Enjoy Him

The closest [I suppose] I’ve ever come to a real treasure map is in a scavenger hunt.  I must admit, however, I’ve needed a map from time-to-time to locate Christmas gifts I’ve put away in a “safe place.”

 

A Christmas favorite is Matthew’s account of the magi and their trek from the East to Bethlehem.  No manger scene is complete without the wise men, their camels, and gifts … although I understand these otherwise wise men have gone “missing” from Ella’s and Caleb’s nativity.  Actually we can confirm very little about the magi – how many there were or how long and far they traveled or even how old the child Jesus was when they arrived.  Nonetheless, these men are key figures in the account of the Savior’s appearance. "And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11).  From this verse, we do know they came bearing expensive and precious gifts.  It's wise of us to note, however, we do not serve nor worship a "needy" King.  He arrived with all the heavenly gifts we would need!  So why offer Him gifts?  John Piper suggests that when we offer [gifts] to Christ, it’s our way of saying to Him, "The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from You. I have not come to You for Your things but for Yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things in the hope of enjoying You more, not the things. By giving to You what you do not need and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, 'You are my Treasure, not these things.”  You see, any gift we bring isn't near-enough or precious-enough for the Treasure we have in Jesus Christ.  One of the first Westminster catechisms describes that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Enjoy Him – what Matthew describes is the wise men enjoying Jesus.  What a beautiful picture and model for us this Christmas Season.  Enjoy Him!