Be the Gift!
Matthew 2:1-12
December 9, 2018
In past years we’ve talked about the art of regifting. And it is an art. How do you tactfully give a gift which you’ve been given and remember who gave it to you, so that you don’t regift to the giver? That can be pretty exhausting in and of itself. It’s hard to forget when you receive those types of gifts.
As we move toward Christmas, we’re talking about Christmas expectations. Will Christmas meet our expectations or will the Christmas reality be something that leads us to feel disappointed?
Let me ask you this ~ What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received? Not that silly White Elephant Gift, but a true gift that you were given that was really awful.
A number of years ago, Time Magazine had an article about some of the worst gifts given. One woman wrote, for years her mother-in-law bought the other daughter-in-law expensive makeup or perfume, and then would give her the free gift that came with it.
One man wrote ~ his mom gave him a book she had on her coffee table for years.
Another woman wrote ~ “one year for Christmas my mother in law gave my husband a thick, beautiful cashmere sweater and she gave me a mug that said ‘Scott’s Wife.’
One man received a Christmas ornament, but he’s Jewish! We can go on! But suffice it to say, we know a bad gift when we see it.
But I think it's not just the gift itself that makes a gift bad - - - it's actually the giver's attitude that makes it really bad. If a giver has an attitude of thoughtfulness and care, then even a bad gift isn't so bad. In a strange way, it may actually be touching.
But if a giver has a spirit which borders on bitterness, vengenance, or apathy, then it may be that no matter what they give, it’s not really going to be appreciated.
You see, the people behind the gifts are what make for the quality of any gift at Christmas. In some sense, people are actually the gift beyond what they give. Someone may not have much, but when you know the thought and heart put behind it, we’re often touched by their sincerity.
So with all the gifts we're going to be giving and receiving, how can we be the sort of giver that helps someone feel valued? How can we be the real gift, beyond the gift?
It’s not always easy to get what we want. Sometimes we’re overly practical, and sometimes we throw caution to the wind and go crazy. But at this time of year, with all of those magical Christmas expectations, it becomes kind of hard, and maybe a little intimidating.
Personally, on Christmas day, Debbie and I would see other kids FB posts - - they received a new TV or a new phone, or a laptop, or XBox. Our kids got games or clothes or something we thought was good, but NOT that good! So, we need to be careful when buying, because we need to put ourself into the gift - and not compare with others.
Love should be behind all of it, but how easy is it to love with all the Christmas chaos and how ugliness seems to surface around this time of year? So, again, let me ask ~ How can you and I be the real gift on Christmas?
To look at this, I want to go back to a visit Mary and Joseph had. This was from the Magi or Wise Men as they sought to worship and honor the birth of Christ.
These Wise Men were astrologers who looked to the night sky to make predictions, like ancient horoscope readers. They were famous for their ability to interpret dreams and unlock future mysteries.
Their predictions and interpretations could make or break a ruler in Persia. They could send a nation into a panic or help keep them calm. These guys were very influential in the ancient world.
Now, remember astrologers, looking at your horoscope and consulting psychics were all forbidden by Jewish law. The Jewish people didn’t like these people because they were viewed as sinful. They were breaking biblical law, that was sin.
So, here we have the most important event in Jewish history, and foreign astrologers are the one doing the searching for Jesus.
Let’s look at the story in Matthew 2 ~
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. – Matthew 2:1-12
So, let’s recap this story. These guys enter Jerusalem, there’s going to be a pretty big entourage with them. There would be a procession through town heading toward Herod’s palace.
The city would get stirred up. People would be wondering what’s this all about. Some eccentric men on camels became the focus of attention. We really don’t know how many wise men there were. They brought 3 gifts, so we assume, one gift per man, but we really don’t know the number.
They meet with Herod, who willingly welcomes them. He is a shrewd ruler. He knows they are important men. He knows they are respected outside of Israel.
They tell Herod, they’ve arrived to welcome the new king of Israel! Can you imagine how this neurotic leader felt? He’s got to be anxious and furious. He’ll play the game and find him and have him killed. Get rid of all enemies.
That means trouble for Herod. He’s not giving up his throne to anyone. He could care less about the king of the Jews.
Herod had the chief priests and wise men consulting with him. He tried to use ancient GPS to find Jesus.
So, Herod sends the wise men on their way to find the child, with the instructions to come back and tell him where the child is so that he, too, could worship Him.
