Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
In 2004, a very controversial movie hit the big screen. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ” created more discussion among both Christians and non Christians alike, than any other film in recent history. The financials were astounding – the film cost $30,000,00 to produce, and it grossed over $370,000,000. But just as amazing was the controversy that arose from it.
With The Passion, everyone had an opinion and was willing to share it. Conservative Christians supported it because it looked like a blow against secular Hollywood. They said the uproar over the movie proved once again that there was an anti-Christian bias in American culture.
Liberal Christians on the other hand, denounced The Passion as manipulative, violent and dishonest. They said the movie proved once again that a streak of anti-semitism and an obsession with violence are never far from the surface of American religion.
Based, in part, on Ray Waddles journal, April 2004, The Voice, Synodoflivingwaters.com.
The Passion raised provocative questions about the circumstances and meaning behind Christ’s death. But was the controversy really about the accuracy of the film? Was it all about the violent nature of the storyline? What was there about the movie that created so much havoc both inside and outside of the church?
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-20
I believe that the opening verse in this passage is the central focus of “The Passion”s controversy – in the name of polite society, we have sanitized the cross of Jesus Christ to the nth degree, and in doing so, we have sterilized the message of salvation that it bears.
Scholars and philosophers try to convince us that God’s willing participation in such a travesty is pure foolishness. After all, isn’t God pure love? And if so, how could a loving God use such a violent and self condemning process to redeem the world of its own violence and sinfulness? It just doesn’t make any sense! At least it doesn't make sense to them!
Verse 19 is based on Isaiah 29:14, but let me read 2 verses from Isaiah 29
Read Isaiah 29:13-14
Why would the Good Lord take away the very wisdom and intelligence that He has given to us? Simply because we have chosen to use it for our own gain, and not for His glory! All too often, we go through the motions of worship without a speck of faith, we speak the words of praise and petition by rote without any feeling or spirit. Conventional wisdom would have us know that scripture is merely a collection of stories and fables that without any basis in fact. And while society would have us believe that the cross is pure foolishness, the apostle writes that it is the wisdom of the world that is foolish.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:21-25
I want to tell you about my Bible. I’m sure that you have been wondering about its condition, and why I would continue to use it in such a dilapidated condition. When I went on my Emmaus walk, and began to unpack after I arrived, I found this Devotional Bible sitting on the top of my clothes. When I opened it up, I discovered that it was a gift from my wife and both of my parents, and the cover page had been signed by all of them. When I opened it up later that evening, I turned to one of the devotionals, and read this:
Give me courage Lord to take risks – not the usual ones – respected, necessary, relatively safe – but those I could avoid, the go for broke ones. I need courage, not just because I may fall on my face or worse, but others seeing me a sorry spectacle if it should happen, will say “He didn’t know what he was doing” or “He’s foolhardy” … When it comes right down to it Lord, I choose to be your failure before anyone else’s success. Keep me from reneging on my choice.
- Joseph Bayly
1 Corinthians 1:25 was one of the central verses that this is based on, and that weekend would turn out to be one of surrender of all of my wisdom and strength in favor of the foolishness, so to speak, of God. It would be the beginning of my Christian walk.
My wisdom had served me well in matters of the world. My business career had had its share of ups and downs, but when I used my abilities in the ways that I was supposed to, things went fairly well. But in matters of faith, wisdom and strength were constantly letting me down. I could never quite get a grip on what the Lord really wanted from me, and therefore, I never quite followed Him in the way I should have.
But now, whenever I pick this Bible up, especially when I see its worn binding and loose pages, I remember that God will always be able to do His best work through me when I acknowledge my brokenness first.
Now, the “foolishness” of what I have received in the Word truly means something to me. Now, what I had once perceived as foolishness in God is an overpowering wisdom. What I had once seen as an inherent weakness in faith has now become the centrality of my salvation. Is the cross of Jesus Christ really foolishness? Or is it simply the faithlessness of the world that makes it seem to be foolish?
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
“Think of what you were when you were called.” Without going into the details of “what I was”, let me just say that I certainly wasn’t worthy to be called by the Lord! And I very quickly discovered that He didn’t call me because I was so wise or strong! He called me because I gave any wisdom or strength that I may have had to Him.
Verses 28 & 29 are important – “He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” If I had come to stand before the throne in those days, I would have been ready to give an account of all the things that I had done. But now, I can truthfully stand there and give praise for all the things that God has done through me and in spite of me!
Life in this plane isn’t easy. The messages are constantly in conflict; the truth is up for grabs; one person’s trash is any person’s treasure. Who knows what is right and what is wrong – is truth really a relative matter? Society wants us to know that we must be strong, but faith tells us that we must give up all strength. Commonsense would tell us that wisdom should be highly prized, but faith shows that God’s wisdom is far better. We are told to take pride in what we have accomplished, but then we discover that God has already gained the very best for us!
The cross of Jesus Christ is not only the stumbling block to the world, but it is also our symbol of power and righteousness and holiness and redemption.
But we have to look at it with Godly eyes, not our earthly ones. We can’t see the cross simply as a bloody and vicious stick (even though it was!). For those in Christ Jesus, it is the fulfillment of the saying that “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8-11)
So what was the message of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion”? As the story goes, the scene in which Jesus is being nailed to the cross, the hand that holds the hammer is Mel Gibson’s. And it is our hand. And it is the hand of every person who has ever lived and who ever will live. The lies told in the trial are ours, the pronouncement of the death sentence is ours, the blinding pain of the whipping is ours, and the slow and agonizing death of a criminal is ours.
The “foolishness” of the cross tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, God of all creation, made the personal choice to take our condemnation – all of our condemnation - onto Himself, that we might be spared, that we might be given an unquenchable hope, that we might have a real chance at eternal life.
If that is foolishness, then it sounds pretty good to me! How about you?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
“No Agreement to Disagree”
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
We have all heard the expression “Let’s agree to disagree.” It is usually offered as a calming pause for an otherwise tense situation, and in many cases, especially politics, it may be very appropriate. All too often, aggressive rhetoric adds nothing to a discussion, and more times than not, it harms important conversations.
But every once in a while, it becomes impossible to “agree to disagree” without sacrificing personal core beliefs. In those instances, we need to look to the truths of the situation, and let that guide us to our “agreements’!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-13a
Society is constantly trying to inject conflict into the church. Now don’t get me wrong – there are many societal issues that the church must take up. The elimination of racism and sexism, equal opportunity for all of our citizens, the advancement of peace and freedom throughout the world, the destruction of personal hatred for those who are different than we are, being welcoming to all who wish to come closer to Jesus Christ,
to name just a few. But there are also many issues in society that are diametrically opposed to the standards of Christianity, and for the church in Corinth, the differences were beginning to severely damage the standing of the church.
