Monday, January 28, 2019

The Lukan Messiah


January 27th, 2019        “The Lukan Messiah”        Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 4:14-21 with 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

         If you were here last week, you might remember that I told you that this year we would be looking at Jesus’ ministry in the gospel of John and the gospel of Luke.  Last week, we read about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in John’s gospel.  In that gospel, Jesus’ ministry begins at a wedding and it begins with a miracle.  Because he is able to turn water into wine, people begin to believe in him.  His miracle is called a sign, pointing to who he is as one who brings the abundant generosity of God to life.  Our reading for this morning is from Luke’s gospel and in this gospel, Jesus begins his ministry in an entirely different manner.  This is our first glimpse of the Lukan Messiah, or the Messiah according to the gospel of Luke.

         (Read Luke 4:14-21)

         We can see the contrast right away.  Instead of becoming famous for miracles and signs, in the gospel of Luke, Jesus is famous for being a good teacher.  When Jesus’ adult life begins in Luke’s gospel we have the story of his baptism, which we read a few Sundays ago, followed by the story of his period of temptation in the wilderness, which we will read in March as we begin the season of Lent.  Following these events, Luke tells us that Jesus was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and he began to teach.  Everyone loved his teaching, and praised him, and before long, news about him began to spread across the land.

         Eventually Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and he does there what he has done elsewhere, preaching in the synagogue.  He gathers with the community for Sabbath worship and volunteers to read from the scroll of Isaiah.  He reads about the coming Messiah, and all that he was promised to do, and then he sits down to teach.  As the eyes of all look on to see what he will say, Jesus claims that “today this scripture has been fulfilled.”  Jesus claims that he is the Messiah, and it is pretty shocking.

         We will have to wait until next week to find out how the hometown crowd reacts, but this week we can look at who the Messiah is in Luke.  Remember last week, in the gospel of John, Jesus’ actions showed who the Messiah was.  He was one who celebrated with the people, who was the sign of a new religion, who was the embodiment of Old Testament promises fulfilled, and who gave with abundant generosity.  We concluded last week that our response to the Messiah of John’s gospel was to share the abundance we have with the world.

         This week we see who the Messiah is in Luke.  Pulling from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus tells us that he has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and he has come for a specific purpose: “to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” or the Jubilee year.  Luke makes is really clear who Jesus is and what he has come to do.  So what is our response to this Messiah?

         The tasks of the Messiah become the tasks of the church and throughout history the church has interpreted this in several ways.  The easiest way to read this is to spiritualize the text.  If these tasks of good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight are spiritual then they are easy to understand and act upon.  Jesus gives good news to us, releases us from being captives to sin, and opens our eyes to the truth of God.  The year of the Lord’s favor or Jubilee year is a forgiveness of debts and to spiritualize this implies the forgiveness of the debt of sin we owe to our Lord.  It’s easy to take this spiritualized Messiah as a model for the church because it doesn’t ask anything of us.  Jesus has come to forgive us of our sins, the end.

The problem is, a spiritualized interpretation of this text does not line up with the rest of Luke’s gospel.  Luke isn’t preaching a spiritualized Messiah, instead he is preaching a socio/political Messiah.  He is talking about a Messiah who literally brings good news to poor people, who literally releases people who are in bondage, who literally opens the eyes of blind people, who literally frees those who are oppressed, and who literally forgives all monetary debts and slavery.  Luke is preaching a Messiah who bucks the power system and changes the world.  The Messiah Luke is preaching is a threat to those in power, a threat to the traditional church structure, and a threat to us.  Luke is telling us that if we are not working on behalf of the poor in real ways, if we are not working for freedom in real ways, if we are not working to end oppression and debt in real ways then we are not the real church.  It’s that simple.

