Sermon: Epiphany 3

       Matthew 4:12-23                             

At the height of the Second World War, people living in western Europe knew what it meant to sit and wait in the darkness. Back in those days, the aircrafts which dropped bombs on cities filled with people didn’t possess the sophisticated  locating devises they do today. Keeping the lights off , and waiting in darkness was the only means of defence against the terror from above.  There are people alive today on both sides of the conflict who can tell you about that experience of waiting, and hoping that the bombs would miss their homes. This is the experience of quite literally living, sitting, in terrifying darkness. How those hearts yearned for some light! But that kind of darkness has not disappeared with the Second World War. The darkness of uncertainty continues to hang over populations and individuals, people waiting and hoping in the dark--people waiting for the results of medical tests, or waiting for organ transplants,  or a new treatment. People waiting to hear the news about a missing relative, people waiting for the day when they no longer have to hope. Then there are those who move in the darkness without even knowing that they are in the dark. In the depth of their being they  may know that something is wrong, they long for the light, but the light they seek is a deceptive one, leading them down the path of consumerism, materialism, and even addiction.

            But the experience of sitting in darkness isn’t a new one.

            The people of Israel, knew about the darkness. They, too, sat, in darkness, they too, hoped for a better day. Four hundred years before Jesus came into the world as a human being they would have to endure the darkness of exile and captivity under the Babylonians. When Jesus came into the world as a human being, they lived in the darkness of Roman occupation. Oh how they longed and hoped for the day that God’s light would shine into their lives, how they hoped that God’s promise to them would be fulfilled.

How many people today are hoping for something big to change their lives? Hoping, a big  spectacular ray of light  that would shine in through the window and make everything better. Lottery tickets sell by the millions precisely for that reason. If  we were to take a poll asking people what the best possible thing is which could happen to them, winning the lottery would probably top the list. Why? Because with all that money comes the power to purchase, the power to change, the power to turn it all around—or so people think. But the people of Israel were not so much hoping for a lottery win. They were more like lottery winners waiting for the payout—the day when God would make all things right, when light would shine strong and perpetually.

            The people of Israel were waiting for the day when the words of the great prophet Isaiah we read today would be fulfilled. And that prophecy was fulfilled, on that first Christmas day,   when the light came into the world.  And Isaiah tells us exactly where that would happen—it would be in Galilee. All things considered this was the most unlikely place for the Messiah to make his entrance into the world. The entrance point would not be the great temple in Jerusalem, it would not be in the capital city. Rather it would be on the periphery—it was on the periphery of Jewish life and society where Jesus would be born.  It was on the periphery where Jesus would begin his ministry.

And Jesus would begin his ministry with a great proclamation:

“ Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

            The kingdom of heaven. This is a very powerful idea.  When most people think of heaven, they tend to think of the place people go to after death, a place not of this world, a perfect place where the barrier between God and humanity does not exist, where there is no death or suffering, where there is eternal peace. Yes, this certainly encapsulates the idea of heaven. But if we see heaven only as a place where people go after they die, we miss the full  thrust of Jesus’ proclamation. When Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, he didn’t only mean that the kingdom of heaven in its fullness was coming, he also meant that the kingdom of heaven in its fullness had arrived, that it was here, that God’s eternal kingdom had come into the world. But where was it? How could it be seen? How could people find it and get to it?

As the story unfolded, the kingdom of heaven would be wherever Jesus was, doing what he did. And what he did was bring light into the world. What he did was push back the darkness. What he did was bring life where the world saw only death. What he did was bring healing and hope, where the world saw only sickness and hopelessness. In other words the kingdom of heaven would be unlike any kingdom in the world, which were easily definable by geography. The kingdom of heaven would not be defined by a geographical location, but by a way of being, a new way of being. This way of being was the way which God had intended for humanity from the beginning-- but humanity chose otherwise. Humanity chose to walk and dwell in darkness, and see only darkness.

So this region of Galilee, which was on the outskirts, the periphery, shrouded in darkness, became the centre, the centre of God’s activity in the world.  Where Jesus was the kingdom was, where Jesus is the kingdom is. Wherever there is truth, justice, and compassion there is Jesus and there is the kingdom. His kingdom is not a visible kingdom recognizable by the world, but his kingdom, hidden to the world’s eyes, is more powerful than any kingdom the world has ever seen. 