The people were beginning to identify with the apostles, with those who were representing Christ, instead of Christ Himself! And that, unfortunately, still happens today. Have you ever known someone who, when a very popular pastor is appointed elsewhere, decide that they are going to move right along with the pastor? It happens more than you know, and this is probably one of the reasons that new appointments, at least in United Methodism, are seldom to a church in the same or bordering community!
Is it because of some perceived allegiance? The fact that people do not readily embrace change? Because they just do not like the new pastor? Perhaps all of these reasons and more, but I believe that it is also because we begin to identify, in faith, with those who have been instrumental in leading us to Christ. The problem with this is that we are starting to worship the messenger instead of the One who sent the message! And the differences that these “exalted ones” exhibit begin to divide us. One emphasizes one aspect of faith, and another person takes a totally different approach, and our trust, and unity, and support of each other suffers. And even worse, when a person is placed in a position of such high esteem, the inevitable “fall” is now from a significant height, and the injuries, both spiritual and emotional, can be very traumatic to all involved!
But even after we commit to follow the Lord in faith, and put all personalities aside, differences will still develop and they will still divide us and they will still cause strife in the Church whenever we “agree to disagree” over differences in teachings regarding our core beliefs. We can differ in the ways we worship, in the ministries and missions that we support, in the music that inspires us, in the ways we pray but we must always strive to understand, through scripture and in particular Jesus’ teaching, what God wants us to know and do, and not how the world wants us to act. And we must also know that the divisions that inevitably rise up are never of Christ!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:13-17
Paul uses the example of baptism as a potentially divisive issue. It’s a rather extreme example, but appropriate, none the less. Both congregants and pastors have a way of placing credit for baptisms, weddings, confirmations, and even funerals, in pastoral hands, when in actuality, we are only the means of these services. I can’t even count the number of times that I’ve heard a colleague say “I’ve baptized so-in-so”, or “I received you into membership”, or “Remember when I married you?”, as if any of us has that kind of authority on our own! And I have to confess that my own pride has come out in that same way on occasion, thinking that I can baptize, or that I can consecrate the elements for communion, or that I can establish the marriage covenant for a young couple.
And we need to avoid these pitfalls for the very reason, as Paul puts it – “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” And that’s the crux of the matter – divisiveness and the resulting surrender of our Christian principles can weaken the ability of Christ to work in our lives. Whenever we begin to take ourselves too seriously, or when we take the leadership of the church too seriously, or when pastors are placed upon some ungodly pedestal, that’s when we begin to empty the cross of the power of Jesus Christ. And that is when we get into trouble, and that leads to the times when we are asked to ‘agree to disagree”. It’s a compromise, and compromise can only be established in a worldly context and sense. There is no compromise in Christ, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
So maybe we need to consider, for just a moment, what the power of the cross is, and what it can bring to us, and what we will miss if we begin to empty it!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18
It is the power of God.
Esther looked to that power when she approached the King with her revelation regarding Haman, and she wasn’t disappointed.
Job survived the attacks of Satan for only one reason – he had claimed the power long before the attacks ever started, and he never let loose.
David knew the power when he came up against Goliath, and then again when he was being hunted by King Saul.
In Romans 1:16, Paul writes “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
It was the power of God that raised Jesus up and out of the tomb, and it is that same power that will raise us up in Christ.
That is what the power of God in Jesus Christ will do for us, and this is what we will miss when we allow the power of the cross to diminish.
It has nothing to do with us – it is all about the power of the cross that comes to us through God’s Divine will and the sacrificial love of Christ, and in this there can be no compromise – no “agreement to disagree”!
And that’s the problem with unchristian concepts such as universal salvation and the “pick and choose” approach to scripture - they empty the cross of its glorious power. You have probably heard the term “cheap grace”. When we begin to take the things of God for granted, or when we make His glory commonplace, or when we begin to develop an expectation that we deserve to have His best, it is then that we have cheapened the cross and we have cheapened our Lord’s good gifts.
Let the world “agree to disagree”, but may the church always – always - always agree on the power and teaching and blessing and salvation that is in Christ Jesus.
We have all heard the expression “Let’s agree to disagree.” It is usually offered as a calming pause for an otherwise tense situation, and in many cases, especially politics, it may be very appropriate. All too often, aggressive rhetoric adds nothing to a discussion, and more times than not, it harms important conversations.
But every once in a while, it becomes impossible to “agree to disagree” without sacrificing personal core beliefs. In those instances, we need to look to the truths of the situation, and let that guide us to our “agreements’!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-13a
Society is constantly trying to inject conflict into the church. Now don’t get me wrong – there are many societal issues that the church must take up. The elimination of racism and sexism, equal opportunity for all of our citizens, the advancement of peace and freedom throughout the world, the destruction of personal hatred for those who are different than we are, being welcoming to all who wish to come closer to Jesus Christ,
to name just a few. But there are also many issues in society that are diametrically opposed to the standards of Christianity, and for the church in Corinth, the differences were beginning to severely damage the standing of the church.
The people were beginning to identify with the apostles, with those who were representing Christ, instead of Christ Himself! And that, unfortunately, still happens today. Have you ever known someone who, when a very popular pastor is appointed elsewhere, decide that they are going to move right along with the pastor? It happens more than you know, and this is probably one of the reasons that new appointments, at least in United Methodism, are seldom to a church in the same or bordering community!
Is it because of some perceived allegiance? The fact that people do not readily embrace change? Because they just do not like the new pastor? Perhaps all of these reasons and more, but I believe that it is also because we begin to identify, in faith, with those who have been instrumental in leading us to Christ. The problem with this is that we are starting to worship the messenger instead of the One who sent the message! And the differences that these “exalted ones” exhibit begin to divide us. One emphasizes one aspect of faith, and another person takes a totally different approach, and our trust, and unity, and support of each other suffers. And even worse, when a person is placed in a position of such high esteem, the inevitable “fall” is now from a significant height, and the injuries, both spiritual and emotional, can be very traumatic to all involved!
