Heirs of the Magi First Christmas, Page 2

  I am an avid student of our histories, so I understand that the issues we face are not new for the Magi of the Light; but while the past is often repeated, even as the Light and Dark repeatedly have their turn in ascension; I also sense that this one time is going to be different from any other in the past or future. Others have written of those transition times – both for the Light and Dark ascensions. Those changes can be quick or span decades or centuries, and the ascensions have been equally brief or prolonged; but comparing what we know of past times to now has me wondering whether there actually will be an ascension of the Light this time as most of my brethren expect.

  God come among us in human form surely is ample reason to believe that the Light will prevail in this time and place; but the shadows I see of the future have me believing that those minions of the Dark will redouble their efforts this time to remain in power. I rejoice with all – few though we are – who are blessed to already know of our Lord Savior’s birth, but even as we of the Magi of the Light know and appreciate best the message he will bring to the world; we also understand that it is such a difficult path to walk that many will choose not to follow our Messiah. It will be those peoples that will sustain the Prince of Darkness and his minions; and imperil those of us who do wish to walk in the Light.

  Though much of what leads me to those thoughts is not entirely clear to me, I will go to sleep this night humbled that my God knows all; understands our human weaknesses; and yet still reaches out to us by sending His Son to show all humanity the way back to Him.

  The Visit to Jerusalem

  We have finally arrived in Jerusalem today, and the Masters have already begun to question varied people about the whereabouts of our Lord Savior as is required of them. It is necessary for us to be extremely cautious now, and since I was not among those attending the Masters; I have not yet heard all of the details about the reactions to those inquiries.

  My tasks instead included a cursory and careful perusal of the city while also choosing accommodations and beginning to re-supply and prepare for the next part of our journey. To be blunt, this place is a cesspool, and I fervently hope that we can be on our way again quickly. There is a darkness here that is from more than the yoke of Roman oppression or the rampant, base and vile indulgences to which so many here succumb. The few friends I have been able to speak with about this agree with me; though we are uncertain about what is causing us to feel this way. Perhaps the Masters will know and be able to offer guidance.

  We eventually procured accommodations at an Inn not too far from the temple; and our arrival was just in time for the start of the Hanukkah celebrations. Being in Jerusalem, practically in the shadow of the temple, for the festival of lights is an unbelievable experience – even as that celebration seems so incongruous to the darkness that permeates the city.

  Maybe that is why we are meant to be here at this time to spread the news of our Lord Savior’s birth to the people here – what better time to announce that the Light of the World has come than during Hanukkah? His birth is, after all, the greatest gift that God has ever given to us!

  ***

  Our inquiries into where we might find our Lord Savior has mostly brought on a sense of fear and trepidation among the people of Jerusalem instead of joy and wonder. They are afraid of how their rulers and masters will react to our assertions that the King of the Jews, the Messiah of their prophecies, has come at last. They doubt us as well; but don’t tell us about their fears or doubts. We only learn of that through our empathy.

  Word of our presence and what we seek has reached King Herod; and while he has not yet summoned us as our Seers assure us he will; we know that Herod has been meeting with his advisors and the Pharisees to seek their council on the matter. I expect that summons to arrive soon; and we are ready for this most important part of our mission here in Jerusalem.

  While we await that summons, our preparations and re-supply is nearly complete already; so we’ll be able to travel as soon as our tasks here are completed. I am among those of my brothers who will be glad to leave this city. Even during one of their most sacred holidays it is almost shocking to see just how much that is vile and depraved goes on among so many of the people here. I do not pretend to comprehend the mind of our awesome God, though he permits us to know more of His plans than is revealed to most; but it is difficult to see how even this light that He has brought into the world will be bright enough to pierce this evil darkness.

  ***

  My thoughts are sorely troubled tonight and my heart aches with the weight placed upon it by the foreknowledge I have been given and because of the events of the day.

  King Herod is one of the most depraved, manipulative, and evil men I have ever met – and we faced many such men today during our meeting with the King. What’s even worse, though not surprising to us, is that a Dark Magi Master has insinuated himself and his underlings into positions of great influence both among the Pharisees and the government. He was there today too, but did not overtly confront us; for that would have been as dangerous for him as it would have been for us. That did not keep him from influencing King Herod, though, and we still needed to use a great deal of power to keep him from discovering our real purposes for coming to Jerusalem.

  Being in the presence of a Dark Magi Master was a first for many of us; and an experience that I would wish to never have happen to me again – however unlikely that might be for us while we are on this mission. Herod is a serpent and consummate politician. Pretending friendship and respect, he offered the knowledge of the Pharisees and his advisors to guide us to our Lord Savior. His request that we return once we’ve found the child so that he might go and worship him too was smooth and flawlessly performed even as we could all sense the hatred and evil deception through our empathy.

