Advent Project - Day 15: Myrrh

Like frankincense, it wasn't until recently that I knew what myrrh was.  I'm not sure what I thought it was before, besides "one of those things that was given to Jesus shortly after his birth", but it's not quite what I had in mind.

Again, like frankincense, myrrh is a resin, but much more rare.  It's from a tree called Commiphora myrrha, which is native to Somalia and Ethiopia.  In biblical times, it was used for perfumes and incense, and it was highly prized.  In fact, it was often worth more than its weight in gold, and typically five times as much as frankincense.

One of the interesting properties of myrrh is that it expands (sometimes said to "bloom") when burned, whereas most resins melt or liquefy.  In that sense, it is rather symbolic.  Here is something that grows when it is consumed, and when Jesus eventually was put to death, it was only then that He was able to absolve the sins of all mankind.

Thank You Lord for giving Your life to all so that we may one day be able to rejoin You in heaven!