But even after we commit to follow the Lord in faith, and put all personalities aside, differences will still develop and they will still divide us and they will still cause strife in the Church whenever we “agree to disagree” over differences in teachings regarding our core beliefs. We can differ in the ways we worship, in the ministries and missions that we support, in the music that inspires us, in the ways we pray but we must always strive to understand, through scripture and in particular Jesus’ teaching, what God wants us to know and do, and not how the world wants us to act. And we must also know that the divisions that inevitably rise up are never of Christ!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:13-17
Paul uses the example of baptism as a potentially divisive issue. It’s a rather extreme example, but appropriate, none the less. Both congregants and pastors have a way of placing credit for baptisms, weddings, confirmations, and even funerals, in pastoral hands, when in actuality, we are only the means of these services. I can’t even count the number of times that I’ve heard a colleague say “I’ve baptized so-in-so”, or “I received you into membership”, or “Remember when I married you?”, as if any of us has that kind of authority on our own! And I have to confess that my own pride has come out in that same way on occasion, thinking that I can baptize, or that I can consecrate the elements for communion, or that I can establish the marriage covenant for a young couple.
And we need to avoid these pitfalls for the very reason, as Paul puts it – “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” And that’s the crux of the matter – divisiveness and the resulting surrender of our Christian principles can weaken the ability of Christ to work in our lives. Whenever we begin to take ourselves too seriously, or when we take the leadership of the church too seriously, or when pastors are placed upon some ungodly pedestal, that’s when we begin to empty the cross of the power of Jesus Christ. And that is when we get into trouble, and that leads to the times when we are asked to ‘agree to disagree”. It’s a compromise, and compromise can only be established in a worldly context and sense. There is no compromise in Christ, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
So maybe we need to consider, for just a moment, what the power of the cross is, and what it can bring to us, and what we will miss if we begin to empty it!
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18
It is the power of God.
Esther looked to that power when she approached the King with her revelation regarding Haman, and she wasn’t disappointed.
Job survived the attacks of Satan for only one reason – he had claimed the power long before the attacks ever started, and he never let loose.
David knew the power when he came up against Goliath, and then again when he was being hunted by King Saul.
In Romans 1:16, Paul writes “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
It was the power of God that raised Jesus up and out of the tomb, and it is that same power that will raise us up in Christ.
That is what the power of God in Jesus Christ will do for us, and this is what we will miss when we allow the power of the cross to diminish.
It has nothing to do with us – it is all about the power of the cross that comes to us through God’s Divine will and the sacrificial love of Christ, and in this there can be no compromise – no “agreement to disagree”!
And that’s the problem with unchristian concepts such as universal salvation and the “pick and choose” approach to scripture - they empty the cross of its glorious power. You have probably heard the term “cheap grace”. When we begin to take the things of God for granted, or when we make His glory commonplace, or when we begin to develop an expectation that we deserve to have His best, it is then that we have cheapened the cross and we have cheapened our Lord’s good gifts.
Let the world “agree to disagree”, but may the church always – always - always agree on the power and teaching and blessing and salvation that is in Christ Jesus.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
“Come, And You, Too, Will See!”
Scripture: John 1:29-42
After 2 weeks of looking at how God has revealed Himself to humanity, we consider one more means that the Lord uses to help us to know Him more completely – one last Epiphany. First, we saw the glory of God revealed to the Gentiles through the birth of the Christ Child. Then last week, we saw the glory in Christ’s baptism and the heavenly word that was given to the world. Today, the epiphany becomes more personal for us – it is now given to us through family and friends.
Think about it for a moment – how many here today were lead to Christ solely through the working of the Holy Spirit, and how many came to know Christ through the faith, words, invitation, or the witness of a friend or relative?
Isn’t it interesting? If I were a betting man, I would put it all on the line that every single one of us received God’s blessing through the involvement of other people!
Read John 1:29-31
John offers a word of hope to his followers – “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He then explains previous statements that he made by telling them that this Man is the reason, as well as the proof, of those claims.
This tells us that John, too, was the recipient of an Epiphany – a revelation that came to him from the Lord. And the men who were with him become the beneficiaries of his experiences. And what do you suppose caused John to declare such wonderful knowledge to others? It was because of the complete and absolute excitement that suddenly flooded over him and through him! He just couldn’t keep it inside.
But he doesn’t stop with this general insight – he gives the specifics of why he knows this.
Read John 1:32-34
He had been given a sign to watch for, and when he saw it, he knew! He makes it very clear, though, that it wasn’t through his own wisdom, or his own expectation, or his great holiness, but through God. It’s interesting to note, though, that before John was ever born, and before Jesus was ever born, the Baptist knew for certain who Messiah was when the pregnant virgin walked into Elizabeth’s home, and he leapt for joy (Luke 1:39-45). Even in the womb, there is excitement!
Do we know the Lord with that degree of certainty? Do we have no doubt whatsoever that Jesus is King of kings, Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, Hope for the world. If we do, then why aren’t we loudly proclaiming Him to everyone we meet?
Why aren’t we sharing this powerful witness that we have with our family and friends?
Why aren’t we being as intentional as John was?
Read John 1:35-39
John’s witness is so powerful that it causes 2 of his followers to desert him in order to follow Jesus! And John never utters a single word of dismay. He simply allows the men to leave, knowing full well that they have made the correct choice.
And the conversation between these men and Jesus bears some thought. Jesus utters the first words – “What do you want?” Now if you think about this question, it becomes rather typical of Jesus in His discourse with others – He was always asking “What do you want?” The question gives these men an opportunity to express their needs of the Messiah, as if Christ needed to hear the words – He already knew! So why does He ask it – now and many other times in His life?
A parallel question might also be asked “Why do we need to pray?” Doesn’t God already know our needs? Of course He does, just as He knew what these men wanted from Him. But the Lord gives us the opportunity to express our needs, and thereby making us active participants in our relationship with Him. It also lets us speak our needs with our own lips and to hear those needs with our own ears, making our petitions to God clearer and more intentional – not for the Lord, but for us!
The men reply that they want to know where Jesus is staying. Now with a little research, I discovered that the Greek word that John uses for “stay” refers to a permanent location, a permanent reference, not a temporary one. And Jesus tells them to come and see. The implication here is that the Lord is inviting them to experience a permanent relationship with Him, not a temporary, not a sporadic one, but one that is forever.
And who were these men who had been invited into a glorious relationship with Jesus?
Read John 1:40-42
The Baptist had proclaimed to Andrew that this was the long awaited Messiah, and then Andrew tells his brother, and soon they would be telling the world – witness after witness to the glory of God, that keeps spreading and growing and touching every time that the message is shared.
And that message has spread all the way down to you and me – an unbroken chain of witnesses to the presence of God in the world, a continuous epiphany that has lasted 2,000 years! And such a simply message- “Come, and you will see.” Jesus didn’t start this – John did! Jesus didn’t offer a commandment to share this message – they did it themselves, simply because they had seen and couldn’t keep it to themselves!