A few months ago, the Brown Bag Book Group read “Convictions” by Marcus Borg and in that book Borg discusses several ways that American Christianity has gone off the rails or become diverted from the truth of the Bible’s call upon our lives.  One example of this is just what I am talking about, how we have spiritualized who Jesus is rather than look at what he literally is doing and what he literally asks of his followers.  Borg thinks this is caused by our ideology of individualism.  He writes:

“The United States has the greatest income inequality in the developed world and it is the product of the political ideology of individualism – the belief that how our lives turn out is largely the result of our efforts as individuals.  Individualism emphasizes what used to be called the “self-made man.”  If our lives have turned out well, it is because we have worked hard and deserve to keep what we have made.  It favors “the gifted” – whether gifted by a genetic inheritance of good health and intelligence, family values that emphasize education and hard work, the economic class into which we are born, inherited wealth, and so forth.  It has a cruel corollary: if our lives have not turned out well, it is largely our own fault because we failed to make use of our opportunities.  Many Americans embrace the ideology of individualism and studies indicate we are the most individualist country in the world.”

I would argue, this embrace of individualism, leads us to reject the Messiah in the gospel of Luke.  I don’t need to care about the poor if being poor is their own fault.  I don’t need to care about the oppressed because I myself am not oppressed.  I don’t need to care about those crushed under the weight of debt because I am managing my personal finances just fine on my own.  I don’t need a Messiah who does these things in an ideology of individualism; I just need a Messiah who forgives my sin. 

While the spiritual significance of the Messiah and the forgiveness of sins is important, it is not the only message, or even the dominant message of Luke’s gospel.  In Luke’s gospel the call for social justice, for actions of faith, and for the common good, outweighs the writings about personal salvation. 

Over and over again, the Biblical texts tell us that what happens to the poor should matter to us even if we aren’t poor.  In our reading from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth we find his famous argument about the church as the body of Christ.  Just as the body is one and has many members, so too, we though many are a part of the one body of Christ.  I think this metaphor for wholeness extends beyond the church and into our society and the world at large.  Just as Paul argues the eye, the head, and the foot are all essential parts of the body, so too, all individuals on this planet are essential members of the body of Christ.  Be they poor, blind, captive, or oppressed they are all of value to God.  Paul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”  This should be true of all of us and all of those we meet in our world this day.

Again, Marcus Borg writes:

“The alternative – or necessary compliment – to the ideology of individualism is a politics that takes seriously “the common good.”  It is grounded in a number of realizations.  None of us is self-made, however disciplined and responsible we may have been.  We benefited from what previous generations did for “the common good” including universal education, civil rights, gender equality, government-created infrastructure, and so forth.  Moreover, the common good should concern all of us, not only for moral but also for pragmatic self-interested reasons.  Countries that take seriously the well-being of all are safer and healthier: they experience less crime and mental illness, lower infant mortality, longer life expectancy, less desperation, and so forth.  In all of these categories, the United States lags behind most of the developed nations of the world.”

The Messiah we find in Luke’s gospel calls us to turn away from the American ideology of individualism and embrace instead the common good.  Jesus in the gospel of Luke cares deeply about the poor and the oppressed and calls us to do the same.  And Paul reminds us that if these members of the body of Christ suffer, than we should suffer with them. 

What happens to other people matters.  It matters to me and it should matter to you.  If we are going to embrace the Messiah in Luke’s gospel than we need to embrace his mission and make it our mission as well.  We are called to bring good news to those who are poor and have little, by sharing the abundance we have and encouraging others to do the same.  We are called to open people’s eyes to Jesus’ work and ministry and the call to justice.  We are called to release those who are being held prisoner by unjust systems or social structures.  We are called to labor to end oppression in any form.  And we are called to create a community of forgiveness.  These things are the marks of those who follow Jesus and they are the marks of the true church. 

Today is our annual meeting, and the time when we reflect on the good work we have done this past year and on who God is calling us to be in the year ahead.  This is a perfect time to consider who we are as a church and how we are fulfilling the call of the Lukan Messiah to bring good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.  If we are going to embrace the common good of our brothers and sisters then that needs to be a common goal of this church family.

