Reflection: “Catching People” In our Gospel reading for this week, we see that Jesus and Luke are both intentionally turning a miracle catch of fish into a parable about catching people for the kingdom.
In other words, Jesus was not merely teaching the word of God as he sat in the boat, but he was showing something, by his actions and words, about how he means for his followers to win people to faith. Here’s the point that I think Jesus and Luke are making in this whole story. Multitudes of people will be caught and receive eternal kingdom blessings, by followers of Jesus who teach the word of God, obey the commands of Jesus, humble themselves, and treasure Christ above all. First of all, Jesus is saying that great multitudes of people are going to be won by his power and authority. Jesus chose to teach from a fishing boat, so the boat is transformed into an instrument of evangelism. The boat is a place where the word of God is proclaimed to the crowds and where fish are caught. Then Jesus tells Simon, whom he’s just met, to push this gospel-bearing boat into the deep water for a catch. Simon answers ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I’ll do as You say and let down the nets.’" This interchange between Jesus and Simon emphasizes the power and authority of Jesus that’s about to be shown. What’s the use, Simon thinks, we know all about fishing – and you’re just a carpenter. But we’ll do as you say. In v.6: Luke tells us that they had let their nets down and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break; so they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both of the boats so full of fish, that they were about to sink." In other words, this is an utterly unprecedented catch of fish in a location that seemed hopelessly unproductive just a few hours before, and it happened because of the powerful and authoritative word of Jesus. The interesting concept about catching is, of course, that it’s not done to kill and eat, but to save and feed. The comparison isn’t between what happens to fish and what happens to people, but between trusting Christ to help you gather fish and trusting Christ to help you gather people - for rest and joy and eternal life. People come to the Kingdom through the work of man, but only by utilising the power and authority of Jesus. What does this parable tell us about the kind of people who go people-fishing and win others to Christ? I think we need to know, so that we can pray and strive to be that kind of people. I see four things in the text to answer that question: "By Jesus’ power and authority multitudes of people will be caught for eternal kingdom blessings by the followers of Jesus, who . . . teach the word of God." Luke makes explicitly clear what Jesus had brought to this moment for people-fishing - he’d brought the word of God and if we dare risk the analogy: this was his bait for people-fishing. This is what was drawing the crowd - they were swarming to hear the word of God. The word of God is the greatest word there is - not some little jingle to manipulate customers to buy your product. The word of God is truth that aims to claim a person’s rational mind and win a person’s authentic affections. We don’t need to be ashamed when we people-fish using the word of God, because it’s truth, not a technique. Jesus prepares for the parable by deciding to teach the word of God from a fishing boat. Just as Jesus is gathering a people with the word of God from a fishing boat, so Peter and the followers of Jesus will gather people, like the fishers of men that they are - with the word of God. I think it’s significant to see that he "taught" the people, because sometimes Jesus proclaims, sometimes he teaches. Both are important in the life of the church today. But I want to suggest that in our evangelism – our people-fishing, using the bait of the word of God, should involve a lot of teaching, a lot of explaining. We live in a society that largely doesn’t know the true nature of God and the gospel. They don’t know the God-centred nature of what sin is, and what God’s glory and law are. Who Christ is, what happened on the cross, what faith is, what love is, and what heaven and hell are. Therefore, to win these people, we need to teach in ways that they can easily understand. Let’s dream and plan and be aggressive in our love for lost people, by coming up with ways that we can keep telling them and showing them more and more truth. In Acts 19, Luke tells us that Paul "reasoned daily in the hall of Tyrannus (that is, he taught them for 2 years). What a great church planting strategy: teach unbelievers daily in a public hall about the Christian worldview. That’s the first mark of the disciples who do people-fishing……they teach the word of God. The second is…….. they obey the commands of Jesus. When Jesus told Simon to push out into the deep, Simon was sceptical. Think about it: If Simon hadn’t obeyed, there would have been no catch. I’m sure that Jesus could make the fish jump into the boat if he really wanted to, but he didn’t usually act that way. Yes, he has the power, but he calls us to be his instruments and he gave Peter as an example of how to go about it. Peter is not exactly brimming with faith, in fact he has lots of excuses we can also use to avoid people-fishing. Isn’t it encouraging that the Lord doesn’t pitch Peter overboard, but rather accepts his half-hearted obedience and goes ahead and does the miracle anyway. I’ve heard dozens of testimonies to this effect, where people say: “I was too tired, it didn’t seem like a very good time to speak of Christ . . . but I did it anyway, and the great, never-weary Christ acted.” That’s the second mark of people-fishers……. they obey Jesus. Here’s the third: Those who go people-fishing . . . humble themselves. When Peter and the others saw the blessing Jesus had given them – the way he had used them to gather the fish - in spite of their half-hearted obedience – Simon Peter fell down saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I’m a sinful man!’ Oh, how much we need to see this and also experience it. It’s the opposite of saying: "Wow, look at the way we get blessed when we follow Jesus! Biggest catch of fish we’ve ever had, so let’s get a movement going and call it, ‘Trust Jesus, get fish!’ No, Peter looked at grace – pure grace – and felt utterly unworthy and he said so. That’s a good place to start in evangelism - cocky witnesses only contradict the message of grace. Let’s wake up to the fact that what is moving here is a band of half-hearted, imperfectly obedient, justified sinners, who feel utterly unworthy of every blessing we have, especially salvation - only then will we be ready to fish. And now, finally, our fruitful people-fishers . . . treasure Christ above all. Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.’ Because he knows that he will one day die for Peter’s sin, Jesus takes the paralysing fear out of his humility and leaves in its place a lionhearted meekness and bold brokenness. Peter and James and John respond with hearts overflowing with the value of knowing Jesus: "When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him." This is what it means to follow Jesus: he is more valuable to us than everything. This is our prayer: May the power and authority of Jesus Christ move multitudes of people into eternal kingdom blessings by means of his disciples who teach the word of God, obey the commands of Jesus, humble ourselves, and treasure Christ above all. And may we be obedient and do likewise. Amen Pastor Rick
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Reflection: “All You Need is Love” You may remember from last week’s reading in Luke, that Jesus had returned from his 40 days in the wilderness and was preaching around Galilee. Eventually he returned to his hometown of Nazareth and read the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue. No problems so far! What is it that allows people to get up and preach in front of others? Do they have to spend 3 years at a seminary college, or get a PhD in divinity, before they’re qualified? In our reading from Jeremiah, we see that God himself touched the lips of a young man, who was full of self-doubt, saying that he, God, would speak through Jeremiah’s mouth. God told him that he had been chosen to be a prophet, even before he had been formed in the womb. This is similar to the story of Moses, who also professed to God that he wasn’t a good speaker and probably wouldn’t make a very good prophet. It just goes to show that God can use talents that we don’t even realise that we have. If God wants you, he’ll give you the words, or actions, that are required for you to be his servant. Jesus did not really have any special religious training before preaching to the people in the temple at Nazareth. He would have gone through the normal schooling for young Jewish boys, which entailed learning the Torah (the first 5 books of our current Old Testament) by heart, at an early age. The best learners were then apprenticed under a Rabbi, to learn how to interpret the readings and laws. Today, we understand that, as the Son of God, he could do anything, but to his peers, in the first century, he was just the son of the carpenter Joseph. Maybe Jesus just followed what many preachers do today – he listened to God. Paul reinforces this process in his first letter to the Corinthians. He explains that words spoken without love are like a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. We can see from Luke’s account of Jesus preaching to the Nazarenes that there was a problem with what he said. The words he spoke, after he sat down, definitely did not please the others who were there. The people weren’t too happy and seemed keen to let Jesus know how they felt. Jesus was taking a big risk in saying these things in the synagogue. Things had been going well during his time of preaching around Galilee and now he had come home to Nazareth. Jesus had been preaching to huge crowds and had performed amazing miracles. Yes, it was hard coming back where people knew him as a boy playing in the street, but that doesn’t seem to have been the problem. He was welcomed as the hometown boy made good. Things were going well until Jesus challenged them to look at their own feelings towards people who were not Jews. Their own spiritual pride could not imagine that God would work outside their country, beyond their Jewish faith. If Jesus had just stuck to good Biblical generalities, everything would probably have been all right. Let’s not forget that he’s just finished reading Isaiah’s prophecy of a year of favour, of Jubilee, when the blind find sight, the captives - release, the oppressed - relief, and all the poor of this world - consolation. And, lest we be mistaken about the direction Jesus is heading in, it’s just as important to note what he doesn’t read. Because the passage from Isaiah goes on, telling of that day when the Lord will trample down all Israel’s enemies, crush them underfoot and restore Israel to its rightful place. But no, Jesus doesn’t read that part. He’s not thinking locally, but globally, and this isn’t a nationalistic sermon, but one in which he declares