As I shared in a previous post, the story of the wise men is always a highlight of the Christmas story for me. Yes, we all know the story of how they brought their gifts to Jesus…
“After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:9–11, HCSB)
Certainly, the first and primary meaning of the wise men involves the birth of Christ and the salvation He brought. Like the wise men, when you see the light, come to Jesus! However, I believe that there is another very simple but yet powerful lesson from the wise men we can all use this Christmas season…
NO MATTER WHAT, BRING YOUR GIFTS TO JESUS.
That’s it. No matter what, worship Jesus, pray to Jesus, love Jesus. No matter what, bring your gifts to Jesus.
Perhaps you are one of the fortunate people who will read this blog and couldn’t imagine life being much better. You are blessed, healthy, and happy. You are positive about life and you really don’t have any real point of pain at present in your life. If that describes you, then no matter what, bring your gifts to Jesus. He is the reason for every blessing and the Giver is far greater than any gift.
However, the overwhelming majority of those who read this blog post will have a point of pain in their life. Some will have crushing pain and a broken heart: a marriage that ended this year, the first Christmas without a loved one, a child that is on the wrong track, constant family conflict, never-ending financial pressure, a struggle with depression, etc. For most of us, we don’t have a crushing pain, but we do have some pain – some situation(s) that we wish with all of our heart were different. The approach of Christmas Day is a painful approach.
Like the wise men, no matter what, bring your gifts to Jesus.
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