Symbols are all around us during the holiday season, but many forget that there is something greater than Christmas trees and Candy Canes. Some things, even though they may not have started off as a powerful symbol, can become one in your life through your experience or understanding.
The Gift of Olive Oil:
Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, dates back to the dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. After expelling the Assyrians, the Jews set about purging and purifying the Temple. Part of the purifying rituals involved the lighting of the eternal flame and having it remain lit for eight days. With only one day’s worth of olive oil, it was only through faith that the flame could remain lit for the full eight days.
The Atonement and the repentance process works very much the same way. We purge false gods (pride, greed, lust) out of the temple (our bodies) and reignite the eternal flame (our spirits). There is no way our spirits can be eternal without the healing mercy of Jesus Christ.
Rededicating the Temple involved purifying the Priests. For those who attend temples, performing Initiatories is similar to the ancient dedication of Priests to the Most High God. For those who do not attend temples, let this be a time to rededicate yourselves to God and seek to clean your temple. What better way to prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and King than to clean and rededicate our bodies?
The Gift of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh:
The Feast of the Kings (Magi), celebrated on Jan 6th, is known and celebrated more in other countries than the United States. We sometimes overlook this holiday’s importance. It appears that the magi started moving when they saw the star and traveled for around 2 years to find the Jesus. They brought three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. “Gold was the symbol of kingship, frankincense the offering of priests, and the oil of myrrh—“known as the ‘dew of resurrection’ —had anointed the royal high priests after the order of Melchizedek and transformed them into sons of God.”1 My understanding is that the magi were announcing to the world that this child WAS the Anointed King and High Priest through their symbolic gifts.
The Gift of Jesus Christ:
The birth, life and death of Jesus Christ presents us with the bridge to immortality, the example of how to live a completed life and the sacrifice to pay for the sins we have committed. This gift gives us the opportunity to not only live beyond this life but the means to return to our Father and live in His glory.
Each of the above gifts can be used for healing. Olive oil for the blessing of the sick, frankincense for washing the body and myrrh for calming the stomach. Gold (money) is for giving hope to the poor. The gift of Jesus Christ cannot be symbolized in any one thing and, while we can proclaim the Healing power of Jesus Christ, it is only He that can offer this gift to you.
So it is my hope that you may take these gifts and heal yourself and others from the pains that this world may put upon you.
1: Line Upon Line: Adam, Eve, and the Three Wise Men of the Nativity by Jeffery M Bradshaw PhD
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