that God loves all the world and has a special concern for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. And for this to come true, there needs to be some changes in the attitudes of the Jewish people. For, as Mary sings before her boy was even born, in order to raise the lowly, God’s going to have to bring down the powerful; and in order to feed the poor, the rich are going to have to go away empty (Read Luke 1:46-55) This is what Jesus is talking about, but the home crowd just doesn’t get it. This frustrates Jesus and drives his point home in the words he says in verses 23 to 27. And this time they do get it. So clearly, in fact, that they’re ready to get him. Would God favour Syria over Israel? Would God heal in Capernaum, but not in Nazareth? I don’t think so - that’s heresy, they say. And we know what they do with heretics. They were ready to throw him over the cliff just outside of town. But Jesus was ruled by love – love of God and love of these people of Nazareth. He loved them too much to let their racism, and their hatred of anyone who wasn’t Jewish, go unchallenged. I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear the words “I’m only telling you this in love” I know I’m about to get verbally whacked. Too often “speaking the truth in love” is just an excuse for rudeness. But on the flip side, a really good friend, or a loving partner or parent, will often tell you difficult truths when no one else will. I rely on Lynne’s critiques of my messages before I send them out and I know that she’ll lovingly tell me when I’m a bit off track and need to revise the way I’m trying to communicate a thought. She’s not being harshly critical, but her loving way lets me know when I could express something more positively. As Paul says to the Christians at Corinth, “love rejoices in the truth”. He certainly took the risk to tell them that all their spiritual gifts were of no use if they weren’t built on loving relationships. Jesus loved the people of Nazareth enough to show them the truth about themselves, just as he does for us. That is why we have a prayer of confession in each of our church services. We can only risk having that prayer if we really know that God loves each of us more than any of our sins or mistakes. We can only risk speaking the truth to others if we are continually showing them love in ways that speak louder than the difficult truths. So, the next time you feel the need to let someone know that maybe they have strayed a bit and need some loving guidance to get back on track, don’t just say that you’re doing this lovingly, but prayerfully examine your motives for raising the issue, before letting them have both barrels. Are you just satisfying your own ego, or do you really, lovingly, care for the person that you’re speaking with? I think the expression being used these days is to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Even that well known singing group, the Beatles, recognised that in their 1967 hit “All you need is love”. In Corinthians we read “Faith, hope and love abide; and the greatest of these is love.” The peace and love of God be with you. Pastor Rick Reflection: "Gifts From God"Our bible readings this week centre around God’s provisions both to us and to the people living in the time of Jesus.
Whilst we may not be too happy with the state of the world at the present time, our faith leads us to trust that God has everything under control and that there is a very good reason for recent events. We read of the apostle Paul, writing to his struggling flock at Corinth, in Greece, who were at odds with each other over a number of issues, not the least being which of the great teachers and leaders, who had helped them recently, should they follow – Paul, Apollus, or Peter? In this first letter to them, Paul set out how he expected them to behave towards each other. One particular way was to utilise the spiritual gifts that God had given each of them. He said: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed". Well, we don’t want to be uninformed, either, so our message this week deals with this subject. But, instead of spreading ourselves too thinly across 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 (all of which cover spiritual gifts), I’ve chosen to focus on several smaller texts, so that we can examine their teaching more closely. As you read through the New Testament, the first place you run into the term "spiritual gift" is in Romans 1:11 & 12, where Paul, writing to the church at Rome, says, "I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." The translation "impart to you some spiritual gift" is a bit misleading, because it sounds like Paul wants to give them a gift, however the text actually means that he wants to give them the benefit of his gifts. As in, "I long to see you, that I may use my gifts to strengthen you." The first and most obvious thing we learn from this text is that spiritual gifts are to be used to strengthen others. This, of course, doesn’t mean that the person who imparts the spiritual gift gets no joy or benefit from it. But it does suggest that gifts are given to be used - for sharing with others. In this context “strengthen” isn’t referring to bodily strength, but strength of faith. Paul uses the same word in 1 Thessalonians 3:2, where he says: “We sent Timothy, our brother and servant in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you in your faith and to exhort you that no one be moved by these afflictions.” To strengthen someone by a spiritual gift means to help ensure that their faith doesn’t easily give way, when