Sermon; Epiphany 6C; Luke 6:17-26

Today we have the beginning of the Sermon on the Plain, which really isn’t a sermon as much as it is a collection of sayings.  This particular scene comes immediately after Jesus chooses the twelve apostles and a few chapters before sending them out on their mission to proclaim the good news and heal people.  With his choosing the twelve by name, Jesus elevates them to a place where they will pay more attention.  They are no longer just disciples, they are in a place where they might be called on to lead in Jesus name.  But that’s down the road a little bit.

For now, they watch and learn.  This is more than Jesus saying, “Watch and listen to how I want you to do things.”  This is Jesus living his life in complete faithfulness to God and expecting his followers to do likewise, without this devolving into a seminar on discipleship.  The apostles learn faithfulness because Jesus is faithful.

From almost the beginning of Luke’s gospel he proclaims the reversal that the coming of God’s kingdom will bring.  From the Magnificat in which the mighty are cast down and the lowly raised up to the Benedictus in which the oppressed are set free, from the Son of God being born in a manger and first announced to the lowest of society to the inclusion of foreigners and aliens, and so many other examples, Luke presents us with an image of God’s kingdom that reverses and throws down the kingdoms of men.  And the Beatitudes are one more example of this.

Blessed are you who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated on account of my name.  Woe to you who are rich, full, laughing, and fawned over by others.

This reversal that God brings and Jesus proclaims is not meant for some future time or a far away utopia.  This reversal that God brings and Jesus proclaims is meant for now.  Remember when Jesus sat in the synagogue and read from Isaiah?  “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free.”  What did Jesus say about that?  He didn’t say, “This is what God has in mind for someday.”  He said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled.”  Not someday, but TODAY.

The blessings and woes of Jesus are statements of fact and a result of God’s kingdom being made manifest in the world.  They are not “If/Then” statements or lists of behaviors to follow or avoid.  They are factual statements about God’s kingdom.  Those who are poor, hungry, sorrowful, and hated will be comforted, fed, and loved.  Those who are rich, full, laughing, and praised will experience the opposite.  Not as a punishment, but as reversal and sharing.

We will see another example of this reversal in Luke with Lazarus and the rich man who both die and find themselves in very different places.  But again, that’s a future reversal.  What would these blessings and woes look like if the kingdom of God were here today?  That really isn’t too hard to imagine.

We are inundated with poor, hungry, and weeping people.  There are those who need to work two or three jobs just to survive.  This past January, the Food Pantry served 804 individuals in 325 households, and those numbers are sure to increase.  Recent cuts to medical research, aid programs, education programs, and others have people in tears.

But when we start talking about taxing the wealthy to help those in need, or creating social programs to educate and assist others, people are suddenly concerned with whether they have enough.  “Looking out for Number One” is the name of the game, even if it comes at the expense of the most vulnerable. 

But what if we began living into Jesus’ proclamation that the kingdom of God is very near us?  What if we began living as if it were here today?  What if we began living into the words of the Beatitudes?  Not just us in this room, but everyone who claimed to follow Christ.

What would happen is that the poor would be lifted up, the hungry fed, the weeping could laugh.  And those who are rich would have less.  They might be a little hungry.  They would probably cry and gnash their teeth at the unfairness of it all.  Roles would be reversed.  But God’s kingdom of equality and justice for all would be realized in the here and now, today.

Until we repent of the sin of selfishness and begin to live with an understanding that when one suffers all suffer, the kingdom of God on earth is unattainable.  Until then, though, we need to keep spreading the gospel message of love and mercy.  We need to keep publicly pointing out instances of suffering, abuse, and injustices.  Doing that – living and preaching the actual message of Christ – may get us in trouble with certain people, and it may cause some people to hate us, but we will be in good company.  After all, according to Jesus, that is how the prophets of God were treated.  And according to scripture, that is what got Jesus killed.

Like the twelve before us, we have been called by name.  Like the twelve before us, we have been asked to choose between working to establish the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven or working to maintain systems that actively oppose the kingdom of God.

Choose this day whom you will follow.

Amen.

