The iconic image of wise men breaking open their treasure chests before the child Jesus is a powerful one (Mt. 2:11). The magi travelled a great distance to bring gifts of wealth and luxury, gifts fit for a king. This is how they paid him homage.

The beautiful story of the magi may lead us to ask what gifts we will bring Jesus. What does he want from us?

To understand what Jesus wants, we must first ask why he has come into our hearts and into our world. The Gospels answer clearly: “He will save his people” (Mt. 1:21). This is not just a King but a Savior! Can the gifts we bring acknowledge this even more magnificent mission?

Yes, they can and they should. We must bring him the things a Savior wants most – the things within us that need saving. We need not travel from east to west but only deep within our own hearts, to bring out the things that lie hidden. These are the gifts Jesus wants. This is how we worship a Savior.

Lord Jesus, I lay before you the gold of my sins and weaknesses, the incense of my painful memories and relationships, and the myrrh of my fears and anxieties. These do not seem like gifts fit for a King, and yet I know they are gifts worthy of a Savior. I offer them to you from the treasure-chest of my heart, knowing that you can transform and redeem them. I come to you open, empty and vulnerable; be a quiet, loving, saving presence in me. Amen.