I. Gold may be taken as representing our substance, our goods, our material wealth. All work, all material, have their worth in gold. This oblation, represents the efficiency of that which is external to us, and can be detached from us.
II. The frankincense is a substance which, once kindled, sends up sweet clouds to the sky it is the symbol of religious thought directing itself lovingly and longingly towards God. It typifies what is inward. There is a life of contemplation as well as of action.
III. The last offering completing the text is myrrh. This stands for sorrows; in this we are equal before God. We can offer to Him our pains and repentance. (M. Dix.)
The character of their worship
1.Devout.
2. Believing.
3. Self-sacrificing.
4. Intelligent.
5. Obedient (ver. 12). (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
Give the best you have to Jesus
Itmatters not how poor the offering be, if it is the best you can give. A legend tells us how once u little boy in church had no money to place among the offerings on the altar, so he gave a rosy apple, the only gift he had to offer. Presently, when the priest removed the alms from the altar, he found there an apple of pure gold. The simplest gift is in the eyes of God as pure gold. (H. J. Wilmt Buxton.)
A Christmas-time address-Gifts for the child Jesus.
From this visit of the magi has grown up our idea of keeping Christmas with gifts. We will try to see the inner meaning of the good old custom.
I. Our chief idea in keeping Christmas is to make everybody happy. Jesus came to make us all happy-blessed of God.
II. Making everybody happy can be done best by giving gifts. All sorts needed-should be adapted-make everybody happy because they bless both him who gives and him who takes.
III. In giving gifts we remember especially the little ones. Because we think of Jesus as a child, etc. Show how suggestive are the magi’s gifts.
IV. Then we rise beyond the little ones to all those whom Jesus taught us to think of as His brethren. Those who are poorer than ourselves, etc. Every child may make somebody a little happier with their love-gift to-day. (R. Tuck, B. A.)