Sermon; Epiphany 5C; Luke 5:1-11

Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation.  From the wise men to the baptism, from the wedding wine to the fulfillment of Isaiah, Jesus is revealed and manifested as the Son of God and Messiah.  And today we have the miraculous catch of fish, revealing Jesus to have other-worldly powers.  Even though this is yet another gospel passage revealing who Jesus is, there’s another aspect to this passage I want to focus on, and that is us.

In today’s gospel we learn that Simon is a business partner with James and John.  The boys have been fishing all night but have caught nothing, so now they’re back on the shore cleaning their equipment when Jesus shows up asking to borrow a boat from which to teach the people.  After he finishes speaking, he tells Simon to take the boat out into the deep water and let down the nets for a catch.  Here’s where it gets interesting.

Before Jesus’ baptism and public ministry, what was his most likely occupation?  Most likely he was a carpenter, like Joseph.  And where did he live?  He lived in Nazareth.  Nazareth is about 40 miles, maybe a four-day walk, from Lake Gennesaret (aka Lake Galilee).  So Jesus was raised and lived most of his life in an inland town, about four days from a major body of water, making his living as a carpenter.

Now imagine this scene:  Jesus, a land-locked carpenter almost his entire life, looks at Simon, a man who probably lived all his life by the water and grew up with fishing in his blood, and says, “Go back out and drop your nets for a catch.”

Simon replies (probably with more than a hint of exasperation), “Dude . . . we’ve been out all night and caught nothing.  But if you say so . . .”  All the while probably muttering under his breath, “Who does this guy think he is?”  He and his partners go out to prove that the carpenter doesn’t know a thing about fishing and they wind up catching enough fish that their boats almost sink.  And you know the rest of the story.

As I said, there are two things about us in this story I want to look at. 

The first is that we can get so caught up in our own stuff that we fail to see other options or other ways of doing things.  In Simon Peter’s case, he had been a fisherman his whole life.  He knew how to do his job.  So when he didn’t catch any fish the night before, that’s just the way it was – until Jesus showed up.

I saw something online last week that told how Sara Tabitha Babbit, a Massachusetts Shaker, was watching lumber workers waste time cutting wood.  So she attached a saw blade to a spinning wheel and invented the circular saw.

None of us like to be told we’re doing things wrong, especially when it’s in our area of expertise.  But sometimes we need an outsider’s perspective.  Sometimes we get to a point where we need to try something different.  This was Jesus – try it again with me here.

The other thing to notice here is that, even though Simon is the primary character in this story, he is not alone. 

Jesus gave Simon a different way of doing something and the results were overwhelming.  His nets were overwhelmed to the breaking point.  The boats were overwhelmed to the point of sinking.  Simon himself was emotionally overwhelmed to the point of asking Jesus to go away.  But buried in the story is a line you might have missed:  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. 

We need to remember that things Jesus asks us to do very rarely rely on us doing them alone.  Parish ministries rely on teamwork.  Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs.  Christianity itself is based on community.  We are not alone.

I was in a bar last week and had yet another conversation with a patron on why church was important.  Yes, there is an individual aspect to our faith, but church provides a community in which to learn, to be supported, and to be held accountable.  Without a community to provide help, our nets break and our boats sink.

Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation.  We are now halfway through this revelatory season and Lent begins with Ash Wednesday in less than a month.  As we begin the move into that season of self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial, today’s gospel touches on both Epiphany and Lent.

It touches on Epiphany by pointing once again to Jesus as the one to follow.  It also touches on Lent with its directive to listen to Jesus and repent.

As we approach Lent, what are we doing that we have always done that might need changing?  Are we willing to listen to Jesus, no matter how begrudgingly, and be open to a new way of doing things?  Are we willing to repent of the sin of selfishness and allow others to provide help?  Are we willing to be more involved in our community through stewardship of our Time, Talent, and Treasure?

As this Epiphany season winds down, let us keep our eyes and ears open for new ways of seeing and hearing Christ in our lives.  As we prepare for the upcoming season of Lent, let us be willing to repent of those thoughts and actions which draw us away from God and giving rise to the sin of selfishness.

And then, as it was with Simon, we just might find our nets and boats filled to the breaking point, needing to rely on our friends to help manage the abundance.

Amen.

