December 31, 2019
Tuesday’s Thoughts on Scripture comes from the Celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord, Matthew 2:11: On entering the house, [the wise men from the east] saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (NRSV)
It’s difficult to imagine that all the gifts the wise men brought are ones that show proper respect for a king. Perhaps gold and frankincense make sense. They are certainly gifts we would consider appropriate: gold is valuable and frankincense is a symbol of deity. But myrrh?!?! What sort of king needs to be prepared as a child for his impending death?
Someone recently asked how Jesus grew up so quickly. It’s no wonder that we think Jesus goes from infant to adult in a few short days. Next Sunday, January 12, we will celebrate the baptism of Jesus and he was no infant at his baptism. Truth is, we know very little about Jesus from age two until about age thirty. Then, in three short years after that, he is hung on a cross.
Death seems to come quickly for our Lord. So maybe myrrh was appropriate for this king after all. Fortunately, it would only be needed for three days.
Blessings.
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