Matthew 2 tells the story of wise men from the East who followed a miraculous star to find the infant Lord, bringing Him precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The New Church teaches us that each of these symbolizes a spiritual gift which we can offer to our Lord and Savior as we, like the wise men, come to worship Him.

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The Lord’s Birth

by Rev. David Lindrooth

“I see Him but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a star shall come out of Jacob; a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy the sons of tumult” (Numbers 24:17).

We are not always aware of the Lord working in our lives. “We see Him, but not now.” We want Him involved in our lives, but we feel as if He is “not near.”

The Lord’s infinite presence is a little like the air we breathe. It is something that is such an integral part of our lives that we aren’t normally aware of it. We breathe constantly without thinking of the life-giving chemical reactions that are continually happening in our bodies. We rarely reflect that without the atmosphere all forms of life would cease to exist.

The Lord is as present and essential in our lives as air is to our bodies. His life flowing into the world is the cause of all life. His interaction with us gives us the abilities to think, to love, and to respond as human beings. His life provides the backdrop to our consciousness. Yet, we are as unconscious of the miracles the Lord is continually creating in our lives as we are unconscious of the life-supporting qualities of the atmosphere.

The Lord was born on earth so that we could become aware of His presence in our lives. By knowing who the Lord is we can begin to be aware of the ways He continually works in our lives, giving us His gifts, leading us forward, creating our circle of life and sustaining us. This awareness takes a lifetime. It can be compared to becoming aware of each breath we take and beginning to sense the life-giving response our bodies have to the air. Gradually we can become aware of how desolate our lives are without the Lord—as desolate as this planet would be without our atmosphere. A life based on this understanding opens us up to receive the Lord’s eternal gifts of life, love, and wisdom.

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