Sermon; Feast of the Presentation; Luke 2:22-40

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, which happens 40 days after Christmas.  It is also known as the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, Candlemas, and (in the Eastern Church) the Meeting of Christ with Simeon.  Today is the day when Jesus was dedicated to God because he is Mary’s firstborn child (Ex. 13:2).  According to Jewish law, it’s the day of purification for the mother of a son (Lev. 12:1-4).  It is the meeting of the old (Simeon) and the new (Jesus).  And when we recognize the lengthening of days and light, both spiritual and physical, taking hold, candles are blessed in some churches to symbolize that light.  There is a lot going on today.  And with everything happening on this day, I want to focus on the interaction of Simeon with the Holy Family and how that impacts us.

When Mary and Joseph go to the Temple to present Jesus as was required, they encounter Simeon, a “devout and righteous man.”  He takes Jesus into his arms and says some of the most famous words in Scripture.  This canticle is known as the Nunc dimittis, or Song of Simeon, and has been used at Evening Prayer since the late 4^th Century.  From there it became the closing canticle at Compline and appears in all but one edition of the BCP.  For Vestry members, and those who read Compline regularly, you may be more familiar with this version:

Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see.

A light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.

Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation.  The gospel readings will, in some way, point to Christ and reveal him as the Savior of the world.  From the wise men to his baptism, from his miracles to prophecies, we are being pointed toward Christ.  In these words from Simeon we hear once more about the universality of Christ – “For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior whom you have prepared for ALL THE WORLD to see.”

In this gospel passage, Jesus is being presented in the Temple to the Lord as being holy to the Lord and Simeon recognizes that he is the Savior for all the world.  This is obviously good news.

Part of that good news now is that we, as children of God, are also presented in this place as being holy to the Lord.  As we say in Rite 1, “we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies.”  By presenting our selves, our souls and bodies to the Lord, we become a light to enlighten the nations.  In the absence of Jesus, we have been, and continue to be, prepared to reflect the light of Christ to the people around us.  It is now our job to shine that light on the world around us.

One unfortunate side effect of this, though, is a belief that by shining the light of Christ, or by being a follower of Christ, things will always be sunny.  Things will always be positive.  We will always be blessed.  But that is not always the case.

Simeon’s closing remarks are that Jesus will be responsible for the rising and falling of many, and that a sword will pierce Mary’s soul.  Following Christ isn’t always joy and peace and love.

When we offer and present our selves, souls, and bodies to the Lord, when we shine the light of Christ onto the world, we need to know that a sword may pierce our soul also.

It’s true that when you shine a light in a dark place, the darkness does not overcome the light.  But it’s also true that when you shine a light in the darkness, shadows appear.  The light drives away darkness, but it also creates spaces where shadows exist.

When we speak of showing empathy to those in pain, it creates shadows that proclaim those in pain brought it on themselves.  When we speak of being merciful, it creates shadows that proclaim vengeance.  When we speak of the universal love of God, it creates shadows that cry out in hate.  The shadow attacks on those who proclaim the light of Christ, who proclaim empathy and compassion, who ask for mercy, are vicious, painful, and soul piercing.  But if we turn off the light, or if we stop proclaiming the light, then the darkness wins.

Today is the Feast of the Presentation.  It’s the day when Simeon proclaimed the light of God to be shining on all nations.  As Jesus was presented in the Temple to be designated as holy to the Lord, let us also present our selves, souls, and bodies to be holy to the Lord.  As Jesus brought the light of God but was attacked by the shadows, let us also remember that in proclaiming the light of God we may also face attacks from the shadows of darkness.

As this Feast points to Jesus being a light to enlighten the nations, but also warned of soul-piercing pain, we must choose to stand in the light of love and face pain from the shadows.  Because if we don’t shine the light of love, regardless of the cost, then we become complicit in allowing the darkness to take hold.

Amen.

Sermon; Epiphany 3C; Luke 4:14-21

One of the problems with the Lectionary, any lectionary really, is that sometimes you get plopped down in the middle of a story without any context.  For instance, can anyone give me the context for today’s gospel?  Where was Jesus immediately before this passage?  Immediately before today’s gospel story, he was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil.  And now he’s returned to familiar territory – Galilee and Nazareth.

