by Gene Cline <revgenecline@nwonline.net>

It’s been some years now. Yet when I close my eyes I can still see it. I can still see the Star. Its light was so captivating. It appeared to us as if it was the very hand of God reaching down toward us, beckoning us, and encouraging us to trust, to come and take hold of the hand of the Creator of all life. When I close my eyes I can still see it. I can still see the star.

People deemed us crazy to leave family, home, and, country to follow that star’s light. We weren’t crazy… I guarantee you that. But if we were crazy, then I pray that the whole world will one day go so mad. Then it will be a much better world, that I can guarantee you!

We weren’t crazy to follow that star. It is no boast to proclaim we were wise. We just followed the signs. Others had all the reasons to be as wise as they claimed we were…

Let me explain.

Because of the large Jewish colonies in Babylon and elsewhere, we were well acquainted with the beliefs of the Hebrew people. Why, even the Roman authors of our time spoke of the grandiose things expected in Palestine. Why, there had spread all over the East a belief that it was fated for men coming from Judea to one day rule the world.

Yet this was not all, my friends. The Hebrews had not only expected the coming of this great ruler, but their own sacred scriptures had foretold a star to be the sign of the birth of their Messiah. From a book they call Numbers appeared the sacred words, "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, then I shall behold him."

So we were not crazy to follow this star, but only wise and obedient. We knew a new King was on the world’s horizon.

That is why we were amazed at King Herod’s response when we inquired as to where the "King of the Jews" was born. He seemed mystified by our presence and puzzled and miffed about our inquiry. Why, even with the sign, the star, shining right outside his palace window, he didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

It was only through an inquiry with his palace scholars that he was made of aware of what we already knew.

How peculiar! God had given him this sign. God had foretold the coming in the scared word. Now the sign was before him. Its sign was in the night skies, and still he was ignorant as to what was occurring in his own backyard. How peculiar.

Still we traveled on, on to the village of Bethlehem.

Finally we saw it: the point where the light from very hand of God was reaching down toward us, beckoning us, encouraging us to trust, to come and take hold of the hand of the Creator of all life.

It rested upon such a tiny insignificant home. "How peculiar," we thought, "for God’s great King to live in such an unassuming abode." Yet who are we to question God’s ways? If we have learned anything in our lives, it is that life is better served by celebrating God’s activities than questioning God’s activity. That house was, after all, the place where the star’s light came to rest.

Yet, "How peculiar," we thought. We had traveled great distances to see this announced King, and no one else was there. It was as if they didn’t care. It couldn’t be that so many were ignorant about their God’s promise. Could it? It couldn’t be that so few cared!

So we entered the unassuming home. The parents of this young boy weren’t surprised by our appearance. It was almost as if they expected or knew of our arrival.

All of us felt it. We knew we were on holy ground. We knew we stood before the Lord of all life. So we did what was only proper: we bowed and left our gifts.

That is all one can do when confronted with such royalty.

I haven’t left my homeland since. There is no other King worthy to pay homage to once you have come into the very presence of God.

When I arrived home, my family was overjoyed at my return. I sat with them and told them our story. From beginning to ending I told them of our travels to see this newborn King, the King of all Kings. They sat enthralled and listened with sparkling eyes and attentive ears. They received and accepted my every word.

That was until I told them of my gift. My gift that I gave to this young King.

"Melchior", my wife screamed, "Frankincense! You gave a baby perfume. Expensive perfume! Melchior, King or no King, what kind of gift was that to give a baby?"

The years have passed and my family still can’t believe that I gave the child such a gift. Oh I’m sure that someday legends will surface as to the reason behind my gift. But I know the reason for my gift.

Frankincense is perfume, expensive perfume. Surely a more practical gesture toward this baby and his mother would have been food, clothing, and tickets out of Bethlehem before Herod found them.

But let me ask you. What do you give the King of King, Lord of Lords, the Savior of the World when he lies before you? What gift do you give when the Lord of life reaches down and touches the earth? What gift would you give when God in the flesh comes to shower us with love? What do you give when God comes to do battle with all the world, to set us free from sin and death? What do you give?

What can you give?

What gift is worthy?

God’s gift to us is just too great, too wondrous for us to find a gift worthy to give in return. When each of us arrives at that moment when the reality of God’s great gifts hits us with all its power, all we can do is to offer God the best we have at that moment.

Mine was to kneel and to give frankincense. The best I had at that moment.

After all God had (has) given us the best that God had to give. In this babe born in Bethlehem we have seen the fullness of God. Having given us so many gifts down through the ages God now gives himself.

What can you give in return? What on earth do you have to match God’s gift in Jesus? Nothing… Nothing but the best you have to give at that moment.

What is that gift you ask?

It will be different for each of you. Different, and yet, oh, so important.

Today it may be the gift of your singing, your praising, and your songs. The gift of your tithes. The gift of your service.

Tomorrow it will be another gift.

(Pause)

In that moment, when we knelt before the baby Jesus and opened our boxes, we gave the best of what we had at that moment.

On that day, mine was to fall on my knees and present the frankincense. It was the best I had to give.

And herein lies the Good News: The Lord of all creation will receive your gifts. He’ll gladly take your songs of praise, your two hours a week as a church volunteer or your weekly visit to someone who is old, sick, and lonely. They are your gold, your frankincense, and your myrrh. The best you have to give on this day.

You need not wait for a better tomorrow, The Good News is simply this: give God your best gift of this day. He will receive it gladly! He will receive it gladly!