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Epiphany

Jesus Made Known

And so, on this Epiphany Sunday, this Sunday on which we celebrate Jesus’ identity made known, I am asking you to consider how Jesus’ identity is being made known in our time, in YOUR life. Somehow, for some reason, you’ve made Nathanael’s choice. You’ve decided to “come and see”. You’ve decided to give up certain things that other people cling to so you can follow this Jesus. Like Nathanael, I’m guessing at least SOME of you, maybe most of you, needed a little more convincing to follow Jesus than could be had by simply listening to some other people tell you you should follow him.

Changing the Rules

Which gets me wondering: how are we, FCCGJ, doing when it comes to seeing the rules of our faith through the lens of loving and helping other people? Do we spend more time telling other people what to believe and how to live or more time shining the light of our love in the their lives? Do we spend more resources on ourselves or on others? In other words, are we following the rules made by people, even US, to help us feel comfortable and good about what we have, or are we doing everything we can to follow God’s rules?

“This is My Son, the Beloved”

I started today by talking about lighthouses. And I told you Jesus becomes a lighthouse in today’s gospel text. And he really does. Not only does he become a beacon of light, showing his inner reality as light, but, like a lighthouse, Jesus directs us AWAY from danger and TOWARD safety. And we NEED that lighthouse that is Jesus. Like Peter, we are tempted to listen to another voice – maybe the voice of the tempter, maybe the voice of society, maybe our own voice – but we’re tempted to listen to another voice that is constantly calling us to make choices and take actions that would lead us to the dangerous rocks, even if it sounds like the voice is leading us to the comforting place of staying the same while Jesus calls us toward the seemingly dangerous place that is the cross, that is reaching out into the unknown and doing things that aren’t so comfortable but that give REAL life, life in God’s kingdom. So God sent us Jesus, and God said, “listen to him.”

They Shall Run and Not be Weary

Folks, the reality is, we ARE the body of Christ in this time and this place. Our job is to BE Jesus, here, now…to do the kinds of things he did so that the world might draw closer to God and God’s kingdom might increasingly break into this world. How are we doing? Can we do better? Will we?

A Question of Authority

Folks, these epiphany texts, they are a call for us to consider Jesus’ identity, Jesus’ absolutely amazing and life-changing identity, and to consider whether or not we are really accepting that identity and letting it make a difference in our lives. And if we’re not, it’s time to WAKE UP.