“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ … And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:1-2, 11

We’ve explored how the incarnation itself was scandalous—God becoming human contradicted every expectation of divinity. We’ve seen how God’s choice of shepherds as first witnesses upended social hierarchies and credibility systems. Today, we turn to our final Christmas scandal: the extravagant gifts brought by the Magi.

At first glance, expensive gifts might not seem scandalous. After all, our culture celebrates lavish giving, especially at Christmas. But looking deeper, we discover that the Magi’s gifts represent another divine stumbling block (σκανδαλίζω/skandalizō)—another way the Christmas story challenges our assumptions and invites us into a different economy altogether.

The Mysterious Magi

Before examining their gifts, let’s consider the gift-givers themselves. The Magi (often called “wise men” or traditionally “three kings”) remain somewhat mysterious figures in the biblical narrative. Matthew tells us little about them except that they came “from the east” following a star they associated with a newborn Jewish king.

Scholars believe they were likely astrologers from Persia or Babylon—practitioners of arts forbidden to the Jews. They were Gentiles, outsiders to God’s covenant with Israel. They were probably adherents of Zoroastrianism or another eastern religion, not worshippers of Yahweh.

In short, they were unlikely participants in the Messiah’s story. Their presence itself represents another scandal of inclusion—God drawing outsiders into His redemptive narrative and accepting worship from those outside the established religious system.

The Extravagant Gifts

The Magi brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. To appreciate the scandal of these gifts, we need to understand their significance:

1. Gold

Gold was then, as now, a symbol of wealth and royalty. It was a gift fit for a king, acknowledging Jesus’ royal status. But the scandal lies in the contrast—this “king” was born in humble circumstances to working-class parents, with no palace, throne, or royal trappings. The gold highlighted the disparity between Jesus’ true identity and His apparent circumstances.

2. Frankincense

This aromatic resin was used in temple worship, particularly in the incense offering that symbolized prayers ascending to God. It was associated with priesthood and divinity. Giving frankincense to a child suggested recognition of His divine nature—a scandalous claim about a human baby.

3. Myrrh

Perhaps the most unusual gift, myrrh was an embalming spice used in burial preparations. It foreshadowed Jesus’ death even at His birth. What new mother would welcome a gift symbolizing her child’s mortality? Yet this gift prophetically pointed to Jesus’ ultimate purpose—not just to live as God with us, but to die for us.

Together, these gifts tell the complete story of Jesus: the King (gold) who is God (frankincense) who will die (myrrh). They represent an extravagant acknowledgment of His full identity and mission.

The Scandal of Disproportionate Giving

The first scandal of these gifts is their disproportionate nature. By any conventional standard, these valuable items were inappropriate for a child in such humble circumstances:

• They were impractical for a young family’s needs
• They were disproportionate to the recipients’ social status
• They created potential danger by drawing attention to the child
• They crossed boundaries of propriety and expectation

This disproportionate giving challenges our carefully calibrated gift exchanges where we try to match value for value, ensuring no one gives too much or too little. The Magi gave without concern for reciprocity or appropriateness by conventional standards.

Their giving reflects God’s own disproportionate gift in Christ—a gift too valuable for our status, beyond our ability to reciprocate, and transcending the boundaries of what we might consider appropriate for our unworthiness.

The Scandal of Worship Through Giving

The text tells us the Magi “fell down and worshiped him” before presenting their gifts. This sequence is significant—their giving flowed from their worship. The gifts weren’t diplomatic gestures or social obligations but expressions of reverence and recognition.

This connection between worship and giving challenges our compartmentalized approach where we separate spiritual devotion from material resources. The Magi’s example suggests that authentic worship naturally overflows into generous giving.

As Jesus would later teach, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The Magi demonstrated this principle—their treasure followed their hearts of worship.

The Scandal of Giving to One Who Needs Nothing

Perhaps the deepest scandal is that these valuable gifts were given to the One who, as Creator, already owned everything. As the psalmist declares, “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1).

This apparent paradox—giving to the Owner of all things—reveals something profound about the nature of true giving. The Magi’s gifts weren’t about meeting Jesus’ material needs but about expressing recognition, honor, and devotion.

This challenges our utilitarian approach to giving, where we primarily consider what the recipient needs or can use. The highest giving may not be about utility at all but about expressing value and relationship.

The Scandal of Divine Receptivity

Equally scandalous is that God, in Christ, received these gifts. The Creator accepted created things from His creatures. The self-sufficient One allowed Himself to be the recipient of human generosity.

This divine receptivity reveals God’s willingness to enter into reciprocal relationship with us. Though He needs nothing from us, He creates space for our participation and contribution. He not only gives to us but receives from us, honoring our gifts by accepting them.

This challenges religious systems that portray God as only a giver, never a receiver—as demanding service but never being served. The Christmas story shows a God who receives gifts with the same grace with which He gives them.

