Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 2:9-12

"And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned [of God] in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way." — Matthew 2:9-12 (ASV)

What joy these wise men felt upon seeing this star, no one knows as well as those who, after a long and melancholy night of temptation and desertion, under the power of a spirit of bondage, at last receive the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God. We may well imagine what a disappointment it was to them when they found a cottage was his palace, and his own poor mother the only attendant he had. However, these wise men did not think themselves baffled; but having found the King they sought, they presented their gifts to him.

The humble seeker of Christ will not be stumbled at finding him and his disciples in obscure cottages, after having sought them in vain in palaces and populous cities. Is a soul earnestly seeking Christ? Does it desire to worship him, and does it say, "Alas! I am a foolish and poor creature, and have nothing to offer?" Nothing!

Do you not have a heart, though unworthy of him, dark, hard, and foul? Give it to him as it is, and be willing for him to use and dispose of it as he pleases; he will take it, and will make it better, and you shall never repent having given it to him. He shall shape it to his own likeness, and will give you himself, and be yours forever. The gifts the wise men presented were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Providence sent these as a timely relief to Joseph and Mary in their present poor condition. Thus our heavenly Father, who knows what his children need, uses some as stewards to supply the needs of others, and can provide for them, even from the ends of the earth.