Gift of the Magi
During the Christmas season, there is much talk about the gift of the Magi. Who were those Magi anyway, what was the big deal and why did they move on? The word magician comes from the word Magi. In fact, the term Magi goes way back to 500 B.C. with Daniel (remember Daniel in the lion’s den?)
Daniel rose to the position of Chief of the Magi He declared prophecies, interpreted dreams and solved difficult problems. The powers and mysterious, supernatural forces he seemed to understand and could harness, confirmed his title of Magi. Most of the Magi who followed him admired Daniel and therefore studied his wisdom and prophecies, while also incorporating astrology as they endeavored to understand their times and apply wisdom.
There was one other responsibility given to the Magi. They appointed kings. They were called upon for this task as they proved to have the extra insight and magical power to foresee the future. As the Magi read and studied the prophecies, they were willing to accept fates and the patterns of the stars in their predictions.
King of the Jews
At the time of the birth of Jesus, history tells us there was much disharmony in the middle-eastern lands. (Just like today!) The nations surrounding Jerusalem and Israel were fighting, vying for power. Persia was sort of a big brother to Jerusalem, similar to the U.S. currently.
Another character in our story is Herod. Herod had spent his whole life manipulating and positioning himself for power. He postured himself politically to get the prime post of king. Right at the time of Jesus’ birth, he had finally been appointed by Caesar with the grand poo-bah title, King of the Jews. Herod was hanging on to that title with everything he had. He had spent his whole life getting to this point and wasn’t going to let anything get in his way!
One Born King of the Jews?
But what of those Magi? They came to Herod with a disturbing message. They were going to bring gifts to the one born King of the Jews. Can you imagine the fear Herod felt? What? That’s MY title! I have spent my whole life getting to this point! I’m sure Herod was anxious and afraid, as he had to be aware of some of the prophecy that pointed to this fateful day.
Herod realized prophecies of the past had been exact in their execution and why would this prophecy be any different? So when those Magi came to Herod telling him they would be bringing the new King of the Jews gifts, of course Herod wanted them to find the child. Why? Herod would like to do away with anyone or anything that got in the way of his own title!
The Additional Gift
So the Magi went to see the Christ child. It was probably about a seven-mile walk as they followed the star. As astrologers, they were probably used to reading the sky, naming the Star of the East they followed. As well as bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the Magi gave another gift.
The additional gift of the Magi they gave to us is that they moved on. As those who were used to receiving supernatural messages, combined with their study of prophecy, they knew they needed to move on after seeing the newborn baby. Why? Herod would be hot on the trail to kill this new baby born King of the Jews.
What if They Hadn’t Moved On?
If the Magi had not moved on and Herod had been successful in eliminating his so-called competition, our Christmas season would be much different. However you feel about this season, the celebration would be unlike what we see today. There would be no celebration of a miraculous birth, no child in a manger, very little talk of joy, love and hope as we look to a new year. Maybe even no gifts!
I am so glad the Magi moved on. I love this season of giving and celebration. The Magi also are an example of the importance of moving on in our lives when prompted. How many times do we stay stuck in our same cycle of habits and self-talk without the decision, along with the action to move on? I hope the gift of the Magi inspires you in a whole new way this season to move on in your life!
Deborah Johnson is all about using Creativity to expand your business. Get Unstuck and get rid of Bad Code with her new book Bad Code: Overcoming Bad Mental Code That Sabotages Your Life