In talking about the timeline of Jesus’ ministry, one commentator says that Luke’s story of Jesus in Galilee/Nazareth isn’t chronologically first, but it is thematically first.  That is, Luke uses this incident to tell us who Jesus is.  It makes sense, then, that the Lectionary uses this reading at this time.  Remember, Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation.  Telling us who Jesus is helps reveal him to us and helps us reveal him to the world.

One of the things Luke is known for is painting Jesus as a prophet.  A prophet in the biblical sense is not someone who predicts the future.  A prophet in the biblical sense is someone who speaks God’s truth to current situations.

The prophet Nathan spoke to David about his affair and murder.  Jonah spoke to the people of Nineveh and called them to repentance  Ezekiel spoke to the people of Jerusalem saying that they were worse than Sodom in their behavior.  Again and again prophets have spoken out against cities, nations, and kings for their mistreatment of widows, orphans, outcasts, foreigners, the hungry, the homeless, and more.  Again and again prophets speak God’s word to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.  And in Luke, we see this prophet motif from Jesus in a number of places.

Jesus talks about God’s grace being given to outsiders.  He confronts Pharisees about their hypocrisy.  He calls people to change.  And he was fond of telling people the kingdom of God is among them now.  The kingdom of God isn’t a far-off event – it’s here and now, and we need to see it.

In today’s gospel passage we hear the first public words of Jesus.  In Luke, the first words we actually hear from Jesus are as a child, but those are spoken only to his parents.  The first time we hear from Jesus as an adult is when he’s in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, but there he only speaks to the devil.  In this story he’s in the synagogue reading from Isaiah, but there he’s reading from Scripture.  His own actual first public words in Luke is this:  “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

At the very beginning of his ministry, we get a glimpse of Jesus and his message.  He is a prophet by his speaking God’s truth to current situations.  He is a prophet through his insistence that the kingdom of God is near.  And he is a prophet because he has come to bring the fulfillment of Scripture.

For Jesus, this happens today.  Today good news is given to the poor.  Today captives of unjust systems are released.  Today the blind will see.  Today those who are oppressed will go free.  This is what God is looking for, this is what Jesus came to do; and, by extension, this is what we are called to do as well.

We really live in two seasons.  First, we live in a perpetual Season of Advent.  That is, we live in a perpetual state of “already” and “not yet.”  We live in the already of the coming of Christ as evidenced by the existence of Christianity.  We also live in the not yet as evidenced by how we view the kingdom of God as a far-off event and by how God’s call to free the oppressed, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, do justice, love kindness, etc. etc. etc. go largely ignored.  It’s a hard thing to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor when the hungry are allowed to remain hungry, when people are stripped of their rights, and people live in fear for the simple act of existing.

Second, we also live in a perpetual Holy Saturday.  That is, Christ has died, but resurrection has not yet come.  We live today.  God’s reign is today.  Knowing that, we cannot allow today to become nostalgic for yesterday.  Nor can we allow today to become a vague promise of someday.  Today is the day of the Lord, and today is all we’ve got.

When Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” he wasn’t just talking about the today of him sitting in a synagogue, he was also taking about every today when God is  proclaimed.  From the Song of Hannah to the Magnificat, from Amos to Zechariah, from Genesis to Revelation, God speaks of restorative justice and the fulfillment of promises that are to happen today.

But if these things are to happen today, if God’s kingdom is to be manifested today, then it is up to us to make that happen.  It is up to us to fight hate with love and vengeance with compassion.  It is up to us to show kindness when those in power are focused on cruelty.  It is up to us to protect the weak and speak for the voiceless. 

If we are not willing to do these things on behalf of God today, then we become complicit in allowing those in power to sustain systems of inequality and abuse.  And if we are complicit with systems that harm rather than help, then what are we even doing here?

The Season of Epiphany is about manifestation and revelation.  Our gospel lesson points to Jesus as the focal point of restorative justice.  This story tells us who Jesus is and what he is working for at the beginning of his public ministry.  Let us do the same thing.  Let us work for the kingdom of God today so that those whom society despises know they are loved and valued here and now– not at some unknown, pie-in-the-sky future, but now.

