. . . and when they had opened . . . Matthew 2:11

Normally, when we hear the words: “Open up!” we expect something painful to follow. When the dentist says: “Open up.” with drill in hand, we expect something painful to follow. When the police demands: “Open up.” as he bangs on the door in the middle of the night, we expect something painful to follow. When a long lost relative stands on our porch with a bunch of bags and pleads: “Open up.” we expect something painful to follow.

This tendency to close up instead of open up has been noted by Jesus. That is why the desire for us to open up has become the third item on His Christmas list which is suggested by Matthew 2:1-12. The Wise Men diligently sought Him. They sincerely worshiped Him. Then, the next thing they did was open up their treasures to Him. What did these Wise Men know that many of us don’t when it comes to opening up to Jesus? They knew that:

(1). He already knows what we are trying to hide. Remember, He’s omniscient. While it is true that our secrets are safe with Him, it is also true that they are known to Him.

(2). He can give us more when we open up. The classic example of this is the person who reaches into a jar and grabs a hand full of candy. She soon discovers that her fist is full, but now she can’t get her hand out of the jar. With an open hand outside of the jar, she will net more to eat than with a clenched fist inside of it. Opening up to Jesus provides Him room for Him to give us more.

(3). He can get in and fix internal issues. The reason the dentist asks you to open up is because your teeth are inside. There is no other way for him to fill cavities or remove teeth than to get inside your mouth. Needless to say, each of us has a host of internal issues which have bothered us and bedeviled us. Jesus can help us with these. Indeed, He can deliver us from these, but only if we open up and let Him in.