The message that Jesus brought to the hometown synagogue was a challenging one.  He clearly stated who he was, the Messiah, and what his mission was, justice, freedom, forgiveness, and abundance.  Those who would follow this Messiah can see their mission here as well.  As the church of Christ, we are called to do these things in our world.  This is the measure of our faith.  May God help us embrace the Lukan Messiah and share his mission and ministry in our world.  Amen.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Abundant Generosity


January 20th, 2019     “Abundant Generosity”    Rev. Heather Jepsen

John 2:1-11 with Psalm 36:5-10

         Last Sunday we read about Jesus in the gospel of Luke and this Sunday we have a Jesus story from the gospel of John.  Many of you know I preach the lectionary cycle, which is a three year set of readings chosen by the early church.  We are in year C of the cycle and rather than focus on one gospel we will be jumping back and forth between Luke and John.  The Jesus in the gospel of John is a very different guy than the Jesus in Luke’s gospel.  This week we will look at how Jesus begins his ministry in John’s gospel and next Sunday we will look at how Jesus’ ministry begins in the gospel of Luke.

         So far in John’s gospel Jesus has been baptized and has collected a few followers for himself.  Now it’s the third day, and Jesus decides to attend a wedding with his mother and his disciples.  It’s kind of a strange story, but the wine at the wedding runs out.  The wedding party would have lasted for days and to run out of wine early on would lead to some pretty grumpy guests.  Mary points out to her son that the wine is gone and Jesus brushes her aside “what concern is that to you and me?”.  But before we know it, the stewards fill the ritual washing jars, Jesus waves his hand, and suddenly there were another 180 gallons of wine to go around.  It’s not the cheap stuff either, as the local sommelier is impressed with this vintage’s bouquet.  180 gallons of fine wine?  Now that’s some party!

         The writer of the gospel of John tells us that when he did this, turning the water into wine, that it was the first of Jesus’ signs and it revealed his glory.  Because of this act, his disciples believed in him.

         Being a fan of fine wine myself I totally love this story.  But all the same, it can be hard to find a place where this story intersects with our own lives.  While we might be able to think of weddings gone awry, we can hardly relate to Jesus’ ability to just fix it.  And while 180 gallons of wine sounds like a great party, it also seems like a waste of a miracle.  Jesus will only perform seven signs in John’s Gospel, why waste a sign on a party?  180 gallons is probably too much wine anyway, no matter how good it is.  Honestly, that could just lead to a lot of drunk people.

         So what is Jesus doing here and what does this miracle mean?  If this is a sign pointing to who Jesus is, then who exactly is Jesus? 

         John’s writing is always rich with symbology and this story is no exception.  We get a clue to that right away with the mention that it’s the third day.  Third day, isn’t that the day Jesus will rise again at the end of the gospel?  And the wine in the ritual washing jars, that can’t be a coincidence.  The washing ritual was a sign of the old religion and the purification rites necessary to attend collective meals like this.  To replace that water with wine is a symbol that Jesus is turning the old ways of religion on its head.  And obviously, nobody is going to be doing the ritual washing now that the jars are filled with wine.  Jesus is taking old, tired, ways of doing church and making them new.  Much of the gospel of John revolves around the struggle of faithful people as they seek to separate themselves from the Jewish religion and form a new faith centered on the person of Jesus Christ.

         I can find a connection for us there.  We are obviously part of that new religion.  We are no longer bound by the traditions of the old ways, like ritual washing and such.  In fact, as part of the Reformed church, we have left more than one tradition behind as we seek to respond to the continuing call of the Holy Spirit.  Even in the local church story, Jesus is pouring new wine into old water jars as this church itself continues to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  As new families come, the face of the church changes.  We have new life and energy and are able to shift our focus with the shifting times, flexibly responding to God’s call in our world.  From mission in Africa to new local ministries, from fresh worship experiences to new elders on session, are of these are new wine in old water jars.  These are all ways Jesus is pouring new life into the story of the church.

         Another part of the symbology of John’s text is found in the abundance of wine.  180 gallons is a lot, more than any party would need.  The amount is meant to be over the top, it is meant to be shocking, and it is meant to get our attention.  This abundant amount of wine is a symbol of God fulfilling promises made in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Our Psalm for today is an example of those promises.  The Psalmist tells us that the people of God will feast on the abundance of God’s house and will drink from the river of delights.  The steadfast love of God is expressed in imagery of an abundant table.  Jesus’ miracle of creating an abundance of wine is meant to be a sign of God’s abundance coming to life.  It is a sign of the Old Testament promises fulfilled through the person of Jesus Christ.