Today.

Amen.

Sermon; Epiphany 2C; John 2:1-11

This year, on this Second Sunday after the Epiphany, we get the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana.  In Year A we have John the Baptist pointing out Jesus to some of his disciples and Andrew bringing his brother, Peter, to Jesus.  And in Year B we have the encounter between Jesus and Nathanael.  So in all three years of the lectionary on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany we hear from early in the Gospel of John.  All three years are designed to set the tone for the season.

The Church year, as we know, is broken down into a number of seasons:  Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost and following, until we start all over again.  These seasons are designed to teach us about the events of the life of Christ and how Christ lived his life.  Knowing the season can help direct us and focus our own devotions, as well as gain a deeper knowledge of the Christian mystery.

In Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ.  Christmas is a celebration of the coming of the Messiah.  Lent is a time of penance, discipline, and self-denial as we look to make a substantial change to our lives.  Holy Week turns our focus onto the Passion of Christ.  Easter is the time of resurrection and new life.  The Season after Pentecost is the longest season and the time we grow and mature in the faith. 

Epiphany, where we are now, is the season of manifestation and revelation.  The day of Epiphany is also called The Manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, and is symbolized by the arrival of the wise men.  On the First Sunday after the Epiphany we see Jesus being baptized and revealed as God’s Son by the Holy Spirit descending as a dove.  On the Second Sunday after the Epiphany we get these readings from John pointing us to the Messiah.

Out of those three readings from John I mentioned, today’s reading might be the most unclear.  Jesus is at a wedding.  They run out of wine.  Mary comes to him and says, “They’ve run out of wine.”  Jesus basically responds, “And . . . what do you want me to do about it?”  But then he has the servants fill the water jugs and take some to the steward who then tastes some of the best wine he’s ever had.

Is this a case of a stereotypical, overbearing Jewish mother?  Is it a case of a stubborn son finally giving in to parental demands?  Or is it something else?

If Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation, then it’s something else.

Mary seems to be representative of all of us.  That is, she finds herself in a situation needing help.  She’s stuck.  And like so many of us who get stuck, she goes to Jesus and says, “We need help.”  Granted, there are some differences here, but the general scene is the same:  O Lord, help me out here!

In this instance, Mary (and us) want Jesus to bail us out.  We want Jesus to save us from a bad situation or an embarrassing moment.  We want Jesus to be our savior.  But as is so often the case, we want Jesus to be our savior on our terms – fix this, bail me out of that, get me out of here, put me there.

Like the guy whose boat sinks in the ocean who says, “God, if you save me, I’ll go to church every Sunday and pledge 50% of my salary.”  He sees land in the distance and starts swimming.  As he gets closer, he begins feeling better about his chances; so he says, “You know, that may have been too much.  Save me and I’ll pledge 10% of my salary and go to church two times a month.”  Eventually he drags himself onto the beach and says, “Let me get back to you.”

But we don’t get Jesus on our terms, and anyone who says otherwise has made an idol out of the Jesus they want.  The savior Jesus is not at our beck and call.  He is not a magic talisman.  Instead, he is a Savior that leads us into a changed life, drawing us closer to God.  For this to happen, though, we need to listen to the other words of Mary:  “Do whatever he tells you.”

The servants didn’t tell Jesus to do anything, they just listened to him.  He asked them to do something relatively simple – put water into jugs and take some to the steward.  The water was changed from what it was to what it could be.

We need to listen to Jesus.  We need to listen and look for where he takes us.  We are not called to be politically influential.  We are not called to wield power.  We are not called to build a nation or world in our image.  What we are called to do, though, is to listen.  We are called to change.  We are called to live a life transformed by the loving presence of Christ.

As I said at the beginning, the Season of Epiphany is the season of manifestation and revelation.  Jesus is manifested to the Gentiles on Epiphany.  He is revealed as the Son of God at his baptism.  He is pointed out and shown to have power over the natural world today.

Ultimately this manifestation and revelation is two-fold.  First, keep your eyes open for the signs of Jesus in the world around you.  Jesus very rarely appears as a blinding light that knocks you down; more often than not, Jesus appears in quiet, mystical ways that gently lead you to God.

