Category Archives: Epiphany

February 10, 2013 · 12:00 am

Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

carl_heinrich_bloch_the_transfiguration1The Law and the Prophets Fulfilled

Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]

About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   (Luke 9:28-31)

God calls us up to His mountain just as He called Peter, James, and John. Are we ready to answer Him? Before we answer we must understand the reason of His call. His call is to transform us into His likeness. There are those in the Church who will not listen to the call because they are focused on too many other things. On the other hand there are “spiritual” people who are seeking thrills and excitement. Often for such people the focus of God’s call is lost in peripheral matters.

Peter was distracted on the mount of transfiguration. He was overwhelmed by the experience and wanted to make three dwellings, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. He knew the event was important and he wanted to preserve it. Nonetheless, Peter missed the significance of this event, at least initially. As Christians we must learn to value what is significant to our spiritual growth and what is central to the will of God.

Moses represented the Law of God and Elijah represented prophecy. Both are equally important to the faith because they reveal the heart and will of God. Some Christians might favor one over the other. Some might stop altogether with the Law and the prophets. Moses came down from the mountain and each time that he did the glory of God faded from his face. His transformation was not permanent. Elijah was bold before the Lord but we remember that he was nearly defeated by Jezebel. He did not have the staying power of God’s glory.

What did Jesus say about the Law and the Prophets?

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.   (Matthew 5:16-18)

Clearly Jesus tells us that both the Law and the Prophets are important. They cannot be set aside. However, they began to be put into a new perspective with the preaching of John the Baptist.

The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.   (Luke 16:16-17)

On the mount of transfiguration the voice of God the Father which was heard in the cloud of glory tells the believer:

“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

Neither the Law nor the Prophets can grant us salvation. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Yet the work of salvation is not static. The grace of God given through Jesus is designed to transform us from glory to glory. If we believe in Jesus then we must hear His call to us to come up to the mountain. We must listen to His Word for us. Furthermore, we must be open to His Spirit and glory to transform us into His likeness:

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   (2 Corinthians 3:18)

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February 3, 2013 · 12:01 am

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

unborn-babyBefore I Formed You

Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30

When does our life begin and when does our ministry or calling begin? For Jesus the answer is clear:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.   (John 1:1-5)

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”   (Psalm 2:7-9)

Jesus’ life and ministry began before He was born in the earth. That much should be clear. When did the life and ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah begin? Again, the answer is clear:

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Then said I:

“Ah, Lord God!
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

But the Lord said to me:

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.   (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

These two examples are from the Bible. Could they possibly pertain to us? Jesus knew who He was and what He must do. He went to the synagogue on His hometown and preached the Gospel:

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and began to say, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”   (Luke 4:21)

Jeremiah also discovered his ministry:

Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down,to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”   (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

Do we know who we are and do we know that God has a plan for our lives? He does! How many lives and plans of God have been aborted because we refused to listen to Him and to follow His Word? Often this abortion of life or ministry occurs because of pure selfishness. The decision to abort is not born out of love:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

God is love. We are made in the image of God. Are we prepared to live out our lives and callings in Him?

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February 2, 2013 · 12:00 am

The Presentation

Designated As Holy to the Lord

Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84 or Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18 ; Luke 2:22-40

Mary and Joseph carried Jesus to the temple to be offered to God as her first-born Son according to Jewish law. She was required to do three things: the first was to present herself in the temple forty days after she had given birth to a son; the second, to offer to God two doves as a sacrifice to purify herself after childbirth; and the third, to present her child to God as a gift which she had received from Him. (See Exodus 13; Lev. 12). In the liturgical church The Presentation is observed on the fortieth day after Christmas.

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”  (Luke 2:22-24)

Christian parents have continued this tradition in one form or another. In the liturgical church parents traditionally baptize their children as infants. Such baptisms may be thought of as a service of  presentation whereby the young child is dedicated to the Lord. Later, as the child matures, he or she will then make their own profession of Christian faith in the service of Confirmation. In the non-liturgical churches, infants might be dedicated by their parents to God but it would not be considered a baptism. Parents, in any case, are responsible to raise their children in the faith.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where many parents do not take this responsibility seriously anymore. They may say that they want their children to be able to make a decisions about the faith freely and of their own choosing. What is God’s requirement?

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.  (Proverbs 22:6)

As parents, we may have missed the mark. What can we do? We can confess our failings to God and pray that He will step in and make up the difference in our children where we were remiss. God will do it. For some parents it is not too late. There is still time to make corrections, but first we must make corrections to ourselves.

What about those who not fortunate enough to have been raised in the faith? Perhaps that is you. Perhaps you had no one, not even a mentor, to teach you and train you in God’s Holy Word. As human beings we fail many times over. But God has not failed us. He has made a provision for all us.

One of the most dramatic examples of Jesus’ coming to the rescue of a believer is when the thief who was crucified along with Jesus called out to Him:

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:42-43)

We cannot be righteous on our own merits. However, we are given the gift of righteousness by Christ through His sacrifice on the cross. The gift is free to us but it was not free to God. It cost the cruel death of His Son.

