Reflection on Mark 1:21-28

 

This week I was sitting at my desk, warm tea in hand, enjoying having a little down time to look over the gospel reading for this week.  It was one of those brief moments of peace that God grants you every once and a while.  It was a glimpse at the good life. 

But, as often happens, God disrupted that sense of peace with something troubling as I read the story over and over.  Listen, the story should have made me happy.  Jesus shows up and frees a man of an evil which is beyond this man ability to control.  I should have spilled my tea in excitement.  But, for some inexplicable reason this story of this man, inflicted with an unclean spirit, made me set down my tea and put my head in my hands.  Reading the story, I suddenly started to feel a great sadness. 

The sadness started when it occurred to me that this guy does not actually get a story.  Not one that is his own anyway.  He is given no name.  He gets to say no words of his own; the unclean spirit speaks for him.  We do not even get to glimpse him running off, telling others about the wonderful things that Jesus has done as others who are healed get to do later on in the Bible.  The story is all about the unclean spirit, and not the man.  The man seemingly is not there.  He is not in control of the story.  He is no one.  And, that makes me sad.

A few years ago, a man died out in the woods, presumably because of drug use.  He was missing for a while and people searched for him.  But, his family despaired when the search was called off; as if their son and brother was unimportant; as if he was no longer worth finding. 

When he was randomly found by someone in the woods, word quickly spread, as did the reason for his death.  “It was drugs,” was the conclusion that spread.  And, yes, it was these drugs that had taken control of his life, but he was so much more than the drugs. 

“He was the kindest, sweetest man,” a family member pleaded others to remember.  “He was the best uncle to his nieces and nephews,” she wanted people to remember. 

She despaired because she feared that a just few months of being tortured by “unclean spirits” would define this loving brother who lived a full, good life previous to the substances.  She feared that the “real” man would disappear, and she had little control over preventing it from happening.

The sad truth is that we are not in control.  I realize it each time that I eat that first potato chip.  “Just one” I say.  A quarter of the bag later I come to the crashing realization that I am not in control.  The unclean chip spirit has somehow taken over my life!  That is the truth.  As we Lutherans reminds ourselves, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  Hopefully, the day will not come where people are staring down into my coffin saying, “Hey, that’s the potato chip guy.  He should have just eaten one.” 

But, I am not in control of that.  We are not in control.  It is as if there are other forces in this world that have a stronger influence on us than our conscious minds are able to handle. 

Some of us struggle with the unclean spirits of vices like addicting potato chips, or worse.  Some of us struggle with the unclean spirits of world powers waging war with no way to stop the violence from encroaching closer on us and our families.  Some of us struggle with unclean spirits infecting others around us, those close to us who hurt us, and we have no way of stopping the hurt because we are not the ones causing it.  We are not in control.

Seeming to take control, Jesus confronts the unclean spirit and the unclean spirit spits back, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”  It is as if Jesus is encroaching on someone else’s territory.  In fact, the Greek leads us into the idea that the unclean spirits get to control the land, while Jesus is supposed to stay in his place in the skies.  “What’s with us and you?” the unclean spirit asks?  In other words, “Stay in your lane Jesus.  Keep to your heavenly things and leave us alone.  We don’t mix heaven and earth.  You are not in control here.”

And, I have to admit that sometimes it feels like that.  Sometimes, the unclean spirits of the world become so powerful and all pervasive that it feels like they have complete control.  Ask a legal immigrant who has had their green card held by an exploitive employer, who will not release the green card until they have done unspeakable services for the employer; ask them who is in control.  Ask the woman who is stuck in an abusive relationship, with no control of the money or even the keys to the car; ask so she has no escape; ask her who is in control.  Sometimes, it feels like the unclean spirits are fully in control of the land.

In the gospel story, the unclean spirit presents itself as being in control.  The unclean spirit knows who Jesus is.  The unclean spirit mocks Jesus, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

And, in a move that proves that Jesus does more than just talk about the power of God like most teachers of the faith, but is the power of God in heaven and on earth, Jesus responds by driving the unclean spirit out.  Jesus says: 

“Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

And, I think that it is this part of the story that I need to read again and again.  Because, the unclean spirits of the world seem so powerful, but for Jesus they are nothing more than a voice to be waved away. 

