Di Gold, Di Frankincense and Di Myrrh Wey Dem Bring

Men wey sabi book, wey get money, wey don travel far and wey get respect, bend down pass one low door enter one ordinary house. Dem see one small pikin for im mother lap. And every one of dem kneel down.

Di magi don reach di end of one very long journey. Dem see one star rise for di east. Dem cross desert and rivers to reach Jerusalem. Dem stand before King Herod and dem hear di scholars quote di prophet Micah: di ruler go come from Bethlehem. And just now, outside di city, di star appear again and lead dem go south, and e stop for top of one particular place. Joy full dia heart reach to overflow. And now dem stand for di door.

Matthew talk say dem enter di house. No be stable or cave. Na house. Some time fit don pass since di birth; Matthew now call Jesus di young pikin. And dem see di young pikin with Mary im mother. No palace, no throne, no guards. One mother and her small boy inside one ordinary house for Bethlehem. If di magi expect royal glory, nothing like dat dey there. But dem no wait at all. Dem know who dis pikin be.

Dem fall down, and dem worship am. For di old world, to fall down before person na wetin you dey do before king. You go bow low, face for ground, to show honour and say you dey under am. Dis men from di east don travel all dis far for one purpose, and see am here. To worship. No be to do business, no be to look around, no be to beg for favour. Just to honour dis pikin as di King wey e truly be.

Then, Matthew talk, dem open dia treasures. Imagine as dem dey loose di boxes, dey unwrap di cloth. And dem present gifts. Gold, di metal of kings and crowns, wey get value for every land. Frankincense, one resin wey get sweet smell, wey dem dey burn as incense for worship, and for di temple for Jerusalem. And myrrh, another resin wey cost well well, wey dem dey use for perfume and medicine, and to prepare dead body for burial. Dis na di best tins wey di magi fit bring. Treasures from di east, wey dem put for di feet of one pikin from poor family for one small town.

Frankincense and myrrh na goods wey get value for trade. Di Roman writer Pliny di Elder, for im book Natural History, describe say dem dey come from southern Arabia, as caravans dey carry dem through long trade routes, and e complain about how much money Rome dey spend on dis kind luxury tins. Di prophet Isaiah don see one day wey people from far place go come bring gold and incense, dey praise di Lord.

Di magi gifts dey Matthew chapter two, verse eleven. Matthew no explain di meaning of each gift. But Christians don often see for dem gold for king, incense for worship, and myrrh wey point to im death and burial wey go come later. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If you fit bring one gift give Jesus dis Christmas, wetin you go give am?