The precious baby the Magi visited was born to save us from the penalty of our sins, blessing us with an eternal life of freedom and joy by His death. We were all slaves to our sins and wrongdoings, but with His blood, Jesus freed us from them—both their power and their penalty. The price was invaluable and the penalty unbearable, yet He endured His gruesome fate because of His great love.

When He has done so much for us, what can’t we give Him? What could we possibly keep from Him? Shall we save our time and pleasure from Him whose sole purpose was to come to be rejected, to suffer and to die for our salvation? What then shall we keep to ourselves?

The three wise men were thrilled with joy when they saw that the star which was leading them had stopped above baby Jesus and His mother. They came in, bowed down and worshiped Him. They knew who the baby was and offered Him the most precious and expensive gifts they had. Perhaps they knew that even the greatest of their material treasures would pale in comparison to the ultimate treasure the little baby would one day gift to them.

What, then, shall we offer Him who suffered in our place?

The delusions of this world compel us to blind our spiritual eyes and clog our spiritual ears so that we chase after false gods like wind which we cannot grasp. When we seek status, pleasure and wealth, we withhold our precious, limited time and effort from Christ’s mission and His true reward, which was paid for at a great cost. To hold out against Jesus is to neglect the great commandment to go and make disciples of the nations. To hold out against Jesus is to neglect our lost brothers and sisters who march toward eternal death and suffering.

Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia where most of the nation’s Christians live, is a city of hectic chaos. Excessive road congestion causes many to spend several hours commuting between home and work each day when the distance is short enough that it should only take thirty minutes. Disorganized bureaucracies and confusing city structures impose a high cost on accomplishing many daily tasks. This situation hinders the ability of many Christians to attend church meetings or share the gospel. In such a city as Ulaanbaatar, it sometimes feels like giving Jesus the precious time and energy He deserves is impossible.

But even in the endless bustle of city life, not all hope is lost. I am reminded of an elderly lady with severe kidney issues in our church who spends almost four hours coming to and from church every Sunday, at least half an hour of which is spent walking to the nearest bus stop. Through the harshest cold of winter (-30° C/-22° F) and the beating heat of summer (+30° C/+86° F), she finds joy and strength in this exhausting journey to worship the God she loves alongside her fellow churchgoers. She knows the price that Christ paid for her, and she knows her eternal destiny. In this solid assurance, she finds the strength to spend those long hours going to worship the Lord. This effort is her most precious gift which she offers the Lord Jesus.

What are our most precious gifts and treasures?