  The heaviness in my heart is because I now know what King Herod will do when we do not return; but I also sense that what would have happened had we not come here and done as God commanded us would have been much worse. That is of no comfort to me; and I cannot help being despondent that we will not be permitted to intervene and prevent the evil that will soon be unleashed upon unsuspecting innocents. Our role in allowing and encouraging King Herod to be misled by the counsel of his advisors and the Pharisees disturbs me too; though I understand the necessity of it.

  One thing that we do not understand is why the Dark Magi Master followed this narrative without challenging it. One of the other masters suggested that he may actually not know anything specific about Jesus beyond the prophecies; and is trying, through King Herod, to use us to find him. I suppose that they believe it is possible that the child could have been born to parents that live in Bethlehem, but then they also obviously know of the recent census too; and might have been able to conclude that the child could have been born to a family that was visiting the town.

  We, the Magi of the Light, have always made certain assumptions about some of the abilities that our Dark Magi counterparts have, and as I think about this tonight; I wonder if the Sight is one gift that they lack – just as we know for fact that they do not have the ability to heal. Dark Magi have chosen the Fallen One over our God, and while they may believe that they can see into the future; it would not surprise me to find out that what Satan shows them as certain future is in fact nothing but more lies and delusion. Satan cannot know the mind of God; and even he may be completely blind to what God is doing even if he can sense that something important has happened. He, like the Pharisees, may even doubt whether these events of prophecy have come to pass at this time; though our presence here has likely swayed the Dark Magi and the Pharisees toward believing that the Messiah has indeed been born.

  There is one other fact that may add credence to my theory about the Dark Magi – something that they obviously know nothing about. Jesus was here, and not only in Jerusalem; but actually presented at the temple as the law required! Granted, Mary and Joseph are not wealthy, and presenting their child at the
temple would not normally even be noticed by the Pharisees; but God was literally and physically in His house that day, and none of them noticed! Since that happened on Yom Kippur, King Herod himself might have been at the Temple when our Lord Savior was presented, but likely wouldn’t have seen a poor man and woman with their baby even if he was standing next to them. I do not know for certain whether that Dark Magi Master was in the city or the temple that day, but if he was; there must be a reason why he didn’t even sense Jesus.

  Those ideas are something to consider as we continue our journey, and now that we have met with King Herod; we will be leaving Jerusalem first thing in the morning. We will leave in the direction of Bethlehem, but then circle around once it is safe to do so and head toward Nazareth where we will finally meet our Lord and Savior.

  Meeting Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in Nazareth

  We are all exhausted tonight, but we remain free of those who have attempted to follow us by means both physical and through the use of Dark Magi powers; and tomorrow we will reach Nazareth and meet the Messiah.

  The exhaustion comes from the constant use of our own talents to shield our entire group nearly constantly since leaving Jerusalem while also leading those spies sent after us by Herod astray; and continuing with all of our other daily chores. We have needed to ride harder and be on the roads nearly from dawn to nightfall as we use disguises, lay false trails, and split up into smaller groups to remain hidden from our enemies even as we are often out in plain sight.

  If King Herod could actually watch us, he would be left wondering about what kind of crazy star we were following, but that was a necessary fiction to explain our journey in terms that would be understood; and we are following a light to the child – just not an astronomical one. The Dark Magi Master and his minions surely wish that they were watching us now, and he is likely furious that he has not been able to do so; but God has guided our Seers and our shields and wards have kept us safe.

  I pray that good fortune will continue; and that we are able to keep Jesus and his family safe.

  ***

  God is truly, wondrously great!

  A lifetime of communing with Him on the higher plane that all Magi Masters sense did not sufficiently prepare us for meeting the Messiah today. For those of us who have raised and taught our own extraordinary children, even those experiences are a shadow compared to what it was like to be in the presence of our Lord Savior.

  That awesomeness is particularly shocking when contrasted against the absolutely ordinary home and family that God chose for His Son.

  While both Mary and Joseph have been touched by God, and that has deeply affected them; they also remain remarkably normal. They have a very modest home; Joseph has returned to his work; and Mary cares for their son and home with quiet dignity and joy. The young couple shares a steadfast, humble faith in our God; and no child could wish for more love than what we could sense so abundantly in their home.

  Jesus is an extraordinarily beautiful child; but otherwise he is outwardly as ordinary as any four-month old baby. His parents know who he is, yet they are unable to sense what we can; and the aura and power of our Savior is overwhelming and stunning. I suspect that there is quite literally nothing he couldn’t do should he choose to use his gifts; though he didn’t show any indication while we were with him that he overtly uses any of his extraordinary abilities. He does passively sense everything around him, and is learning at an incredible pace – far beyond anything I’ve read about in the archives for even the most gifted Magi Master children.

