Have you ever wondered more about the story of the magi (wise people, not necessarily kings) who visited Jesus. Their story is told in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2.
Luke with his stables and shepherds Mary’s Magnificat was all about Jesus as the incarnation to the poor, but Matthew wanted to make sure that those of us who are less poor know that Jesus is also an incarnation for the rich, those that pay attention, who notice the stars and the signs and see the light of God’s breaking dawn as it touches the sky.
So even though it’s really just a tradition, and there’s no Bible background for the three kings, and especially not their traditional names, Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, there’s a lot to be said about the gifts that they bring – and what that means for us today.
Gold was a gift for a king. Frankincense was an incense to honor God. And Myrrh was used when burying the dead. The middle three verses of the old carol, We Three Kings, tells the story of what the gifts mean, but of course the real gift and the real light that guides us is Jesus. To find out more, hear the whole sermon here and sing along!
