“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “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.” Matthew 2:1-2
In the recesses of my mind lived a short story that I had heard thirty or more years ago. Every once in a while, it would bubble to the surface and I would contemplate its significance, its allegory, its poignant message, only to let it eventually seep its way back into my unconsciousness. Recently it resurfaced and I began a journey of rediscovering this short story with its charm and nuance. I found a free copy online. It took less than ten minutes for me to read it and familiarize myself with its tone, characters and the mystery that is O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi.
Now if you’re unfamiliar with this story, please don’t get confused. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry has nothing to do with the biblical story of the wise men and the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gift of the Magi is a story of a man and a woman and the sacrifice that they made out of love for one another.
Please allow me to give you a condensed version.
In the opening of the story, you find yourself a voyeur into the world of 1905. It is Christmas Eve and Della Young is bereft and beside herself in her poverty and she is brokenhearted over her lack of a Christmas gift for her hardworking, beloved husband, Jim. The couple had little in the way of belongings, their pride contained in just two Earthly possessions: Jim’s grandfather’s gold pocket watch, and Della’s beautiful, knee-length hair.
In an act of sheer desperation, Della decides her only option is to sell her hair to a local French wig maker. She does so quickly and without much contemplation. It is a rash decision in a time of great need. This act profits her twenty-dollars (a week’s worth of living expenses, in those days) and she rushes out into the night to purchase the gift for Jim on which her mind was set… A platinum fob-chain for his most prized possession. “With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company.” The watch would finally have the place of honor it deserved. The fob-chain was the most perfect gift.
After Della’s return home, Jim is, needless to say, shocked and moved by Della’s selfless act of selling her hair to acquire his gift. She is self-conscious of her new hairstyle, but he reassures her that his love for her cannot be swayed by her hair, or lack thereof. She excitedly presents her gift to him. But he seems nonplussed. It isn’t until Della see’s Jim’s gift to her that she understands his dismay. Jim’s gift to Della is a set of hair combs. “Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair.” They were expensive and something she had coveted in a shop window. How did Jim acquire the money for such a lavish gift? Of course, he had sold his grandfather’s pocket watch.
The Gift of the Magi has a happy ending. Well, if not happy, a content ending. The young couple decides to put their gifts away for “another day… They're too nice to use just at present.” It is a story of sacrifice. It is a story of generosity. It is a story of unconditional love.
In my pondering of O. Henry’s story over the years, I’ve wondered at his reasoning for the title: The Gift of the Magi. Upon my investigation, I realized that he encapsulates his reason for the title at the end of the story. Here are O. Henry’s words…
“The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
In O. Henry’s summation of his own story, he claims Dell and Jim the wisest. Their gifts to one another, through sacrificial, generous, unconditional love, were the wisest. Their gifts were given from a genuine place of care and this is what makes these two the wisest and they are dubbed “magi”.
I would love to stretch O. Henry’s conclusion a bit, if you will allow it. I will continue that the gifts the Wise Men gave in the Middle East were gifts that would glorify the recipient. Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh are gifts that acknowledge the character and person for whom the gifts were given. Jim and Della’s gifts were an acknowledgement of the character and person of their beloved spouse. They selflessly gave because the recipient of the gift was worth the risk and effort. Like the wise men who endured a long and arduous journey to present their rare and expensive gifts.
Dell’s gift of the chain and Jim’s gift of the combs acknowledged the place that each had in their hearts for one another. The Magi’s gifts to Jesus acknowledge who He is to the world. Gold was an acknowledgement of Jesus’ divinity and kingship. (It also came in pretty handy, I assume, for their unexpected exile to Egypt, which must have been expensive for a lowly carpenter and his betrothed.) Frankincense and Myrrh are symbols of holiness, righteousness and would also have been used medicinally. Practical gifts for a new mom. These gifts pointed the way to Jesus’ mission on Earth and to his fulfillment of prophecy. These gifts, given by the wise astrologers from the East were given under great sacrifice to the givers.
I’m not sure that I have fully understood or presented to you the parallels of O. Henry’s tale and the Wise Men’s gifts. But I can assure you that they are both an example of sacrifice. They are both an example of love and generosity…
As we step out of the past year and move into a new one, I hope that you will remember and ponder the Gift of the Magi, both the O. Henry story and the Biblical one. Sacrifice fearlessly. Give generously. Love unconditionally. These are the steps to make any one of us truly wise. These aren’t just lessons for Christmas, they are lessons for life.
