The Mystery of Christ: A Sermon for the Epiphany of Our Lord

Grace, peace, and mercy are yours from the Triune God. Amen.

 

Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season for the church calendar. By the sixth day in January, the wider society has long moved past the celebrations of Christmas. Radio stations are back to their usual music, employees have returned to work, children have returned to school, and stores are beginning to set out Valentine’s merchandise. The church, on the other hand, persists a full 12 days after Christmas Day to remember the visit of the wise men to the young Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s gospel (2:1–12). The celebration of the Feast of Epiphany focuses on the revelation of God to humanity – the incarnation of God in Christ, where God becomes human, where divinity and humanity become united. And where, as it turns out, this unity belongs to everyone, not just the Israelites. It is the revelation of this last mystery that Paul proclaims in today’s reading from Ephesians.

 

The word mystery appears several times in this text – verses 3, 4, 5, and 9. Why is this word so important to Paul? In contemporary language, a mystery is something to be solved. Like a puzzle. Or a whodunnit story. It’s something that has an answer at the end and the joy is solving the mystery. However, for Paul and the Ephesians, a mystery is a treasure to be revealed. So, what is the mystery that Paul is trying to reveal to the Ephesian community?

 

Part of the mystery is actually revealed in the chapter 2 when Paul states,

“but God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (v.4-8)

 

“By grace you have been saved.” What an amazing gift that God has given to…well…all of us! And therein lies the mystery that Paul alludes to in chapter 3. The revelation that has been made to the Ephesians is that this gift from God of grace, and of salvation, has been given not only to the Israelites, but also to the Gentiles. How do we know this?

 

We know this because of the 3 Magi. I know the song goes “We Three Kings”, but these men weren’t kings. They were wise men, scientists, following the stars to see this baby that had been born. These 3 men from the East who were three of the first witnesses of God made human in this baby boy. And because men who were not from Israel were witness to this unity of divine and human meant that the revelation of this mystery was not for Israelite eyes only.

 

God’s grace and salvation are universal, and this mystery is revealed through Jesus Christ. And for Paul, it is to this mystery that he has become a servant. For Paul, Epiphany isn’t just a single day on the calendar, it’s a lifelong calling, one that he was imprisoned for. In this letter, Paul is telling the Ephesians that the gospel, the good news, is that

“the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus” (v. 6)

and that he, Paul, the lowly servant of God, has been tasked in sharing this gospel with the Ephesians and with anyone else who will listen.

 

But God doesn’t call only on Paul to share this good news. God calls on Paul, on Jews, on Gentiles…God calls on all of us! We are all to share in this mystery of Christ, in this secret that has been revealed through the combined humanity and divinity of the baby born to be God’s representative on earth. The birth of Jesus is a magnificent celebration of the extraordinary plan of God – the loving intention that all peoples should be invited and included in God’s kindness and love.

 

The mystery of Christ is that God became human, the two natures of humanity and divinity being neither confused nor divided, and the arrival of Jesus on earth prepares the way for the unity of Jew and Gentile. It is God’s plan to overcome the divide: Gentiles are to become full heirs of the kingdom, not just second-class members, those who have ben estranged will be drawn together, and this will all be done through creation, reconciliation, and peace.

 

Now if this is God’s plan, if we are united in Christ through the actions of God sending the divine to be human, then how do we explain the world we live in that is full of war and strife, hate and discrimination, exclusiveness and pettiness…? It is our job as reconcilers in Christ to be deliverers of God’s message of grace, salvation, and unity through Christ Jesus. Radical inclusiveness of all people is not a new thing. It is embedded in God’s eternal purpose for God’s creation and is being revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Radical inclusiveness is created by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is up to us to spread that good news with everyone we meet.