And second, allow Jesus to work in you, making a change as substantial as water to wine so that your life may be a manifestation and revelation of Christ to the world around you.

Amen.

Sermon; Epiphany 1C; Baptism of Our Lord

I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. – Is. 43:1-2

On the First Sunday after the Epiphany, we commemorate the baptism of Jesus.  This is also one of the days “especially appropriate for baptisms,” and is one of the days we renew our own baptismal vows.  We renew our vows because it is too easy for us to get caught up in life.  It is too easy for us to forget the promises and vows we have made.

Even though we do this four times a year, we may still ask ourselves, “What is the point of baptism?”

At our baptism we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own for ever.  But don’t we, by our very nature of being created in God’s image, already belong to Christ for ever?  So if we already belong to God, why the need for baptism?

First off, we need to understand that baptism does not generate more godly love.  There is nothing we can do to earn more of God’s love.  As we love our children unconditionally, so, too, does God love us unconditionally.  Our baptism does not cause God to love us more.  An unbaptized child is loved just as much as a baptized child.

What baptism does do, though, is that it grafts a person into the Body of Christ.  Baptism is the adoption process by which a person becomes part of the household of God.  This is the point of baptism – to fully include a person in this household we call the Church.

As a biological or adopted family in the best of circumstances loves, teaches, raises, disciplines, supports, and shapes children to become capable adults, the Church does the same thing.  The Church, in its best form, loves, teaches, raises, disciplines, supports, and shapes us to be faithful followers of Christ.  Baptism places us in a new relationship and we learn to see things as Christ saw them.  At our baptism we make specific vows which we promise to uphold to the best of our ability – to be faithful in worship, to resist evil, to proclaim the good news, to love our neighbors, and to work for justice and respect.

I was in a bar last week having a small conversation about God and church with another patron.  This person basically said, “No offense, but I don’t think I need to sit in church to be with God.  I can be with God when I'm up in the mountains.”  I didn’t disagree.  You can find God in any number of non-church settings.

But what the Church gives you that your solitary mountain experience doesn’t is a community.  Being part of a church community, in the best circumstances, is being in a place of love and support.  It’s a place to learn and grow.  It’s a place to be challenged and comforted.  Jesus didn’t do his ministry alone, and he didn’t send out the apostles alone. 

Community is an important aspect of our faith, and baptism brings us into that community.

Here’s something else about that community:  this community of believers isn’t limited to the here and now.  When we are baptized into the household of God, we are joined with believers through all time and space – those who came before and those who are yet to come.  Through our baptism we are joined with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven.

Ultimately our baptism joins us to God with God’s reconciling mission.  Rather than being simple believers who know God as a loving creator, our baptism charges us with being active partners with God in the faith.  We should be faithful in worship.  We should work for the spread of the good news through our time, talent, and treasure.  We should work for justice, speaking for the voiceless and caring for those in need.

Can a person do all this without being baptized?  Of course.  But baptism makes, or should make, this a priority in our lives.

Baptism is not an end goal or a transaction whereby we pay a fee (baptism) to get to heaven.  Baptism is only the first step of our faith.  It is the foundation on which all we do as disciples rest.  And every so often we need to be reminded of what we are called to do and who we are called to be.

Through Christ, we have been redeemed.  God has called us by name.  When we pass through the waters of baptism, we are assured and sealed that God will be with us always.  So with that knowledge, let us renew our own baptismal vows.

Amen.

Sermon; Christmas II; Matt. 2:1-12

Merry Christmas!  And welcome to the 12^th Day of Christmas.  Today is the day of 12 drummers drumming and 12^th Night Parties – which, by the way, is tonight at 5:00 with a potluck dinner followed by a gift exchange/thievery event.  Tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany.

On Christmas we commemorate the birth of Jesus to Mary, a Jewish mother, and Joseph his Jewish guardian, in the Jewish town of Bethlehem.  His birth was announced to a group of Jewish shepherds by angels.

On Epiphany we commemorate the arrival of the wise men.  Scripture tells us that these people were from outside the Jewish community and territory – “from the East.”  We have extrapolated that it took up to two years for them to arrive in Bethlehem based on Herod’s order to kill all male children two-years old and under.  Tradition tells us that they were astrologers (early astronomers) who studied the night sky.  Later they were called kings and given names:  Melchior, king of Persia; Gaspar, king of India; and Balthazar, king of Arabia. 