What have you seen? And have you shared it? John the Baptist saw the Dove coming down from heaven and settling on Jesus, and he shared that experience with Andrew. Andrew spent a day with Jesus, and had received such a powerful awareness of Divine Presence that he had to share it with his brother. Peter would share his experience with Christ with the masses, and on Pentecost, 3,000 people would begin to follow and they, too, would begin to share the things that they had come to know personally about Jesus.
It’s one thing to be able to quote scripture, or to relate what others have told you, or to proclaim the expectations of God, but it is an entirely different thing to share your personal story, the things that you have seen and felt, with those who God has brought into your life. You may never have an experience like the one that the Baptist had. But you may have the sensation that Andrew had when you give one complete day to the Lord. And you can rest assured that when Andrew called Simon to come and see, he told him, as well as he could, what he had personally felt during his short time with Jesus, and why he knew without hesitation that this was the One they had waited so long for.
It’s good to know scripture - not to be used as a witness, but rather as the basis for your witness. I believe that Jeremiah 29:11 was given in prophesy for many of us, and I look to it as mine.
Why did my friend Bonnie invite me to attend that Emmaus weekend 18 years ago? It was God’s plan to get me to a place where I could listen to Him, and know His will for my life.
Why was I lead to be active in nursing home ministry? To prepare me for prison ministry.
Why prison ministry? So that I would listen and know that He was calling me to the next step of pastoral ministry.
Why… why … why …? The Lord has a reason for everything that He does!
The truth is that the Plan has lead me here today, and it will continue to lead me throughout all of my tomorrows, and I will continue to experience God in new and wonderful ways as the plan continues to unfold. But the things I experience in these days and weeks and many tomorrows (if that is His plan!) aren’t mine to keep to myself - the Lord wants me to share these “revealings” with others who come into my life.
But it isn’t easy! It isn’t convenient! It isn’t always glorious, at least in an earthy sense.
The story is told about Charlie Trimble, inventor of one of the first hand-held GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) devices. He was traveling in Africa on the road coming north out of Nairobi and came to a big setup there --souvenir stands, food, with a big sign saying you've reached the equator. Charlie's friends were taking a picture of him with the new GPS when he looked down and discovered they're not at the equator! The GPS showed that it's up the road.
So they find the mayor of this little hamlet, and they explain about these satellites going around the earth and how the GPS works, and they tell him that the real equator is a mile up the road. The mayor says, ”Oh, we knew that. But the parking up there is terrible.”
-- As quoted in Wired, July 1997, 136.
Convenience kept the people from being at the actual equator, and convenience and comfort keep us from going where Jesus actually wants us to go, and they keep us from seeing what He wants us to see, and they keep us from knowing what He wants us to know, and they keep us from sharing His Plan for the world with those who have yet to hear it.
Who will say to them “Come and see – it’s the glory that we’ve been looking for!” Our faith is shallow and hollow and incomplete at best, until we utter those words, until we are willing to bring one other lost soul into Christ’s family. “Come and see.” 3 simple words that will mean eternity to someone.
After 2 weeks of looking at how God has revealed Himself to humanity, we consider one more means that the Lord uses to help us to know Him more completely – one last Epiphany. First, we saw the glory of God revealed to the Gentiles through the birth of the Christ Child. Then last week, we saw the glory in Christ’s baptism and the heavenly word that was given to the world. Today, the epiphany becomes more personal for us – it is now given to us through family and friends.
Think about it for a moment – how many here today were lead to Christ solely through the working of the Holy Spirit, and how many came to know Christ through the faith, words, invitation, or the witness of a friend or relative?
Isn’t it interesting? If I were a betting man, I would put it all on the line that every single one of us received God’s blessing through the involvement of other people!
Read John 1:29-31
John offers a word of hope to his followers – “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He then explains previous statements that he made by telling them that this Man is the reason, as well as the proof, of those claims.
This tells us that John, too, was the recipient of an Epiphany – a revelation that came to him from the Lord. And the men who were with him become the beneficiaries of his experiences. And what do you suppose caused John to declare such wonderful knowledge to others? It was because of the complete and absolute excitement that suddenly flooded over him and through him! He just couldn’t keep it inside.
But he doesn’t stop with this general insight – he gives the specifics of why he knows this.
Read John 1:32-34
He had been given a sign to watch for, and when he saw it, he knew! He makes it very clear, though, that it wasn’t through his own wisdom, or his own expectation, or his great holiness, but through God. It’s interesting to note, though, that before John was ever born, and before Jesus was ever born, the Baptist knew for certain who Messiah was when the pregnant virgin walked into Elizabeth’s home, and he leapt for joy (Luke 1:39-45). Even in the womb, there is excitement!
Do we know the Lord with that degree of certainty? Do we have no doubt whatsoever that Jesus is King of kings, Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, Hope for the world. If we do, then why aren’t we loudly proclaiming Him to everyone we meet?
Why aren’t we sharing this powerful witness that we have with our family and friends?
Why aren’t we being as intentional as John was?
Read John 1:35-39
John’s witness is so powerful that it causes 2 of his followers to desert him in order to follow Jesus! And John never utters a single word of dismay. He simply allows the men to leave, knowing full well that they have made the correct choice.
And the conversation between these men and Jesus bears some thought. Jesus utters the first words – “What do you want?” Now if you think about this question, it becomes rather typical of Jesus in His discourse with others – He was always asking “What do you want?” The question gives these men an opportunity to express their needs of the Messiah, as if Christ needed to hear the words – He already knew! So why does He ask it – now and many other times in His life?
A parallel question might also be asked “Why do we need to pray?” Doesn’t God already know our needs? Of course He does, just as He knew what these men wanted from Him. But the Lord gives us the opportunity to express our needs, and thereby making us active participants in our relationship with Him. It also lets us speak our needs with our own lips and to hear those needs with our own ears, making our petitions to God clearer and more intentional – not for the Lord, but for us!
The men reply that they want to know where Jesus is staying. Now with a little research, I discovered that the Greek word that John uses for “stay” refers to a permanent location, a permanent reference, not a temporary one. And Jesus tells them to come and see. The implication here is that the Lord is inviting them to experience a permanent relationship with Him, not a temporary, not a sporadic one, but one that is forever.
And who were these men who had been invited into a glorious relationship with Jesus?
Read John 1:40-42
The Baptist had proclaimed to Andrew that this was the long awaited Messiah, and then Andrew tells his brother, and soon they would be telling the world – witness after witness to the glory of God, that keeps spreading and growing and touching every time that the message is shared.