trouble enters their life, or, in other words, we use our spiritual gifts in order to help other people. It’d be fair to understand from this text that we shouldn't be trying to label our spiritual gifts before we use them. That is, we shouldn't worry about whether we can point to prophecy, or teaching, or wisdom, or knowledge, or healing, or miracles, or mercy, or administration, etc., and say, "Yep, that's my one." We mustn’t get hung up on naming our gifts, asking rather: "What can we do to strengthen people’s faith?” Human nature is, unfortunately, more prone to tear someone down, than it is to build them up. The easiest course of action is to grumble about others, criticising and gossiping behind their back - and I guess there are many people who will follow that path, rather than realising that this person is also important to God. Let's apply ourselves to not becoming this kind of person, but one who longs to strengthen the faith of others. Many unbelievers have great abilities in areas such as teaching and administration. And, yes, these abilities are God-given, whether the people recognise this, or not. But these can’t be called "the spiritual gifts of teaching or administration”, unless they’re aimed at strengthening the faith of others. No matter what abilities we have, if we’re not relying on God and not aiming to help others rely on him too, then our ability is not a spiritual gift. The spiritually gifted can be in danger of being proud of what they possess. It was a terrible problem at Corinth (and perhaps in Rome, also). Paul uncovers a profound truth that is intended to blow away all pride, all self-reliance, or boasting. He states that we have gifts that differ, according to the grace given to us. Any distinction that sets you apart is because of God’s grace, freely given - not earned, or deserved, so no boasting. So not only the gift, but the measure of faith we are given to exercise that gift – they’re all freely given by God. God has revealed this, not to lessen our hunger and yearning for great faith, but to humble us and cause us to look to him for everything. God has done all things "so that no human being might boast in his presence. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord". Therefore, the church should be the humblest and happiest fellowship on the earth. Gifts are not only for a few, but for everyone, and every believer has abilities which the Holy Spirit has given and these can be used to strengthen others. And it’s the supreme joy of life to discover what they are, and then pour yourself out to others through these gifts. And you’ll find them if you really desire to be God's instrument in bringing about faith and joy in other people. That, you might recall, is the fundamental project for God’s believers. Secondly, the picture is of a house with variously talented stewards who are given the owner's funds to administer. This house is the church, the stewards are all of you, the various talents are all our varied gifts, the funds are God's grace, and the administration is the exercising of our gifts. The most striking part of this comparison is the analogy between the owner's funds and God's grace. Grace is the currency in the household of God, and we’re called to be stewards of that grace. That's the way we should all think of our responsibility in the church. So now we have another definition of spiritual gifts. They’re abilities by which we receive the grace of God and disburse that grace to others. This fits beautifully with our earlier definition of spiritual gifts as the abilities given by the Spirit, which express our faith and aim to strengthen the faith of others. What I believe should be happening here in the Lane Cove Uniting Church, is that God's stewards – that’s all of us - should be waking up to more and more of God's grace and finding more and more ways to creatively distribute that grace to each other, and to those outside of our community, by the use of our spiritual gifts. So, if your gift involves practical deeds of service, don’t try to do them in your own strength, because then your gift will cease to be a "spiritual gift." It must come from faith and reliance on grace, in order to be called a "spiritual gift." My final point is that the aim of all spiritual gifts is "that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ". This means that God's aim in giving us gifts, is so that Christ’s glory might be displayed. God wants us, and the world, to marvel at him and to give him the glory he deserves. The stupendous reality of God is all encompassing. Romans 11:36 tells us "For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things." And there’s nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, more satisfying than to find our niche in the eternal unfolding of God's glory. Our gift may look small, but as a part of the revelation of God's infinite glory, it takes on stupendous proportions. We all have gifts from God and it’s up to each of us to determine the best way to utilise them - not an easy task. So, things such as: diligent reading and studying of the bible, discussions with other Christians in Home Groups, or bible studies, and many hours of prayerful reflection, will be required. Of course, we could, instead, choose to ignore these gifts and focus purely on ourselves, but wouldn’t that be a great waste of the precious gifts that God bestowed on us? I pray that you’ll look to utilise your God-given gifts wisely. Pastor Rick Reflection: "It All Begins With Baptism"Today we’re going to look at baptism, and more specifically, the baptism of Jesus.
