The Magician

”Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.”
Proverbs 3:13-18 (NLT)

Who the Magician Is
You may be wondering where this character comes into the scheme of things. The word Magician has so many mysterious images that immediately come to mind upon hearing it. But once this character is described, the mystery fades and he becomes familiar.

The images drawn into the mind when we hear the word Magician are probably ones that are out of touch with the modern age. Possibly you are thinking of a tribal medicine man, an Indian shaman; perhaps you think of something from a legendary tale, like Merlin from the stories of King Arthur. While these pictures carry a somewhat accurate image of the Magician, they are limited and distant.

Regardless of the pictures we see, or how vividly we may see them, the fact remains that, for most modern people, the notion of a Magician is viewed as an ancient, outdated vocation. Nowadays, only “illusionists” exist, and they are not trusted counselors to kings, or dreaded villains to be overcome. They may, however, perform at your child’s birthday party. The truth is, however, the true Magician is the master of wisdom and knowledge. Some would call him the sage, the elder, the magi, or the wise teacher.

A great picture of a modern day Magician would be that of the mountain man, the man who knows the trail and can guide you past the dangers ahead. He is the scientist, master of the microscope who can find cures for diseases. He is the soldier, a master of his martial discipline. He is the doctor, who can hear a bit of congestion in the lung and diagnose pneumonia. He is the pastor who can teach truths from the Bible in ways that make sense in modern times. The magician is the keeper of knowledge, and possessor of the wisdom needed to properly use that knowledge.

What the Magician Does
The Magician is a picture of the mature man who possesses insight, awareness, wisdom, and knowledge. The magician possesses the ability to stand back and look at himself, others, and life from a standpoint of observation. The Magician will then take the information and use wisdom to offer necessary decisions.

The mature Magician is able to know how to handle his family when things are not working properly. He will be skilled in the art of balancing the expectations of work and family. A good Magician will be master of the technology available to him while not becoming addicted to it. A good Magician will take over during a crisis and override panic to swerve instead of hit the back of the car. The Magician is the wise old sage, experienced in matters of life, able to guide and offer wisdom in areas of life whether during times of peace or crisis.

More importantly, the Magician is able to have insight into the spiritual life. The Magician seeks and finds the answers to the questions: “What does a vital connection to God look like when lived out”? How does one mine the treasures out of God’s word and apply them to life and circumstances”? How do you go about deep and meaningful prayer that goes beyond empty conversation with an invisible person”? “Why should I fast”? How does a healthy physical, mental, emotional, sexual life benefit my faith”? The Magician is wise in spiritual practices as well as everyday life, and he knows how to make connections between the two.

The Magician then offers this wisdom of life and spirituality to those around him. He lives out what Jesus said in John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (NLT) Many people in our lives need access to this living water. We need access to it ourselves, so that others can come and learn how to become a source for a river as well. What if our kids could come to us for spiritual wisdom? What if our wife could lean on us for spiritual strength? What if our friends could come to us for insightful wisdom? What if our workplace was enriched because of our spiritual connection to God? This area belongs to the Magician.

Where the Magician Goes Bad
Unfortunately, the Magician has its dark side as well, when he plays the role of the manipulator. In ancient tales of kings, we know that they have an advisor. In Lord of the Rings, King Theoden is under the evil spell of Saruman. His advisor, Grima, also called Wormtounge, takes full advantage of this. He secretly runs the kingdom through lies and persuasion. Wormtongue offers only the advice that will benefit him, not the kingdom. This is an exaggerated picture of what the Magician turned manipulator looks like.

The manipulator does not guide others with his wisdom, but manipulates them to get what he wants. He does so in a sneaky manner. The manipulator has information that could help, but selfishly withholds it for the benefit of himself. The manipulator hurts others with his knowledge.

This can be seen in the real estate agent who withholds information about the house’s septic tank to make the sale, or the lawyer who holds back crucial information in order to have another meeting. This can be the teacher who uses his knowledge to make his students feel inadequate instead of dispensing edifying knowledge and life.

When the Magician lets his knowledge make him prideful instead of helpful, he hurts others, and he hurts himself as well. He sits back and observes life, instead of living it. He thinks and do not act. He gets caught up with indecision and fears living life. He fears making a bad move, so he does not move at all.
The passive manipulator is all-of-the above, but with a nice-guy façade. He manipulates with a smile. His smile is to hide his fear. He fears questions that reveal the truth about who he really is. He is passively hostile towards those who would bring criticism, questions, or advice, but, again, all with a smile. He is referred to as the “Innocent One” who walks around with a “who me?” demeanor, and a “How dare you accuse the Innocent One” attitude.

The passive manipulator wants the position of Magician, the power that comes with it, but does not want to take the hard road that will get him there. The passive manipulator is a fragile human being, and that is why he is so defensive. He needs to protect his fragility. These men are hard to accuse and bring into the light due to their elusive, innocent façade.

They do possess knowledge, but instead of becoming like lights to the world, they use it to become like shadows. They like the side of the Magician that is seen as mysterious. This gives them power. They shun the role of teacher, preferring to offer riddles that confound and confuse. They may fill the role of teacher, but the spirit of that role is one they dread; for a true teacher is an unselfish giver of wisdom and knowledge, who hopes deeply that what is given will be of great benefit to the recipient.

How can we access the Magician, and bring him to maturity in our lives? We need to practice the ability to honestly look at ourselves. We need to stop protecting our fragile egos from reality, and expose them before God so he can change us. The reason we get caught up in the role of the manipulator is fear. We fear authenticity so we hold others at bay with manipulation. We desperately need access to the wise Magician in order to know how to properly handle life and all its complexity. We need only to let go of fear and obey the most repeated command from the Bible, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”

A Biblical Example:
Jesus: teacher of wisdom
Jesus is our prime example of the Magician. He was the keeper of the knowledge and truth of God, and freely dispensed it. He knew how to live a life that pleased God, and shared it with others. Jesus could interpret Scripture with true insight as to what our proper response should be, and he taught it.

The Pharisees were the teachers of Jesus’ day. Many used their knowledge for personal gain. They were the lawyers of the religious and political system. If you could not afford their services, you were probably labeled “sinner” or “unclean” and pushed to the side. Your relationship with God was hindered if you were not financially able to get the needed information out of these “experts” regarding how to become “righteous” or “clean.”

Jesus says this out of his anger towards this group of Pharisees,
“They crush people with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. “Everything they do is for show…“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either…“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” (Matthew 23:4-5, 13, 23, 25 (NLT)

Jesus was quick to come to the aid of those who have been trod upon. He was quick to freely give his life-giving information about how to live righteously. Jesus did not hold vital information back, or use his wisdom for his own gain. We can still access these teachings today in the Bible, and dispense this wisdom to those we love. We need more men who can live out the character of the Magician for the benefit of others.