Epiphany

This Sunday coincides with Epiphany, and the Gospel reading from Matthew 2:1-12 tells of the arrival of the wise men and their dealings with Herod, 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:  “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a ruler   who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,* until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

They were wise, but not wise enough to see through Herod's ruse on their own. They needed help which came in the form of a dream. 

The lectionary pages add this information,

Christian writers have interpreted the gold as a sign that Jesus is King, the Frankincense as a sign that He is God, and the myrrh (used in embalming) as a sign that He is by His death and Resurrection the Savior of the world. This imagery is found in the song, "We Three Kings of Orient Are." The three gifts are also understood a a sign of three responses that we ought to make to Christ. See the following hymn:

THE BLESSED BIRTH 

That so thy Blessed Birth, O Christ,might through the world be spread about,the star appeared in the East,whereby the Gentiles found thee out;and offered thee Myrrh, Incense, Gold,thy three-fold office to unfold. 

Tears that from true repentance drop,instead of Myrrh present will we:for Incense we will offer upour prayers and praises unto thee;and bring for Gold each pious deed,which doth from saving faith proceed. 

And as those wise men never wentto visit Herod any more,so, finding thee, we will repentour courses followed heretofore;and that we homeward may retirethe way by thee we will enquire. 

George Wither (1588-1667) in his HYMNES AND SONGS OF THE CHURCH, 1623
There is a musical setting by H. Walford Davies (1869-1941)