Saturday 7 January 2017

With Added Myrrh

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.....the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD. (Isa 60:1-6)
The Three Magi

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. (Matt 2:9b-12)
"Caspar - the myrrh. What's with that?"

"Well it's an aromatic resin..."

"Yeah I know what it is. That's not what I meant."

"It's good for healing."

"Is it on the list?"

"What list?"

"What does the prophecy say? 'They shall bring gold and frankincense.'"

"And camels?"

"Yeah. Camels. We've got the camels. But no myrrh."

"It doesn't say 'no myrrh.'"

"Well....."

"So I can bring it."

"Is there a prophecy about it?"

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Could get pretty sore, a snake bite. Best put a bit of myrrh on it."

"Anything more specific?"

"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth."

"You what?"

"That's what they do round here - they use it when they're  wrapping up their dead."

"Who's dead?"

"They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

"Whose son?"

"God's son."

"So we're going to see God's son, with gold of kingship and incense of deity - and you're bringing him a gift for his death. What sort of God dies?"

"This one does."

3 comments :

  1. Woooah! This is seriously good stuff for Epiphany (and in the Sally Army "Commitment Sunday"). Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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