And that message has spread all the way down to you and me – an unbroken chain of witnesses to the presence of God in the world, a continuous epiphany that has lasted 2,000 years! And such a simply message- “Come, and you will see.” Jesus didn’t start this – John did! Jesus didn’t offer a commandment to share this message – they did it themselves, simply because they had seen and couldn’t keep it to themselves!
What have you seen? And have you shared it? John the Baptist saw the Dove coming down from heaven and settling on Jesus, and he shared that experience with Andrew. Andrew spent a day with Jesus, and had received such a powerful awareness of Divine Presence that he had to share it with his brother. Peter would share his experience with Christ with the masses, and on Pentecost, 3,000 people would begin to follow and they, too, would begin to share the things that they had come to know personally about Jesus.
It’s one thing to be able to quote scripture, or to relate what others have told you, or to proclaim the expectations of God, but it is an entirely different thing to share your personal story, the things that you have seen and felt, with those who God has brought into your life. You may never have an experience like the one that the Baptist had. But you may have the sensation that Andrew had when you give one complete day to the Lord. And you can rest assured that when Andrew called Simon to come and see, he told him, as well as he could, what he had personally felt during his short time with Jesus, and why he knew without hesitation that this was the One they had waited so long for.
It’s good to know scripture - not to be used as a witness, but rather as the basis for your witness. I believe that Jeremiah 29:11 was given in prophesy for many of us, and I look to it as mine.
Why did my friend Bonnie invite me to attend that Emmaus weekend 18 years ago? It was God’s plan to get me to a place where I could listen to Him, and know His will for my life.
Why was I lead to be active in nursing home ministry? To prepare me for prison ministry.
Why prison ministry? So that I would listen and know that He was calling me to the next step of pastoral ministry.
Why… why … why …? The Lord has a reason for everything that He does!
The truth is that the Plan has lead me here today, and it will continue to lead me throughout all of my tomorrows, and I will continue to experience God in new and wonderful ways as the plan continues to unfold. But the things I experience in these days and weeks and many tomorrows (if that is His plan!) aren’t mine to keep to myself - the Lord wants me to share these “revealings” with others who come into my life.
But it isn’t easy! It isn’t convenient! It isn’t always glorious, at least in an earthy sense.
The story is told about Charlie Trimble, inventor of one of the first hand-held GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) devices. He was traveling in Africa on the road coming north out of Nairobi and came to a big setup there --souvenir stands, food, with a big sign saying you've reached the equator. Charlie's friends were taking a picture of him with the new GPS when he looked down and discovered they're not at the equator! The GPS showed that it's up the road.
So they find the mayor of this little hamlet, and they explain about these satellites going around the earth and how the GPS works, and they tell him that the real equator is a mile up the road. The mayor says, ”Oh, we knew that. But the parking up there is terrible.”
-- As quoted in Wired, July 1997, 136.
Convenience kept the people from being at the actual equator, and convenience and comfort keep us from going where Jesus actually wants us to go, and they keep us from seeing what He wants us to see, and they keep us from knowing what He wants us to know, and they keep us from sharing His Plan for the world with those who have yet to hear it.
Who will say to them “Come and see – it’s the glory that we’ve been looking for!” Our faith is shallow and hollow and incomplete at best, until we utter those words, until we are willing to bring one other lost soul into Christ’s family. “Come and see.” 3 simple words that will mean eternity to someone.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
“How Much Love?”
Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17
Last week was Epiphany – the revealing of Christ to the Gentile world. Today, we consider another revelation – the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. This Second Epiphany, even though I have never heard anyone else refer to it as such (!), is just as important for us as was the first one. But if you think about it, scripture is full of epiphanies – of revelations – of God’s revealing Himself to the people of this world.
Before we begin to consider the impact of this particular revelation through baptism, let’s take just a minute to consider the significance of baptism itself. John Wesley wrote “that while baptism was neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation, it was the “ordinary means” that God designated for applying the benefits of the work of Christ in human lives.”
– “By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism” [Note: This document has generated some discussion and controversy in the church. However, Wesley’s thoughts are still firm.]
Baptism is not, in itself, evidence of salvation, and at the other extreme, baptism is not simply a dedication. For me, the sacraments of baptism and communion are personal acknowledgements of God’s presence in this world and our claim of the need for that presence in our lives. They are our outward admission and acceptance of the covenant offered to us by the Father through Jesus Christ – baptism for our life in Christ in this world, and communion for our life in Him in the next.
With this in mind, let’s go to the Word of God.
Read Matthew 3:13-15
For many, baptism is seen as a “washing” – a cleansing of sin. For others, especially those who subscribe to baptism by immersion, it is a sign of dying to the worldly self and rising again in Christ. But if these are the only significance, why should Jesus have needed baptism? He was sinless, and therefore had no need of “spiritual washing”. And as the sinless Man, He had no need to die to sin and rise in Himself.
I believe that for Jesus, it was a sign of accepting the charge that He had been given, that God’s desire was that He should be the physical presence of Divine Truth in the world, and that He would be the means of washing the world clean from its sinful existence.
John saw baptism as a sign of repentance, and in that regard, correctly believed that Christ had no need of the ritual, but actually should be the one administering it. And Jesus’ response to John’s concern is also correct – that it was right and proper for them to do this, that it was a sign of His commitment and acceptance of the mission and ministry that had been given to Him.
Listen to this prayer that was once offered as the consecration of the baptismal waters for a child:
O God, pour out your Spirit on us and on this gift of water. By your Spirit, help those who declare their faith in Jesus to believe that nothing bad will have power over them. May the gift of this water remind us of your love, make us happy and help us when things get hard or scary. Let the touch of your baptism bring us into the special circle and soft hug of your family, which is the Church. As we grow up, may our faith grow with us. Amen!
—Karl H. Duetzmann.
“May the gift of this water remind us of your love” – His is a love that doesn’t leave us alone, just as our human love must never leave us alone. “Let the touch of your baptism bring us into the special circle and soft hug of your family”. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a family like that?
Baptism – Jesus’ and ours - brings us to become part of the same family circle, and to know what God’s soft “hug” feels like in our lives.
It must, in the context of family, be the outward sign as to who we are and to whom we belong.
Read Matthew 3:16-17
This one Divine statement answers our question – we now know both who Jesus is – the “Son of God” - and to whom He belongs. Once again, Jesus is revealed to the world – the first time through the water of birth, and now through the water of baptism. One more true Epiphany for the world!
And when Jesus left the water, His first undertaking was a trip to the desert, where He spent 40 days in fasting and prayer and temptation. It was only after that experience that He began His ministry to the people of this world.
