Another Route 

👤 Geoff

It's traditional of course to begin the New Year with some resolutions. (When I once asked a congregation whether they had made any, the only person willing to publicly name their intentions indicated that their resolution was to get to church worship on time in future!)

Have you got any resolutions this year? If not, then how about considering the wise men of Matthew 2 as a model as we launch into 2025. Matthew tells us about the epic journey made by an undisclosed number of important characters (though traditionally three)  in tracking down the newborn Jesus. After as much as two years of travelling, these mysterious 'magi' arrive at their destination and meet the young Jesus with his family. An inspiring example of persistent, life-altering faith, they do three things:

They bowed down and worshiped him.

Might 2025 be the year I take seriously what it means to accept Jesus Christ as both Lord and Saviour, worthy of all my worship? In one of her traditional Christmas messages Queen Elizabeth II put it like this:

"Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love.

It is my prayer that . . . we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord."

They opened their treasures.

Jesus spoke about our attitude to money and possessions more than almost anything else.  Might 2025 be the year when I take seriously my responsibility to share what has been entrusted to me for the benefit of others - and not just my money, but my time and talents too?

They returned to their country by another route.

When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord we make a commitment to travel by a different road. Belief is simple, but changing course—or repenting and changing our life attitudes and practices—is often not an easy choice for us to make. Might 2025 be the year when I get serious about discipleship and following Jesus rather than the crowd?

January is a traditional time for making resolutions, self-made promises to change something about our lives.  How about we make this year truly different, to commit to 'another route'?