Sermon Notes — January 5, 2025
January 5, 2025
Dr. Craig Goff
Matthew 2:1-12
Gift Exchange
As you may have noticed, sometimes the value of gifts we are given isn’t always immediately apparent.
For example, you give your child the “gift” of car insurance when they learn to drive which may not seem valuable or important…..until it is…
What about the gifts we just heard described in our text? Gifts of perfume and spices given to a family that really needs a baby crib, milk and diapers? Sure we get the value of the gold, but frankincense and myrrh for a baby?
As they say, this story is about wise men who visited the baby, not wise women. Wise women may have given more practical and useful gifts.
I want to share a story that sheds light on our text today. One you may have heard before, but definitely bears repeating. It is an Appalachian folk tale called “The Tale of Three Trees.”
Once upon a time there were three little trees growing together on a hillside; each one had hopes and dreams.
The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling in the sky and dreamt of being made into a beautiful treasure chest, covered with gold and jewels, full of valuable coins and other treasure.
The second tree looked at the river flowing out to the sea and dreamt of being made into an ocean-going ship, to travel across the oceans carrying important cargo
The third tree looked down at the village in the valley full of people leading busy lives with no need for God. She didn’t want to be made into anything but dreamed of growing tall on the hillside, pointing people towards heaven.
One day a woodcutter came to the three trees carrying an axe. The first tree was pleased when he was cut down and taken to a carpenter’s workshop. But instead of being crafted into a treasure chest, he was made into a crude feeding trough for animals, covered with dirt and filled with straw.
The second tree was delighted when he was taken to a boatyard. But instead of being made into an ocean-going ship, he became a small fishing boat, placed on a lake. Instead of transporting precious cargo, he carried stinky fish every day.
The third tree was sad when she was cut down. All she wanted to do was grow tall and point people to God. She was heartbroken when she was roughly split into beams, chopped into planks, and dumped in the corner of the wood yard. She felt rejected, abandoned, and hopeless.
Time passed, and the three trees forgot all about their dreams.
But, then one golden starlit night a young couple came into a stable containing the feeding trough made from the first tree and said, “This manger will be perfect for our newborn baby.” And the first tree realized he was holding the greatest treasure of all.
Years later, a tired traveler and his friends got into a boat made from the second tree, and when the wind blew and waves broke over the boat, the traveler stood up and commanded the storm: “Quiet, be still” and it became perfectly calm. The second tree then realized he was carrying the greatest cargo of all, the king of heaven and earth.
Later still, one Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through a jeering crowd. She shuddered as a soldier nailed a man’s hand to her. Now she felt worse than ever. She felt ugly, harsh, and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when Jesus rose from the dead, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. He’d made the first tree beautiful, he’s made the second tree strong. And whenever anyone thought of the third tree, they would be pointed to God.
We don’t know exactly what Joseph and Mary thought of the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, or whether or not the magi were somewhat disappointed that the King they came to see was a poor baby in a manger and not born in an opulent palace, but we do know God has a way of taking ordinary things, even our ordinary, everyday lives and doing extraordinary things with them.