|
First
Reading
|
Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
| Isaiah 62:1–5
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Psalm 36:5–10
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1 Corinthians 12:1–11
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John 2:1–11 |
When Mary received the announcement that she had been chosen to be asked to bear Jesus, one wonders if the words of Isaiah that we read today came into her head. “Do not fear, for I have called you by name. When you pass through waters, I will be with you and through rivers, they shall not overwhelm you and when you walk through fire you shall not be burned. Do not fear, for I am with you.” Later, as the Holy family escaped into Egypt and then returned to Nazareth, perhaps she also recalled the words “I will bring your offspring from the east and from the west I will gather you.”
The church season of advent often seems to drag even in the midst of hectic preparations for Christmas. Then when Christmas arrives at last, the following week through New Years seems to wiz by. We still would desire another week to rest partly because of fatigue and partly because we experience a let down and low grade depression after all the build up. The church calendar quickly moves on, with Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the magi from far off lands.
The magi seem to always arrive in winter, with snow imbedded in the hems of their garments, and ice encrusted to the hair of their camels. From wherever the magi came and however many there were, it seems undeniable that their journey was rough, crossing moor and mountain, enduring cold and wind. Then twenty-four hours later, just two weeks after Christmas Eve, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. It’s now obviously summer under the penetrating desert sun. People are wearing light clothing. The water is refreshing. Jesus is an adult and ready to inaugurate his ministry and gather disciples.
I find this rapid shifting of scenes quite disconcerting. Yet maybe the wisdom of the church calendar is teaching us that Christian discipleship is for all seasons. There is no guarantee that the weather will not suddenly shift, going from a gentle balmy day when it seems you can see forever, to a stinging blizzard where all familiar landmarks are obscured. Fair weather Christians are like fair weather sailors, either they quickly get seasoned or they don’t last very long.
The magi are symbolic of a planned and enduring commitment. They started off on their difficult journey not knowing the exact destination, nor having a definitive understanding of what they would find when they got there. I’d love someone to write a story of how they kept each other from getting discouraged and turning back. What was on their minds when they were assaulted by snow and sleet or threatened by robbers? How were they greeted on their eventual return?
Those baptized on that summer’s day by John in the Jordan River, took a risk, too. When they went down to meet John, would their neighbors ridicule them? Would the Roman officials catch wind of it and believe they would engage in sedition? Would their local rabbi approve? Was John the one? John the Baptist was surely asked plenty of questions and he had questions of his own, too.
Times of risk-free Christianity are usually an illusion. During a large part of the 1950’s, it seemed as if there would be no end to the growth of mainline denominations. Before we are too hard on the churches remember also this was an era when engineers would brag that soon there would be electrical power so cheap even to meter. The optimistic, but deceptive calm didn’t last. and if we look deeper, even then in the so-called easy 50s, courageous Christians were taking risks, as many social responsibilities of modern society ignored by depression or war, began to intensify and fester.
What does it mean being a Christian today? I would suggest, that for a majority of Christians, most of the time, life is always a challenge, always a risk, always with uncertainty of not knowing how to navigate the next storm. Yet if Christians are disciples for all seasons, so is God. In the stable, God is there for the magi, at the River Jordan, God is present, and in our lives, God is along side. The Good News for this and every season is that God visits many places, and goes out in all sorts of weather, but has no fixed address or even favorite time of year.
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
