What Happened To The Gifts?

A child is born. A bright star lights up the sky. Three wise kings see the star as a sign that something significant has happened.

The kings organize caravans. They travel for twelve days until they find the child, his mother, and her husband making the best of their stay in a stable.

The kings realize that the boy is special. A Messiah. A Saviour. They give to him the finest gifts that they have to offer: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And then the kings depart. They go back to their respective lands. But what happened to the gifts?

Granted, two of the gifts were not durable. Myrrh is a scented oil. It has to be used to be appreciated. Perhaps the myrrh was used from time to time to anoint the child.

Frankincense gives off a fragrance when it burns. Perhaps it was used to cleanse and purify the child's home and quarters.

Gold, on the other hand, is one of the most durable materials in the universe. It doesn't tarnish. It doesn't react with other materials. Gold lasts forever. 

What happened to the gold that was given to the boy? As a young man, he worked as a humble carpenter. There's no mention of material wealth at this point of his life, no portfolio of precious metals.

Was the gold spent over time to take care of basic family needs? Was it lost? Stolen? Gambled away? Was it used for bribes in an effort to keep the boy safe from Herod's soldiers?

And what of the kings? Did they ever return to look in on their young protégé? Were they interested in his progress? Did they see intervention in his life as unnecessary? Or did they meet their demise before they could return?

So many unanswered questions! Unfortunately, none of the extant accounts were recorded as the events occurred. The Gospels were written decades later. 

Over the centuries, people have kept the tradition of giving gifts. We give gifts on the anniversary of the Christ child's birth. We observe the Epiphany twelve days later in honor of the travelers who gave the very first Christmas gifts - gifts presented by kings to a newborn infant sleeping in a stable.

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South 

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