There is a certain cost for us and that is transparency before God. We cannot hide from Him. We need to come to Him confessing our sins as did the thief on the cross. Secrets that have paralyzed us and kept us in bondage must be given-up to a loving Father. At the time of Jesus’ presentation the prophet Simeon blessed the family of Jesus and said to Mary:

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Are we will to call upon the Name of the Lord? Jesus is standing by to be our presenter. There is nothing so wrong with us that He cannot redeem. We have failed. Our parents may have failed us. But Jesus will not fail us. He is the only one who can present us spotless before God the Father. This He will do for all those who call upon His name.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Acts 2:21)

There is a

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January 27, 2013 · 12:00 am

Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

Law-ScrollThe Law of the LORD is Perfect

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21

Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.     (Luke 4:14-17)

In the Synagogue there is a time-honored tradition of reading the Torah in a systematic way. We might call it liturgical. When Jesus visited His hometown in Nazareth He stood up to read the appointed scripture. Not only did the reader read from scripture but he was authorized to give the theological and spiritual sense of what he had read.

After the exiles had returned from Babylon and the wall around Jerusalem had been rebuilt, the Israelites came together in a solemn assembly:

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.   (Nehemiah 8:5-6, 8)

When the people heard the law read they wept because they understand more than ever how valuable God’s law was to them. They lost everything because they had failed to follow God’s law. Now they were seeing the law in a new light. The Psalmist wrote:

The law of the LORD is perfect
and revives the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure
and gives wisdom to the innocent.

The statutes of the LORD are just
and rejoice the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is clear
and gives light to the eyes.   (Psalm 19:7-9)

We are living in an age of lawlessness. People have little respect for God’s law. Many people do not want any form of moral teaching because they wish to live any way that they might please:

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.   (Psalm 2:2)

This is true of the world. Why should we have lawlessness in the Church? Do we value God’s law today? How are we to witness to the world if we live in the same way that the world lives? We show our faith in God and our love for God by keeping His commandments.

What may be difficult for people of faith is seeing the wicked prosper. The temptation may be to join them. But this is a very short-sighted view. Again, the psalmist wrote:

Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.   (Psalm 37:1-9)

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January 25, 2013 · 12:00 am

Conversion of Saint Paul

Parmigianino_-_The_Conversion_of_St_Paul_-_WGA17030A Conversion Experience

Acts 26:9-21; Psalm 67; Galatians 1:11-24; Matthew 10:16-22

Paul was on the road to Damascus to arrest Christian believers. While in route he experienced one of the most dramatic conversions recorded in the Bible. In his own words:

“I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ I asked, `Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord answered, `I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles– to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ “  (Acts 26:12-18)

Well, that was Paul. He was persecuting Christians. Perhaps he is the exception. What about those who have grown-up in the Church? Do they need a conversion experience?

We need to understand that Paul did grow-up in the Church. He grew up in Judaism which was the only church in his day. The rest of the world was pagan. He was living by the rules. He was educated in the best rabbinic tradition. Here is how he described himself:

circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.  (Philippians 3:5-6)

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.  (Galatians 1:14)

We understand, of course, that this was the way Paul would have described himself before his conversion. How does he describe himself after his conversion?

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  (Romans 7:15-19)

Conversion opened Paul’s eyes to his real self and how his religion had failed him. He needed more than religion. His religion had failed him but his Lord Jesus Christ did not:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!   (Romans 7:24-25)

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  (Philippians 3:7-11)

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January 20, 2013 · 12:00 am

Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

rmcanaThe Wedding Feast in Cana

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

Some of today’s so-called mainline churches ignore spiritual gifts. They  say that the age of the apostles is over and that prophecy and spiritual healing are no longer valid. Other more pentecostal churches emphasize signs and wonders of all types, without very little emphasis on the gift of spiritual discernment. What do we say about all of this? What did Jesus say?

Jesus was not big on emphasizing spiritual gifts.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.   (Matthew 12:38-40)

Jesus sent His disciples out two by two having given them great authority and power. They returned from their mission exclaiming:

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”   (Luke 10:17-20)

As we can see, Jesus emphasis was not on spiritual gifts per se. On the other hand, because of His compassion for humankind He was not against using the power and the authority of God to overcome evil, right wrongs, and even bless human endeavors. Let us look at today’s Gospel reading as a case example:

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.   (John 2:1-11)

Jesus was reluctant to step into this situation but His mother had put Him on the spot. His earthly ministry had not yet begun but His mother was aware of her Son’s gifts. Obviously did not turn water into wine to show off. Rather, He had multiple purposes for performing this miracle. It helped the married couple out but it also revealed His glory to His disciples.

Do we believe in spiritual gifts? We should. Scripture testifies we have been given spiritual gifts:

 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”   (Ephesians 4:7-8)

The Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.   (1 Corinthians 12:1-7)

Spiritual gifts have a purpose, they are for the common good. If we take them out of context and elevate them above Christ then we will fall into the temptation of spiritual pride. Satan will then easily step in and counterfeit all types of signs and wonders. He is doing that today within the church. Jesus warned that this would happen:

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.  (Matthew 24:24-25)

We must follow the example of Christ. The best way to do this is to have a genuine love for God the Father and for those in need with whom we come in contact. Without this love, which the Apostle Paul calls the more excellent way, we are nothing and will accomplish nothing:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.   (1 Corinthians 13:1-2)

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