  There are some things that are exactly the same for him as with other babies, and like Magi children; He was able to express his feelings to us. As an example, I’m sure that future readers of these journals will find it interesting and somewhat strange to find out that Jesus does not like wet or soiled diapers. I’m not suggesting that God didn’t know what he was getting into, so to speak, when choosing to come among us in human form; but as one of my teachers often suggested, knowing and experiencing are two very different things. Fortunately for our Messiah, the pleasant experiences far outweigh the unpleasant for him; and he certainly appreciates the love and attention of his earthly parents.

  Hanukkah is nearly over now, but the celebrations continue; so while the group of us that were selected for this first visit met with Mary and Jesus; Joseph joined us early enough so that he would be able to complete the evening rituals. We did not stay for that; but we left them with the first of several gifts that we have brought to aid them in caring for Jesus in the coming years. Our brethren had acquired accommodations by the time we left the astonished and grateful young couple to their celebration; so we joined them for our evening meal before retiring to our rooms for the night.

  Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I feel almost numb; and overwhelmed with sensory overload as I finally have time to process everything that has happened today. While Mary and Joseph were unaware of everything that passed between their child and visitors; I didn’t even fully appreciate all that was happening at the time. We have been thinking about God and the Messiah in terms of ‘father’ and ‘son’, but that is really only because our humanity limits us in understanding completely what God is doing here. It would be just as accurate to say that God is the Son; though it’s much more than that too. What I can tell you is that I – and the other Magi Masters – sensed a duality through our higher plane connection with God and all that passed between us and Jesus.

  We will be visiting again with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus between now and the end of Hanukkah; and we have other duties and preparations to make before we begin the journey home again – or to aid the group that will be remaining in Galilee to watch over the Messiah. I wish that we could remain longer, but we know that doing so would just endanger this most-precious family should we be found here by King Herod or the Dark Magi Master and his minions. We are blessed to be here in His presence and living in such momentous times, and while there will certainly be a letdown after these most wondrous moments; I believe that the joy and love that infused us today will remain with us for the rest of our lives.

  ***

  God is in the interruptions of our lives.

  That wonderful concept was relayed to us today by Mary – a simple truism spoken with innocent, youthful sincerity.

  I don’t know what the other Magi thought of that, but of all the wonders we experienced today; it is Mary’s gentle assertions that I’m thinking about most tonight. The Magi Masters are able to commune with our God on the higher plane, so this may be different for them; but I realize that I have thought of our journey in terms of it being an interruption since leaving our homes to come here. Now I’m beginning to understand that being pulled away from my relatively comfortable life has drawn me spiritually closer to God as well as actually getting to be in His physical presence.

  From that perspective, it is even more amazing to think about what Mary and Joseph have endured – and will need to do for their son in the years to come. Mary’s pregnancy was definitely an interruption, and while having children was likely part of her plan; she didn’t expect that to happen before marrying her betrothed or that her first baby would be the Messiah foretold of by the prophets. We now know that Joseph had been so distraught when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy that he considered divorcing her before God interrupted both the original plan and his subsequent first inclination on how to deal with Mary’s unexpected condition.

  Their unassuming strength humbles me tonight. I have complained silently and to my closest friends about the difficulties we have faced over the past months, and then today I hear Mary tell us of their journey to Bethlehem while she was nine months into her pregnancy and due any day without a hint of anything other than contentment and even joy. She was alone but for Joseph when she gave birth; and had but a rude manger to lay her baby in during that first night.

  Think about that for a minute. There was no midwife, and she did not have her mother or any me
mbers of her family there to help her. Joseph is a good and godly man, and a skilled carpenter; but I have to wonder how he handled helping Mary with the birth of their son. I can assure you that none of the women back home would select me for that role unless I was the last available option – and possibly not even then!

  Then, as we continue to think about these events as interruptions, Mary has just given birth to our Messiah; is likely an exhausted, wrung-out mess; and then a bunch of shepherds – complete strangers – show up and want to have a little birthday party. I’m sure that’s what every new mother wishes for – a bunch of dirty, sweaty guys dropping by to see her in that vulnerable condition. I don’t know what Mary was really thinking at the time, but she spoke to us of those events with tender awe and wonder; and not even a trace of anger or even mild annoyance at yet one more interruption in her life.

  Sure, they explained to Mary and Joseph that they had been told of the babe by angels, and that they’d been instructed to come and see Jesus; but I can’t help but picture my own mother’s reaction to a scene like that. She would not have taken all of that in and just silently pondered in her heart all that was happening. It’s much more likely that she would have asked those shepherds about who was watching their flocks and keeping them safe while they were busy sticking their noses into ‘women’s business’ instead of doing their jobs. Then I could guess from my own experiences as a child and youth that she’d be asking them if they knew what soap and water was – along with possibly speculating as to whether they’d been born in a barn.