Advent
Meditation
December
20th
28.
Worshipping Providers
Matt
2:11,12 On coming to the house,
they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped
him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of
gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream
not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
There
are people who try to have just a ‘Sunday-faith', a religion that is
spiritual only on a Sunday, but that is very far from the call of God
to His people. When writing to the church at Rome,
the apostle Paul said, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices”
(Rom 12:1). Now if you approach your Christian life as a sacrifice to
God, it doesn't just mean for a few minutes on a Sunday morning, but
all the time and in every area of your life. The way people handle the
material side of their life, is a good indication of the depth of their
experience of God. God doesn't see our lives as material and spiritual;
there is no division with Him. God looks to bless every aspect of our
lives when we come to Him.
The
‘Wise Men' are a great example of ‘whole' worshippers. They worship
the newly arrived Son of God by bowing down and by giving
to him. It is a faith that expresses itself by far more than just words
or certain spiritual actions. It is a faith that provides for him. Now
isn't that strange! God arrives on the earth in the form of a tiny,
vulnerable baby, complete with all the limitations of a baby. He's going
to grow, this baby, and when he's fully grown, the power of God is going
to flow through him as never seen before or since; he is God on earth.
But, for the time being he is reliant upon Mary and Joseph to care for
him and now, for the wise men to provide for him. Yes, God can do miracles,
like providing life where there is none, but having done that He so
often wants to use us as the means of further provision. The Christian
life is a life of partnership with God (1 Cor 3:9. 2 Cor 6:1). Thus
we're told to work out our salvation, because God is also working in
us (Phil 2:12,13).
So
these worshippers come and provide for the child. They provide Gold,
currency in any day. This is God's immediate bank account for this little
family. Frankincense is a pure incense used for worship offerings and
for wedding processions in the Bible. Myrrh, another perfume was used
as a perfume for bridal processions, and for funerals. Whether the two
perfumes were given as symbols of what would be involved in this child's
life or whether they were just given as alternative forms of currency,
things that could be sold for money, is not clear. They are however,
clearly expensive gifts, lavish gifts, gifts what could be purely ornamental,
but also very practical.
Some
say the practice of giving gifts at Christmas (which is not done by
Christians all over the world) derived from the Wise Men. Giving is
a practice very much at the heart of love for God. For the Christian
it is not just a ritual done to appease God, for He doesn't need appeasing.
It is a response of a freed-up heart that sees need and gladly rises
up to meet it. In a world where so many charities
clamour for our attention we need to learn
to respond to God's prompting to give, not the emotional pressures of
advertising agencies working for such charities. Giving starts with
those closest to us in need. Giving comes with a heart of love, a love
that is moved by compassion and moved by relationship. John picked this
up in his letter (1 Jn 3:17)
as did James (Jas 2:15,16).
We become providers for others, knowing God will provide for us (Phil
4:19).
Having
come as worshippers, these men find a new form of guidance, as they
too move into the realm of guidance by dreams! Yes, there is a truth
here: true, whole-worshippers come into a new closeness with God where
they can hear His guidance more clearly. May we each know it!
If
you wish to e-mail us any comment on this meditation please click here
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tony.thomas@rochfordcc.co.uk
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