The Scandal of Provision Through Extravagance

There’s a practical epilogue to the Magi’s visit that’s easy to overlook. Shortly after they departed, Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to escape Herod’s murderous intentions. The family became refugees, living in a foreign land until Herod’s death.

How did this working-class family afford such a journey and extended stay abroad? Many scholars believe the Magi’s extravagant gifts—especially the gold—provided the necessary resources. What seemed impractically lavish became providentially practical.

This suggests another scandal—that what appears to be wasteful extravagance in God’s economy often serves purposes we can’t initially recognize. Like Mary’s “waste” of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet (which He defended as a beautiful act), the Magi’s lavish gifts served a divine purpose beyond human calculation.

Living with Extravagant Generosity Today

The Magi’s example challenges us to reconsider our own giving, particularly during the Christmas season:

1. Giving that flows from worship

Do our gifts express genuine devotion, or are they merely social obligations? The Magi gave because they recognized Jesus’ worth. True generosity flows not from duty but from a heart captivated by Christ’s value.

2. Giving beyond calculation

The Magi didn’t calculate the appropriateness of their gifts based on social convention or expectation of return. They gave lavishly because the recipient deserved no less. What would it look like for us to give beyond careful calculation?

3. Giving that tells the true story

The Magi’s gifts told the story of Jesus—His kingship, divinity, and sacrificial death. Our giving can similarly tell the true Christmas story rather than reinforcing cultural narratives of consumption and indulgence.

4. Giving to those who cannot repay

While the Magi gave to Christ himself, we can give to “the least of these” whom Jesus identifies as His representatives (Matthew 25:40). Giving to those who cannot reciprocate reflects the heart of God’s own giving to us.

5. Giving that involves sacrifice

The Magi traveled a great distance at significant cost to bring their gifts. Sacrificial giving—giving that costs us something—reflects the ultimate gift of Christ who “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Ultimate Gift Exchange

The Magi’s extravagant gifts point to the ultimate gift exchange at the heart of Christmas: God gave Himself to us so that we might give ourselves to Him.

This divine gift economy operates by different principles than transactional exchanges:

• It begins with God’s initiative, not our merit
• It’s motivated by love, not obligation
• It’s characterized by abundance, not scarcity
• It’s measured by sacrifice, not market value
• It’s directed toward relationship, not utility

The Magi, as outsiders to Jewish tradition, somehow grasped what many insiders missed—that the appropriate response to God’s extravagant gift is extravagant giving in return.

Beyond Christmas Consumerism

In our culture, Christmas has become synonymous with consumption and acquisition. The average American will spend over $900 on Christmas gifts this year, yet many will miss the scandal of true giving that the Magi exemplify.

The antidote to Christmas consumerism isn’t necessarily spending less (though simplicity has its place) but giving differently—giving in ways that reflect the scandal of God’s extravagant gift to us:

• Giving that honors the true worth of the recipient rather than our budget constraints
• Giving that expresses relationship rather than obligation
• Giving that tells the true story of Christmas rather than reinforcing cultural myths
• Giving that flows from worship rather than social pressure

When we embrace the scandal of extravagant giving, we participate in God’s upside-down economy where value isn’t determined by market forces but by love.

The Ongoing Scandal

The Magi’s extravagant gifts represent a scandal that continues to challenge us. Their example confronts our carefully calibrated exchanges, our utilitarian approach to giving, and our separation of spiritual devotion from material resources.

Like the other Christmas scandals we’ve explored—the scandal of incarnation and the scandal of unlikely witnesses—the scandal of extravagant gifts invites us into a different way of seeing and living. It challenges us to participate in God’s economy of abundance rather than the world’s economy of scarcity and transaction.

This Christmas, perhaps we need to let ourselves be scandalized anew by the Magi’s example. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves whether our giving—of our resources, time, attention, and ultimately ourselves—reflects the extravagant nature of God’s gift to us in Christ.

For in this divine scandal lies an invitation—an invitation to give in ways that might seem foolish by conventional standards but that align with the upside-down values of God’s kingdom. An invitation to participate in the true gift exchange at the heart of Christmas: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

As we conclude our series on the scandals of Christmas, may we embrace rather than evade these divine stumbling blocks. May we allow the incarnation, the unlikely witnesses, and the extravagant gifts to challenge our assumptions and transform our lives. For in these scandals, we discover not just the true meaning of Christmas but the revolutionary nature of the kingdom Christ came to establish.

In a world that has domesticated Christmas into a sentimental holiday, these scandals restore its revolutionary power. They remind us that the birth we celebrate wasn’t just a sweet nativity scene but the invasion of divine love into human history—an event that upends our values, challenges our systems, and invites us into a new way of being.

This Christmas, may we not merely commemorate a past event but participate in its ongoing reality. May we, like the Magi, bring our most valuable treasures and lay them at the feet of the One who gave everything for us. And may our lives become living gifts that tell the true story of the God who loved us enough to become one of us, to invite the overlooked to witness His work, and to receive our gifts with the same grace with which He gives His own.

Merry Christmas!