 

The work of sharing this news won’t be easy, Paul can attest to that, as he writes to the Ephesians from a jail cell. It will be scary; it may even be dangerous. Revealing the mystery found in Jesus means we will need to stand out in a crowd because we won’t always be voicing the popular opinion. But we must be the voices that declare God’s love, kindness, grace, mercy, and salvation is for everyone, not the select few. To seek unity in a fallen world, striving to overcome distinctions of all inequalities that hinder God’s love, that is the work we are called to do.

 

As we exhibit unity – of different races, classes, and genders – we display the mystery of God who brings all God’s creation together in the unity of the divine and human baby witnessed by the men from the East.

 

Amen.

Resources:

"Feasting on the Word" edited by David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor

pulpitfiction.com

workingpreacher.com

A Review of the Book "It" by Stephen King

Title: It

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Inc

Year: 1986

1153 pages

From the Back: To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry, Maine, was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered, a good place to live. It was the children who saw - and felt - what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, It lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each person's deepest dread. Sometimes It reached up, seizing, tearing, killing...

    The adults, knowing better, knew nothing. Time passed and the children grew up, moved away. The horror of It was deep-buried, wrapped in forgetfulness. Until the grown-up children were called back, once more to confront It as it stirred and coiled in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.

Personal Thoughts: This is one of those books I've always wanted to read but never thought I'd get around to it or make it through it. First, it's the longest book, by far, that I have ever read. It's also the scariest. But it sure was good! My adventure through King's works has been daunting but has yet to disappoint. This was a very entertaining book, so much so that I often forgot how big it was! Well, except when I tried to hold it. I'm glad that I took on the challenge of reading It because it was well worth the read. I just hope it doesn't take me 3 months to read all of King's book, otherwise I may never make it through his writings!

A Review of the Book "It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah

Title: It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime

Author: Trevor Noah

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Year: 2016

280 pages

From the Back: Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child to exist. But he did exist - and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humour to navigate a harsh life under a racist government. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself thanks to his mom's unwavering love and indomitable will. This honest and poignant memoir will astound and inspire readers as well as offer a fascinating perspective on South Africa's tumultuous racial history.

Personal Thoughts: First, I want to admit that buying the young reader edition of this book was entirely accidental. However, there was nothing "young reader" about the writing. Maybe the language is different in the adult version? In any case, the young reader version didn't hamper the story, in my opinion.

    No matter which version of the book you read, the narrative is a hard one. Trevor Noah does an excellent job at telling his story in these pages, giving readers an exclusive on what it was like growing up poor, not belonging to either the black or the white community, and being at risk for bullying, racism, or arrest no matter what he did.

    It is a heart-wrenching story that shows how the public view of the end of apartheid didn't match what was actually happening on the ground in South Africa. It also brings to light what living in between two worlds is like - not white enough and not black enough to be accepted by either communities.

A Review of the Book "Tribulation Force" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins

Title: Tribulation Force

Author: Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc

Year: 1996

449 pages

From the Back: In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the globe disappear. Those left behind, terror stricken, are desperate to determine what happened. Raymond Steele (Pan-Continental Pilot), Buck Williams (Global Weekly Senior Writer), Bruce Barnes (New Hope Village Church Minister), and Chloe Steele (Stanford University Student) find the answer in a most surprising and seemingly unlikely place. Suddenly everything makes sense, but they learn that the disappearances have ushered in a seven-year period called the Tribulation, during which the earth will suffer from the most catastrophic calamities in its history. Those left behind face war, famine, plagues, and natural disasters so devastating that only one in four people will survive. Odds are even worse for enemies of the Antichrist and his new world order. Ray, Buck, Bruce, and Chloe band together to form the Tribulation Force. Their task is clear, and their goal is nothing less than to stand and fight the enemies of God during the seven most chaotic years the planet will ever see.

