Shining a light on those we look up to

In the worldwide Anglican calendar this Sunday is the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple or Candlemas. The name Candlemas comes from the tradition that all the candles that were to be used in the church during the coming year were brought into church and blessed. So it was the Festival Day (or 'mass') of the Candles. Candles were very important as the main means of providing light – in every way we can understand that. Candlemas also marks the end of the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is, as I said last week, the season of shining light on Christ. It is when we are invited to wrap our minds around God is with us, God is with us all, God is with all. It’s that last bit we often struggle with. The presentation story is one more revelation of who Jesus the Christ is, and through that who God is and the nature of God’s ongoing work in the world today.

The gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany is Matthew 5: 1-12, the Beatitudes. These provide the key to how Matthew portrays Jesus. This is what the kingdom of heaven - the reign of God looks like. As in Luke Jesus asks who we see as important – who are our celebrities and notables, and through them what kind of person we aspire to be. Then he offers a very challenging list of who he suggests we might aspire to be like. It is a slightly different list from that offered in Luke but the end result is the same. When we live the beatitudes poverty will end, violence will end, domination of the poor for the rich will end, and the reign of God will be realised. What are you being invited to wrap your mind around this Sunday?