So what should baptism mean for us? It is our acceptance of the Lord’s covenant – that “He will be our God and we will be His people”. It doesn’t mean that the act has been completed – it means that it has only begun. Baptism was never meant to give us a free spiritual ride, it has never meant that we could now sit back and become complacent, it has never meant that salvation is now ours to rejoice over! And whether it is an infant, or a youth, or an adult who is being baptized, it means that we have made the commitment to follow the Lord wherever and whenever He may lead us. And don’t let anyone tell you that the Lord lead them to the golf course, or to the woods to hunt, or to stay home to watch the game, or to allow their children to participate in soccer, instead of going to church on Sunday!
If they worshipped the Lord on some other day, if they dedicated another day as their Sabbath, then it’s OK. If they claim that they can experience God without being an active part of a church, that’s true – they can experience God – but it isn’t ministry, it isn’t mission, it isn’t worship, and it definitely isn’t Christian community.
Since Jesus is our example of how to live in this life, consider what “baptism” required of Him, and where “baptism” lead Him. Consider what the apostles’ “baptism” did, and where it took them and who they ministered to.
Will Huff writes: When the apostles received baptism by the Holy Spirit, they did not rent the Upper Room and stay there to hold holiness meetings but went everywhere preaching the gospel.
--Will Huff
And Charles King writes - “We must remember that we are called by our baptism to community, not individualism. It’s not just about ME and MY calling, but about US and OUR calling, [with GOD].”
And 0ur baptism must also be an epiphany – to both ourselves and to others. It must, above all other things, begin to reveal a new life that will continue and grow in Christ.
Did Jesus run into a few road blocks in His walk? He sure did! They began during those 40 days in the desert, and continued for the next 3 ½ years, right up until the moment He submitted to the agony of Calvary.
Will our baptism lead us to the same road? It may not be quite as poignant as Jesus’ was, but we will certainly encounter many of the same people. We will be ridiculed, shouted down, ignored, friends will desert us, family will question our sincerity and sanity, but there will also be those moments when someone actually listens to us, who will want to hear more about our life in Christ, and there will be someone, someday, who will make the decision to take this walk for themselves.
Maybe baptism is about dying to the old self and rising up as a whole new being, as long as that newness never wears off, never gets old, never gets boring.
Christ’s baptism truly is about revealing a whole new way – an epiphany of how much God loves us and how much we want to experience His “soft hugs”. And it’s a great new beginning that will never end!
Last week was Epiphany – the revealing of Christ to the Gentile world. Today, we consider another revelation – the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. This Second Epiphany, even though I have never heard anyone else refer to it as such (!), is just as important for us as was the first one. But if you think about it, scripture is full of epiphanies – of revelations – of God’s revealing Himself to the people of this world.
Before we begin to consider the impact of this particular revelation through baptism, let’s take just a minute to consider the significance of baptism itself. John Wesley wrote “that while baptism was neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation, it was the “ordinary means” that God designated for applying the benefits of the work of Christ in human lives.”
– “By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism” [Note: This document has generated some discussion and controversy in the church. However, Wesley’s thoughts are still firm.]
Baptism is not, in itself, evidence of salvation, and at the other extreme, baptism is not simply a dedication. For me, the sacraments of baptism and communion are personal acknowledgements of God’s presence in this world and our claim of the need for that presence in our lives. They are our outward admission and acceptance of the covenant offered to us by the Father through Jesus Christ – baptism for our life in Christ in this world, and communion for our life in Him in the next.
With this in mind, let’s go to the Word of God.
Read Matthew 3:13-15
For many, baptism is seen as a “washing” – a cleansing of sin. For others, especially those who subscribe to baptism by immersion, it is a sign of dying to the worldly self and rising again in Christ. But if these are the only significance, why should Jesus have needed baptism? He was sinless, and therefore had no need of “spiritual washing”. And as the sinless Man, He had no need to die to sin and rise in Himself.
I believe that for Jesus, it was a sign of accepting the charge that He had been given, that God’s desire was that He should be the physical presence of Divine Truth in the world, and that He would be the means of washing the world clean from its sinful existence.
John saw baptism as a sign of repentance, and in that regard, correctly believed that Christ had no need of the ritual, but actually should be the one administering it. And Jesus’ response to John’s concern is also correct – that it was right and proper for them to do this, that it was a sign of His commitment and acceptance of the mission and ministry that had been given to Him.
Listen to this prayer that was once offered as the consecration of the baptismal waters for a child:
O God, pour out your Spirit on us and on this gift of water. By your Spirit, help those who declare their faith in Jesus to believe that nothing bad will have power over them. May the gift of this water remind us of your love, make us happy and help us when things get hard or scary. Let the touch of your baptism bring us into the special circle and soft hug of your family, which is the Church. As we grow up, may our faith grow with us. Amen!
—Karl H. Duetzmann.
“May the gift of this water remind us of your love” – His is a love that doesn’t leave us alone, just as our human love must never leave us alone. “Let the touch of your baptism bring us into the special circle and soft hug of your family”. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a family like that?
Baptism – Jesus’ and ours - brings us to become part of the same family circle, and to know what God’s soft “hug” feels like in our lives.
It must, in the context of family, be the outward sign as to who we are and to whom we belong.
Read Matthew 3:16-17
This one Divine statement answers our question – we now know both who Jesus is – the “Son of God” - and to whom He belongs. Once again, Jesus is revealed to the world – the first time through the water of birth, and now through the water of baptism. One more true Epiphany for the world!
And when Jesus left the water, His first undertaking was a trip to the desert, where He spent 40 days in fasting and prayer and temptation. It was only after that experience that He began His ministry to the people of this world.
So what should baptism mean for us? It is our acceptance of the Lord’s covenant – that “He will be our God and we will be His people”. It doesn’t mean that the act has been completed – it means that it has only begun. Baptism was never meant to give us a free spiritual ride, it has never meant that we could now sit back and become complacent, it has never meant that salvation is now ours to rejoice over! And whether it is an infant, or a youth, or an adult who is being baptized, it means that we have made the commitment to follow the Lord wherever and whenever He may lead us. And don’t let anyone tell you that the Lord lead them to the golf course, or to the woods to hunt, or to stay home to watch the game, or to allow their children to participate in soccer, instead of going to church on Sunday!
If they worshipped the Lord on some other day, if they dedicated another day as their Sabbath, then it’s OK. If they claim that they can experience God without being an active part of a church, that’s true – they can experience God – but it isn’t ministry, it isn’t mission, it isn’t worship, and it definitely isn’t Christian community.
Since Jesus is our example of how to live in this life, consider what “baptism” required of Him, and where “baptism” lead Him. Consider what the apostles’ “baptism” did, and where it took them and who they ministered to.