So, the wise men find Jesus and bring Him gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh. After finding Jesus, they are warned to go home a different way, and leave without telling Herod where Jesus is.
So, that’s the story of the wise men.
But, I believe there’s something that sets the wise men apart from everyone else. It’s kind of subtle, but it’s right there for us to grasp.
The wise men - - are you ready? They saw!! That’s it! That’s the key to the story.
They saw the star of Jesus in verse 2, and again they saw the star in verses 9 and 10 and finally saw Jesus in verse 11.
So, here’s a couple of thoughts. You would have thought with Herod being this neurotic king, a king who was always looking behind his back, always wondering who was against him, that he would have been looking to see when the Messiah would be born.
Herod literally had some of his son’s killed and killed his favorite wife because he felt threatened by them. It’s been said that Caesar Augustus once remarked that he’d rather be Herod’s pig than his son. So with that much paranoia to keep power, why wasn't he looking for the Messiah, who was promised all along and who would be a rival to him? And if he didn't want to bother with it, why didn't he make it the job of someone somewhere in his administration?
When it came to the Jewish leaders, they weren’t looking either. They were caught off guard. When Herod called them in, they were scrambling for answers. Here was the leader of the Jewish people. The One they expected to lead them spiritually and militarily - - - and they weren’t looking.
But maybe we’re kind of like those religious leaders. If I can get a little personal with you, how often do you look for Jesus? Oh, I know, if you believe in Him, you can say He’s in my heart. . . But, how often do you call on Him during the day. If He’s your constant companion, then how often do you connect with that constant companion? It may sound like a strange comment, but don’t forget, Jesus is with you.
He’s promised to be with you . . . He’s promised never to abandon you, never to forsake you, never to leave you . . . He promises to forgive you . . . He promises to call you His child . . . He promises to die for you . . . and He promises to rise again - for you! He is the great redeemer, the One who gives us the greatest hope, grace and mercy beyond what we can imagine.
That’s the One who’s always with us.
Have you seen Him today?!
Did you see Him yesterday?
Will you call on Him and see Him tomorrow?
Have you talked to Him?
Did you invite Him into your everyday life?
Into the tough times and the good times?
Have you given thanks to Him - - in all circumstances?
These foreign wise men saw Jesus? Guys who by all rights shouldn’t recognize the King of kings, but they did . . . YET,
by all rights we should experience Him daily, but have we, are we, will we?
Finally, not only are we seeing Jesus in our lives, but are we looking into the lives of our friends and family. Do we see their struggles? Do we hear the struggle in their voices? Do we see them in their actions, in their facial expressions?
Sometimes, I can be so oblivious. I don't know what it is busyness - weariness - distraction – hurriedness - too many expectations - - obligations - - for whatever reason, so many of us fail to see one another.
The good news is God is always alive and active. He never sleeps, He never misses our cues of being hurt.
Can we hit the pause button for a bit this season, and even beyond, so that we can see the hurts, the pain, and even the joys of our family and friends? Can we stop long enough so that we aren’t so self absorbed that we miss someone else’s story?
It’s not easy! But here’s where you become the gift. You can share your heart, your faith, your spirit, your hope, your grace. You can see the pain and hurt . . . you can see the joy and happiness in one another. And you can give thanks and praise. You can offer up that quick prayer on behalf of a brother or sister in need. You can offer a meal, a dessert, an extra hug. You can reach beyond yourself.
That’s seeing . . . that’s giving yourself as a gift.
But we can only do this when we slow down so we can experience the power and presence of the Christ child in our lives. When we’re moving too fast, everything becomes a blur and we can’t see clearly.
When someone knows we’ve put ourselves into whatever we are doing, then whether it’s the most amazing gift, or that one gift you’d like to regift, you’ll realize the heart and spirit behind it.
The Wise Men teach us we need to see . . . to open our eyes to the call of God in our lives. We may even slow down enough to give thanks . . . even to say things like
Please - thank you - you’re welcome - I love you -
to tell someone they are a gift to you.
If we could stop, we’d experience Christ at Christmas. Then we might be able to remind others He is here. We can be a gift at Christmas.
Don’t add to your already overwhelmed Christmas season. Don’t take away either. What I want you to experience is Christ! To see Him, to meet Him, to know Him! Call out to Him and celebrate Him!
Then celebrate one another. So embrace Christ as King, your Lord, your Savior. See Him! Experience Him! Open your heart come to Christ! It will lead you to be a gift this Christmas!