         As people who live lives of abundance, it can be hard for us to find a way to connect with this part of the story.  Many of us here in worship today already have an abundance of food in our homes.  And compared with our friends in Africa and other poverty stricken areas, even the poorest amongst us are rich.  Examining my own life, I can tell you that I don’t leave the table hungry.  In fact, I think I eat three abundant meals a day, and if I want more there is always more food available to me.  Like most Americans, I am faced with such abundance at meals that I struggle not to eat too much.  As people who are already living the promise of abundance, how can we relate to this story?

         The place I found meaning in this part of the story is in generosity.  Generosity and abundance are twins.  Jesus’ gift of wine is abundant and it is generous.  And as the wine was poured, the wine was shared.  The wine steward and the host did not horde the wine, instead they shared it around.  It was the best wine ever and instead of being cellared for another 10 years it was poured out and enjoyed.  There was more than enough for everyone.  The gift was abundant and the host was then generous.      

         As a person who has already experienced the abundant blessings of God, this text this morning reminds me to share.  If my water jar is filled with new wine, I need to respond with generosity and share with my neighbor.  This can be a financial sharing, as I give gifts of money to my church and other needs which touch my heart.  This can be in a sharing of goods.  Souper bowl Sunday is coming up and I can buy extra groceries and then bring them to church to share with the Food Center.  This can be a sharing of food that I make, if I have a neighbor in need and my recipe is too big for my family of four, I can take soup to their house instead of freezing leftovers for myself another day.  The miracle of abundance asks for a miracle of generosity.

         But even more than those acts of sharing tangible goods, this morning I am thinking of sharing my talents with the world.  See, I feel like I myself am filled with new wine.  I am filled with new religion, if I am filled with a new love of God poured into my heart by Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and then I want to share that love around.  I want to be generous with my time, offering gifts of ministry and compassion wherever I go.  Like folks sharing wine at the party, I want to share the spirit of Christ with the world.  If there is a need, I want to fill it. 

Like Jesus, I may balk at first, “what’s that to me” but eventually I’ll come around.  That’s why you find me doing so many extra jobs here at the church.  From mopping up a water spill to cleaning out the gutters, during the week there are tasks to do and I am ready to help and share.  I can’t do it all, but I am ready to do what I can.    I am also ready to share my faith with you in worship and pastoral care.  I am ready to meet with you and talk through hard times.  I am also ready to just be your friend, like when I bump into you at the grocery store and I’m happy to chat about the weather or the Chiefs.  “Go Chiefs!” 

         My point is, I feel like God has filled my heart with this new wine.  Where once I was simply an empty water jar, now I am filled to the brim with the best vintage.  I have 180 gallons of God’s love to spread around and I am happy to share.  I want to laugh and smile with you.  I want to cry with you in the sad times.  I want to cheer with you.  And I want to help you when you need help.  I want to share the love of God poured into my heart with you.  God has given me an abundance of faith, love, and hope and I want to be generous with that abundance in my world.  I hope you feel that way too about the abundant gifts God has given you.

         The wedding at Cana is a bit of an odd story but it is a good story too.  This story tells us that Jesus began his ministry at a wedding of all places, taking time to celebrate with family and friends.  It tells us that Jesus was generous and valued happiness and celebration as well as a good glass of wine.  This story tells us that God’s love is abundant, there is more than we could ever want or need.  And this story tells us that our response to God’s abundance should be to share it around. 

I hope today that you can find examples of God’s abundance in your own life.  I hope you can find empty water jars that are now filled with new wine.  I hope you can find gifts that God has given you to share, from financial blessings to gifts of faith and love.  Our world is a hungry and broken place.  Let us share God’s abundance with all those in need.  Let us respond to the abundance we have experienced with our own abundant generosity.  Amen.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Child of God


January 13th, 2019        “Child of God”     Rev. Heather Jepsen

Isaiah 43:1-7 and Luke 3:15-22

         So often in our world today we find ourselves searching for meaning, especially this time of year.  I think that often in the New Year many of us become reflective.  We think of the year past, things we did well and things we could have done better.  And we think of the year to come, what are our plans for ourselves and our families.  Many of us make resolutions or promises to ourselves about what kind of people we want to be in the coming year.  Maybe you are trying a new diet or exercise plan these days, or maybe you are focusing on a new prayer regimen.  Whatever promises we might make to ourselves, for many of us, this is a time of year to wonder just who we are and what, if anything, makes us of value.

         Our Biblical texts for this morning are all about value.  Our Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah was written to the Israelites when they were captive in Babylon.  Isaiah can have some pretty harsh words for the people of Israel; in fact, he claims that the destruction of Jerusalem and their current state of exile are all their fault because they had such bad behavior.  But in this reading for today, Isaiah only has words of comfort for the broken nation.

         “Thus says the Lord” Isaiah claims and the listener is to understand that these are not Isaiah’s words but rather the words of God spoken directly to the community.  “Thus says the Lord” I am the one who made you, I am the one who formed you, and I am the one with the power to make you again.  I have redeemed you, I have called you, and I will be with you when you pass through the waters and fire of chaos.  I will give the world for you.  You are precious to me and I love you.  I am with you and will gather you together once more, into the nation of Israel. 

         God’s promises to the people Israel are powerful and moving.  God is the one who created this special people, and though they are scattered and broken now, God promises that God will re-create the nation again.  The language is intimate.  God is speaking to the whole nation, but the language of the text is “I” and “You” as if God is also speaking to each individual person.  “I love you”  “You are mine”  “You are precious” and “I am with you” are words of deep power and meaning.  What an exquisite expression of God’s love for the people of Israel.

         We hear words of love from God in our New Testament reading as well.  This is Baptism of the Lord Sunday, the liturgical day every year when we examine the story of Jesus’ Baptism.  This year we are looking at the story as told by the author of Luke’s Gospel.  The way Luke tells the story, the people of Israel are wondering if perhaps John the Baptist, the desert preacher, might be the promised Messiah.  John makes it clear that he is not the one who was to come.  Though he preaches the word of God and tangles with the religious and state authorities, John is only the predecessor of the true Messiah.  He tells all who will listen that “one who is coming who is more powerful than I”, and so the people are on the lookout for something more.

         That something more, of course, is Jesus Christ.  The readers of the gospel know that this man is special, having heard the stories and promises made at his birth.  But the characters in Luke’s story do not know who Jesus is.  Luke tells us that after everyone else was baptized by John, Jesus too enters the water.  He is baptized by John and then begins to pray.  Each gospel writer tells the story a little differently and this time of prayer is unique to Luke.  It is during his prayer, that Jesus sees the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descending and landing on him as if it was a dove.  Jesus hears a voice from heaven “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Again, we hear words of profound comfort and love from the Creator. 

         Both of these texts offer answers to us when we are wondering just who we are and what makes us of value.  Through the life of Jesus Christ, the promises God makes to the state of Israel through the prophet Isaiah, are promises that God makes to us as well.  God is the one who created and formed us, each one of us a unique and blessed work of art.  God is the one who calls each of us by our own names, and claims us as God’s own.  When we are suffering in times of difficulty, passing though the deep waters and fierce fires of life, God promises to be with us so that we shall not be overwhelmed and consumed by our suffering.  God will give the world for us, because we are so precious to God. 

Each of us as individuals can hear God’s promise to be with us, and encourage us not to be afraid.  And we can look forward to the time when God gathers us together with all the world, people from all times and places, a new creation made whole again through God’s redemptive love.  This time of year, as we are so often busy judging ourselves and looking for all the places where we haven’t measured up, what would it mean for us to take these words of God to heart?  “I love you, you are mine.”

         We remember these promises of love and care when we celebrate the sacrament of Baptism.  When Jesus was baptized he got in line with the rest of the world.  The Son of God came among us, taking his places with all the regular schleps of the world, and joined with us in this ritual of cleansing and redemption.  Theologically we might wonder why a sinless Lord would need to be baptized, but emotionally we can see the power of God’s love expressed through Jesus’ willingness to join us in our mess.  The words God says to Jesus upon his baptism are the same words God says to us when we are baptized.  “You are my child, I love you, with you I am well pleased.”  Again we hear that we are of infinite value, a pleasing creation loved by a gracious Creator.

         Today we remind ourselves of these promises of love and affirmation.  We will gather together at the communion table, coming forward to receive the bread and cup.  As we eat and drink together, we are reminded of Jesus intimate fellowship with the broken world.  Not holding himself aloft or separate, Jesus formed real relationships and made real friends.  He shared meals in community, as he taught us who God was and who God was calling us to be. 

         In the sacrament of communion we remember God’s communion, coming together, with us as a creation.  In the bread and cup we celebrate the life and death of Jesus Christ, the deepest expression of how much God loves and values this world.  And we look forward to the promises of Isaiah, where God will gather all people together, from north and south and east and west, so that we may once again be a whole and healed creation.

         Today we are also taking a moment to remember our individual baptisms.  Some of us were baptized as teens or adults and so we have a living memory of the event, but many here were baptized as children.  To take the time to touch the water is an opportunity for you to once again embrace your baptism and the promises made on your behalf to raise you in the faith.  In our baptisms we are called and claimed as beloved children of God.

         In the world we live in, we are so often tempted to find ourselves coming up short.  We aren’t as skinny or fit as our neighbor, we don’t have as much money, and we don’t have as many friends.  Many of us find ourselves to be lacking, we aren’t the people we wish we were.  Our Scripture texts for today point out that this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Today we hear from the voice of God that we are the exact people we are supposed to be.  Sure we fall and fail, sure we will make mistakes, but even in the midst of our brokenness we are beloved.  Even in the midst of our failure, we are precious.  Even in the midst of our sinfulness, we are loved beyond our ability to comprehend.

         So today, as we gather around the font and table, hear these words from God to you.  “You are my child”  “I love you”  “Do not fear”  “I am with you”.  May we take these words to heart this day as beloved children of God.  Amen.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Jesus Was a Refugee


January 6th, 2019     “Jesus Was a Refugee”    Rev. Heather Jepsen

Matthew 2:1-23 and Isaiah 60:1-6

         One of my favorite T-shirts is a bright blue one that declares in big letters “Jesus Was A Refugee”.  I get a lot of compliments when I wear this T Shirt but I often wonder if people are really reading it.  In fact, I get the feeling that at least half of the people who say they like it do so just because it says “Jesus” in big letters at the top.  I often want to quiz people who compliment the shirt asking, “When was Jesus a refugee?” but that’s not really polite conversation so I just smile and keep quiet.

         Well, the story of Jesus as a refugee is found here, in the second chapter of Matthew’s gospel.  Rather than Luke’s story about Mary, Matthew’s gospel is all about Joseph and his role as a father.  Joseph is engaged to Mary but finds out she’s pregnant before the wedding.  He plans a quiet divorce but an angel visits him in dream, telling him that this child is special, one who shall be called Emmanuel.  Joseph follows the angel’s advice and marries Mary despite the odd circumstances.  The son is born and it is Joseph who gives him the name Jesus.

         King Herod is the ruler of the Jews at this time.  A Jew himself, he is firmly ensconced within the Roman power structure and was known for sacrificing the interests of his own people in the name of the Roman Empire.  Herod has heard of this child and fears what it might mean to have one born “king of the Jews”, a title he likes to reserve for himself.  The Wise Men travel at Herod’s bidding and find the child in Bethlehem.  They worship him there, but do not return to Herod for they too have been warned of danger.

         At this point the story returns to Joseph.  He dreams again and learns that the child is in danger of Herod’s murderous wrath.  Joseph is told to take the child and flee Bethlehem and Judah into the neighboring country of Egypt.  Herod attacks and has all the children younger than 2 killed within the city of Bethlehem.  It is a great and profound tragedy.  Joseph and the holy family remain in Egypt until the death of Herod several years later.  They make their return to Judah but their hometown of Bethlehem is still deemed unsafe and so the family settles in Nazareth.  This is the story of how Jesus was a refugee.