In Luke’s gospel, the baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist is announcing to the crowds that the time of God’s kingdom is drawing near in their midst. The one who is the very presence of God’s new world is coming, and to prepare for his coming John invites the people to enter the waters of the Jordan, that crossover river between bondage and wilderness wanderings and God’s promised land. Joining the crowd entering those cleansing waters of freedom and promise is Jesus. Luke makes no fuss about his distinction from the crowds; he simply says, “When all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” The first act, then, in Jesus’ transition into public ministry is baptism, in which his identity as God’s beloved Son and God’s faithful servant was clearly affirmed. Luke knew that the divine message at Jesus’ baptism combined the words from the coronation of a new king, in Psalm 2:7 we read, “You are my son; today I have begotten you,” and the image of God’s servant in Isaiah 42:1, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.” Baptism is the outward and visible sign of God’s action in claiming us as beloved sons and daughters, those who bear the divine image and are incorporated into Christ’s body, his death and resurrection. Baptism defines who we are, who our family is and what our ministry entails. This identity is accompanied and affirmed by the Holy Spirit, which persistently woos us, guides us and reminds us that we have been claimed as beloved children of God, redeemed in Jesus Christ, and called to participate in God’s present and coming reign in and through his son. I think that today, many young couples may look on baptism of their infant children as “something you do to keep the oldies happy” - you know, get a photo with the minister holding the baby, have a lunch with the rellies, receive lots of presents, that sort of thing. Yet, as I hope you know, the church views it far more seriously than that, as it is one of the sacraments of the church. Some of you may wonder: what exactly is a sacrament? The Uniting Church defines it as a ritual and symbolic act of the church, through which it is believed that God expresses his love and grace to individuals and to the church. Over the years, some of the sharpest points of difference in the churches regarding baptism, have hinged on whether adult, or infant, baptism is right, and is sprinkling, or immersion, the valid way to enact the sacrament. But I think it’s fair to say that most Christian churches believe that baptism, in whatever form, is an important part of their religious practice and belief. It’s more than just a “naming ceremony” – which is more commonly known as a Christening. In fact, the Uniting Church describes it as “the church’s rite of initiation - it incorporates a person, infant or adult, into the church, which is the body of Christ.” We can just look to the fact that even our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, thought it was important that he be baptised before he commenced his ministry here on earth. Who was it that baptized Jesus? Well, that's an easy one - John the Baptist. But the process of the baptism itself is not quite that simple - as Luke tells us in the story. Most of this third chapter of Luke follows the story of John's ministry - found also in Matthew and Mark. There we read that John is the voice crying in the wilderness, John baptises hundreds who come to hear him preach. Then, as we read today in v16, John makes it clear that he isn't actually the Messiah that the Israelites were waiting for: "I baptize you with water," he said, "but one who is more powerful than I, is coming. I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." If we listen carefully, we might notice that Luke actually says nothing about the mechanics of Jesus' baptism. There's nothing here about Jesus going down into the water or coming up out of the water. We probably assume that this happened - because the other gospels tell us that in their stories. But Luke doesn't seem to give it any importance. Indeed, Luke doesn't seem very interested in the actual moment of baptism, only what happened after baptism. This may be rather confusing to some of us, as the name of this day in the church year is "The Baptism of Our Lord." Yet, whatever disappointment we may feel about Luke's lack of attention to the moment of baptism, should redirect our attention to what happens after he has come up out of the water. We see that baptism is not an end process – ok, the child’s now been baptised, so let’s go and party ……… but we should look at it as the beginning – the beginning of a life in Christ. Everything starts at the river - where Jesus enters the waters and places himself in the arms of his cousin John. "And the heavens were opened. And the Spirit descended upon him as a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" And despite the beauties and sentimentality of the birth narratives at Christmas time, in reality, the ministry and teachings, trials and triumphs - almost all that make us remember Jesus - took place after his baptism. It was at the moment of baptism that Jesus was claimed and called. Sure, the angels sang at his birth in Bethlehem, but God's voice spoke for the first time at the river Jordan, acknowledging that Jesus was claimed by someone special and called to do something special. So, when in liturgical services like the one for this Sunday, we preachers challenge our congregations to "Remember your baptism," the challenge is actually to remember that you, too, just like Christ, belong to someone special (God) and are called to do something special.Perhaps you were only a baby when that happened. Too small to understand the concept of God, too young to know that there even is a God. But that wasn't the point. Remember, Jesus didn't say or do anything at his baptism either. It was all done from the top down. It was all a matter of God claiming him, just as in your own baptism, God claimed you before you'd done a single thing to earn it. But what if you’ve not been baptised in a Christian church? Does that preclude you from receiving God’s love and blessing? Not at all. Baptism is a personal acknowledgement of the receiving of God’s gift, not a rite of membership into the club. Paul Tillich, an American Christian writer of the mid-20th century, was correct when he said that "Salvation is simply acknowledging the fact that we have already been accepted." God has claimed us, so our job is to go forth into the world as his children, sharing his love with those we meet. Pastor Rick Reflection: "Epiphany"We’re very fortunate in Sydney to have what’s probably the world’s best fireworks display on New Year’s Eve.