Will Huff writes: When the apostles received baptism by the Holy Spirit, they did not rent the Upper Room and stay there to hold holiness meetings but went everywhere preaching the gospel.
--Will Huff
And Charles King writes - “We must remember that we are called by our baptism to community, not individualism. It’s not just about ME and MY calling, but about US and OUR calling, [with GOD].”
And 0ur baptism must also be an epiphany – to both ourselves and to others. It must, above all other things, begin to reveal a new life that will continue and grow in Christ.
Did Jesus run into a few road blocks in His walk? He sure did! They began during those 40 days in the desert, and continued for the next 3 ½ years, right up until the moment He submitted to the agony of Calvary.
Will our baptism lead us to the same road? It may not be quite as poignant as Jesus’ was, but we will certainly encounter many of the same people. We will be ridiculed, shouted down, ignored, friends will desert us, family will question our sincerity and sanity, but there will also be those moments when someone actually listens to us, who will want to hear more about our life in Christ, and there will be someone, someday, who will make the decision to take this walk for themselves.
Maybe baptism is about dying to the old self and rising up as a whole new being, as long as that newness never wears off, never gets old, never gets boring.
Christ’s baptism truly is about revealing a whole new way – an epiphany of how much God loves us and how much we want to experience His “soft hugs”. And it’s a great new beginning that will never end!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
“Revelation!”
Scripture text: Isaiah 60:1-6
“Mommy, Daddy, where does the sun go at night?”
Have you ever had that question thrown at you? It’s usually at bedtime, when the darkness is supposed to mean sleep, but your child has no intention of going there, at least not on your schedule! But the question isn’t only one to create delay, it isn’t one that seeks an answer in terms of the physical sciences – it is usually one that is actually saying “I’m not all that happy about being left alone here in the darkness”.
But physical, as well as spiritual darkness is a fact of life, and it doesn’t mean that the Light has gone away. It simply means that some great trial has drawn a curtain over our mind and heart, and even though the sun has never moved an inch, it has been removed from our sight.
Weldon Nisly writes: “It was an unusually cold, snowy Wichita day as I boarded the TWA flight to Chicago. We sat on the ground in the plane for over an hour waiting for the plane to be de-iced. We finally took off and headed up into the cloud-covered sky. For what seemed to be an anxious yet awesome eternity we were lost in a dark, clouded world.”
“Suddenly the plane burst through the clouded darkness into the most brilliant world of light I had ever seen. It was breathtaking! The sun was shining like nothing I had ever seen before in a vast universe with clouds for a floor and glorious light to eternity. I often remember this image and experience when I see a dark, cloudy day. I know that light is trying to pierce its way into our clouded world.”
—Weldon Nisly, “Arise, shine! Your light has come,” January 6, 2002, Seattle Mennonite Church Web Site, seattle.wa.us.mennonite.net/sermon20020106.html.
Read Isaiah 60:1-3
The prophet, though, seems to be taking a slightly different tact on this issue of light and dark. He’s saying that we need to wake up, we need to open our eyes to the light of glory! Yes, there is a great deal of darkness on the earth, but if we shut our eyes in some feeble attempt to shut out the darkness and ugliness, we will also shut out the light of God. And the point that Nisly makes is that no matter what comes our way,
- no matter what may come between us and God, no matter what we may do to shut the Lord out of our lives, the Light is still there, waiting for us to see it once again.
The sun doesn’t move out of our range of sight at night – the world turns and blocks our view.
The curtain in Jerusalem’s temple didn’t cause God to disappear – it merely blocked everyone’s view of Him and kept them away.
The glory of God has shown brilliantly since the first moment of creation, and it will shine throughout eternity. Nothing in this world can make it go away, but many things can come between His Light and our lives. And until we are able to rise above the darkness, to fix our gaze beyond the darkness, to finally overcome the sinister gloom of earth, we can only attempt to make sense of our blindness.
Read Isaiah 60:4-6
The revelation of God will come to us when we “lift up our eyes and look about us”. Today is the day when we celebrate Epiphany – The day that God was revealed to the Gentile nations. Epiphany means “revealing”, a “revelation”, an “exposing”.
When the magi came to the stable in Bethlehem, the promise that the Lord made to Abraham many years before - that he would be “the father of many nations” – began to come true. These men, however many there may have been, quite literally “lifted up their eyes” to see the star, and they were willing to “look about” to discover what it was being revealed to them.
Verse 5 - “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy”.
What can we discover when we lift our eyes up and begin to look around us? Will we simply see a beautiful earth that came to be in some random and probabilistic way, or will we see a universe so complex and unique that it could only have come to be through a marvelous and Divine intervention? Will our concept of life be restricted to a few short years on earth, or will we see the glory of eternity as our own? Will we see this eternity as something to be earned and worked for, or will we finally understand that it is so precious that it can only be given, and received, as a gift? Do we see the glory of God as a nicety, do we take it for granted, or are we eager to return our thanks just as the 10th Leper (Luke 17:11-17) did?
The magi brought expensive gifts to the Christ Child, but the shepherds came with only the wonder of new sight! And when the time came to leave, the magi went away, and we never hear of them again, but we can imagine, with a great deal of certainty, that they carried the awe and majesty of Emmanuel with them. When the shepherds left that stable, they didn't simply return to their responsibilities with their flocks, but they went to share their new found vision with anyone who would stand still long enough to hear it!
And both of these groups were seen as unworthy and unclean. The magi were foreigners, and were therefore an excluded people. The shepherds tended to be dirty and smelly from their outdoor existence, and were ceremonially unclean because of the blood that was on them from their jobs of birthing lambs.
And yet, these are the ones who brought the riches that the prophet is talking about – the honors that are to be given to God Almighty. Wealth as vast as the oceans, riches from lands that are far beyond the boundaries of Israel, wonderful blessings from the outsiders, the unworthy, the unrighteous – and all to bring praise to the Lord!
Some may tell you that only the righteous can come to Christ, only the blameless can expect to receive the kingdom. Scripture tells an entirely different story, though. Jesus Himself said that He didn’t come to save the righteous, but rather the unrighteous – the sinner (Mark 2:13-17). Their salvation – our salvation - is the riches that are brought to the Throne of Grace and Mercy. That’s you and me, my friends! We are the riches of God!
But how are we going to respond to God’s great revelation – His glorious Epiphany – the giving of His one and only Son to the unworthy, the sinful of earth, the likes of us? Are we prepared to share this marvelous news with the world? That Jesus Christ has come for all people, and not just the righteous? Will we give Him the most glorious gift we have to give – the only one that we have to give – the only one that is worthy to give - our broken and repentant lives?
