Read Matthew 2: 10-12:

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

By Another Road

The Magi come to worship and pay honor to the promised King of Israel. They appropriately bring gifts fit for a king. I often wonder what the Magi thought about their humble surroundings as they laid the extravagant gold, spices, and oils at the feet of little, toddling Jesus. The scene between the Magi and the Holy Family is a picture perfect example of the outrageous generosity God extends to us.

Our heavenly father is good and he gives good gifts. Every one of us has been given spiritual gifts and in all likelihood we also have natural talents and skills that make us feel special and unique. Sometimes we are able to build careers around these gifts; sometimes we build our identities around our gifts. It’s inevitable, at some point all of us who follow Jesus will wrestle with the truth that everything we do and have is meant to, and worthy of being laid at his feet. Christ wants to be the center of our lives; he wants to transform everything about us-- for our good and for his purposes -- even our talents, wealth and careers!

Surrendering what we hold personally valuable and precious to Jesus, whatever that may be, is hard and often accompanied with feelings of loss and internal disorientation.

We may ask ourselves:

Who am I…

if I give up this job?

if I’m not known for this talent?

if I don’t have these things?

if I don’t have this social circle?

One thing we can be confident about is that transformation in Christ is always accompanied with opportunities to travel new and unexpected paths. We see this principle play out with the Magi. Before they leave the child Jesus, the Magi are warned in a divinely given dream that they should travel home by a different road rather than retrace their steps.

Isn’t this how it goes with Jesus? We travel to him one way. We encounter him, and everything changes. He sends us out on a path we never could have imagined.

If you find yourself feeling stuck, and retracing the same steps, if you are afraid of laying your treasures at the feet of Jesus, I encourage you to meditate on the journey of faith made by the Magi and God’s loving protection over them.

Pray:

Jesus, make me like the Magi. Let me be overjoyed at the signs of your presence in my life. Fill me with desire to worship and adore you. Bring to my mind the gifts, abilities, and resources with which I can honor you. Change me according to your will and calling for my life. Send me out transformed by your holy love, on a different road. Thank you God, for coming to earth for me. Thank you Father for receiving my gifts which are nothing in comparison to the riches of your love. You are worthy of all I have and all of my love !

Amen.

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Advent Devotional - Part 4