It was a silent night, a starry night, all was calm, all was bright. The gifts had been eased into their bejewelled bag and carefully placed onto the beasts of burden that would carry them across the landscape. The only sounds were the soft footfalls across the vast plains towards the west. All at once there was a soft rustling followed by the clearing of a voice.
“Huh, Hmmm, well I would just like to say what a privilege it is to be travelling with such auspicious companions,” said a rich, deep voice from a vermillion box. “Although we have all been treated with the utmost of care, I feel I need to make a statement regarding our present situation, to, a-hem, make sure we all know our place in this little venture. My name is Gold and I think I should just let you know right from the outset that wherever we are headed must be a place most worthy of me. You see I am extremely valuable. Indeed, I am very difficult to find deep underground, but when I have been unearthed, I am the most precious of metals. I am pure—I don’t tarnish or rust and, I might add, I have two magnificent words to describe me . . . malleable and ductile!”
There was stunned silence from the other gifts, so Gold, realising how much he had enthralled his audience, went on.
“Meaning of course that I can be moulded into any shape, and I can be stretched out long and thin—just 1 gram of me can produce 2 kilometres of wire! I really am remarkable. That is why I am so valuable and why kings and queens love me—I can be shaped into the most beautiful of crowns. I guess that wherever we are going it must be to honour some noble king in an exquisite castle. I really do feel honoured. Consequently, I must state categorically that I am the BEST gift.”
“Well, well,” piped up a sweet, well-modulated voice, emanating from an alabaster bottle, couched within an ermine box. “Very fine words indeed, however I think you miss the mark. I am Frankincense and quite frankly I feel I have a claim to the honour of the BEST gift. You see, Gold, you may be flexible and difficult to dig up, however you have no idea how extreme it is to extract me. To procure me, one must go to specific limestone deserts and there find a particular evergreen tree. A 12cm gash is placed in the tree and then left for three months. After this time white tear drops will have formed from the gash. They are carefully spliced from the tree and then prepared in many ways involving heat to extract my delectable perfume. Furthermore, you may be a desired gift for kings, but I, dear Gold, am a gift for God as I am used to represent the prayers of the people to God, by the priests, and so my scent ascends to heaven—way above anything on this earth! Therefore, I can only imagine that we must be travelling to a magnificent temple where the high priest awaits my precious scent to pray to God. That would make me the BEST gift!”
“Now wait just one moment!” bristled a shrill, bitter voice from a bottle deep within a box of carved oak. “It’s Myrrh here and I’ve been listening to all of this and quite frankly (begging your pardon, Frankincense), you both should be ashamed of yourselves boasting about being the best. Now Frankincense, I am every bit as difficult to extract from a tree as you are, and consequently just as expensive. I’ll admit that when harvested I look like lumps of dirt rather than milky, white tear drops, and I am also ready to admit that I am bitter, not at all sweet smelling as you, Frankincense, or as malleable as you, Gold. But I am good for something—I heal. Now if you have a sore throat or rotting teeth, swill me around in your mouth and bingo, you will be healed. If you have sores on your body, make a paste out of me and rub it in well. Then, snap, you will be healed. And, I might add, I can also do something amazing when people die—I can preserve their skin and slow down the decaying process! Pretty good if I do say so myself. You know what? The people will love me more than you two as I can restore their health. To be honest, if you haven’t got your health, what have you got? So, I must be the BEST gift for all humanity. I think we must be heading to some grand hospital or maybe one of those beautiful Roman Baths where I will be given to some great emperor who needs healing.”
The gifts discussed their attributes loud and long for the duration of their journey. Then they fell silent as each pondered their worth and destination.
They felt they had equal claim to being the best gift but also agreed that each had something of worth to give. The question was who were they being given to: a king, a priest or a healer?
The starlight shone brighter, then the beasts of burden halted. Hands pulled down the jewel-encrusted bag and slowly each gift was drawn out. The gifts blinked and looked around. They saw a very crude dwelling—certainly no marbled halls or golden candlesticks or velvet curtains befitting their station as the best gifts. Then they saw who they were to be bestowed upon. A baby—not very old either—being held by a mother with adoration in her eyes. They were shocked. Certainly, he was a lovely baby, but really, a baby?
The first gift giver placed the gift of gold onto the dusty floor in front of the Babe and bowed low. “I bring You gold, as befits a king, for You are the King of Kings.”
The second gift giver placed the gift of frankincense onto the dusty floor in front of the Babe and bowed low. “I bring You frankincense, as befits a high priest for the people. The scent will ascend as prayers to God in heaven to cover the pride and sinful lives of people here on earth.”
The third gift giver placed the gift of myrrh onto the dusty floor in front of the Babe, he too bowed low. “I bring You myrrh. You will not only be a great healer, but You will also be a great sacrifice—One who will bring healing and who will save us all from our sins.”
All three gift givers remained prostrate on the floor as the gifts gazed up to the Babe in wonder and awe. It was then they realised that they were in the presence of truly the best gift: Jesus.
Samantha Ibbott is a primary teacher and writing coordinator in the Central Coast of NSW.