Maybe, the unclean spirit was never more than a wisp of hot air to begin with.  Maybe, the unclean spirits of this world are just a bunch of convincing bluster that simply needs Jesus to wave them away. 

Maybe, that is the point.  Maybe, we need Jesus to wave them away. 

It seems to me that we despair because either we cannot, or we believe that we cannot be rid of them.  Either way, we truly need Jesus to wave them away.  We trust that Jesus is the power of the heavens come down to the earth to cast away all that is unclean and evil within our lives. 

This demonstration of Jesus is more than a flex to prove how great he is, it is a promise.  It is a promise that he sees our unclean spirits.  It is a promise that we are more than a passing character in a story, rather we are someone worth seeing and freeing.  It is a promise that this world does not end with the victory of unclean spirits over our lives, rather it ends in the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ who has the power to see and hear our unclean spirits, who will free us of those spirits, who will free us from powerlessness, who will cleanse us of our sin, and who will never allow us to be forgotten.

Is there anything wrong with reading the same Bible story again and again?  Is there anything wrong with reading it so often that it penetrates your very being?  Is there anything wrong with allowing a Bible story to take over the stories within your mind?  I hope not, because I would rather have the story of Jesus freeing us reside minute by minute in my mind than a story than tries to convince me that the unclean spirits win.  I would rather that Jesus’ story have authority over my entire being, just as Jesus Christ has authority over the heavens and the earth.

“Be silent and come out,” I will hear Jesus say whenever another story tries to take over my life.  “Be silent and come out,” I will remember Jesus saying whenever someone comes to me, out of control and desperately needing to be free.  “Be silent and come out,” I hope you hear Jesus say to your unclean spirits today, so that you too may be truly free.

Reflection on Mark 1:14-20

I have a truth for you this morning.  It is a truth of which you might not be fully convinced, but that does not mean that it is any less true. 

Christ has set you free. 

I know, I know…sometimes we feel anything but free in life.  Situations seem to dictate our decisions.  Health concerns limit us in ways we wish they would not.  The world is does not seem to be on our side.  Sometimes we do not feel very free.

I know of a young woman who had a vision for her future that excited her and provided her with endless joy just thinking about it.  It was a career in the military, serving in the medical field. 

As honorable of an ambition as that seems for many of us, she suffered from an intense feeling of entrapment caused by her parents.  They told her point blank that they would never support her serving in the military.  They threatened to withdraw money from her medical education.  They told her that she would have to find someplace else to visit during holidays. 

They sound like terrible parents, but that would not be the whole truth.  These parents were extremely concerned for their lovely little girl, and they were willing to use any and every leverage they had to keep the young woman safe from harm.  This love and over-protection caused the young woman to feel trapped, never feeling truly free to be the person that God created her to be.

To those of us who feel trapped; trapped in our situations, trapped by our own vices, trapped by things out of our power to control, Jesus preaches a sermon to us.  In fact, this sermon consists of the first words out of Jesus’ mouth in the gospel of Mark.  First words are always important.  They serve as a mission statement.  First words serve as a key to unlocking everything else that follows.  And, Jesus desperately wants a trapped world to hear that “the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

You, who are trapped by circumstance, “the kingdom of God,” the time when the will of God will break into the world, is near.  Repent.  In ancient Greek that means, “Change your minds.”  Change your focus in life and shift your focus to trusting in this good news of Jesus.  Shift your focus to the saving work of Jesus Christ who sets us free.

Do you remember how the last day of school before summer break felt?  Do you remember the sort of freedom that you felt as you stepped off of the school bus and knew that you would not have to go back to school for months?  I would run across the yard, shouting at the top of my lungs.  I would throw my backpack on the floor of my bedroom, flop on my bed, and just revel in the fact that I could let go of the concerns of school and focus on something else for a change. 

Christ hopes that we can enjoy that sort of freedom.  Not that school is bad, I am not saying that at all; but Jesus wants us to experience that feeling of letting go of one thing and being free to fully invest in another. 

Repent.  Change your focus in life, Jesus encourages us.  Put your trust in the saving news of Jesus Christ, and invest your life in Christ’s saving work.  In the church we say that we are set free by Jesus Christ to be the people that God created us to be.

Those are not just nice, religious words leading to happy endings.  Living a life of freedom in Jesus Christ quite often means that we will have to leave “something” behind; maybe, even “someone” behind as we are set free. 

Look at the first two disciples: Simon, and Andrew.  When Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people,” the scriptures say that they “immediately they left their nets and followed him.”  In other words, they left what was familiar and comfortable for something that was likely outside of their comfort zone.  But, they were compelled by Jesus to do it anyway.  There was something about Jesus and his ministry of freedom that drew them to follow.

James, and John were called by Jesus in much the same way; but did you notice that the scriptures preach that not only did James and John leave their nets to follow Jesus, they also left their father to pursue this ministry of freedom?  One could even propose that they were set free from their father in order to truly follow something and someone much more important. 

I do not preach this lightly.  Just remember, that in the ancient world, fathers were everything.  Anything good that a family member did out in the community primarily reflected well on the father of the family.  You did well in school?  Everyone would look at what a wonderful father you had who was able to raise such a learned child.  Conversely, something bad committed by a child did not reflect badly on the child, but rather reflected badly on the Father.  Fathers are supposed to rear good children after-all. 

As I said, the Father was everything in the ancient world, so it is not insignificant that James and John left their nets and left their father.  That is huge.

Being set free in Jesus Christ sometimes means that you leave something or someone behind. 

Now, this makes a lot of sense when that something that is being left behind is destructive to yourself or to others.  Plenty of people have left behind their drugs or alcohol.  They have thrown those things to the ground as if they were torn, useless fishing nets.  After that, they changed their focus in life, and picked up a new set of nets that gathered people to hear the saving news of Jesus Christ.  But, what if that something or someone that you need to leave is something or someone you love? 

When entering High School I had to choose between singing in the choir and playing my French horn in the band.  It was a hard choice, but sometimes to excel in one thing you have to leave something you love in order to focus on that one thing.  Therefore, you are not graced every Sunday with a piano and French horn duet.

That is trivial when compared to the young woman who chose to ignore her parents, and leave behind their wishes for her life.  She entered into the military in order to do what she knew she was created by God to do; to heal the desperately wounded and to sit peacefully with the dying in the fields of war. 

She wanted to join Jesus as a light in a dark place.  She wanted to join Jesus in his ministry of healing.  Jesus said to her, “Follow me, and I will make you nurse in CAMO rather than scrubs.”  She was set free by Jesus to follow, but it meant leaving behind some people she deeply loved: her parents. 

You might have already guessed this, but her parents did not pull away from her for very long.  Love is often stronger than resolve, thank you Jesus for that.  Even so, in the moment of decision, the young woman had to choose to leave two people behind to follow Jesus’ call.

Her call story is not an isolated one.  Jesus still calls us today.  “Follow me” he says to us.  “Change your mind.”  “Change your focus.”  “Leave the old ways behind.” 

You do not need to say it out loud, but what is it that is holding you back?  From what does Jesus need to pull you away so that you can follow more authentically?  What is holding you back from being the disciple that God has made you to be?

It is hard to let go, always.  Even when it is something destructive like drugs, it is hard to let go.  So, how much harder is it to let go when it is something that seems really, really good? But, do not forget that a life of freedom in Jesus Christ is also really, really good!

And, that goodness has a lot to do with the type of fishing to which we are called.  And, being from Minnesota, any time spent fishing is a really, really good thing!

In our new life of “Jesus freedom,” Jesus directs us to “fish for people.”  There is nothing better than to be asked to go fishing.  And, this particular kind of fishing is so much more fulfilling than you may think at first. 

“Fishing for people” is so much more than just asking people to come to church.  So dig deep in the Bible with me for a second to explore this idea. 

If you open your scriptures to the very beginning, the book of Genesis, you will see that from the very beginning water represents chaos and destruction.  It reads, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.”  If you continue to read you will see that very soon God immediately starts to put order to these chaotic waters.  Light and life emerge from the chaos and destruction of the waters.  When God shapes the chaos, light and life thrives. 

Now, you are supposed to have all of this in mind when you think about these waters out of which Jesus directs you to fish for people. 

People are trapped in all sorts of chaos and destruction in this life.  And, when you repent, when you change your mind and start to care about the things that Jesus cares about, like saving the trapped, then you will look into the chaotic waters and see your purpose. 

You will look into the chaotic waters and see the addicted.  You will see the depressed.  You will see the unemployed.  You will see the hated and forgotten of our culture.  You see those who are forced to do the things they know they should not.  You will see the sick and the suffering.  You will see the hurt children.  You will see those in grief.  You will see them all struggling in the waters and a holy kind of love will drive you to cast a net over them and pull them free.  Do you not already feel that divine love pulling on your heart?

It is that same love that drove Jesus Christ all the way to the cross to save us.  Death on a cross is how far Jesus would go for us.  Burial in a tomb is how far Jesus would go just so that he could pull us up from the darkness.  Another way to put it, Jesus fishes for us, and pulls us from the chaos and destruction of the waters in order to set us free.  You were created to be a part of that saving work.

Yes, it is true that sometimes following the saving news of Jesus Christ means leaving something behind; even if it is cherished and familiar.  Sometimes, following the good news is the hardest thing you will do in your life. 

But, I will remind you that you are free.  Christ Jesus, through his death on the cross, has made you free to be the person that God has made you to be. 

You are free to leave behind all that holds you down.  You are free from the burden it poses.  You are free to follow Jesus in his ministry of setting creation free. 

You are set free so that you can look into the dark waters and see the sick and suffering with love in your eyes.  You are free to follow Jesus, reaching down into the waters of chaos and destruction with him, and pulling up one hand while Jesus pulls up the other; freeing those who need a breath of fresh air.

After-all, freedom is always about going from one place to another.  Be free.  Allow Christ to draw you from all that holds you down; all that holds you back.  Be free.  Allow Jesus to draw you into his task of setting the world free from sin, death, and the devil. 

In Christ Jesus, you are truly free, O people of God.

Reflection on John 1:43-51

 

Philip invites Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus anyway.

I will tell you what I mean by that.  You see, Nathanael’s first appearance on the pages of scripture present him as, how should we say, a little rude, and maybe even a little bigoted.  That is putting it lightly. 

One of Nathanael’s best friends, Philip, has just encountered Jesus, the Messiah, and it has changed his life.  Philip has come face to face with the savior of the world.  He has been invited to follow the one everyone in Israel has been waiting for to make everything right again.  Philip excitedly runs to tell Nathanael about Jesus. 

“We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth” (John 1:45).

And, Nathanael responds to Philip’s overwhelming excitement with a dry slur dripping of sarcasm.  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

This is like someone running up and telling you that they have met the one who is going to unify our nation and set it all straight again.  “And, they are from Wyalusing of all places!” 

And, you respond, “Towanda rules, Wyalusing drools.”

That happened to Isaac once.  He had just heard the “Towanda rules, Wyalusing drools” slur in school and was repeating it over and over again in Wendy’s, when he turned around to see an entire family dressed in yellow and green.  Open mouth, insert foot.  But, he was in good company with Nathanael.  What Nathanael says is just like that.

It is like someone running up and to tell you that the savior of the world is here, and he is in California.  And, you respond, “The Messiah cannot possibly be in California.  Where would they ever find three wise men?”

It is like someone running up to you and saying, “We have found the one who will save us all: Jesus!  And, he is from New Jersey!” 

And, you respond, “What’s the difference between New Jersey and yogurt? Yogurt has an active living culture.”

I truly hope that I offended at least a couple of you because that is Nathanael.  He is the guy who just lets the thoughts that most of us keep well within our heads, slip right out of his pie hole without a single thought.  Like I said, he is rude, he is kind of a bigot, and Philip invites Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus anyway.

I am not even done with my sermon, and that message alone already moves my soul.

There are so many times that I am so thoroughly Jira.  Right?  You know what I mean.  It is the times that I do something and everyone around me whispers, “That was such a Jira thing to do.”  It probably has something to do with my vast ability to remember, or it has something to do with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  I know that I am not alone.  I know that my ability to put my worst foot forward is probably shared among all of you as well.  We are right there with you, Nathanael.

But, the first amazing thing that God is directing us to see in today’s scripture is that no matter Nathanael’s personal lack of social pleasantries, God moves Philip to invite him to check out what Jesus is doing anyway.  Philip invites Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus anyway.

I hope that each of us has at least one friend in our life that will overlook our lack of social pleasantries, a friend that will overlook our careless tendencies and our sin, and will invite us to be a part of what Jesus is doing anyway.  None of us would inherit the kingdom if it was all up to us.  Especially, not Nathanael!  He slams Jesus’ hometown, even before he has met Jesus, and apparently, Jesus overhears the entire conversation!

Just to set that up, I want to tell you about this one time when I worked in a certain theatre, and a group of us were hanging out on the stage, letting off some verbal steam.  The director of the show was being impossible, and we were under a lot of pressure to get the show ready.  It was just a quick break where we offered our “constructive criticism” about our director.  The criticism may have mentioned the director’s tendency to mush his venomous words in his robust cheeks.  And, a couple of people may have, kind of, impersonated him doing it. 

It was at that point when the box office manager came bursting through the doors, telling us that the speakers in the building, the monitors that allow everyone to hear the show while they use the bathroom and such, must have been left on the previous night and everyone could hear the conversation clearly…including the director who was just outside in the hallway.  Not good.

Let us take it back to the Bible.  As Nathanael is walking toward Jesus for the first time, Jesus yells out, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”  With a smile, Jesus is yelling, “Here is a man who is a straight shooter.  He tells it like it is.”

And, that mention of “deceit” should make us see flashes of their ancestor Jacob in our minds.  Jacob was full of deceit.  If you remember, Jacob cheated his way into an inheritance and cheated his way into a massive amount of wealth. Wow, people cheating the system to get wealth.  It is a good thing that does not happen today!

But Nathaniel is not like Jacob. Nathanael is not the cheating, smooth talker that his ancestor was. He is a blunt, tell it like it is sort of guy.

Now, Jesus declaration that Nathanael is a straight shooter, tell it like it is sort of guy, stops Nathanael in his tracks.  As he listens to Jesus’ words it is as if Jesus truly knows him.  It is impossible, right?  They have never met.  Yet, Nathaniel is astonished that this stranger knows this intimate detail about him. 

Nathanael declares, “Where did you get to know me?”

And, Jesus responds: “Yeah, I overheard you under the fig tree.”

It was that thing about Nazareth right?  Open mouth, insert foot.  It is just like my director and the sound system.  Awkward. 

Except, Jesus did know him.  And, I do not mean that he knew of him or simply overheard him.  The Greek clearly states that Jesus “knows” Nathanael.  He knows the guy deeply.  He knows of his rudeness, I mean straight forward character.  He knows of his thoughtlessness and knows his sin.  Jesus knows it all.  Jesus is that touchdown place between heaven and earth where all is connected and all is seen and heard.                                                                      

But, even with the Nathanael’s shameful truth spread out in plain sight, Jesus still invites Nathanael to “see greater things” than even that.  Jesus still invites Nathanael to come and check it out.  There is a place for even Nathanael in Jesus’ family. 

I like that, because if there is a place for him, then there is a place for me and you in Jesus’ greater story as well.  I also like that Nathanael had to prove nothing in order for Jesus to want him to be a part of what he was up to in the world.  Without any sort of test, Nathanael is told, “come and see” and is invited to be a part of this thing that is so much greater than himself.  It is beautiful.

He is invited into a life of salvation.  He is invited into a life of grace.  He is invited into a life of drawing people closer to God.  He is invited into a life of walking with God, hearing from God, learning from God, and just plain old trusting in God.  And, it is a life that is also directed at us.  We too are invited to step into something that is much greater and better and more holy than where we currently are standing.  We are invited to walk with Jesus and to live in Jesus.  We are invited to be a part of his life.

And, if you have no idea what any of that means, you are in good company, Philip and Nathanael do not have any idea either. 

Jesus says that Nathanael will stand in the place where he will see angels going up into heaven and coming down, just like his ancestor Jacob.  When he stands with Jesus, he stands in a place where the heavens and the earth touch.  When we stand with Jesus, we stand next to the place where heaven and earth touch.

And, who can fully grasp what all of that means?  But, it is not something that you are required to understand before you can be a part of it.  It is something that requires nothing more than coming and seeing. 

“Come and see.”

If you have some sort of mobility (feet, wheelchair, the strong arms of someone who loves you who can carry you, a connection to anyone really), and if you have some way of “seeing” or “perceiving” like eyes, or ears, or smell, or touch, if you have at least a couple of these things you are well qualified to walk next to Jesus in the kingdom of God, as it comes down to touch the ground and spread throughout the world.  You are well qualified, just as you are, to follow Jesus Christ, our God in the flesh.  You have to become nothing except yourself to be a part of something that is so much bigger than yourself.

Come and see.  Come and see the goodness of the Lord.  Come and see what love looks like when love has hands and feet.  Come and see Jesus, the Messiah.  Come, and see, and be a part of it all.  Come and see.

Reflection on Matthew 2:1-12

 

The celebration of Epiphany is the celebration of the Messiah being revealed to the magi (or you may know them as the wise men).  Epiphany is an old celebration.  If fact, it is even older than the celebration of Christmas.  And, to accompany this ancient celebration, is a multitude of art depicting the magi bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus.

When going through the oldest artistic depictions of the magi, you cannot help but notice that the magi all kind of look like old white guys.  Even some newer depictions prefer to have old white guys.  And, there is nothing wrong with that.  In fact, if you are an old white guy, it is nice to see these fellow travelers in the journey of life who feel drawn toward the Messiah.  It is nice to know that you are welcomed to enter into the life of Jesus Christ, and welcomed to step through the door of his holy family.  Our world could use a star that would lead more of these men to bring their gifts to the Christ Child rather than the bar or their rooms of loneliness.  Would that not be wonderful to have more men drawn to Christ’s family?

Back to Epiphany art, after 500 years you start to see Epiphany art making a shift.  You start to see different complexions of skin tone as the magi start to be identified with certain ethnicities.  This is evidenced quite strikingly in Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s painting, “Three Wise Men.”  Joseph was a successful artist who, at the turn of the century, sold paintings to publications such as the Saturday Evening Post for their cover.  If the Saturday Evening Post seems to ring a bell it is because the cover of that magazine was famously graced with the paintings of one of Joseph’s most devoted artistic disciples, Norman Rockwell, who painted realistic portraits of American life. 

Let us put our focus back on Joseph though.  His depiction of the magi is stunning and includes a brown skinned magi who clearly looks Egyptian, along with a man who is even darker, with an African complexion, and the image is balanced by none other than an old white guy.  I tend not to identify as an old white guys, but my children clearly think that I do, so, I guess that it is nice that once again I am included amongst those who are invited to bear witness to the Christ Child.  But, others are included too.  That is the whole point of the painting.  Not only was different people’s inclusion in the life of Christ important for Joseph the artist, but it was also important for Matthew, who wrote the source material.

Matthew tells us that a star appeared to these wise men from the east, signaling the birth of a king.  Now, understand that the star could have appeared to some devoted followers of God.  But, God did not choose to do that.  The star could have appeared to the high priest in the temple of the Almighty.  But, God did not choose to do that.  The star could have appeared to any number of important Hebrew people who had been waiting for the day that the Messiah would come, but God did not choose to do that.  Instead, God chose some foreigners to bear witness to the birth of the Messiah.

The scripture that Matthew is using as an outline as he tells his story is Isaiah 60 which says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).  The light has come, but guess to who Isaiah says the light comes?

“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.  Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you;” (Isaiah 60:3-4).  As much as we need all of the promises of God for our own lives, we see in Isaiah that God’s intentions are much, much bigger.  God wants to shine a light on “the nations.”  God wants to shine a light of love and grace on all of those people “out there” who have fallen into darkness.  God’s promises are for you and me, yes, but they are also clearly for everyone else out there also.