Some of you may have seen it live this year, some of us saw it on TV. As humans, we’re drawn to the light - and it excites us.When we see exploding lights in the sky, we all go oooooohhhh …and… ahhhhhh. Most human beings react positively and appreciatively to light, because we’re made in the image of God. We’re like God, who is light itself, and the light is in all of us. If you take a baby and place it in front of a Christmas tree, the baby doesn’t do anything. But if you decorate that Christmas tree and turn the lights on, the baby’s eyes just sparkle and light up and the baby’s eyes go ooooooohhhh and aaaaaaahhhh. Why do we love the light so much? It’s because, in God, there is no darkness at all, and the divine spark of God is in all people. The opposite is also true - we don’t like long periods in the dark. We’re not attracted to dark spaces and places. A prolonged sense of darkness can make us depressed and sometimes, we’re even afraid of the dark. For example, up in Tromso, Norway, it gets very dark in mid-winter. This town is located in the northern reaches of Norway, above the Arctic Circle. The sun disappears on November 25 and doesn’t reappear until January 21.For two months, the sun just doesn’t shine. On November 25, when the sun leaves, the residents decorate all their windows with artificial lights. They have lights all around the windows of their houses, in an attempt to drive the darkness away and to make themselves feel better. In that city, there is much depression and much suicide. It’s called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) affecting people in many countries due to a prolonged lack of daylight. In Australia, the closest we come is when we get up early in the morning during mid-winter and we see just how dark it is outside. Does it make us happy? No, not at all. We generally don’t like the darkness of those mornings. The spark of God is in us and therefore we react and respond positively to the sparkles of light in the world.It’s in this mood that we approach the Old Testament lesson for today. In Isaiah, God said, “Those who walk in the darkness, arise, shine. Your light has already come. The glorious presence of God is already upon you.” Today’s passage is from Isaiah 60, which is towards the end of the large scroll of Isaiah and was probably written at a time when the people of God had just returned from their prisoner-of-war exile camps in Babylon. The Jews had just come back to the Promised Land, back to Jerusalem, back to their old farms and houses after more than sixty years in exile. What were the feelings of these people? I’d venture to say that they were excited to be back - but also depressed at what they saw. You probably would have been depressed too, if you had seen their homes, farms, and country, as they came back. Everything had been gutted by war. When these Jews came back, their farms were rubble, their cities were rubble, their businesses were rubble, their young men had been killed, their husbands had been eliminated, and the people were worried for their future. Into that situation - the aftermath of war - the prophet Isaiah told them to rise, shine, get up and get going, because God’s light is already shining upon you. He said “Lift up your heads.” I love that line, which in effect, is saying, those of you who have your chins down on your chests, lift them up. Those of you who have closed your eyes to the destruction, open them up and be thankful. You’ll note that these uplifting words were not written during the good times. Not at all. These words were written to people who were very depressed by what life had given them. These words were for people who felt like quitting, who felt like giving up, who felt like tossing in the towel. What do these words of God have to do with us - some three thousand years later? Three thousand years is a long, long time. Can such old words have any relevance for us in the modern world? Yes, of course they can. We, too, should hold our heads up in the difficult times, because God’s light is still with us.It’s up to us to assist those who have yet to see, or who are having difficulty seeing, God’s light. Next Monday is the 6th day of January and we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany in the church calendar.Epiphany literally means "an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being" and we celebrate the belief that in the birth of Christ at Christmas, God entered into our world and into our lives - as light. Epiphany asks the following questions: Where do we see God present among us and in us? What are the signs of the sacred among us? t’s with that quest, that search, that discovery, that we concern ourselves today as we consider the fantasy. Using Matthew's story of the Magi, or Wise Men, as a guide, let's think together about this quest. The magi were the “magicians” of the time - people who understood the stars. hese ancient astrologers were the resident scientists of the night sky and their brilliant minds saw something occurring in the year 7 BC. It’s a scientific fact that in 7 BC, there was an interplay between the planets Jupiter and Saturn. These two planets interwove in and out with each other and it happens about every 800 years. Planetariums can now replicate the sky above Palestine in 7 BC, and if you’re there, you can witness the