Which wise man carried gold

It does give us some strong clues. Consider what the texts tell us about Jesus. Ask how Jesus obtained the advantages of literacy, rabbinical wisdom and cultural acumen coming from such impoverished circumstances.

How does a child born into a poor family become such a compelling figure capable of arguing with the best of the Pharisees? After all, he lived off the beaten path in the Jewish society. One answer robs him of his humanity. That is, his ability to read from Isaiah, for example, came from his divinity.

Another answer is the pre-Protestant work ethic. He worked harder than everyone else, teaching himself Hebrew and studying the Hebrew texts by the fireplace until the break of dawn. If these answers ring hollow, consider a fourth speculative answer: His parents invested most of the gold in his education and future vocation, anticipating great things from their son Luke and Matthew Remember some of the disciples had families.

Whether sent by their government or making a trip on their own, they want to find this new king and pay him homage. Matthew wants us to know about the gifts.

The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king. Gold, of course, was valuable as currency. Frankincense is a valuable perfume. Myrrh is a precious ointment often used in the burial process. When the wise men came to Bethlehem, after a stop at Herod's palace, they found the new king in the humblest of circumstances. They did not scratch their heads and say, "Really?

A king born to this poor family? I think we must have made a mistake. They presented their gifts and, we are told, they worshipped him. That is faith. To a carpenter's family, even if they came from royal blood, these gifts were beyond extravagance.

Joseph probably never before held gold in his hands. He would have been paid with denarius, which would have been a silver or copper coin. Mary only would have caught a whiff of frankincense if she brushed against a wealthy person passing through Nazareth. Myrrh was for the burial of the rich and the powerful, not the poor.

Most of us are like Cuba Gooding Jr. The wise men went to great lengths to bring these gifts. They were valuable. The Magi would have known about the prophecies of a special Jewish Savior also known as the Messiah from when the Jews had been held captive in ancient Babylon several hundred years before. Legends are told about them and they have been given names. This is how they are often described:.

Herod asked the Wise Men to find Jesus and tell him where he was, not so he could go and worship him as he said, but so he could kill him! He thought that Jesus sounded like a new King that could come and take his power away. When the Wise Men found Jesus and Mary, they would have been living in a normal house, probably in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, because by this time Jesus would have been aged between one and two.

Then they gave their gifts to him. The gifts seem quite strange to give to a baby, but Christians believe that they had the following meanings:. The gifts are also all things that come from east of Israel in Arabia. When the wise men were about to go to tell Herod where Jesus was, they were warned in a dream not to, so Herod could not carry out his horrible plan.

Matthew This is how they are often described: Gaspar or Caspar , who has brown hair and a brown beard or no beard! He is the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus. Melchior, who has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak.