CSN - LightWing Messages - Faith of the Magi - Sunday - 12/17/2023
The Magi and the Messiah
“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
The Return to Nazareth
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:2-23 (New International Version)
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:
When one has a belief in God, and is in awe of Him; or, when one has a genuine relationship with their Father in Heaven, they behave in obedience to His guidance. Thus, the Magi, Joseph, and Mary did as God instructed them. And, as Jesus survived childhood and was able to grow to manhood, he demonstrated absolute obedience to His Father in Heaven. However, before he offered the greatest obedience in the greatest sacrifice, he left those who loved him a simple set of instructions to live by. The real dilemma in the world and throughout human history is the exercise of the freedom to choose to obey or ignore the directions or the guidance God gives.
Certainly, no one can effectively judge us for not following our Heavenly instructions, and even if there were harsh judgment, it would not easily be received. Even if it were received in some way, it may not be a guarantee that such judgment would bring us any closer to our Heavenly Father. In this Christmas season, for example, it is one of the times of the entire year when the culture is a bit more receptive to coming closer to God through celebrating His son’s birthday. But for too many, this holiday has little to do with Jesus, and more to do with the preparations or the hustle of going through the motions of celebrating the holiday. The internal part, the part about heart, and the desire for special moments of love with one’s family and friends and our neighbors can be shuffled to the bottom of one’s priorities.
Our featured message for this edition is focused on the “Wise Men,” the Magi, who had the faith to obey their instructions from God and take a long journey into a foreign land to deliver gifts to a child they had no relationship with, nor any hope of benefitting from their act of faith other than pleasing God. We often do not consider their faith, or their motivation for doing what they did; yet they did what Jesus asked us all to do: to sacrifice for the sake others. And this brings one to the deeper level of the heart of Christmas, and a question Jesus asked before he ascended:
“...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
While the spirit of Christmas offers the opportunity to consider our own faith; but, is this shuffled to the bottom of our priorities during the hustle and bustle of the season? Thus, the lessons of the Magi show up as more than simply the giving of gifts. The lessons of the Magi show us that genuine faith and willing obedience to our Heavenly Father may be our gift back to Him. A wise sage taught me long ago that our lives are God’s gift to each of us, but what we make of our lives is our gift to God and to those we can touch with the unique gifts He gave to us.
The Magi brought gifts to the Christ child as an act of obedience to God based upon their faith.
What gift are we giving back to Heavenly Father in such a time as this? It is not hard to grasp what Jesus directs us to do with the life God gave us; but, it is extremely difficult for some who call themselves the followers of Christ to practice what we should be doing as acts of obedience based on the strength of our faith.
The second message this week was a poem entitled, “At Christmas.” It was written by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959) who wrote poems for the Detroit Free Press. Starting in 1904, he offered a new poem every day for 30 years. This poem is a poem of personal reflection on Christmas, and if one allows it, his words can touch the heart on many levels because he reveals how the time of the season is more conducive to bringing out the best in all of us (or, most of us). The Magi certainly gave us an example of how to make that happen.
Our Zoom call this past Wednesday was ‘enlightening’ as it focused on the Christmas Star, but it led to a discussion about the Magi, which was what the focus of this edition would become. So, those who want to know more about the Magi, please jump on the call this Wednesday. I was impressed last week, when even Carrie Barton, who had just had an operation on her arm the day before, was able to get on the call and make contributions to the conversation. I repeat: the ladies’ perspectives are truly valued and we hope more ladies will join us Wednesdays.
We are grateful when any of our readers are willing to offer comments or check in with us on our Zoom sessions. They can be part of the conversation or can simply listen. They usually discover like-minded thinkers and people with good hearts. Our Zoom call this Wednesday will feature a discussion on faith, as the Magi demonstrated their faith in such a dramatic manner. Readers who are not on our standing list to receive the Zoom link to the call, please reach out and send an email request to this address: d.jamzon@gmail.com We’ll honor the request and add you to our regular mailing list.
CSN LightWing Mission – Zoom call Wednesday 12/20/23 @ 5:00pm
Generally each Wednesday at 5pm PST (6pm MST; 7pm CST; and 8pm EST).
These words are being freely offered to you – intended to shine light unto our paths, as written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 - KJV
As always, we hope our readers would consider all the messages in this edition relevant or meaningful, and if readers know others who might value them as well, please consider being one of our official LightWing messengers and pass this newsletter on to those whom you feel would be able to welcome it. Or simply, please receive it yourselves.
May God bless our readers and all of their loved ones. Merry Christmas to All!
May we humble ourselves, seek His face, repent, and turn from wickedness - even if that may mean to truly seek the face of the Christ, to receive his words as if he were speaking them directly to each of us, to learn his heart from his guidance to us, and to transform our lives in the way he would want us to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness.
The Faith of the Magi and Their Journey of Great Risk
By Dennis Jamison revised 12/11/2022
12/23/2018 (updated 2023)
And they were saying, “Where is The King of the Judaeans who has been born?” For we have seen his star in The East and we have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2
A good Christian would be familiar with the journey of the “Wise Men” who made a journey to witness the promised birth of one who was prophesied to be king over many nations. Yet, the details are not always clear, and many of faith simply accept the journey “on faith.” Yet, over two thousand years ago, a very special birth occurred, and despite a king’s determination to kill the child, the infant grew into a man who became one of the most influential people in all of human history. This man’s life made such a powerful and positive impact upon people from all over the world that he transformed the history of humankind. But, before the journey of Jesus began and before he left his birthplace, non-Jewish people from outside of Judea journeyed to the place of his birth and offered him unique gifts, and that started the tradition of gift-giving that is continued to this day. The story of the “Wise Men” inspired millions of people throughout the world and throughout time. Their story is more than fable or fiction.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, in the Aramaic and other translations, these “Wise Men” were actually called “Magi.” and came “from the East to Jerusalem.” And they were asking the whereabouts of the newborn King of the Jews who had possibly been born within the previous two years. By that time, these men had traveled quite a great distance through enemy territory simply to honor this child of their prophecy who in their minds was to become king of the Jewish people. Yet, much mystery and myth surrounds these foreign visitors from distant lands. Much is missed when people who read this passage learn only of the Magi visit to Jerusalem.
Yet, the story of these Magi and how they came to pay their respect to the baby Jesus has been briefly told in bits and pieces, in many lands, over many centuries. Even Marco Polo, in 1298, wrote of the Persian Magi in The travels (Description of the World) One needs to utilize worthy sources to distinguish fact from fable and come to a more accurate understanding of the Magi’s existence. Specifically, an examination of Persian history indicates the likelihood that the Magi were from ancient Persia. A little-known fact in the Western world is that the Magi were a priestly class of nobles who served as members of the Parthian government (all of modern Iran, Iraq and Armenia, parts of Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan).
The Parthian Empire was formed after the fall of the Achaemenid Empire. Parthia, in northeastern Iran, had been governed by the Seleucid kings, an ancient Macedonian dynasty.
In 245 BCE, a satrap (a governor of provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires) named Andragoras launched a revolt against a young Seleucid king, Seleucus II, who had just taken the throne. In this transition of power, a nomad tribe called the Parni from the central Asian steppe overran Parthia. The first king of the Parthians was Arsaces I, who in 238 B.C. forged a new kingdom and established the Arsacid Dynasty. The kingdom and dynasty evolved into an empire in ancient Persia from 247 B.C. to A.D. 224 and was a primary rival of the Roman Empire.
Most historians seem to agree that Ctesiphon, on the left bank of the Tigris River and 12 or 13 miles south of present-day Baghdad, was the major city of the empire and the primary seat of the government. Unfortunately, when digging so deeply into history, scholars are confronted with gaps of understanding due to incomplete or missing records. Despite limited information or access to reliable sources, an understanding of the Parthian Court and its customs can be pieced together. At the time, the official religion of Persia was Zoroastrianism.
Although this forgotten religion is ancient, Zoroastrianism shows up in recorded history only in the mid-fifth century B.C. But over the centuries the majority of people in this region had become followers of Zoroaster, the famous Middle Eastern prophet and teacher. The Magi had emerged as a priestly class who adhered to Zoroastrianism and had eventually developed considerable influence at the courts of the Persian rulers. By the first century after Christ, the Magi served in the hereditary priesthood and, more important, as members of one of two councils that advised the king. This political structure could be remotely comparable to the British parliament with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which were intended to limit the power of the monarch.
Members of the Megistanes or “nobles” were also looked upon as “the Great Men” who were the privileged class and wielded considerable power in ancient Persia. The two councils were essentially composed of the Megistanes, whose rights and positions of power in the councils were conferred by birth or office, not by the king. One of the councils consisted of the full-grown males of the royal house. The other council was a type of senate made up of both the spiritual and the political chiefs of the nation: the “Sophi” (wise men) and the “Magi” (priests). These two assemblies advised, appointed/elected (restricted to members of the dynasty of the Arsacidae), and checked the monarch. Practically, the right of inheritance may have been a normal practice of appointing the new kings, yet there were difficulties, such as when there was no son to inherit the royal office.
It was the Magi, the devoutly religious followers of Zoroaster, who were aware of the prophecies of Daniel concerning the coming of the Messiah. It is not clear when Zoroaster lived, but records indicate that some of his followers may have been students of Daniel, the Jewish prophet of the Old Testament. He had once served as the “rab-mag,” the chief administrator of the Magi under Darius the Great, who had elevated the Magi above the state religion of Persia after some Magi proved to be experts in interpreting dreams. Daniel apparently entrusted his messianic vision to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment. And, “in the fullness of time” the Magi, in their dual priestly and political office, were poised to follow the guidance of prophecy.
Once the Magi witnessed the astronomical signs that had been foretold by Balaam, an ancient prophet from Mesopotamia, the Magi set off on their journey of faith. Balaam had foretold the The Star of Bethlehem that would precede the arrival of a great leader of the Jewish people. This is known from the book of Numbers in the Old Testament and was obviously of great interest to the Magi. Most notably, this band of noble “kingmakers,” armed with deep faith and equipped with significant inspiration and motivation, left their comfortable circumstances in Persia and set off upon a rugged journey across enemy territory to seek out the one who was to become a great leader of the Jewish people.
What can be easily overlooked in the tale of the Wise Men is that despite the cost, they sought this precious child of prophecy. The journey of the Magi would not have occurred without much considerable difficulty and great risk. The distance could have been around 500 to 1,000 miles, depending upon the point of origin, which still remains a mystery. Some accounts indicate that the journey could have started in Ur in what would be in the southern part of modern Iraq. Others speculate it could have started at the ancient Institute of Astrology at Sippar near Babylonia (also in modern Iraq). Such a trek through the deserts and rugged terrain of the Middle East could have taken six to eight weeks, depending upon prevailing conditions along the way.
Even more important, the journey of the Magi not only had great religious significance, but it also contained great potential political peril. The Magi may have made their pilgrimage at the risk of their lives. They were foreigners, possibly members of the Parthian government, and would have had to travel through the territory occupied by the new Roman Empire, Parthia’s on-again, off-again major enemy. Such a journey could have initiated a serious international confrontation if they encountered the Roman military on the way. Even so, the party of the Magi (likely more than three individuals on camels) boldly entered Jerusalem and sought out King Herod, specifically seeking knowledge regarding the recently born King of the Jews.
It would have been a formidable journey, requiring great courage and faith. Their fundamental means of navigation was limited (their GPS was the “star”), and from the biblical account, the Magi depended upon the “star” they were faithfully following, since they honestly did not fully know their destination. Amazingly enough, foreigners, not of the Jewish faith, were the ones who traveled upon a great and dangerous journey to offer incredibly valuable gifts to some unknown and unproven infant “king.” Such a pilgrimage by people of such faith does contain lessons for people of all faiths, especially in carrying out such a mission at the risk of their lives.
May all your journeys of faith be fruitful this holiday season.
Christmas is a time that seems to bring out the best in humanity, which famous poet Edgar Guest (1881-1959) captures in this poem. Christmas is a time of year that people are quicker to think of others above themselves, and they do not worry about the petty things that consume them throughout the year.
At Christmas
By Edgar A. Guest
A man is at his finest
towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be
when the Christmas season is here;
Then he's thinking more of others
than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children
is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than
at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him
he comes close to the sublime.
When it's Christmas man is bigger
and is better in his part;
He is keener for the service
that is prompted by the heart.
All the petty thoughts and narrow
seem to vanish for awhile
And the true reward he's seeking
is the glory of a smile.
Then for others he is toiling and
somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas he is almost
what God wanted him to be.
If I had to paint a picture of a man
I think I'd wait
Till he'd fought his selfish battles
and had put aside his hate.
I'd not catch him at his labors
when his thoughts are all of pelf,
On the long days and the dreary
when he's striving for himself.
I'd not take him when he's sneering,
when he's scornful or depressed,
But I'd look for him at Christmas
when he's shining at his best.
Man is ever in a struggle
and he's oft misunderstood;
There are days the worst that's in him
is the master of the good,
But at Christmas kindness rules him
and he puts himself aside
And his petty hates are vanquished
and his heart is opened wide.
Oh, I don't know how to say it,
but somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas man is almost
what God sent him here to be.
Written by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959) who started writing poems for the Detroit Free Press in 1904, and eventually offered a new poem every day for 30 years. “He was known as The People's Poet of his age for his easy to read poems about family, work, children and God which upheld the values of the typical American in the first half of the 20th century.” At Christmas By Edgar Albert Guest, Famous Holiday Poem – see also: Edgar A. Guest | Michigan, Poet Laureate, Humorist | Britannica
* A Bit of History About the Magi -
From Christianity Today: Magi, Wise Men, or Kings? It’s Complicated. | Christian History
From EARLY CHURCH HISTORY: Who Were The Magi ?
From Crosswalk.com: 5 Common Myths about the Three Wise Men Story
From World History Encyclopedia: Zoroastrianism in the World History Encyclopedia
From World History Encyclopedia: Zarathustra
From History.com: Zoroaster
From Journals University of Chicago: Zoroastrianism and the Resemblances between It and Christianity
Onward and Upward!
From Enya: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Lyric Video) - 11/27/2020 (winter theme)
From Jonathan Cahn: The Power Of Saying: I Couldn’t Care Less! | Jonathan Cahn Sermon – 12/11/2023
From Home Free: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem Ft. The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East - 12/21/20
From In Touch Ministries: Walking in the Holy Spirit – Dr. Charles Stanley – 6/9/2015
From Andrea Bocelli: Andrea Bocelli - Angels We Have Heard On High by Andrea Bocelli - posted 10/22/2015
From World Outreach Church with Allen Jackson: How Much Time Do You Spend Getting to Know God? | Allen Jackson Ministries – 12/9/23
From AHeroForTheWorld: We Three Kings Of Orient Are (Epic Version) - A HERO FOR THE WORLD - 12/4/2013
ICYMI > From Tim Sheets of The Oasis Church: Knowing Him – 11/26/23
From Stephen McWhirter: COME JESUS COME acoustic #Jesus #worship #music - 11/30/23
From Céline Dion: Céline Dion - O Holy Night (from the 1998 "These are Special Times" TV special) 12/17/20
Podcast - From The American Minute with Bill Federer: American Minute for December 16 – The Boston Tea Party happened on this day in 1773..– 12/15/21
Podcast - Today's American Minute – Christmas Songs - "O Come All Ye Faithful"
Podcast - From Dutch Sheets Ministries: New Beginnings | Give Him 15 Daily Prayer with Dutch | December 14, 2023
Podcast – From “Bold & Blunt” w/ Cheryl Chumley of Washington Times: A Christmas Message of Hope – 12/12/23
ICYMI > Podcast - From PragerU: The Amazing History of Christmas – 12/9/23
Recommended Reading…
From Spectrum Magazine: Are You on the Journey of the Wise Men? – 12/10/2016
From The Christian Post: What can you give God for Christmas? | Voice - 12/3/23
From Kingdom Winds: Christmas Trees and Jesus – 11/27/23
From Canada Free Press: The Christmas Candle – 12/9/23
From The Christian Post: The precious gift of the birth of Jesus Christ – 12/16/23
From Crosswalk.com: 3 Things Jesus Gives Us at Christmas When Our Faith Feels Weak – 12/6/23
ICYMI > From Faithwire: Max Lucado Breaks Down Biblical Facts About Jesus That Set Christianity, the Christmas Story Apart From ‘Every Other Theology’ - 12/1/23
What affects one, can affect all!
* News From The Growing Free Union -
From PJ Media: Yes, Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitism – 12/12/23
From PJ Media: Hamas Calls for Violence Against Americans, and So Does This Michigan Imam – 12/16/23
ICYMI > From Kingdom Winds: Awaken to Warfare, They Are in Your Backyard! - 10/31/23
ICYMI > From American Thinker: All I Want for Christmas is Election Integrity - 12/11/22
* News From the States –
News From Illinois -
From PJ Media: Chicago Begins Impounding 'Rogue' Migrant Buses as a New Law Increases Penalties – 12/17/23
News From Massachusetts -
From Faithwire: ‘Divisive’: Boston Mayor Faces Scorn for Christmas Party Reportedly Excluding White Officials – 12/14/23
News From New Hampshire -
From The RightSide Broadcasting Network (w/video): Trump goes to the mat for the American people, pledges to bring back U.S. prosperity – 12/16/23
News From Oklahoma -
From The Good News Network: Oklahoma Teen Overcomes Shyness to Collect and Give Away 54,000 Toys – 12/17/23
News From Texas -
From The Christian Post: Texas ISDs vote to allow volunteer chaplains to serve in schools – 12/14/23
News From Virginia -
From The Christian Post: Fairfax County School Board member sworn in on stack of pornographic books: 'Disgraceful' – 12/15/23
News From Wisconsin -
From The Epoch Times (w/ video): 'He's Tearing the Church Apart': Outrage After Pope Punishes Cardinal for Dissent Over New Woke Doctrines | The Epoch Times – 12/1/23