There is much talk about the decline of the Christian church in the western world, and the incredible growth of the church in the so-called third world has been noticed. What was once the periphery appears to be becoming the centre and vice versa. And looking at the situation of the church in the western world, this city stands very much on the periphery. This part of the city, especially, is acknowledged as having the lowest church attendance rate on the entire continent. We are standing on the edge, we are standing on the periphery. Well what does that mean? Does that mean that God is less present here than he is in one of the mega-churches in the Fraser Valley? Does that mean that the work of the kingdom is being carried out more and better at Willington Church in Burnaby?

No. What it means is that we stand on the periphery, but remember: Where Jesus wa,s the kingdom was, where Jesus is, the kingdom is.  Where the Living Word is proclaimed, Christ is transforming hearts and minds. Where Christ is proclaimed, light shines into the darkness. The Kingdom of Heaven is here, the kingdom of heaven is alive and active on the corner of 31^st and Collingwood. Yes it is true people drive by the church building every day without noticing it. Yes it is true, people will walk by this congregation every day without ever joining it. Yes it is true that many people living in this area are not particularly interested in attending Dunbar Lutheran Church.  Yes, indeed, this part of the city, this part of the neighbourhood, this corner seems the most unlikely place for God’s kingdom work to be taking place. But taking place it is.

And you who hear the Living Word are being called to work for the kingdom.  Jesus has called us to become fishers of people.  Jesus has called us into his work of ministry. “Well I’m not qualified for that”, you might be thinking.  But just consider who Jesus called as his first disciples. Did he call the best and brightest? Did he call the most educated Rabbis? Did he call the most influential members of society? No, he didn’t. He called fishermen—he called fishermen to help him in his work of expanding his peaceable kingdom, to help him transform minds and change hearts, to make a significant and lasting difference in the lives of others. This is what kingdom building is  all about.

People need to hear the Word of promise. People hunger for meaning in the depths of their souls. People hunger for wholeness and healing. People are looking for a new way of being.  And we, those who confess Christ, have been entrusted with giving them the answer, in spoken word and visible action.  We, as imperfect as we are, have been entrusted with proclaiming the answer.

“Repent. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” These were the words of Jesus. These are the words of Jesus. Notice that this proclamation begins with that word, the R word, which our natural ears do not want to hear. But  Jesus’ call to repentence is a wake up call, a wake up call to those who dwell in the darkness, and are totally unaware of it. It is also a call to those parts of us, each and every one of us, which work against the kingdom in one way or another. But let us be clear. The call to repentance is not  a moralistic admonition, or a divine finger point. The call to repent is call to turn away from orientations and attitudes which have no place in the kingdom. It is a sharp reminder that our ways are not God’s ways, that left to our own devices it is the natural human tendency to work against the building of God’s kingdom. Greed, avarice, hatred, lust—all of these have no place in God’s kingdom, that these are the ways of the one whose ministry is of darkness, who loves the darkness, who would have all people dwell in the darkness. So Jesus calls us back, calls us back to  the truth.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In the final days the kingdom of heaven will be plainly visible to the eyes of all. Right now it is hidden, but it is here, and it is ruled over the one who brought real and everlasting light into the world.

So we continue our celebration of ephiphany, the moment when humanity’s greatest dream was realized, when true and ultimate light shone into the world. Now may the Light of God’s Kingdom shine brightly in your hearts, so that you too would share the good News of the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Sermon: First Sunday after Epiphany

Matthew 3:13-17

On Christmas, we celebrated, the nativity of Jesus, the birth of our Lord. Today we celebrate His baptism. Ever since people began reading the gospel accounts, the baptism of Jesus has stood as an enigmatic, and difficult to understand event. John, the voice in the wilderness, the one who was proclaiming the coming of the kingdom, was calling sinners to repent and be baptized. Sinners were called by John to the river Jordan. Sinners. Why then would Jesus, who was without sin, go down to be baptized? Some have argued that it was to please his family. But this is hardly a convincing argument.

            In order to understand the baptism of Jesus, we need to look at why all of these people were getting baptized in the first place. The first important fact, which stands out is that baptism, this ritual washing, was not something which Jewish people had traditionally taken part in. Baptism was for those who were converting to Judaism. Baptism was reserved for proselytes--those entering the faith--becoming part of God’s chosen people. So something was happening that was well and truly different. For the first time in history, Jews were being voluntarily getting baptized. Gnerations earlier this would have been unthinkable. It would have been unthinkable because no Jewish person would ever have thought of him or herself being in need of such cleansing.The sons and daughters of Abraham would have seen no no reason to be washed in the waters reserved for sinners. But  something had changed, something had shifted. 

