I was referring to Matthew 2:11, John.  Is that the verse you have a problem
with?  Setting aside semantics about "wise men" and "gifts", unless JESUS
was older than 4 or 5 (which would be tough to prove) I think he still
qualified as a baby.  So I don't get your point.  Not that it makes any
difference to me.  I think that kind of thing leads just to pointless
conjecture.

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Schwery" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2003 7:01 PM
Subject: Re: Wise Men


> Paul, I don't believe that the wise men brought gifts to Jesus when he was
> a baby.  I don't believe that they showed up for a couple of years or so.
>
> At 08:25 AM 12/26/03 -0500, you wrote:
> >Okay, so we all know that the real meaning of Christmas is the Gift of
JESUS
> >and that He gave Himself for us.  But let's not forget that the wise men
> >brought gifts to Baby JESUS.  And it's a wise thing to give gifts to
> >Italians, too.  So, in the Spirit of gift-giving, let's hear what
everyone's
> >favorite gifts they got this year are.  And the worst gifts.  Okay, you
can
> >say "the worst gifts ever" so people won't know it was something you got
> >this year and track you down.  Smile.  Let's hear it, folks, especially
from
> >those of you who are returning things today.  You know who you are.
> >
> >My favorite gift is a ceramic cookie jar that is a lifesize yellow lab
> >puppy.  My friends out west sent it, knowing I love yellow labs and had
> >planned on getting one (that was what I thought my last dog was when I
got
> >her from the pound, but it turned out she was a mutt and didn't grow at
all,
> >but shed as much hair as two huge yellow labs.  Smile.)  But I had mixed
> >emotions about it because I gave the dog away last year when I got sick
and
> >a friend of a friend asked if she could have her for her children.  Since
> >the dog was alone all day while I was at work I gave her to them.  So I
did
> >have an emotional moment when first opening this gift since it reminded
me
> >so much of my dog (whom I miss very much)....well, she's not "my" dog
> >anymore.  Anyway, I was going to give the cookie jar to them but now am
> >trying to talk myself out of it since it looks so good on my hearth and I
> >keep telling myself "It doesn't look THAT much like your dog, after all,
and
> >the small kids will probably break it anyway and hurt themselves!"
> >
> >Be that as it may, let's hear it about the best and worst of gifts that
you
> >all got!
> >
> >Greedy So and So Lion Holding Onto The Cookie Jar Even Though It's Empty
>
> John
>
> I hate a quarrel because it interrupts an argument. --
> Gilbert Keith Chesterton<*>