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Reading for Second Sunday after Epiphany: John 2:1-11

Peace be with you!

Time measures our moments, our achievements, our failures, and everything in-between. Time indicates where we should be and what we should be doing by organizing our days, weeks, months, and decades into intervals. As children, we attend school and learn about meeting deadlines, making goals, and meeting the expectations of others. Upon graduating from high school, we enter college and/or the workforce. By our mid-20s and early 30s, most individuals settle down into a career, get married, and/or start families. Into our 50s and 60s, we begin caring for our elderly parents and maybe become grandparents. Of course, this timeline is ideal and presents the ordinary progression of life, which does not account for extraordinary life circumstances. I find myself about a decade ahead of my generation since I already help care for my stepdad and have settled into my own home. Time is different for each individual based on his or her own life circumstances, though there is also a natural progression of what should happen next.

In the Gospel of John, we jump right into Jesus’s ministry. In the first chapter, Jesus is baptized and calls his disciples. In the reading for today, Mary and Jesus are attending a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee when the hosts run out of wine. Mary goes to Jesus and tells him to do something about it (John 2:3). She knows Jesus is meant to do wondrous things for the world, and surely he can spare the host the embarrassment of running out of wine. We are led to assume Mary is helping in the kitchen and has authority over the servants, especially when she instructs them to do whatever Jesus says (John 2:5).

However, Jesus’s responses to Mary’s plead for help, “Women, what concern is that to you and to me?” (John 2:4a NRSV). To the reader, it seems like a harsh response for a son to say to his mother. Yet Jesus is creating distance between his mother and himself, because yes, he is human, but he is also divine—meaning only God the Father has ultimate authority over his actions. It does not mean Jesus is not affectionate to his mother for later he asks his beloved disciple to watch over her when he dies on the cross. In this instance, we see Jesus creating a boundary between his humanity and his divinity.[i]

Everyone experiences moments in their lives when they have to distance themselves from an individual who does not act according to their faith or moral codes. It does not mean we do not care about the individual anymore, but we simply have to create healthy boundaries between ourselves and those individuals and/or things that try to separate us from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I find myself easily influenced by people around me. I will pick up behaviors and talk like others. Over the past year, I have learned to “check” myself and be more true to my faith and to myself. When I find myself acting like someone else, I find myself stopping myself and saying, “No, this is not me. I need to act like myself.” Sometimes it takes a talk with my mom to see my fault, but yet it feels good to come back into my own skin and be true to I am as an individual and child of God—not that I am perfect by any means but I have to live according to my faith and my calling. Here we hear Jesus proclaiming his true identity and calling—only God the Father has authority over him.

Jesus goes on say, “My hour has not yet come” (Luke 2:4b NRSV). Jesus is commenting on the fact that his time has not come to reveal God’s full glory to the world. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’s time (hōra in Greek) refers to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. At this time, Jesus will be lifted up and be manifested in God. The current moment does not allow Jesus to bring about God’s glory and would be self-serving to do so publically.[ii] Jesus is conscious about his role in the world and what it means to be the Son of God.

Yet Jesus works behind the scenes by instructing the servants what to do. Jesus tells them to fill six large, empty jars to the brim with water (John 2:6-7), and then he says to draw some out and give it to the chief steward (John 2:8). When the servants take the wine to the chief steward to taste, he raves at how the bridegroom saved the best wine for last (John 2:9-10). Although he does what his mother asks, Jesus does it on his own terms: in secret, without a big show-and-tell. This first sign is for his disciples to come to believe Jesus has authority from God and reveals God’s glory through his humanity.

There are times when we reveal God’s glory through our actions toward others. When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and disabled, and truly love our neighbor, we sharing God’s love with the world. Through Jesus Christ, God gives us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God will be like—no one will be hungry, naked, sick, disabled, or excluded. We will all experience the love of God, if we believe.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for revealing your glory through Jesus’s humanity. Help us to be true to our identity as your children. Call upon us to express your love for and in the world. Be with us as we go out into the world to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and disabled, and truly love our neighbors. Thank you for loving us as your children. Amen.

[i] Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, vol. 4 of Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 94-95.

[ii] Ibid., 95.

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Reading for Baptism of Our Lord: Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:15-22

Peace be with you!

Fear drives us to worry about what the darkness tries to hide from us. Worrying drives us to fear what is hidden. Will I have enough money to pay my bills this month? Will I be able to eat tonight? When and where will the next terrorist attack take place? Will my child make it home safety tonight? Who will take care of me when I get older? The darkness of the world tries to swallow us up.

In our reading today, people have been traveling to see John the Baptist in the wilderness for some time now. They are beginning to wonder if he may be the Messiah (Luke 3:15) that is promised in Isaiah. The individuals are filled with expectation for the Messiah who will set them free from the oppression of the Roman government. The Jews hope they will be freed to rule themselves.

