Gifts That Answer God’s Light

Matthew 2:11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Summary: The gifts of the Magi show us that generosity flows naturally from recognizing where God’s light has already been revealed in our lives.

Dear Beloved Friends,

The story of the Magi is often told as a tale about exotic travelers and precious gifts. But at its heart, it is a story about response. These wise ones do not arrive at the manger because they are searching for power or certainty. They arrive because they have seen something true. A star has pierced the darkness, and once they see it, they cannot look away.

What strikes me every year is that the Magi do not bring gifts to earn favor or prove devotion. Their gifts are not a transaction. They are a response. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are offered because revelation has already happened. God has shown up, and generosity becomes the only honest answer.

This is how giving works in the life of faith. We do not give to make God love us. We give because we are already loved. We do not offer our time, money, or energy to convince God to act. We give because God is already at work in us and around us.

The Magi teach us that when we encounter truth, our lives shift. Revelation always asks something of us. Not out of obligation, but out of transformation. When we recognize where God is showing up, our hands naturally open.

This is true for how we live every day. When we see where love is needed, we respond. When we notice where healing is possible, we lean in. When we glimpse God’s justice stirring in the world, we ask what we have to offer.

Giving, at its best, is not about scarcity or fear. It is about alignment. It is about letting our lives move in the same direction as the light we have seen.

The Magi return home by another road. That detail matters. Once you encounter God, you are never meant to go back the same way you came. Generosity becomes part of the path forward, shaped by gratitude, trust, and joy.

May we notice the light in our own lives this week. And may our giving, in all its forms, be a faithful response to the God who continues to reveal love in unexpected places.

In gratitude,

Pastor Anny+

Prayer for the Week: God of light, help me notice where you are already at work in my life. Shape my giving as a response of gratitude, trust, and love. Amen.