[ ntil the end of time the wise men w ill be a fitting symbol o f that first Christmas and the gifts offered to the new-born King. These Magi from afar, as the story is so beautifully told in Matthew, the royal Gospel, “ opened their treasures and present ed unto H im gifts.” T o this One, destined to be King of kings and Lord of lords, the Magi brought gold. Yes, gold is for the king. And long before the Lord was b om these Eastern sages must have been started on their way, whither and to worship whom they knew not: but an ancient prophecy had foretold that to this Babe should be offered the gold of Sheba, and the kings should bring H im the riches of the Gentiles. H ow useful this gold was to Joseph in the follow ing months. It helped him to defray the cost o f the journey into Egypt and back, and to maintain his precious charges there. The Heavenly Father knew what those needs would be, and met them by antici pation. If you concern yourself in the affairs of His kingdom, and w ill obey the warnings and directions He gives; if you dare to step out on the path of literal obedience— you w ill find that God will become respon sible and defray all costs. Gold is nothing to Him. It is sweet to think o f all the gold presented to Jesus in after ages. The wealth o f the rich, the golden ornaments taken from the person, the tiny pieces of Gold which represent the patient savings o f the poor — all these have made up the flowing river o f which those golden gifts o f the Magi were the first trickling drops. Have you given gold to H im , you who know H im , not as the babe only, but as the Man o f the Cross; not as man merely, but as the Son o f the Highest? Let our future gifts to H im be o f the best. Or if poverty restrains, let Love turn the gifts, what ever they m ay be, to purest gold.
What
Gift
Cor a
King?
by F. B. Meyer
20
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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