         This is Epiphany Sunday, the official end of the Christmas season and the day we celebrate the arrival of the wise men to worship the baby Jesus.  Merriam Webster’s defines Epiphany as an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.  The church usually focuses the story this day on the arrival of the wise men and their gifts.  The illuminating discovery that the church traditionally focuses on is the arrival of outsiders to worship the divine child.  This connects with our reading from Isaiah, where nations shall be drawn to the light of Israel.  The wise men represent people from other nations, other cultures, and other religions being drawn to the light of Christ.  It is a new awakening of faith as the love of God for the Jews is transformed in the life of Jesus Christ to a love that is available for all people in all times and places.  That truly is a profound epiphany.

         And yet, most of us already knew that this morning.  As I was pondering the texts this week, I thought I might discover more if I turned the whole message of a traditional epiphany sermon on its head.  What if the epiphany is not about outsiders finding Jesus?  What if, instead, epiphany is about insiders (us) finding Jesus anew in outsiders?  Now there is a new realization and discovery, now there is a fresh epiphany.

         When we delve into the full story of this Sunday, we find not only the child worshipped with gifts, we find also the child who is a refugee.  This takes us way out of our quaint manger scenes and into the raw world of the nightly news forecast.  Imagine Jesus as every child we see who is being hauled by a desperate father into a new place looking for safety and hope.  The terror in Bethlehem was real, as Herod kills all the children there.  The flight to Egypt is real, as we imagine a holy family sneaking across a border into the neighboring country.  A life of hiding is real, as they seek to remain under the radar, managing to live and work for years without being noticed by the Egyptian authorities or Herod’s spies.  And then the frightful return home.  The family cannot go back to Bethlehem, the hometown where they have friends and neighbors.  Though they return to their country, they must hide in a different city, forming a new life in Nazareth.

         Rather than focusing on outsiders finding a Jesus we already know.  This Sunday we might instead focus on finding Jesus in the refugee children of the world.  The migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe and if they are lucky enough to survive being told that the boat is not welcome in any port.  We could find Jesus in the Syrian family, fleeing the violence that has absolutely destroyed their country, walking for miles and still unable to find a place to be.  We could find Jesus among the Rohingya of Myanmar, a population completely decimated because of state sanctioned violence.  We could find Jesus with the Afghan family, trying to immigrate to the United States after their father has helped American forces and is no longer safe at home because of his offer of aid to the US.  And of course, we could find Jesus at our own southern border, running in diapers away from tear gas as his momma continues to run from drug and gang violence in her home town.  When we read the story of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel we cannot deny that these are the people Matthew would have us equate with our Lord.  Jesus was a refugee child, hauled across a border, by a father seeking safety and a better life.  This is a true epiphany for us today. 

         Epiphany is also thought of as a season of light in the church.  We are enlightened by new ideas, and we seek the light of Christ in our lives.  Drawing again from Isaiah we know that Jesus is the light of the world; we see him and are filled with radiance.  Jesus can also be a light shining in the dark places, opening our eyes to things we haven’t seen before.  Enlightening us to the circumstances and sufferings of those whose lives are so different from our own. 

         This New Year, as we make commitments to live better lives and be better people, let us also commit to looking for the light of Christ in the world.  Let us lift up both of these epiphany lessons.  Jesus is a light to the world, that draws others into its presence.  Jesus is God’s love, open to people from all walks of life, from all religions, and from no religion at all.  Jesus is also a light shining on the dark places of our world, one who draws those of faith to look for him among outsiders and those who suffer.  Jesus was a refugee, and so we should have compassion for all the refugees on our broken planet.

         This New Year, may you find the light of Christ in your own life.  May others be drawn to your faith, and may your faith draw you to others.  This year let us shine for Christ and let us shine a light on the sufferings of others.  Let us serve our Lord by serving the outsiders and the outcasts.  Let us remember that Jesus was a refugee.  Amen.