Personal Thoughts: Tribulation Force is the second book of the Left Behind series. There is definitely some questionable theology behind these stories. One of the storylines in this book touches a lot on purity culture which doesn't really appeal to me. And I wouldn't use the Left Behind series as a theological basis for preaching or anything. However, it is still an enjoyable story and I will continue on into the series with book 3 as soon as I can get it from the library. So if you don't mind taking the theology with a grain of salt and simply want to read an entertaining apocalyptic story, then you might enjoy Tribulation Force.

A Review of the Book "All Our Relations" by Tanya Talaga

Title: All Our Relations

Author: Tanya Talaga

Publisher: House of Anansi Press Inc

Year: 2018

221 pages

From the Back: In this vital and incisive work, bestselling and award-winning author Tanya Talaga explores the alarming rise of youth suicide in Indigenous communities in Canada and beyond. From Northern Ontario to Nunavut, Norway, Brazil, Australia, and the United States, the Indigenous experience in colonized nations is startlingly similar and deeply disturbing. It is an experience marked by the violent separation of individuals from traditional ways of life - all of which has culminated in a spiritual separation that has had an enduring impact on generations of Indigenous children. As a result of this colonial legacy, too may communities today lack access to the basic determinants of health - income, employment, education, a safe environment, health services - leading to a mental health and youth suicide crisis on a global scale. But, Talaga reminds us, First Peoples also share s history of resistance, resilience, and civil rights activism, from the Occupation of Alcatraz led by the Indians of All Tribes, to the Northern Ontario Stirland Lake Quiet Riot, to the Standing Rock Protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which united Indigenous Nations from across Turtle Island in solidarity. Based on Talaga's Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy series, All Our Relations is a powerful call for action, justice, and a better, more equitable world for all Indigenous Peoples.

Personal Thoughts: Every time I read a book on a piece of Indigenous history I shake my head and wonder how I could have been, and sometimes continue to be, so unaware of things happening in my own backyard. All Our Relations provides some powerful reasoning behind the high suicide rate of Indigenous youth. And so much of it was preventable. A lot has happened to Indigenous people that most of us are not aware of or, if we are, the history has been downplayed and/or white-washed. Books like this one by Talaga are necessary reads for anyone interested in reconciling with our past and making changes for the future.

A Review of the Book "Who Do You Say That I Am?" edited by Donald Armstrong

Title: Who Do You Say That I Am?

Author: Donald Armstrong, editor

Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company

Year: 1999

141 pages

From the Back: In our current time, the essential and life-changing question that Jesus asked of his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" has been, in the theology of many, effectively changed to "Who would you like me to be?" From radical feminist theologians who critique Jesus through their particular experience as women to church growth experts who off "God at your service," Jesus has been revisioned and reimaged to bless what we have become and to grant the fulfillment of our excessive desires.

    The purpose of this book is to articulate and make accessible a credible antidote to this devastating and inaccurate picture of God. Written by six internationally recognized New Testament scholars and church leaders, these essays clearly and decisively reclaim the biblical view of Jesus and the church for our postmodern age.

Personal Thoughts: I can't say that I was a fan of this book. Perhaps it's because it's 25 years old and perceptions change over the years, I don't know. The topic of the book was promising, having the purpose of reminding the reader that they are made in God's image and that we are called to keep Jesus Christ at the centre of our faith. However, the authors of the essays seemed to be pushing the idea that biblical scriptures should never be questioned or discussed, that all the answers we search are found literally in the pages. Therefore, I found this collection of essays to be somewhat off-putting. I can be good, though, to read others' opinions on things, as a way to learn where we've come from in our thinking about the Holy Trinity.

A Christmas Story: A Sermon for Christmas Eve

Grace, peace, and mercy are yours from the Triune God. Amen.

 

The four Gospels present four unique and yet complimentary pictures of Jesus in the way they record the birth of Jesus: Matthew presents Jesus as the King of the Jews worthy of obedience and worship; Luke shows a humane Savior that brings good tidings and liberation to the poor, neglected and marginalized; Mark presents Jesus as Lord that serves in secret and thus shows a new way, free from the fight for supremacy and status; and finally, John presents Jesus as God, who comes as the Word become flesh and shines in the darkness to bring a new beginning in this world.