There was a great awakening to the need for repentance, and a deep soul hunger for new life and the fulfillment of God’s promise.. John was a very busy man, baptizing a lot of people. The banks of the Jordan were crowded. But with his baptizing work came a proclamation. And that proclamation was that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, that God was coming into the world, that the Messiah, the prophesized saviour was going to be on the scene. That the hunger for God which gnarled in the stomachs of the Jewish people was about to be satisfied. New life was about to begin. Spiritual rebirth was about to occur.

Sinners hungered for forgiveness and crowded the shores of the river Jordan. But what was Jesus doing there? What brought the sinless Son of God down to the river to be baptized by John?

Last week the Christmas celebration concluded, and a central spect of the Christmas story is the nativity story, where we read and hear the story of how Jesus came into the world as a human being. We read about the infant Jesus lying in the manger. In Luke, we read about the boy Jesus, and his fateful trip to the temple with his parents. But  about that in between time, the time between  his boyhood and his baptism, the gospel  account says nothing. We have no substantial information about the life of Jesus between the ages of about twelve until thirty. That’s a substantial gap in a person’s life..  Did Jesus know who he was during those years. Did he know that he was the Messiah? Did he know that he was sent to save the world from its sin, and bring in the kingdom of God over which he would rule? The text doesn’t tell us. But what the text does tell, what today’s Gospel reading tells us, is that on that day Jesus would know. You, see, when Jesus went to John to be baptized it was not to have his sin forgiven, because he had no sin. John knew who Jesus was, but didn’t  understand, didn’t know why, Jesus would come down to be baptized. But Jesus knew—Jesus knew why he was sent into the world, Jesus  knew what his mission was: “ to fulfill all righteousness”. Jesus did not step into the baptismal waters to have his sin forgiven.  The baptism of Jesus was all about his identity and his mission.

 When Jesus stood in the baptismal water his feet sank into the mud in which all humans stand. Jesus stood in the position of the sinner, even though he was not one.

When Jesus went down into the baptismal water, he was plunged into the reality of his fate, his destiny, his mission. His future would be the cross.  His future would be death. His fate would be to suffer the fate of all sinners. His death would be to suffer death for us. Jesus went down into the water as he would go up on the cross and into the tomb. Jesus would suffer the penalty for all sinners, and thereby fulfill all righteousness.

But the water did not hold him down. Death would not defeat him. He would emerge from the depth.  He would emerge from the depth and defeat death. The water nor the tomb  could contain him. When Jesus came out of the water that day, he did so as a prophetic testimony as to what would happen—of what his ultimate destiny would be. This was a preview of Easter morning. And when Jesus emerged, his identity was confirmed by the voice of his heavenly Father, and the descending dove sent by the Holy Spirit.

The mission of Christ is to save sinners, to reconcile us to our creator, to make us free to be children of God. This saving work is communicated to us through Baptism. Through Baptism God communicates to us the forgiveness of sin, and—just as it did to Jesus-- also confirms our identity, and clarifies our mission.

Identity is a very important thing in this world.  A moments reflection shows that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get along  in the world without formal identification—impossible to hold down a job, impossible to find permanent residence. Identity theft has become a serious  concern in the last few years. And identity is complex. Most of us have multiple sources of identity. Male, female,  child spouse, sister, brother, cousin, citizen—and all of these and many other sources of identification are important. They are meaningful. They can be a source of pride.  Last winter, during the Olympics, most folks were proud to identify themselves as Canadians. Identity can be positive, but it can also be negative. Such as when we are slotted or categorized. People have suffered as a consequence of the negative identities assigned to them by society or the wider culture.

Many work very hard not to be defined by these negative identities. Many work hard to hide them.

Some become so attached to a particular identity, that they develop  a one dimensional, limited perspective of themselves. A defining feature of anorexia nervosa is the inability to see oneself as being anything other than an overweight person. This identification is so strong that even when looking into a mirror a dangerously thin woman will see herself as obese.  The sense of  professional identification is so strong in some people that some have contemplated or committed suicide as a consequence of professional failure.  People of who have suffered abuse struggle with a positive sense of identity.

People spend their whole lives trying to make a name for themselves. But the fact of the matter is that no source of identity the world gives can ever tell you what you really need to know about yourself. Yes you may be a highly successful business person, or skilled surgeon, or a good looking young woman or man, or a good athlete. But none of these sources of identity can ever tell you what you really want to know about yourself.  And that’s because they are all conditional, all based against standards established by culture and society and ourselves.  The lasting enduring identity which  we hunger for at the depth of our being can come from only one place—and that is from God. And it is not based on anything we have or have not done, but it is based on everything Christ has done.

Through Jesus Christ, God has reconciled humanity to God and given humanity the identity of blessed children. And it is through baptism that this identity is confirmed.  We need look nowhere else to confirm who we are. God’s Word with Water tells us.  God’s Word with Water told Jesus who he is, and God’s Word with Water tells us who we are. You are God’s blessed child. Other identities as important as they may seem from a worldly perspective, can never usurp or remove that identity, can never rise above it.  You are God’s blessed child, and nothing can change that—not even death. If you ever wonder about or doubt your worth as a person, as many often do, remind yourself of Christ’s work for you, and remember what Martin Luther did whenever he experienced moments of doubt. He made the sign of the cross upon his forehead and said aloud, “ I am baptized”.  We began today’s worship service with a thanksgiving for baptism. In this order of thanksgiving we are reminded of God’s mighty saving work, through history. But the most important sentence we must always keep in our hearts and minds is: “ By Water and your Word, you God, claim us as daughters and sons.”

And this identity—this central most important identity—also confers to us our mission. Our baptismal identity tells us what we are to do. The work of Christ has been done, we are not called as he was, to die for the sins if humanity. But we are called to be part of God’s ongoing work in the world. We are called to proclaim and live out the Gospel—the Good News, the good News of God’s free gift of salvation to all. We are an Easter people, called to proclaim the truth of Easter, the truth of resurrection.  Baptism automatically calls us to discipleship and to the work of proclamation. So let us do as we are called to do—let us proclaim this wonderful thing which God has done. Let us share the gift we have been given, by proclaiming to toehrs what God has done for them.

Last week, if you have been following the news, you will know that a good story emerged amidst all of the troubling news. This was the case of Ted Williams,  a middle aged American Man who lived homeless on the streets of Ohio. Yet this man had a tremendous gift, an incredible radio voice.  A Utube video featuring his incredible voice has gone viral—in other words has been seen by millions around the world. The job offers have since flooded in, and Mr Williams’ life has changed dramatically. And he gives all the credit to God. When you  hear Ted’s story note carefully, that he credits God for being with him, and blessing him all along, and not just since this incredible reversal of fortune in his life. The real transformation in Ted’s life came when he overcame addiction, and to overcome addiction required him to recognize who he really is—a loved and blessed child of God. It is only when we make that identification in our own lives that real change can occur. It is only when we come to the realization that there is nothing that we have done to detirmine our status as beloved children. We have done nothing, but God has done everything. Now, may the peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and kinds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

John 1:1-18 The Second Sunday of Christmas: The Light no Darkness Can Overcome.

                                           

Let’s do some imagining, some visualizing. Take a moment to imagine—to imagine before the beginning, before anything. Imagine nothingness. It’s  quite impossible to conceive of, isn’t it? Our minds can’t comprehend what that means for there simply to be nothing. But then imagine something emerging out of nothingness--out of utter darkness. Imagine the first moment of creation when  reality was spoken into being Again this is difficult, if not impossible for the human mind to conceive. But try. Try to imagine the creation of stars and planets. Imagine light penetrating the outer reaches of the universe. Imagine stars and galaxies swirling and forming. And then imagine what humans have named the Milky Way Galaxy, and within the outer reaches of that galaxy our solar system, with the sun, at the centre. Picture that third planet, formless and void. Now imagine  light baking and nourishing that planet. Imagine the emergence of mountains and oceans upon this earth. Picture the emergence of  light and life on this planet—plants, animals, and human beings. Picture the beginning of humanity—humanity living in perfect harmony with the being who had created it, a humanity given total freedom.  Now imagine the misuse of this freedom. Imagine a new kind of darkness coming upon the face of the earth. Before humans lived in total harmony with their creator, the ground and source of their very being. Now by their own choice, they live separated from that creator. This state of being is one of alienation, and mistrust. Humans no longer relied on the goodness of the source of being which created them, but sought their own way. They wanted to be the creator. But evil rather than good resulted. The human heart became darkened and true spiritual vision became blinded. Now picture a great viel of darkness hanging over the world, a viel of deception a viel of destruction, a viel which has hung over human history form the ancient world, right up until the present.

