When I was a child I asked for the things I wanted around Christmastime. And, occasionally, I “asked” for the things that I knew would pull on my parents’ heartstrings and would lead them to purchase my wants for me. This is not something I am proud of, but it is a reality.
Since then, I have grown tremendously. In complete sincerity, I want to volunteer more than I have in previous years. I also want to contribute financially to organizations that support the things that I support—the eradication of cancer, the eradication of HIV/AIDS, and free education for people from all walks of life and all social classes.
Even in the requests that solely benefit me, I have asked for things that I need rather than things I want. My condominium is on the ground level, in the center of my building, and on the receiving of a slight slope (in a rainy area). My home is damp at best and moist at worst. I need a dehumidifier to avoid mold and mildew issues. And, fortunately, I received a dehumidifier as a gift for the holidays (I hope that it makes my home drier than it has been recently).
Having lived the experience of living in a damp home and seeing spots of mold and mildew, I knew what I needed. But there have been times in which I have received gifts that I did not know were necessary but showed their value later on. Tools, for example, that I received when I was a renter that became vital when I became a homeowner.
I have to believe that MANY gifts that seem to be given without thought show their value later on. When reading the birth narratives of Jesus, we see that the Magi bring frankincense, myrrh and gold. What use does a baby have for these items?
NONE! A baby has no use for frankincense, myrrh or gold.
But…later we see that Joseph and Mary flee from Bethlehem to Egypt. We can assume that Joseph did not have a job lined up in Egypt. And, even if finding a job were not difficult, we can assume that there was no safety net—no family or friends with whom they could stay, no place to call home, and no sense of security that people hope for when moving to a new place.
But there was provision. The gifts of the Magi provided security that Joseph could not have expected. Even if Joseph could not provide an immediate home, the profit of the gifts could provide shelter and food.
The narrative stories, to me, are not necessarily stories of a miraculous birth. They are stories of provision. They are stories of the actions of humanity that positively affect others.
The miracles in the birth narratives do not relate to angels or a star — the miracle is that people provide for each other, ensuring that others are safe before their own needs.
The Magi are a foreshadowing of the words of Jesus in the beatitudes. They neglect (and even disown) their excess to provide for another. The Magi were tools in a greater plan.
My hope is that people of all faiths neglect (or disown) their excess or their wants in order to provide for another. The example I cite—that of the Magi for Jesus—provided for the one who many call their Savior. Will they do the same?
These Magi sojourners in a foreign land provide what the local people did not. The gifts of the Magi were what they thought valuable, and for a king they did not know, but they became more useful and valuable when given. Not in the way the Magi thought, but nonetheless, very valuable to a traveling family. Even more was disobeying the King who wanted to find and kill this child–another provision in listening to the dream (message) they received which we might not attend to.