Gold: The Gift of a King
“Gold is mentioned in the Scripture 385 times, more than any other metal…. And if you had gold, it symbolized, more than any other metal, you were royalty. So, the gift of gold from the Magi was symbolic of Jesus being the King.” – Tony Walliser
Read Matthew 2:1-12
Gold: The Gift of a King
How would you like to receive a gold watch as a gift? Or a shiny gold ring? How about a bar of gold? Nothing says, “I think the world of you,” like gold, right?
At the same time, there’s an old saying, “All that glitters is not gold.” This is both literal and figurative, because a mineral called pyrite can easily be mistaken for real gold. That’s why it’s often called “fool’s gold.” If you want to show someone how much you love them, you don’t want to give them pyrite, or costume jewelry that glitters – but isn’t real gold.
We live in a world filled with many kinds of fool’s gold, masquerading as things of great value. These can include striving for the ideal job or the perfect spouse (surprise, neither of those exist); great success; vast wealth; expensive cars; sprawling houses; lavish travel; or sensual experiences. Countless people have spent their entire lives pursuing these – only to discover they don’t bring the gratification and fulfillment they expected.
Surrounded by such enticements, our challenge is knowing how to distinguish real gold from fool’s gold. Do we really want to invest our time, energy, and resources trying to latch onto life’s counterfeits? It’s kind of like the dog that loves to chase cars. One day it finally catches one. Now what does it do?
Matthew’s account of Christ’s birth tells us about the Magi, wise men from the Babylonian empire who devoted themselves to studying the ancient prophecies. Using mathematical calculations, they determined exactly when the promised Messiah was being born. They set out to find this King, taking with them gifts that included frankincense, myrrh – and gold.
You remember the Christmas carol, “We three kings from Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar?” Actually, no one knows for certain that they were a trio. They could have been a full band of men. But knowing they were about to meet the Messiah was music to their ears!
They knew this wasn’t some ordinary person they were seeking. It was a king. The King of kings. And the gifts they were bringing had to be fit for royalty. So, gold was a logical choice to include in their worshiping package.
This Christmas season most of us are giving lots of thought to the gifts we plan to give to our spouses, significant others, family, and friends. We want to be able to give them just the right thing. But what Christmas is about most is the King, Jesus the one the Magi were searching for most diligently. In recognition of His royalty they brought Him gold, the most precious thing they possessed.
One of the popular songs we hear every Christmas is “Little Drummer Boy,” about a young fellow trying to figure out what to give the baby Jesus. Here are some of the lyrics:
“Little baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring…that’s fit to give a King….
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum
On my drum?”
The little drummer boy concluded the best he could offer was playing his drum. The question is, what “gold” do we have to offer to the Lord this Christmas season? What treasure, talent, ability, or spiritual gift can we bring to worship, honor, and glorify the King of kings and Lord of lords? He gave His all for us – what are we willing to give to Him?