Our Costliest Treasures

With Gladness!

Hymn of the Day

“As With Gladness Men of Old”
Author: William C. Dix

Based on: Matthew 2:1-2

“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 have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him!”


Meditation

“Our Costliest Treasures”

This hymn was written by William Dix when he was twenty-three years old. He was recovering from a very serious illness at the time, and his longing for joy and happiness found expression in this hymn. Dix was born in Bristol, England, and was the son of a well-known surgeon. He trained himself for a business career and for many years held the managership of a Marine Insurance Company in Glasgow, Scotland.

He wrote about forty hymns in his lifetime, the more well-known of which are "Come Unto Me, Ye Weary" and "As With Gladness Men of Old". This hymn is not as popular as many which herald the Christmas season and story, yet it contains a beautiful message. An expression of joy and gladness permeates the words, and a personal petition to God is found in every stanza.

The tune most frequently associated with the hymn was arranged by Dix himself from a German chorale, written in 1838. He protested when the tune was named for him because he disliked it and never felt it quite suitable for his words. This association of words and tune, however, lived and will, no doubt, continue to do so.

The period beginning January 6th and extending to the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday is known as “Epiphany”. Epiphany marks the time that the infant Christ was revealed to the wise men in His first manifestation to the Gentiles as the Light of the whole world. It is generally believed by Bible scholars that the Wise Men from the East arrived approximately two years after Jesus’ birth.


The earnestness of their search, their worship and gifts, and their desire to return home to share their spiritual experience with others have much to teach us. In many churches Epiphany is ushered in with a special week of prayer, a renewed commitment to evangelism, and a worldwide concern for missions.

This hymn of Epiphany should serve as a strong reminder to all Christians that God wants not only our worship but also our willingness to share His message with others both at home and abroad. The gospel of good news must be heard beyond the walls of our church buildings and over the din of the sound system playing Jingle Bells at the mall. In short, God wants our willing hearts to bring Him our costliest treasures and dedicate them and ourselves to His service.

Reflect on the importance of the Wise Men - - - their difficult journey to Bethlehem, their worship and their gifts, and the return to their homelands to share what they had learned. Are we willing to go out into all the world to bring the good news of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and to use our costliest treasures, even our lives themselves, to do so? Why not? What would have to change? Do we understand that being “willing” to do this is what God wants from us? He may not in the end require that we sacrifice our treasures, but He does require that we be willing . . .

Prayer - Our Father, the hymn tells us that the Wise Men beheld with “gladness” the star that would guide them to the Infant King, bringing with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – costly treasures indeed. The hymn speaks of their willingness and their joy and gladness. We confess that we do not always behold the approach of Christmas with joy and gladness and willingness to give our costliest treasures for the advancement of Your work on earth. Free us from the traps of commercialism and the temptations of greed, so that we might better understand what the true message of the season is for us, and more willingly follow you, bringing our “costliest treasures”. In Jesus’ name and for His sake do we make this our prayer, O Lord, Amen ~

Activity - Acknowledge people who serve you. Tell them how much you appreciate the fact that they are there to serve you, to help you find something, to answer your questions, to give you directions, or ring up your groceries. Your response shouldn’t have anything to do with the quality of service received. The surly tollbooth operator on Georgia 400 still gets a “Thank You! Have a nice day!” Elevator operators are acknowledged – waiters and waitresses – dry-cleaning attendants – the pharmacist and attendant who fill your Rx’s - the person who pumps your gas, etc., (even if it’s your spouse!) police, firefighters, EMT’s, ambulance and taxi drivers - - - simply everyone.

“God sent His singers upon the earth
With songs of sadness and of mirth,
That they might touch the hearts of men,
And bring them back to Heaven again.”


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow