Epiphanies Galore
Listen to this sermon here
Gate Pa – Year B 4th
Sunday of Epiphany 2018
Readings:
Psalm
Psalm 24
First Reading:
Malachi 3:1-5
Second Reading:
Luke 2:22-40
Gospel:
Mark
1:21-28
What I want to say:
Explore
what Mark and Candlemass offer as we begin a new year
What I want to
happen:
Why did you come to church today?
What do we hope for was we
gather each Sunday?
What assumptions might we let
go of and what new ways of seeing our life of faith are we being revealed?
The Sermon
1. Reflection:
The beginning of the good news of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God
it begins with Isaiah
and John the Baptiser proclaiming a baptism of
repentance
and the forgiveness of sins
it begins with John the Baptiser baptising Jesus
and the Spirit immediately driving Jesus into
the wilderness
to face his demons
to face the Satan
and all the temptations to see the world as
all others see it
to assume that what is hoped for is to be hoped
for
to weaken
and accept the shouts calling for a Messiah
the one who would end exile
the one announcing
forgiveness of sins of the people of Israel
sins that led to
exile
sins the meant
the exile continued
even as they
returned to their land
The one who declares the return of the shekinah
– the glory of God
to the midst of
the people
to the heart of
the temple
God returning
the pagan idolaters expelled and even destroyed
the temple rebuilt
and the line of David
the true king
restored
the golden aged returned
John promised this return in his baptism
this is the eternal repentance
and the forgiveness of sins
There was the temptation
to be this messiah
and yet
this was not the call of Jesus
He came with another good news
for 40 days
he becomes this good news
the shekinah
the beginning of the good news of Jesus
Christ, son of God
It begins
with the calling of the first 4 disciples
it begins with Jesus
entering in a synagogue in Capernaum
astounding all and sundry with his teaching
not
a teaching based on any rabbinic school
full of do’s and don’ts
but a fresh understanding
a “new yoke”
that seems so life giving
who is this teacher?
where does this teaching come?
a pause
filled with uncertainty and question
broken by the cry of one out of place
an unclean spirit squawks from a man caged
"What business do you have
here with us, Jesus? Nazarene!
I know what
you're up to! You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!"
The good news begins with an unclean spirit proclaiming
what all others could not see
“You're the Holy One of God”
a centurion is the next to utter such words
at
his death on a cross
It begins with an action
“be silent and leave that man
free him from your cage!”
And the unclean spirit is
screams
and then
is quiet
and does free the man!
It begins
this good news
with authority
and liberation.
Jesus lives out what he says
he uses his actions to teach
he walks the talk first and foremost
this is good news indeed
unlike those other teaches in their fine robes
and fine words
but not a lot else.
This Jesus acts to free people
from
cages put in place
by
unclean spirits
evil
powers
and
assumptions about how the world should be
Those who came that Sabbath to synagogue
came to hear torah
to have their world affirmed
their hopes in messiah supported
they expected life to carry on as it had
for this is how it was to be
The beginning of the “good news of Jesus
Christ, the son of God
begins with all assumptions wiped clean
It begins with new possibilities
It begins with uncertainty and questions
2. Questions
So we who came today to church on our sabbath
what did we come for?
What
do we hope for was we gather each Sunday?
What
might we be invited to let go of as we hear the beginning of the Good news of
Jesus Christ, the son of God?
are
we left with uncertainty and questions?
if
so what are they?
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