However, John the Baptist renounces being the Messiah by stating:

“I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:16-17 NRSV).

John the Baptist makes an extreme case to separate his role from the Messiah. John claims his role as the precursor to the coming Messiah for whom who he is preparing the way (Luke 3:3-4). John differentiates between his baptism and Jesus’s baptism. John’s baptism is a call to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus’s baptism is with the Holy Spirit, and Jesus will separate those who believe from those who do not believe. Jesus will test everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, and he will divide the unbelievers and the believers through God’s judgment (Luke 3:17-18; 12:10, 49-53; 17:29-30). In Luke 12:10, Jesus says those who speak again the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. In Luke 12:49-53, Jesus says families will be divided over his name. In Luke 17:29-30, Jesus claims he will cause a divide between believers and non-believers on the day of wrecking.[i] The image of fire illustrates how Jesus will consume and purify the unholy allowing them to sprout in new life, just as a forest fire consumes the dead trees and allows dormant seeds to sprout.[ii] John the Baptist directs us to what is to come—divine judgment.

In Luke 3:18-20, Herod puts John the Baptist in prison for speaking the truth about the good news because of his jealousies. Herod’s jealousy becomes one of the reasons why Jesus will be crucified and killed. There cannot be two King of the Jews, and Herod came first. Jesus being called the Messiah, meaning the anointed one, poses a threat to Herod’s kingship.

When Jesus comes to be baptized in the wilderness, the heavens open up and a voice says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NRSV). Based on the fact that John the Baptist is prison, who baptizes Jesus? The other three gospels have John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River, but in Luke no one appears to be baptizing Jesus. However it occurs, God the Father claims and confirms Jesus Christ as his only begotten Son by pouring out the Holy Spirit on him—an action that can be done by God the Father alone. Jesus begins his ministry by spreading the good news and releasing the captives from sin. From this moment forward, Jesus tends to the poor, the homeless, the naked, the disabled, and the sick, until he goes to the cross. In his baptism, Jesus answers God’s call to reveal the truth in the world.

When we are baptized, God calls us by name, and we become his children. By claiming and confirming us as his children, the world cannot argue that we do not belong to God the Father. In the face of life’s struggles, God promises to keep us safe, to care for us, and to never abandon us, even in the darkest parts of the world. God takes away our need to worry or to fear the unknown. God sends us into to world with the Holy Spirit to lead us and to comfort in times of trial. We belong to God no matter what happens. We are claimed and confirmed as children of God.

Come, O Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for claiming and confirming Jesus as your only begotten son and us as your children. Help us to understand that you claim us at our baptism. It is your loving action that welcomes us into the fellowship of disciples. Thank you for providing us with your love, forgiveness, and grace. Amen.

[i] Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 (vol. 3A of Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 323.

[ii] Sundays and Seasons: Preaching; Year C 2016 (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2015), 64-65.

Reading for Epiphany: Matthew 2:1-12

Peace be with you!

We have two choices in life: 1) to be frightened by the unknown and by God’s power in the world or 2) to accept God’s embrace and love. For those of us who accept God’s embrace and love, we embark on a journey without many clear directions or a clear purpose other than going where God calls us to be. God does not promise the safest path or the most cushioned lifestyle; he sends us into the darkness and the wilderness to find his lost sheep. However, there are individuals who are scared of God’s power in the world, a power which threatens their own power over others. To accept God means to let go of the things of this world and to follow a path that we may not know or understand, whose ultimate direction is unknown. God takes us on an alternative journey in order to lead others to his good news in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2:1-15 juxtaposes these two ways of thinking. First, King Herod is introduced as someone who feels threatened by the Messiah—a toddler King of the Jews. King Herod will do anything in his power—even killing innocent little boys—to prevent this “king” from having any authority. Second, the wise men avoid going back to King Herod in order to protect the child. The wise men change their routes to go home and embrace a new journey through the Messiah.

King Herod hears about three visitors in Judea who are inquiring about the Messiah: who is he? (Matthew 2:2). The three visitors are called magi or wise men and may have been scientists who study the stars. The wise men have observed a new star in the sky and have followed it to Jerusalem. Based on their question, the wise men had some knowledge of Numbers 24:17, which predicts a king rising out of the line of Jacob. Of course, King Herod has no idea who they are talking about and calls upon the chief priests and scribes to find out about the Messiah (Matthew 2:4). The chief priests and scribes tell King Herod what the scripture says:

“In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel’” (Matthew 2:5-6 NRSV).

