What Gift Will You Bring?

Based on Matthew 2:1-12
First delivered Jan. 5, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            Often, when we think of Jesus, we think of all that Jesus gives us and makes possible for us. Especially during the Christmas season, we remember and celebrate that God became flesh, became one of us, so that we could be saved. Christmas is when we celebrate that God gave God’s son to us, to bring peace on earth, to close the gap between us and God, to be Emmanuel, God with us.

            Think of all that Jesus gives us. Because of Jesus, we have the promise of resurrection. Jesus has conquered death, which, in a few short months, we will celebrate in a big way when Easter comes around. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we have the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus has made things right between us and God by the shedding of his blood on the cross. We are forgiven. We have the promise of eternal life. And Jesus has given us an example of how to live. Through his teachings, Jesus has given us instruction on how to live our best selves, how to be fully human. Jesus has given us direction on how to live a life of love. In so many ways, Jesus has given us all we need to live. We can never compensate Jesus for all that Jesus has given us.

            We should certainly receive these gifts with gratitude. Is that not the bare minimum of our response to all that God has done for us through Jesus, to simply say “thank you?” Someone once said that there are really only three prayers that a Christian needs to know: “I’m sorry”, “help”, and “thank you.” There is much that we have to be thankful for when we consider all the ways God provides for us. This is perhaps the primary reason we gather for worship every Sunday, so that together we can lift up our voices in praise to God, to thank God for God’s mercy and providence, for God’s forgiveness and promises.

            I have just now hinted at where I am going with this. In response to what God has given us, we give back to God our praise and gratitude. We give back to God our thanks, our devotion, our commitment to live our lives in ways that give honor to God. After all, it is just plain rude to receive gift upon gift and never so much as offer a thank you or express any kind of gratitude. Most of us have known people who just take and take and take but never give back in any way. There is no reciprocity. Those kinds of relationships quickly become a burden. They are draining. It doesn’t take long before we feel like we are simply the means to someone else’s ends. We are being used for the benefit of others. We all have the capacity to do that for awhile. But, eventually, we reach our breaking point. We have nothing left to give. Our own self-respect prompts us to end a relationship where we only give and never receive. One-way relationships are no relationship at all.

            In the same way, if we want a healthy relationship with God, then we can’t take God’s grace and mercy for granted. We can’t always be receiving the blessings of God without offering something in return. Of course, God’s love and grace have no limits. That’s one way God is God and we are not. As the scriptures say, God makes it rain on the wicked and the righteous. But it just seems right, doesn’t it, to make sure our relationship with God is reciprocal? We want to give back to God in response for all that God has given us. Of course, the question then becomes, “what can we give God?” For the one who truly has everything, what does God need that we can provide?

            Today, we hear the story of the magi who came to Jesus bearing gifts. There are three gifts that traditionally have been interpreted to signify certain things. The first gift is gold. This gift signifies the royalty of Jesus, the one whom we identify as the king of kings and Lord of lords. The second gift is frankincense. This is a resin used by the priests, burned as incense for ritual use, symbolizing the offering of prayers and intentions lifted up by the people to God. This gift signifies the priestly role of Jesus, who offered himself as a sacrifice sufficient to cover all the sin of the world for all time, a perfect sacrifice. The third gift is myrrh, which is an ointment used in the process of burial. Before the body is wrapped in cloths and placed in a tomb, the body is anointed with myrrh and other spices. This gift signifies the death that Jesus will die. Surely it was this myrrh that the women brought with them to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body after it had hastily been placed in a tomb, only to discover that the body was gone. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh, three gifts that signified who Jesus was as a king and a priest who would one day experience death. Little did the wise men know how Jesus’ experience of death would go.

            I invite you to consider three gifts that you can bring to Jesus. With gratitude, consider bringing to Jesus as we begin this third decade of the 21^st century the gifts of an open mind, open hands, and an open heart.

            First, an open mind. In Jesus’ teachings, he often pushed people to reconsider deeply held views. There are the “you have heard…but I say to you…” teachings. For example, “You have heard it said, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, ‘turn the other cheek’.” Or, in the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus tells the story in response to the question asked him of who is the neighbor. Because of long-standing animosity, Jews and Samaritans would not consider each other as neighbors. They were enemies. But Jesus turns the question on its head. We don’t know if the Samaritan helped a Jew or not, Jesus doesn’t explicitly say. The hearers have to surmise on their own that it was. And they are forced to rethink their relationship with Samaritans, and Samaritans have to rethink as well. Over and over, Jesus’ teachings challenge the conventional wisdom. So, when we reflect on the teachings of Jesus, will we keep our minds closed, having determined for ourselves already what is the right answer? Or will we allow the teachings to meddle with our preconceived notions and firm opinions? It is a good gift to offer Jesus the teacher by approaching Jesus with an open mind, willing to reconsider and be challenged into new ways of thinking and perceiving.

            Second, open hands. We recall the story of Lazarus and the rich man, in which the rich man closed his fist and would offer nothing of his great excess to provide the barest of necessities for Lazarus. Jesus would socialize with anyone who invited him to dinner, whether it be Pharisees or tax collectors. If you extended a meal invitation to Jesus he would receive it and he would be there. Open hands. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them, for it is such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Open hands. After healing a man who had been unable to walk, Jesus reached down and took him by the hand and helped him up. Open hands. At the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus asked the disciples, “What do you have?” They gave what they had, some bread and some fish. Time and again, Jesus champions the open hand instead of the closed fist. It is by giving that we receive. It is a good gift to come to Jesus with open hands, to let go of what needs let go of so that you can receive whatever it is that Jesus wants you to have.

            The third gift is an open heart. This may be the most challenging gift of all. One of the realities of life is that our hearts get broken. We lose our innocence. It is easy to get hardened and cynical. It is really a survival instinct, to close off our hearts to others so that we won’t get hurt again. There is nothing wrong with setting firm boundaries. There are people in this world that you are prudent to keep your heart closed when you are around them. People who are toxic and mean can hurt you. Not everyone can be your friend. No one has the right to enter into the tender recesses of your heart. See, having an open heart is to put yourself in a position of vulnerability. So, you need to guard your heart. At the same time, if your heart is always closed, like an impenetrable fortress, there is no chance for deep, intimate relationships. No one can speak healing into your heart if the door is always closed. For some relationships, opening your heart is necessary for those relationships to be all they are meant to be. For those who have your best interests at heart, who can pour goodness into you, who can heal the wounded places in your heart, you are wise to open your heart to those people.

            Who else but Jesus can you be assured that it is safe to open up your heart? We have all seen the painting of Jesus standing at the door of your heart knocking. There is no door knob for Jesus to turn. It is on the inside. You have to decide to open the door of your heart to Jesus. Regularly inviting Jesus into your heart allows the great healer to tend to the wounds of your heart. It is a good gift, to come to Jesus the healer with an open heart. Open your heart to the one who heals and restores.

            As we come forward this morning to receive communion, I invite you to bring with you your gift. I have suggested three: an open mind, open hands, and an open heart. Maybe there is something else you want to bring before Jesus. Maybe you want to offer Jesus a confession. You have something you need to say to Jesus. Maybe you are carrying a burden that you want to give to Jesus. Jesus has told us that we can cast our burdens on him because he cares for us. Maybe you want to give Jesus your goals, plans and intentions you have set for yourself for this year, and you want to offer them to Jesus to do with them as he wills. Maybe you are just bringing yourself to Jesus. You don’t have anything specific to give him. You are just showing up, bringing who you are with gratitude. Whatever it is, bring that with you and offer it to Jesus as you receive from him his body and blood, this holy food, that nourishes us for the journey ahead of us.