Matthew 2:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For consider this: upon opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold represented a gift suitable for a king, as subjects present gold to royalty; frankincense symbolized their offering to God, as incense is reserved for divine worship; and myrrh honored Him who has faced death, for the Jewish practice includes myrrh in burials to preserve the body from decay, as its dry nature absorbs moisture and prevents the growth of worms. Observe the faith of the Magi. They derived from Balaam’s prophecy that the Lord is both God and King, possessing the ability to die for our sake. Listen to this prophecy: “He lay down,” he declares, “rested like a lion” (Num. 24:9). The term ‘lion’ signifies royal dignity, while ‘lay down’ conveys the idea of mortification. “He that blesseth thee shall be blessed.” Here we see the divinity, for only the divine nature holds the power to bless.

Our intention is not to approach the Lord as those who lack, but rather to glorify Him who shares His creation with us. Furthermore, gifts are graciously received by those who diligently seek divine wisdom, as they inherently require both the means to fulfill the commandments of virtue and the insights derived from creation for their spiritual journey.

Unlike other mothers, she experienced no distress during the birth because her conception was apart from a husband. The Magi discerned His identity not through any grandeur surrounding Him, but rather by the star that rested above Him and the divine illumination that filled their hearts. This is evident from the gifts they presented. Gold symbolizes royal authority, as subjects offer gold to their kings; frankincense signifies divinity, since it is given to God; and myrrh represents mortality, used traditionally to anoint the dead and prevent decay. Through their gifts, the Magi acknowledged this Child as both Sovereign and Deity, who would voluntarily experience death as a human for humanity's sake.

Another perspective emerges when we consider the Babylonian kings, who once ravaged Jerusalem, plundering its sacred treasures, halting offerings, and annihilating the people. The Babylonian realm and its riches were eventually transferred to the Persians, who now present offerings to the Lord of the once-defiled temple: gold in place of the treasures taken, frankincense as a substitute for the lost sacrifices, and myrrh for the slain. However, it is crucial to understand that just as the wise men needed to journey far from their homeland to encounter Christ, so must one distance themselves from worldly desires to truly see Him. Abandon the scheming king and the tumult of the city—the metaphorical prince of this world—and approach Christ with urgency. Whether you are a learned Magi or a humble shepherd, nothing will obstruct you if you seek Him with reverence rather than disdain. Those who disrespect Christ do so by approaching Him unworthily. Therefore, offer Him, in place of gold, the brilliance of righteous deeds and words; replace incense with prayer—“let my prayer be set forth before You as incense” (Psalm 141:2)—and instead of myrrh, dedicate the mortification of passions, which preserves the soul and fills it with spiritual beauty.

When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem and spoke of the star, the entire city was immediately agitated; prophetic scriptures were referenced, and the birthplace was declared. Numerous events transpired, impacting the shepherds in the fields, the angels glorifying God, and Simeon and Anna, as documented by Luke (Luke 2:8-38). All of this occurred to ensure that the Jews could not claim ignorance regarding the timing of Christ's birth. As Chrysostom states, the Child remained in Bethlehem until the days of purification, specifically until forty days had passed. Had the Jews not deliberately closed their eyes and ears to the revelations and signs, they surely would have journeyed to Bethlehem to witness Him. While the Magi traveled from distant lands to find Christ, the Jews living in close proximity to Bethlehem overlooked the opportunity to confirm the prophecies shared by those who had seen Him. The shepherds proclaimed the wonders they observed to all they met, as recounted by Luke (Luke 8:18). The arrival of the Magi before the Jewish populace prophetically illustrates that the Gentiles would acknowledge Christ prior to the Jews. This sentiment echoes Paul's message to the Jews: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).

The One whose dwelling is in the heavens humbled Himself to rest in a manger. He, for whom the universe cannot contain, was placed in a humble cradle. In the cries of this Child, one can discern the voice of the One whose utterance causes the entire world to tremble in its anguish. Thus, this God of glory and Lord of majesty was acknowledged by the wise men upon their encounter with the Child of whom the prophet Isaiah foretold, saying, "For unto you a child is born, a son is given unto you; the dominion is upon his feet" (Isaiah 9:6).

Therefore, let us also go forth to meet Him, not physically, but spiritually with our hearts, and bow in worship, exclaiming joyfully, ‘Blessed is the King of Israel, who has come to save us!’ Upon His arrival, wise men from afar came and revered Him, presenting their treasures—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—as offerings worthy of a King. This encounter illustrates for us the proper way to approach Him. Let us strive to emulate those faithful servants, coming to Him with our hearts (for He is no longer present on earth as He once was, but reigns in heaven at the right hand of God) and embrace Him as our King. We are called to offer Him not material gifts, which He does not seek, but rather intangible offerings such as sincere faith, heartfelt gratitude, and obedience born of love towards our King. We ought to renounce worldly desires, leaving behind the old self, and cleanse the chambers of our hearts through repentance and faith in Him, humbly inviting Him to visit us. As we learn from His sacred Gospel, He did not shun anyone out of compassion but welcomed those who called upon Him, sharing meals with the most sinful and engaging with them as the one who came to redeem sinners. He will not turn away from us in our sinfulness; if we genuinely purify our hearts with true repentance and sincere remorse for past transgressions, preparing our souls for such a King, who resides in clean hearts, we can approach Him with humility and faith. Although we may not perceive Him with our physical eyes, He remains ever-present with those who love Him and invisibly comes to them. May you find salvation.