And Isaiah truly believes that those “other” people who God draws near will be overjoyed that they too are a part of God’s promise.  Isaiah says that those who God draws near “shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).  And, just a few more sentences later, these foreign people will start to offer fragrant sacrifices to the Lord (just like the Israelites) in gratitude and worship. 

The fragrance on the altar of sacrifice is where the myrrh comes in, just in case you were keeping track. 

 

In other words, these foreigners will be welcomed as God’s people also.  They will be drawn into God’s family of grace and love.  That is what the heart of God is all about; reaching out to those who dwell in the dark so that they might have lives filled with God’s light.

So, drawing from this dripping well of welcoming promise to “the nations” in Isaiah, Matthew tells the story of the magi who are drawn to the Messiah by a star.  They see God’s light and that sends them on their quest.  Not unsurprisingly, these wise men first show up in Jerusalem, the center of Hebrew worship, and they go to the palace of Herod, in search of the newborn king.  Where else would you find a king after-all?

That seems like such a natural thing to do.  You go where you would expect a new king to be born; in the palace.  You go where you would expect that God’s blessing shines down.

We are not too different.  Our lives too tend to revolve around the powerful and the rich.  We are employed by them.  We watch them on our screens and talk about them around the water cooler.  We rejoice when they give birth and cry when they die.  It is such a natural, human thing to do.

But, the star was not leading the magi to the rich and powerful.  The star was not leading them to Jerusalem.  The star was not leading the magi to follow Herod, or anyone else in that city of blessing.  Instead, scripture says, “there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was,” in Bethlehem.  “When [the magi] saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:9-11).

So, here is the picture.  These foreign people were drawn by God to see and worship the Messiah, who was found in a humble town, and was found in a very small and humble body.  This is a message that I think is worth hearing. 

After-all, I think all of us at one point or another feels like the outsider, feels small, or feels unworthy to be included.  All of us have had that moment where we wondered if we are welcomed?  And, preaching to that internal insecurity, we have a story of unlikely foreigners being drawn by God’s light to see God’s fulfillment of a promise; to send the one who will love, forgive, and save.  It is a story that says, “God cares about you too.  You too are included in all that God has in store, even if you feel like the outsider.”

This is Matthew’s message.  And, it is a great message as long as it is for me and my people.  But, I have to admit, that I am not always as enthused that it is a message for others.  I have to admit that there are people out there who I would prefer not be invited into our family.  There are those who dwell in the darkness, and I am just fine with them staying right there.  I must admit that I do not always appreciate a painting that includes those who are not like me.

But, Joseph Leyendecker’s painting did truly capture the heart of the Bible.  His painting, showing those foreigners being drawn to worship the Christ child, next to the old white guy, directs me back to the truths of Jesus Christ.  From the beginning of his life, Jesus’ light drew in the most unlikely and diverse people.  And, throughout his life he confronts us with teachings like, “Love your enemies,” and “pray for those who persecute you.”  From the start of Jesus’ story we learn that we are indeed included in his story, but so are a whole bunch of other people who may not be as wonderful, righteous, hard working, and faithful as I. 

The promise is that the nations will stream to him.  The promise is that Christ will open his arms and all will be drawn into his embrace.  This is the message of the Epiphany.  And, it was the message that Joseph Leyendecker so brilliantly was able to get across through paint and canvas when he painted those wise men from the nations gathering with the Christ child.

There was another painter who not only paid close attention to Joseph’s painting style, but also Joseph’s grasp of Jesus’ holy truth.  In the United Nations hangs a painting by Norman Rockwell, one of Joseph’s apprentices.  It is a painting that includes people of every part of the globe (as does the United Nations), and it is titled, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  It is a painting where all the nations are brought together with the words of Jesus.  It is a painting that reminds us that Christ “so loved the world,” and not just me.  It is a painting that reveals that Jesus is there for us all, and therefore, we should be there for everyone as well.  And that is a fine reminder for Epiphany.