interplay in the night sky between Jupiter and Saturn. And to the ancient minds, who had memorized every star in the sky, this was a strange and unusual phenomenon. It’s also an historic fact that the planets had meanings e.g. Jupiter, the largest planet, represented the “king of the heavens” and Saturn was thought to be the “protector of Israel.” Therefore, when these two were interconnected, the sky scientists of that era asked: what does this mean? A king to be...the protector of Israel? Is that what the interweaving of these 2 stars means? So, it’s within this realistic, historic context, that the ancient stories told us that the ruler of the world was to come from Judea. We read of these Wise men, astrologers from Persia, coming to Judea, coming to the capital city of Jerusalem, visiting the king there, King Herod, saying: “We have seen this star in the East and have followed it here. Is there anything in your sacred writings, which would tell us specifically where this king is to be born?” And what was Herod’s reaction? Remember that Herod was a violent sociopath, who’d killed three of his sons, his wife and his mother-in-law. You didn’t want to cross this empowered madman. So, when he heard of a possible new king being born, it’s consistent with his personality to order that all the male children under two years of age be killed. The story tells us that the Wise Men came to Jerusalem in search of the child who’d been born King of the Jews...because they wanted to worship him. In other words, they, like us, were searching for the object of their worship...the most revered thing...the main thing. The discovery of this thing begins with a star - light. This search for the thing also involves a journey. Matthew states that the Wise Men started in the east and moved west. They left home, the most familiar of places, the status quo, and ventured out toward a yet unknown destination. It would be a journey not unlike that of Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament, who, at the call of God, departed their native land and travelled toward a land of promise. And like any journey, this journey for the principal thing in life, involves enduring some rough spots along the way, negotiating a curve or two, climbing some hills, and passing through and out of dark valleys. And lastly, the discovery of that which is most sacred, frequently takes us through, and comes out of, some of the darkest times and events of our lives. Consider, for instance, the role of the tyrant King Herod in today's gospel story. As the account of the Wise Men's quest is reported, Herod is spoken of five times in these twelve verses.His reign provides the context in which the Wise Men's quest and discovery takes place. It is Herod who is threatened by the news of the birth of the new king. Herod consults with the religious authorities and then asks the Wise Men to report back to him, following their visit to the Messiah. But the Wise Men are warned in a dream that Herod has other motives and wants to get rid of this new king, so they return to their homeland without reporting back to Herod, regarding the whereabouts of the infant Jesus. Matthew states that the Wise Men arrived at the place above which the star was located. Their quest has brought them - their search has led them - to the discovery of life's main thing - the Christ. To say that the Wise Men obtained what they most wanted, is a gross understatement, for the gospel declares that they "rejoiced with a great joy." Furthermore, these Wise Men fell down before the object of their worship - and before their Saviour - they opened and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The valuable things of this world always pale in comparison when cast in the light of the main thing in life. So, what are we to do in, and with, this light? My belief is that we are meant to be evangelists – that is, telling others about the light. I recall reading a brief but powerful writing from a wonderful Christian, D.T Niles of Sri Lanka, who commented:“A Christian is just one beggar showing other beggars where to find bread.” This saying came from a person living in a community where Christianity was a minority religion; about 6% of the population were Christian. Niles had a profound respect for the other major religions around him, yet there was no limit to his passion for Christ Jesus - he was a tireless evangelist. But he fulfilled his passionate ministry with a humble awareness of his status as “just another one of those for whom Christ Jesus died.” Such humility is, I believe, the lifestyle that should emerge from our Epiphany celebrations.And that’s the thrust of Epiphany. It’s the revealed glory of our Messiah - Jesus, which we celebrate, and to which we bear witness in the world. No room for arrogance here. Let our witness always be done in genuine humility; a humility based on the fact that we have this good news, not by any of our own virtuous works, effort, superior wisdom, or purer religion, but simply by the free grace of God. We are just remarkably fortunate beggars, “showing other beggars where to find bread.” Let’s go into our world now and show those other beggars just what the light can also do for them. New Year Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor Rick |
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