Title: Doctors' Faith
Contents
The Magi offered gold as their first offering. This gold symbolizes faith. It proves that the doctors had faith. As they studied astronomy, they believed that the stream of stars would be directed toward the Lord. And they didn't stop at their studies, they put everything together and came to the place where the star stayed, the place where the baby Jesus was born. He did not come empty-handed, but brought a gift.
Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and faith is the substance of things hoped for.
“And there was evening and there was morning, and it was good in the sight of God.”
Considering that the creation of the heavens and the earth was made by faith, the meaning of gold, the first gift offered by the wise men, represents their faith working through faith. This symbolizes the Word. We hope that our faith will have an unchanging value through this faith, which is more precious than gold, that is, gold.
Second, they gave sulfur. The wise men showed their faithful faith in love through the second offering. This sulfur was originally used to burn incense on incense altars. When you burn it, it gives off a nice scent. It was called Ahaeng because the color was white.
In Song of Songs 4:6, "Your fragrance is as wonderful as all kinds of brimstone." King Solomon the Great compared a woman to fragrant brimstone. This fragrance refers to love. There is a song in front of a loved one. say hymns. The second faith of the Doctors expresses unchanging, devoted love, especially noble agape love, through the offering of brimstone.
Third, the wise men offered the gift of myrrh in hope and persevering faith. This myrrh is the semen from a tree called 'koipora merira' that is native to Somaliland, Ethiopia and Arabia. There are records of the offering of myrrh at the time of the Lord's birth, and of Joseph of Arimathea when Jesus died on the cross. And Mary sprinkled the body of the Lord with myrrh along with the expensive perfume. This myrrh symbolizes death and resurrection to eternal life, and is associated with prayer life.
The three things given by these doctors have so many different meanings. Gold is the word, sulfur is praise, and myrrh is prayer. The three lives that believers must live are the life of the Word, hymns, and prayer.
The three gifts that show the faith of the wise men contain the meaning of working in faith, persevering in hope, and being faithful in love. I pray in the name of the Lord that this gift will be dedicated to the baby Jesus who was born in our hearts today. Amen.
(1991.12.25)