Will we be like the shepherds, like the woman at Jacob’s well, like the man who was healed from the legion of demons, like the 10th leper, like the apostle Paul?
Will we see salvation, not as the chance to sit back and glory in what we have, but as the opportunity to carry the light of Christ throughout the world? That we might be the bearers of His revelation, of His great gift of hope, of His great promise of eternity for all, for any who will take just one step toward the Great God of Bethlehem?
The Epiphany is before us. And the question for each of us today is this – What will we do with it? Will we take it and squirrel it away in a safe place, to be brought out on some future day? Or will we carry it as a glorious banner for all to see? It’s up to each of us, and in this new year, we have a choice to make. What will it be?
“Mommy, Daddy, where does the sun go at night?”
Have you ever had that question thrown at you? It’s usually at bedtime, when the darkness is supposed to mean sleep, but your child has no intention of going there, at least not on your schedule! But the question isn’t only one to create delay, it isn’t one that seeks an answer in terms of the physical sciences – it is usually one that is actually saying “I’m not all that happy about being left alone here in the darkness”.
But physical, as well as spiritual darkness is a fact of life, and it doesn’t mean that the Light has gone away. It simply means that some great trial has drawn a curtain over our mind and heart, and even though the sun has never moved an inch, it has been removed from our sight.
Weldon Nisly writes: “It was an unusually cold, snowy Wichita day as I boarded the TWA flight to Chicago. We sat on the ground in the plane for over an hour waiting for the plane to be de-iced. We finally took off and headed up into the cloud-covered sky. For what seemed to be an anxious yet awesome eternity we were lost in a dark, clouded world.”
“Suddenly the plane burst through the clouded darkness into the most brilliant world of light I had ever seen. It was breathtaking! The sun was shining like nothing I had ever seen before in a vast universe with clouds for a floor and glorious light to eternity. I often remember this image and experience when I see a dark, cloudy day. I know that light is trying to pierce its way into our clouded world.”
—Weldon Nisly, “Arise, shine! Your light has come,” January 6, 2002, Seattle Mennonite Church Web Site, seattle.wa.us.mennonite.net/sermon20020106.html.
Read Isaiah 60:1-3
The prophet, though, seems to be taking a slightly different tact on this issue of light and dark. He’s saying that we need to wake up, we need to open our eyes to the light of glory! Yes, there is a great deal of darkness on the earth, but if we shut our eyes in some feeble attempt to shut out the darkness and ugliness, we will also shut out the light of God. And the point that Nisly makes is that no matter what comes our way,
- no matter what may come between us and God, no matter what we may do to shut the Lord out of our lives, the Light is still there, waiting for us to see it once again.
The sun doesn’t move out of our range of sight at night – the world turns and blocks our view.
The curtain in Jerusalem’s temple didn’t cause God to disappear – it merely blocked everyone’s view of Him and kept them away.
The glory of God has shown brilliantly since the first moment of creation, and it will shine throughout eternity. Nothing in this world can make it go away, but many things can come between His Light and our lives. And until we are able to rise above the darkness, to fix our gaze beyond the darkness, to finally overcome the sinister gloom of earth, we can only attempt to make sense of our blindness.
Read Isaiah 60:4-6
The revelation of God will come to us when we “lift up our eyes and look about us”. Today is the day when we celebrate Epiphany – The day that God was revealed to the Gentile nations. Epiphany means “revealing”, a “revelation”, an “exposing”.
When the magi came to the stable in Bethlehem, the promise that the Lord made to Abraham many years before - that he would be “the father of many nations” – began to come true. These men, however many there may have been, quite literally “lifted up their eyes” to see the star, and they were willing to “look about” to discover what it was being revealed to them.
Verse 5 - “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy”.
What can we discover when we lift our eyes up and begin to look around us? Will we simply see a beautiful earth that came to be in some random and probabilistic way, or will we see a universe so complex and unique that it could only have come to be through a marvelous and Divine intervention? Will our concept of life be restricted to a few short years on earth, or will we see the glory of eternity as our own? Will we see this eternity as something to be earned and worked for, or will we finally understand that it is so precious that it can only be given, and received, as a gift? Do we see the glory of God as a nicety, do we take it for granted, or are we eager to return our thanks just as the 10th Leper (Luke 17:11-17) did?
The magi brought expensive gifts to the Christ Child, but the shepherds came with only the wonder of new sight! And when the time came to leave, the magi went away, and we never hear of them again, but we can imagine, with a great deal of certainty, that they carried the awe and majesty of Emmanuel with them. When the shepherds left that stable, they didn't simply return to their responsibilities with their flocks, but they went to share their new found vision with anyone who would stand still long enough to hear it!
And both of these groups were seen as unworthy and unclean. The magi were foreigners, and were therefore an excluded people. The shepherds tended to be dirty and smelly from their outdoor existence, and were ceremonially unclean because of the blood that was on them from their jobs of birthing lambs.
And yet, these are the ones who brought the riches that the prophet is talking about – the honors that are to be given to God Almighty. Wealth as vast as the oceans, riches from lands that are far beyond the boundaries of Israel, wonderful blessings from the outsiders, the unworthy, the unrighteous – and all to bring praise to the Lord!
Some may tell you that only the righteous can come to Christ, only the blameless can expect to receive the kingdom. Scripture tells an entirely different story, though. Jesus Himself said that He didn’t come to save the righteous, but rather the unrighteous – the sinner (Mark 2:13-17). Their salvation – our salvation - is the riches that are brought to the Throne of Grace and Mercy. That’s you and me, my friends! We are the riches of God!
But how are we going to respond to God’s great revelation – His glorious Epiphany – the giving of His one and only Son to the unworthy, the sinful of earth, the likes of us? Are we prepared to share this marvelous news with the world? That Jesus Christ has come for all people, and not just the righteous? Will we give Him the most glorious gift we have to give – the only one that we have to give – the only one that is worthy to give - our broken and repentant lives?
Will we be like the shepherds, like the woman at Jacob’s well, like the man who was healed from the legion of demons, like the 10th leper, like the apostle Paul?
Will we see salvation, not as the chance to sit back and glory in what we have, but as the opportunity to carry the light of Christ throughout the world? That we might be the bearers of His revelation, of His great gift of hope, of His great promise of eternity for all, for any who will take just one step toward the Great God of Bethlehem?
The Epiphany is before us. And the question for each of us today is this – What will we do with it? Will we take it and squirrel it away in a safe place, to be brought out on some future day? Or will we carry it as a glorious banner for all to see? It’s up to each of us, and in this new year, we have a choice to make. What will it be?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
