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?
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