“Behold,”—they saw no earthly majesty here. “They worshipped Him,”—likely recognizing Him as God, yet certainly acknowledging Him as King. “And they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” In line with Eastern customs, worshipping kings involved the giving of gifts. God Himself commands every Israelite through the prophet: “that thou shalt not appear before the Lord without a gift” (Deuteronomy 16:16).

Their treasures likely refer to their bags or similar items. “Brought unto Him”—to the Child, not to the Mother; this act was done in a manner befitting Eastern customs and with genuine reverence. “To Him,”—as if He comprehended and accepted the gifts. “Brought not tribute, but gifts”—a heartfelt offering. “Gold, frankincense, and myrrh”—the finest treasures from their lands. Many Church Fathers see a profound symbolism in these offerings: “frankincense” represents Jesus as God, “gold” signifies Him as King, and “myrrh” foreshadows His burial, as it was commonly used to anoint the deceased. A Church teacher also suggests that myrrh could nourish the Child's body, as it was often used for such purposes; frankincense was utilized to purify the air, which could not be clean in a manger or a poor temple, while gold was a necessity due to their poverty. Mary and Joseph were exceedingly poor, needing to stay for forty days in a foreign city. Some have drawn parallels to the Trinity from the three gifts presented here.

These gifts were likely modest, as shortly thereafter, the parents of Jesus would offer a sacrifice, yet they found their means insufficient; they presented an incomplete offering, fitting for those in poverty. The wise men certainly did not intend to enrich the family but merely sought to express their devotion. This account unfolds within the Gospel’s narrative of Jesus Christ’s earthly life prior to His public ministry of salvation for humanity, detailing the journey of the Magi and their adoration of Jesus Christ.

They discovered the Child swaddled in tattered cloths, placed in an even filthier feeding trough due to the cramped quarters. If they had been in search of an earthly ruler and encountered such a scene, they would have felt dismayed rather than delighted, for they would have thought their arduous journey wasted. However, they were seeking the King of Heaven, and although they did not perceive anything regal about Him, they rejoiced, relying solely on the sign of the star. Their perception was not limited to the infant’s humble appearance; the Spirit within them revealed His majesty. Had they sought an earthly monarch, they would have found one and been content, as often occurs when subjects abandon their own king for another. But instead, they offered Him their worship and returned to their earthly ruler, thus possessing this divine King for their souls while maintaining an earthly king for their bodies. They knelt in worship. Can one assume they would bow before an infant, who was unaware of such honor, unless they truly believed in His divine nature? Their reverence was not for a mere infant, who grasped nothing, but for His all-knowing Divinity. The gifts they presented attested to their recognition of the Child's divinity. They opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, thereby fulfilling both the acknowledgment of the Gentiles and the prophecy spoken by Isaiah, who proclaimed, All they that are of Sheba shall come, bringing gold and precious stone, to declare the glory of the Lord: and all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered together, and the sheep of Nebaioth shall come: they shall ascend upon Thy altar with an acceptable sacrifice (Isaiah 60:6-7). In that moment, they identified Him and presented their treasures, demonstrating that they worshipped Christ alongside all the nations. Through their recognition of Him as King, they offered the pure wealth and precious gifts of the saints, the gold they had set aside. Upon realizing His divine and heavenly nature, they presented the sweet aroma of Lebanon, symbolizing earnest prayer, as a pleasing fragrance to Him infused with the Holy Spirit. Lastly, acknowledging His earthly burial, they presented myrrh.

Their pure hearts apprehended the profound mystery, which was still beyond full comprehension—the mystery of Christ's divinity, akin to how John the Forerunner (Luke 1:41), even while in his mother's womb, joyfully acknowledged the proximity of the Divine Child, also within His mother (Psalm 71:10, 15).

They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, honoring Him in His lowly cradle more than Herod was honored in his opulent palace. The three gifts were offered to the One from the Trinity, symbolizing respect for the Holy Trinity: gold as a tribute to the King of Kings; frankincense as a pure, fragrant, bloodless offering to God, representing the eternal High Priest of Heaven; and myrrh, as an acknowledgment of the future suffering and death (John 19:39) through which He would vanquish the kingdom of death. It is known that the Jewish tradition involved anointing deceased bodies with myrrh, a sweet-smelling resin from trees. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were the finest treasures known from the distant East, the homeland of the Magi. These gifts stand in stark contrast to the bloody animal sacrifices of the Jews, embodying instead the essence of Christian offerings. St. John Chrysostom aptly refers to the Magi as the first fruits of the Church of Christ, heralding the beginning of Gentile believers, as they represented the hope of nations: Christ, bowing before the miraculous Child who would soon unite the scattered children of God. The customs and fervor of the Eastern nations (Genesis 32:14; Genesis 43:11; 1 Kings 10:27) called for the Holy Family to present gifts to the new King, and never before had their need for such gifts been as profound as now. If they had any possessions in Nazareth, they likely took little, anticipating a swift return. Instead, they now faced a challenging and urgent journey—the flight into Egypt. How would they have traveled to a foreign land without the assistance bestowed upon them by the wise men? Their gifts provided necessary support for the arduous journey ahead. To whom were the gifts given? To Him who came to enrich us all through His poverty, who bestows breath, life, and all things to everyone! His Divine condescension towards us is truly monumental!

It is noted by St. Demetrius of Rostov that the Mother of God, despite the gold given by the Magi, shared nearly all of it with the poor, keeping only a small portion for their trip to Egypt. But let us return to the account of the Magi. Having fulfilled their heartfelt desire and worshipped the Lord, they intended to return to Jerusalem to honor their promise to Herod, to share with him and the people of Jerusalem the sacred joy that filled their souls. Yet, this presented a grave peril...