No historian, no theologian, or philosopher can deny that the course of human history has unfolded beneath this veil of darkness. And every human being born into the world his been born into this darkness. Each and every human life has been affected by this darkness. Even the great patriarchs, matriarchs, kings and heroes of the Old Testament have been affected by it, and have died under it.

            Many today look out into the world with a sense of hopelessness, a sense of resignation, and even despair, at the plight of humanity. Many view their own lives through this dark lens, and turn inward, and become cynical, and dismiss the idea that there can be any real good on the world.  Many must have felt that way two thousand years ago. To  the Jewish people living under Roman occupation, the world must have seemed to be a very dark place indeed. Oppression, corruption, and hunger, were realities for many. Just like today, many would have despaired at their own sinfulness, and inability to overcome it. Just like today these people had to contend with the reality of death, and the dark pail it casts on life.

            But then something happened, something extraordinary occurred. Just like creation itself, just like the emergence of reality itself, something happened which is almost impossible to imagine. The very ground and source of reality, the source of being who brought all other beings into existence entered into this world, this world over which hung the dark viel. The creator of the universe entered into the universe. Suddenly, light broke through where there was once only darkness. Jesus Christ was born. God himself entered the world.  God became flesh. God entered into the human situation. He did so with one main purpose, to reconcile  humanity to him, to bring back his alienated and self-willed people.  God came into the world to reconcile you to himself—yes, you. By entering the world, God, the ground and source of all being, defeated the powers of darkness forever. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, eternal life has been given, and reconciliation has been effected. This is not a myth; this is not a fair tale; or a made up story. God entered  human history.

            But the story didn’t end two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, to return to where he came from. Again, the workings of this are almost impossible to imagine. But Jesus Christ was resurrected to new life, and his light continues to shine in the darkness. The light of Jesus Christ shines on, and shines today, and is shining on our lives. The darkness will resist it, the darkness will deny it. But the light of God is an irresistible force. The Word of God is an undeniable reality. The Word of God brought reality into being, and is doing something astounding. Take a moment to contemplate the stained glass window above the altar. What is depicted here is the Christ  breaking through into this reality, reaching out to draw all people unto him, reaching out drawing you unto him. , drawing you into his heart. Jesus Christ is the one and only true light of the world, which no darkness can overcome. The light He shines enlightens us—it’s the only light which can.

            A few year ago, when I was doing a round of chaplaincy I visited a man diagnosed with cancer. He was a bachelor. At times I think he was pretty lonely. He went through a lot of pain. He had every reason to be hopeless. He had every reason to dismiss the idea of a loving God. But instead of dismissing and denying God with the argument that no loving God would ever subject him to what he was now going through, he witnessed to the reality of God. He proclaimed God for Him and for you. He was a farmer. He hadn’t been to university, much less had he studied philosophy, but he had keen insight into the intellectual climate of his day. He said, “ You know, back in the 50’s and the 60’s the scientists were saying that God is Dead. Can you imagine that? They were saying God is dead? Have you ever heard anything so crazy as that? How could you possibly say that God is dead? I look outside and I see the grass growing, the trees blossoming, the birds flying. I feel the warmth of the son. I see children playing. I saw pictures of flowers growing in cities that had been bombed into the stone age. I see life coming out of death. I see new life all around me, and I know that God is for me”.  Through the viel of darkness which hung over this man’s life, he was able to see God for us. He was able to see the working’s of Christ in the world.

            Today we continue to celebrate Christmas, celebrate the divine light coming into this world. This is the heart of the message, what we have to grasp hold of and cling to as we move through this season and beyond this season.

            God continues to be involved, intimately involved in the human situation, because a great divine plan is unfolding—a plan in place before the word of creation was even spoken. Jesus continues to reveal the heart of God. And if you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, he has called you to the mission of revealing God’s heart to the world.  Each and every Christian has been called to share this most precious gift in one way or another.  All Christians have been called to share God’s great and glorious vision of the future. Each and every one of us transformed by faith is called to share the ministry of light which dispels darkness. “I will,” says the Lord, “turn their morning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.”  The same God who made you, is the same God who took on flesh to reconcile you to Him, to reveal his heart to you.  This is truly the greatest gift ever given. Now may the peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.