January 6, 2013
It’s Epiphany Sunday, which, since the second century of the Christian era, has been the time in the church calendar when we commemorate Jesus’ birth as well as his baptism by John. Later on the focus of Epiphany became the visit of the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus, which is the subject of today’s reading from the book of Matthew.
Epiphany is a Greek word that means "appearance" or "coming into light." The season's focus is one of light, and of Christ as the light of the world. Because we commemorate the visit of the Wise Men on Epiphany, this has also been a season when the Church has emphasized the inclusion of Gentiles in the covenant that God established through Jesus Christ. The wise men who came to Jesus were the first of millions of Gentiles who have come to claim a covenant relationship with the loving God who has been revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
In today’s passage from Ephesians Paul writes:
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, . … This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus.
Epiphany is a time to remember that despite the uncertainties of this life, God has called all of us into a covenanted relationship.
Writing to a pre-Christ Jewish community living in exile, the prophet Isaiah said says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah is saying to God’s People, “You who are sitting in the darkness of despair, of exile, see and know that God is with us. God’s light is here. Wake up, and live in the light.”
Isaiah is making a couple of points in this passage. First, the light has come, and second, live in that light. So what are we waiting for?
Our world is covered in darkness. 2012 feels like a particularly dark year for me – wars, sanctions, economic meltdown, the threat of new wars, natural disasters of all kinds, many of which were rooted in irresponsible human behavior. Massacres, murder, torture. So much of our human experience convinces us to stay hidden in the shadows – for our own safety’s sake.
During the Christmas season, and throughout the entire year, we pray for God’s peace to come, for God’s light to come, for God’s love to come. …. For God to come. But, wait, God already came, right?
When I read the old testament passage for today I was struck by the authority with which Isaiah speaks in Verses 2 and 3: ‘but the LORD rises upon you, and God’s glory appears over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawning’. It’s easy for me to see this as a prophecy that anticipates the coming of the Christ. That’s the easy part.
But, as Christians, we are disciples of Christ, we are followers of Christ.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world.’ But Jesus also said, ‘You are the light of the world.’” We are the light of the world. The first words in today’s passage from Isaiah are commands: Arise. Shine. “Go and Be the light of the world,” in Jesus’ words. But then after those commands comes Isaiah’s “because.” Your light has come! For Isaiah’s listeners, the darkness of exile will come to an end; sons and daughters will return to their motherland; God’s people will once again rejoice – Arise, Shine. In the context of God’s new covenant through Christ, this is a promise made not just to a select few – it’s made to all of God’s people. And God is calling everyone. God’s covenant is open to everyone.
So, in the scheme of things, it has occurred to me that God has done an awful lot already. We’re in the 8th Day of Creation now. And what if God is waiting for us to do our part?
Perhaps if we were to believe Isaiah’s words and act as authoritatively as Isaiah writes, we would find that the possibilities we help create are infinite: Nations and kings will be attracted to this light.
On the other hand, in some ways, I am hesitant to raise this idea – so many of us do so much. Most of you do much more than I do. But, what else could we do if we truly believed in the vision that Isaiah lays out for us – and acted authoritatively on that vision. What could I really do if I really believed in and acted out God’s vision for me?
Isaiah’s words suggest that the world for which we wait, the world we pray for, the world for which we hunger, the world in which God’s abundance is evident and available to all is here. Christ says that we are the light. Isaiah says that the glory of the LORD rises upon us.
Sometimes I believe this. Sometimes I act like this. Many times I don’t. As I have been mulling over the Isaiah passage, I’ve been wondering – what would I be like if I embraced this vision that Isaiah has laid out for me. How would I act if I stopped asking for God to do things, and lived with the understanding that, as one of God’s covenanted people, God was asking me to do things?
What would change? What parts of myself would I let go of? Would I have a pension plan? Would I live where I live? Would I drive my car more? Would I drive my car less? Would my diet change? Would I laugh at different jokes? What would change about my daily routine? What would I watch on television, if I owned one? Would the person I am now like the person I would become? Or would the person that I am now be amused by the person I would become?
To end, I’ll repeat the vision Isaiah’s exhortation and prophecy.
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD rises upon you,
and God’s glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes all and look about you;
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.
Then you look and be radiant;
your heart will throb and swell with joy,
the wealth of the seas will be brought to you,
the riches of the nations shall come to you.
Herds of camels shall cover your land,
young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba will come.
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming, the praise of the LORD.
(Isaiah 60:1-6 ESV)
Let’s take a few minutes to think about this.