sunday
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Now, have you ever wondered why? Why these gifts?
I once read a piece in Psychology Today (of all journals) suggesting that in ancient times gold was given to help a family with financial security in the early days of the child’s infancy – which makes sense. And that frankincense and myrrh, both common in medical treatments back then, were likely brought in as healing agents. Myrrh as a sort of Morphine-Heparin combo to numb Mary’s pain and to clot her blood. And frankincense as a sort of Valium-Prozac concoction, to ward off her anxiety as she and her child entered their new world and reality.
A reality in which kings, like Herod, would soon order for all babies like Jesus to be massacred.
A world where even 2000+ years later, evil persists, where trucks are driven into crowds; crowds of people who are just trying to party and walk down the damn road.
May each of those fourteen souls in New Orleans rest in peace.
“And so, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” – Matthew 2:12
The Magi, attuned to reality and a world of such evil, knew what was up. And so, after bringing their gifts, their healing agents to the Holy Family, they tried to get as far off the road of violence as possible. Away from Herod. Away from the trucks. Away from the mechanisms of annihilation and death.
And onto another road which led towards the light. Towards the stars. Towards peace. Towards life.
On a path which in the end might lead them back to Him.
“…and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” — Matthew 2:11
Again, why these gifts, my friends?
Leaving Psychology Today behind (praise be to God), our own scripture in the Old Testament suggests the following:
- Gold, much like our life today, was synonymous with rank and royalty and thus was given because Jesus is and was always going to be king.
- Frankincense, synonymous with priests who employed it in their worship and in their sacred offerings, was given because Jesus is and was always going to be priest.
- And myrrh, associated with those who had the gift of eloquence and prophecy, was given because Jesus is and was always going to be prophet, and as evidenced by his parables, also most eloquent.
Prophet, Priest, and King then – Jesus the preeminent occupier of these three offices, had each of these gifts materially and symbolically transferred over to him at the horizon of his birth. How cool is that? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. For in him, the Magi recognized the greatness of his power and the manifestation of his Divinity.
…The gift of myrrh though has one more interesting meaning to reveal to us today.
For you see, myrrh was also used to embalm a body at death.
To prepare it for the life to come.
Jesus then, who was born into a reality where violence would encircle him from beginning to the end, was prepared. And in having his body prepared, he ironically and triumphantly chose to sacrifice it, jumping in front of the truck, so to speak, and onto the cross to save us all, thereby leading us down another road, and across another bridge, where even death will one day yield to life.
My friends, in this moment then of epiphanies and resolutions, in this new year that is upon us, let us be like wise women and wise men, wise people and Magi who no longer travel the roads. or follow the social media trolls, that lead us back towards Herod and his death-dealing ways.
But rather, let us follow another road which leads us towards humility, towards reconciliation, towards justice and righteousness, ultimately towards Christ’s light and the Life that he’s won for us.
For despite what others might lead you to believe, Jesus was born first and always to bless us with peace.
With peace.
And in peace, he as the Host welcomes us into God’s great and large house, and then pulls up for us another seat, so that at the table we all might find room to eat and drink freely.
Thanks be to Christ.
Amen
