“A Totally Different Map of Life” January 3, 2010

Matthew 2:1-12 Stephens City UMC

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

I. Maps are helpful if you are going to get to where you want to go and many a joke has been written about men who won’t use a map and the wrong place they eventually end up.

A. This tendency among men is part of what made Agent 86’s reoccurring remark so funny when Don Adams on the television show “Get Smart” would say “Missed it by that much.”

1. Of course, I have been known to miss things by a mile, but the so called “Wise Men” in our scripture lesson for today missed their destination by nine miles which is the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

B. Perhaps this miss that was so wide of the mark was due to some of their presuppositions.

1. They were in search of a new born king so it would have made sense for them to look in the capital city which was Jerusalem, but they missed it by more than “that much” because they needed to be in the little town of Bethlehem.

2. Plus they were seeking a kingly leader to rule them but they missed it by more than “that much” because they and the rest of the world needed a pastoral guide to shepherd and care for them.

3. These wise men were following the wisdom of the prestigious authorities, but they missed it by more than “that much” because the accurate information came from homely parables.

C. These wise men missed a number of things by more than “that much” which may have made them rethink when they finally encountered the baby Jesus about whether he was worth the treasure they brought and the homage they planned to offer.

1. After all, at so many points in their journey they had been off by more than “that much.”

2. But Matthew tells us that these “Wise Men” were wise enough, when they got to Jerusalem, to admit that they had missed their original goal by nine miles and they made a correction.

3. Then after they encountered the new born King they decided that he was worth the treasure they brought and he was worthy of homage.

4. Moreover when they left they didn’t repeat their first mistake of journeying to Jerusalem where Herod was waiting.

5. To do that would have been to have missed by more than “that much” and they realized that because after having been in relationship with Jesus they had a totally different map of life.

II. It was only nine days ago that you and I celebrated the birth of the child born in a manger in Bethlehem.

A. How far have you traveled in those nine days since you first brought the new born King the treasure of your life and paid him homage?

1. Are you still on the right course or as we begin a new year have you returned to any old patterns that are causing you to miss out on the life that is life?

2. Having met the One sent from God has your life’s journey been altered and now you are seeking something different in life then you use to be seeking?

3. I would say that you are now on the right course if you are avoiding the Herod’s of the world a man violent towards children and their families as we know from his slaughter of the innocents.

4. You are on the right course if worshipping the King of kings is primary for you as it was for the Wise Men.

5. You are on the right course if you share your treasure.

6. And I would add to that if you are humble instead of proud, and if you are peaceable instead of aggressive and if you are loveable instead of spiteful then you are on the right course.

B. Getting on the right course and following a totally different map of life than the world follows is important as we start this New Year.

1. To start off missing by a country mile is really going to have you far off course by the end of the year.

2. Missing even “that much” can eventually carry you far afield.

C. So the grace for today is that Christ the Lord is present and there is no separation, not 9 days, not 9 miles, not even “that much.”

1. We know that because he invites us to his table. Let us this year use this meal as our road map for life so we are always going where he wants us to go and being what he wants us to be.