As pious traditions evolved, the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were also given additional spiritual and theological meaning:  gold for the King of kings; frankincense for the Lord of lords; and myrrh to symbolize both Jesus’ anointing as high priest and in anticipation of his death, as when Nicodemus bought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare the body for burial.

While these traditions and spiritual/theological embellishments may enhance the story for us, they can cloud what is actually there in Scripture:  Joseph is absent; Mary is silent; Jesus does nothing extraordinary for a 2-year old (no speaking in tongues or other miraculous signs).  The star, the gentile strangers, and even Herod are the main characters in the story.

The star is a miracle drawing outsiders into the faith and the embrace of Christ.  The star has been explained as a visible comet or as the conjunction of certain planets or group of stars.  But using science to explain miracles is just as futile as using miracles to explain scientific events – such as creation.

The wise men from the East, those Gentile strangers, are those seeking something deeper and more meaningful than the life they currently know.  They are outsiders who do not know the story of the faith.  They are outsiders who won’t come to the faith by proofs or creeds.  But they are outsiders whose search allows them to reflect on miraculous happenings.

Herod is also a player in this story.  And while all kinds of things have been attributed to him – the personification of Satan the deceiver, a power-driven maniac who only uses religion as a prop to curry favor, or as the connection to the Pharaoh who ordered the deaths of newborn Hebrew boys, he also represents the status quo of the faith.  He represents those who fight change and work to keep things the same as they ever were.

All this – the star, the wise men, Herod – brings me to this question:  “Why do we study Scripture?”  Isn’t one of the reasons we study Scripture, both in various groups and as we use it in worship, to gain insights on how to live in a right relationship with God?

If that’s the case, then we must believe that the words of Scripture have the power to address our lives and our current circumstances.  And if they can do that for us, then they have that same power to address the lives of other people – past, present, and future.  So then Scripture is not simply a collection of ancient stories but the living word of God, active and sharp, judging our thoughts and intentions and instructing us throughout our lives.

So what can Matthew’s story of a star, wise men, and Herod tell us today?

First, keep your eyes open for miraculous stars.  The existence of God cannot be scientifically proven.  Science has explored the vastness of space, delved into the depths of the atom, and looked back to within about 20 minutes of the Big Bang.  Science is very good at telling us the HOW, but it is completely useless in answering WHY.  That’s where faith comes in.

Faith tells me God created.  It tells me God became man.  It speaks of angels and miracles, of love and sacrifice, of bread and wine become body and blood, and of stars that led foreigners to a house in Bethlehem.  What miracles will you see if you are willing to look for them?

Second, the wise men represent all those people not of our faith but who have felt or experienced something that caused them to search.  A vision, a miracle, a coincidence, a well-timed conversation, or whatever, may have given them the impetus to ask questions or begin their own journey of faith.  It may be that the light which shines from this place will lead them here.  It may be that their journey will lead them to bring their own valuable gifts to lay before the Lord.  It may be that you are the star leading someone on a journey of faith.

Finally there is Herod.  And while we aren’t despotic rulers who terrorize and kill anyone who gets in our way, there is something of which we need to be aware:

            After Jesus was born, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking,

            “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?”  When King

            Herod heard this, he was frightened . . .

As I said earlier, Herod represents the status quo of the faith.  We could easily become Herod.  When people from the outside, strangers, come into our presence telling us of their faith journey and what brought them to us, we need to work at not being frightened.  We need to work at not killing their excitement or inquisitiveness.  Instead of being frightened by their presence and that they might change the status quo, we need to work at welcoming them, including them, learning from them, and helping them grow.

As we move forward this year, keep in mind these three things:

1.      Actively look for miracles and signs from God;

2.     Be willing to shine the light of God so that it leads people here, be the star;

3.     Do not be afraid of strangers coming into our midst; do not become Herod.

Today is the 12^th Day of Christmas.  Tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany.  In these two events, Christmas and Epiphany, God is doing a new thing; do you not perceive it? 

Be not afraid.

Amen.