 

The most well-known and the most recited account of the birth of Jesus (especially if you’re a fan of Charlie Brown!) belongs to the Gospel of Luke, of which we heard today.

 

Luke’s Gospel is an attempt to put in place an orderly account of the birth, ministry, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for a Gentile audience and focuses on the traditionally marginalized and neglected groups in First Century Mediterranean societies. Thus, Luke’s Gospel is full of references to women, children, the sick, the poor, and the rejected, like the Samaritans.

 

This special and caring focus on the neglected and rejected also features in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. Luke’s birth narrative is the longest out of all of the four Gospels and gives special attention to the role of the Holy Spirit and to the women in the story. Here the angel appears to Mary (not to Joseph as in Matthew’s Gospel) and it is Elizabeth, and then later again Mary, that each has words of praise and blessings recorded. Luke, in his human focus, records the “homeless” status of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem, the special care given to the baby Jesus as he is born, and how a lowly feeding troth becomes a crib.

 

As if to further emphasize this consistent focus of the poor and the rejected of society, the angels appear to shepherds in Luke’s account, not to the rich, privileged, and powerful wise men in Matthew’s account. It is the ordinary shepherds that witness this glorious event and became the first messengers of God’s peace and goodwill towards people on earth. The beautiful birth narrative of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel illustrates God’s relinquishing of the divine in Jesus, born amongst the poor and rejected, bringing good tidings of peace and goodwill to all.

 

So instead of singing “happy birthday to you” as we would any other baby, to celebrate the moment we happily join with millions of Christians around the world in remembering the birth of our Savior by singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” We celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace with joy, and praise, and song!

 

And yet, despite being in a season of joy, sometimes we see and hear only the worst of what is around us, neglecting the simplest joys, and thinking that our times are so much worse than those faced by people in the past. Or perhaps we have reached the point of assuming that it's all up to us to bring the peace our hearts long for, with God not bothering to participate at all. Can we even begin to make everything right, without any help at all? Where are God’s caring hands in all of this desperate search for hope?

 

But isn't Christmas about God intervening in human history? Isn't Christmas about God telling us not to give up hope after all, telling us not to believe that we are all on our own? While we can't do it all, we can do something, and if we do this something together, just think of the great wonders God will work. Christmas is a tough time for many and we are tasked as God’s children to take the message of hope found in Jesus and to spread our love and joy to others, now and all year round.

 

We can’t forget the suffering of God's children this Christmas season. This may be our biggest challenge: how do we sing, and feel, joy when, for example, people are freezing to death in the streets? The world just seems so dark and hostile. So I wonder what this Christmas will feel like when so much of the world seems to be in turmoil and the angel’s cry of “peace on earth” seems like more of a wish than a blessing and we who gather to sing carols, light our candles, and hear the Christmas story seem so very small against the backdrop of this troubled world.

 

Now more than ever, it is important that we become instruments of God's compassion and justice, and sing with our whole hearts, as we strive to put ourselves in God's service, to participate in what God is doing. Think about the angels singing that night, even though Rome had its boot heel on the throat of the Jewish people. Those angels sang anyway because they brought tidings of hope and of great joy. That is where we turn for help in dealing with the news on TV and on social media, and I hope that in some small way we might become tidings of great joy, and a word of hope, to those whom we meet each day. That work is the kind of music, the kind of singing together, that will change the world, and it is the melody God is calling us to join in and sing.

 

So when you leave tonight, I pray that you will take the birth of Jesus into your hearts, and the joy and love and hope that his birth carries. In Jesus, God has brought us the light we need to shine in the dark places, to bring hope to the discouraged, insight to the lost, and the promise of peace for all those who long for it. It is this vision of the world that is indeed good news of great joy for all people.

 

Amen.