The Wise Men

 Reading: Psalm 100:

Song: As with gladness men of old

As With Gladness Men of Old ~ The London Fox Singers ~ lyric video - YouTube

Prayers:

Reading: Isaiah, chapter 55: verses 6 to 13

Song: The love of God comes close

474 The love of God comes close - YouTube

Reading: Matthew’s gospel, chapter 2: verses 1 to 12

Song: Look to the skies

Look to the skies - YouTube

Reading: Matthew’s gospel, chapter 2: verses 13 – 23

Do you ever make a journey so many times that you joke that the car knows the way? Certainly, one day, Susannah set off from home to meet me at our shop. In due course she arrived at our shop. Unfortunately, she had omitted to realise that we had recently moved shop, and duly arrived at the wrong shop. A few weeks previously, she would have been right, but this time she was on her own! Whether it was the car knowing its own way, or a lapse of concentration I leave it up to you to decide!!

Recently, we have been driving to Harrogate and Leeds a lot. Most of you know that Jamie works in Harrogate, and that there have been an assortment of strikes on the railway. This means, that on strike weeks, we take him to work and pick him up, two round trips per day. We have joked that the car will be able to find its own way soon.

In the case of my great grandfather this was not a joke. He was a milkman in the village where he lived. There is a family story that the round included a visit to the local pub, and that nit was a good job that the horse knew the way home, as he was never in a state to find it for himself!

Apparently, now cars can be equipped with “Intelligent Navigation”. The latest advert I have seen seems to suggest that it can learn! It brings to mind the computer from “2001 a Space Odyssey” When this computer, called Hal, was being awkward, it would say something like “I’m afraid I cannot let you do that Dave”

The intelligent, learning car is something to look forward to.

In an attempt to reduce the mileage, we arranged to meet him in the morning in Leeds. The new government scheme which caps single bus journeys to £2-00, instead of the usual £7-50, meant that it was now economic to travel by bus. A convenient landmark was chosen, and even though he was travelling to Leeds by bus, we chose Leeds railway station. An easy place to find, or so I thought.

The plan was simple; Take our usual way up the motorway, come off the M621 at junction 4, travel into the city centre and look for signs to the railway station. Easy. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, for a start, the total absence of signs to the railway station! What we did find, frequently was a sign which said “City Square closed” City Square is where the station can be found. This sign was followed by “Find alternative route”, without any suggestion as to where the alternative might be. We went round the “City Loop” several times, and could even see where we knew the station to be, but could not get to it. We knew that there was a drop off and collect point, but getting to it was another matter entirely. We did not have an intelligent navigation system. Fortunately, we did have an intelligent co-driver. I suggested that we stop at an easily identifiable landmark, Leeds Minster, and ring Jamie asking him to walk to us. Problem solved, at least for that day.

Once we got home, it seemed reasonable to us that it must be possible to access the pick up point at the station by car. So we engaged the services of Google maps, and sought counsel. A map was duly drawn for us, and direction issued. The results were not what we expected

We had to stay on the motorway for another 3 junctions and come off at 2A. This meant that we had to drive past Leeds in order to come from the other side. This proved to be easy, and is now how we find Jamie at the station.

The wise men did not have the advantages (and dubious advantages) of modern technology, and one-way systems.

They set off on a journey without knowing where they were going; the camels, or whatever they travelled with, did not have sat-nav, auto-pilot, or intelligent navigation. They had never been before, and so did not have the advantage of knowing the route.

However, they did know why they were travelling. They were coming to see a new king born in Judea.

Lacking the advantages of modern technology, they applied their learning to logic, rather like we did when looking for Leeds Railway Station, and went to where they thought it was reasonable for the new king to be. And, just like us, found that logic was wanting. Just as we did not find a station, they did not find a new king.

They had to discover that

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.

Just like we had to discover that our way was not the right way into Leeds.

Discovering the right way is something that we need to be aware of. Isaiah urges us to;

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.

We need to seek the Lord, where he is, where he is near, not where we think he ought to be! Nor even where think that it is logical that he should be!!

Service can be a difficult idea to get hold of. It is easy to assume that we know better than the one who leads, such as Sergeant Wilson in Dad’s Army, with his regular question “Is that wise sir?”. We can try to avoid service by using logic, and saying that we are not suited to what we are asked to do, that we lack the skills, or experience.

But, just like the wise men, we need to accept that God know best, that our ways are not His ways.

Song: You shall go out with joy

11. You shall go out with joy: Written by Stuart Dauermann – YouTube