Gifts for a Servant King

Artwork by Edward Hays

On the Feast of the Epiphany, we hear the story of how three magi (astrologers) “from the East” pursued a prophecy that a new king would be born in Bethlehem. Persians believed that the rise of a star predicted the birth of a ruler, and myths from their culture described the manifestation of a divine figure in fire and light, so when a rising star led them to the dwelling place of the child Jesus, they took him to be both divine and a king. The three gifts the magi brought reflected their understanding of who he was: gold symbolized a king’s power and wealth; frankincense (incense) was a symbol of deity;  and myrrh, an anointing oil used for embalming, symbolized the death that this king, although divine, would one day face.

When he became a man, Jesus embraced poverty rather than wealth and repeatedly told his disciples that he was not a typical king who embraced human power and glory. When signs of his divinity manifested through his transfiguration on a mountain and his acts of healing, he tried to keep them quiet so he would not be worshipped as the long-awaited Messiah. The one gift of the magi that Jesus accepted was the myrrh, as reflected in his comment when others criticized Mary of Bethany for anointing him with costly ointment: “Leave her alone. She has done this in preparation for my burial” (Jn 12:7).

The magi are not to be faulted for bringing Jesus gold and frankincense, because the concept of a servant king was outside their understanding. Today, we know that the gifts Jesus desires most of us are to follow his teachings: to love God above all and our neighbor as ourself, to act with justice and mercy, and to be humble. These are the gifts that are pleasing to Christ — no wrapping required!