This information poses a threat to King Herod, because the Messiah is the true king of the Jews. The Messiah is posing a real threat to King Herod who has authority from the Roman Empire to rule over Judea. If this Messiah is king, how will King Herod keep order? King Herod lords over his subjects rather than serving their interests. King Herod is a cruel and jealous king who will do anything to protect his reign. By contrast, Jesus is a king who will eat with sinners, heal the sick and disabled, feed the poor, and comfort the needy. Jesus will reveal God’s mystery over his lifetime. In Matthew 20:25, Jesus denounces kings such as Herod. These two kings are juxtaposed against each other, setting the stage for what is to come.

King Herod sends the three wise men to find the Messiah to pay their respect and asks them to come back to tell him where they found the baby boy so he can do the same (Matthew 2:8).

photo credit: Los tres Reyes Magos adorando al niño via photopin (license)

The wise men go on their way to find and pay respect to the Messiah by following the star (Matthew 2:7, 9). When they find Mary with toddler Jesus, the wise men are overcome with joy and give him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11). As they prepare to leave, the wise men are warned through a dream not to go back to King Herod and to go back home a different way (Matthew 2:12). Although the wise men practice a different faith tradition, God leads them by a star to Jesus, which changes their course in the future. It is no longer about astronomy or science for the wise men. The journey changes their directions and leads the wise men to a new understanding of life and the knowledge of in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, though they may have not understood the impact he would have on the world.

By contrast, King Herod refuses to embrace God’s light in the world and feels threatened by a baby/toddler king. Before he sends them on their way to find the Messiah, King Herod asks the wise men when they first observed the star in the sky (Matthew 2:7b). This tells King Herod approximately how old the Messiah is.

When the three wise men do not return to Jerusalem to inform him where the Messiah is, King Herod orders all boys under the age of two to be killed (Matthew 2:16). Because he is afraid, King Herod is cruel, and he attempts to aim his cruelty at the Messiah and at anybody else who gets in the way. King Herod views the Messiah as a threat who will be able to overthrow his kingship for he will be the true King of the Jews.

Massacre of the Innocents by Valerio Castello, Italy, 1656-1658, oil painting on canvas

Kingship means sometime different to God than it does to the kings of the world. To the kings in the world, kingship means political power and riches, while to God, kingship is the responsibility of tending to the needs of the people, his children who will follow Jesus.

Jesus escapes the cruelty of King Herod when Joseph, his father, gets a visit in a dream from angel who tells him to take his family to Egypt and to remain there until King Herod dies (Matthew 2:14-15). Jesus escapes death for the first time, because it is not yet his time.

God gives us an alternative route in life—a chance to believe in something bigger than ourselves. We can choose to live in fear or to embrace God’s love for us. Jesus does not enter the world with the promise of an easy life if we follow him. Mothers and fathers have and will always fear for the safety of their children, and they have and will question why God allows some children to die too soon. Jesus even says families will divide over the sake of his name (Luke 12:49-53). Jesus says the world will be at war with itself before the end times. Jesus, the Messiah, does not make the world a safer place. However, Jesus promises that the challenges of this world are only temporary. Through Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life—entrance into the Kingdom of God. We are promised to see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in heaven where there will be no pain and suffering. As long as we believe in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who comes from God the Father, we will see the Triune God in his glory and be welcomed home in his kingdom.

Come, O Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for protecting us from the cruelty in the world, like you saved Jesus from King Herod. Help us to follow the path that you are leading us to follow, even in our confusion and frustration. Guide us in the wilderness where the world plots against us. Remind us that you have a plan greater than us. Thank you for guiding and leading us through the wilderness. Amen.

Reading for Second Sunday after Pentecost: John 1:1-18

Peace be with you!

The Gospel of John holds a special place in my heart. John writes about Jesus being approachable by anyone—the sick, the lame, the sinner, the seeker, the doubter, and the poor. It is primarily about having a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. However, John’s gospel opens in a wonderful literary, poetic way, introducing us to Jesus Christ, the Son of God and son of man—the Word (John 1:1-2, 14), the light of the world (John 1:5, 9), the life (John 1:4), and God’s Son (John 1:14, 18) who is full of glory, grace, and truth (John 1:14).

Imagine the opening credits of the story of Jesus Christ: The Movie with the narrator reading the first twenty verses of the Gospel of John.

photo credit: The Beginning via photopin (license)

Imagine the first scene being from the creation story when God (the Father and the Son) created the heavens and the world. The first few verses of John takes the reader back to the creation story, back to the beginning of time: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2 NRSV). Jesus is the Word from God. God becomes flesh through Jesus Christ and is made known to us through him. No one can know God without first knowing Jesus. Yet it is God the Father who sends Jesus to us. You cannot know one without knowing the other. By knowing God the Father through Jesus, we become a part of an intricate relationship. The story of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, begins in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve brought sin, brokenness, and darkness into the world, which is why we need Jesus in the first place.

Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus Christ comes into the world to be our light and to overcome the darkness (John 1:4-5). Light vs. darkness is a central theme in the Gospel of John. The light represents the good news of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, while darkness represents evil. God sends Jesus Christ into the world to conquer the devil and to free us from his grip.

When an individual lives in darkness, he/she only feels despair, anger, and resentment. We all know an individual or two who fights darkness on a daily basis. The friend who never seems to land on his/her feet and feels engulfed by the darkness. It is as though every time they have something positive going for them, the darkness brings them down again.

But even if we feel like we are living in the darkness, Jesus is overcoming the darkness through his presence in our lives. All we need to do is allow Jesus to be active in our lives. We can do that by taking our problems, dilemmas, and despair to Jesus and by having conversations with him through prayer.

photo credit: Madonna Nativity 20 via photopin (license)

Now imagine the camera going to the nativity scene. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem and find there are no rooms left at the inn—the innkeepers represent the dark forces in the world who do not want the light to enter. However, Mary and Joseph find an empty stable where Jesus enters the world, despite the wishes of the darkness.

Jesus brings life to those who come into a relationship with him. Not only that, Jesus offers us a chance to be in a relationship with God, if we only believe. By sending Jesus to do ministry, to be crucified, and to be resurrected, God is inviting us to live life through a relationship with him.

When we experience a spiritual healing, we are given the opportunity to experience life as God intended from the beginning. By having Jesus in our lives, we are invited to enjoy and have eternal life. Jesus conquered death through his crucifixion and resurrection, so we could enjoy eternal life with the Triune God.

photo credit: LE NAIN Brothers via photopin (license)

Imagine the scene changes to show the shepherds being visited by a host of angels. The shepherds find Mary and Joseph with Baby Jesus. The shepherds spend time with the holy family and tell them about the host of angels. Mary tears up with all that she hears as Joseph comforts her and Jesus sleeps in the hay. Then two years or so later three wise men follow a star to find the toddler Jesus with Mary and give then gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Even as a small child, Jesus begins having relationships with ordinary individuals in the world.

photo credit: Los tres Reyes Magos adorando al niño via photopin (license)

Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. God sent us his only Son, so he could die for our sins, a debt we cannot repay. Even at Christmas, there is the promise of the resurrection and eternal life for all who believe.

Jesus is full of glory, grace, and truth. Jesus comes into our lives to give glory to God the Father. Who else can give God the Father the glory he deserves? God’s perfect Son gives glory to his Father. We can learn a thing or two from Jesus about giving God the Father glory by lifting him up in everything we do. Imagine the scene of King Herod being angry with the wise men who tricked him and sending his soldiers to kill all of the boys two years old or younger. An angel visits Joseph in a dream, and he takes Mary and toddler Jesus to Egypt to escape King Herod’s ruthless decree. Even as a small child, Jewish authorities felt threatened by Jesus and his kingship over the Jews.

Massacre of the Innocents by Valerio Castello, Italy, 1656-1658, oil painting on canvas

Jesus brings us grace from God the Father. Through his crucifixion and resurrection, we are given grace to be in a relationship with the Triune God, even with all of our imperfections and our sinful nature. Without the grace God gives us through Jesus, we would not be able to be in a relationship with the Triune God.

Jesus brings us truth from God the Father. Jesus is constantly battling the Pharisees over what God truly wants for his children and the devil over what it truly means to be a king. Jesus is constantly showing us what it means to be loved by God the Father. In his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus proves all of these things to those who are willing to believe.

Jesus is also constantly battling rejection and acceptance (John 1:11-13). His own people would not accept Jesus because he was constantly going against the teaching of the Pharisees. Jesus goes against the grain and challenges us to seek truth. Since his own people would not accept him, Jesus reaches out to the Gentiles, non-Jews, and invites them to be children of God. Anyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, who chooses to believe in his name is given the power to be a child of God. What an awesome power to be given!

Preaching of St John the Baptist  1486-90
Fresco, width 450 cm
Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence

Now the movie begins with John the Baptist on the Jordan River. The crowd has its attention on John as he shouts, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (John 1:15c NRSV). Soon John will baptize Jesus, and we will follow Jesus as he travels throughout Galilee and to Jerusalem where he will face the Pharisees and be led to the cross. The author of the Gospel of John connects the story of Jesus with the creation story and invites us on the Jesus’s journey as the story unfolds.

On this third day of 2016, I challenge you to make a resolution to grow closer to God. Welcome this (re)introduction to Jesus Christ as a way to (re)connect with the Triune God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for (re)introducing Jesus to us. Help us to accept his teachings this coming year and to welcome him into our lives. Thank you for the awesome power to be your children. Amen.