The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 26 January 2014
Isaiah
9:1-4
Psalm
27:1, 5-13
I
Corinthians 1:10-18
St.
Matthew 4:12-23
Background: The Sundays after the Epiphany
When I arrived at All
Saints’ on Sunday, after having been away for a couple of Sundays, I was
surprised to see that they used the Wedding at Cana Gospel for last Sunday
(Epiphany II) thus preserving all three of the Orthodox emphases at the Epiphany
(The Magi, The Baptism, The First Sign).
These readings are a good launching point for what is to follow, and the
discarded Gospel reading for last Sunday (Behold the Lamb of God) would be an
excellent starting point as well.
These Sundays are interrupted this year by the Presentation of Our Lord
(2 February), however the themes will still remain, especially in the Nunc Dimittis, the song of Simeon. It is interesting that we sometime
become way laid by the event-driven nature of the Festival Half of the
Liturgical Year, and it is these Sundays that are the antidote. If you look at the Gospel readings
throughout this series of Sundays, we see a laying-out of what it is that Jesus
teaches, more than what Jesus does.
The question that needs to be answered by us is not “who is Jesus?”
(although that is a laudable question) but rather “what is it that Jesus
taught?” That question is
difficult for some Christians to answer.
Jesus’ comment to Peter, James, and John as they come down from the
Mount of Transfiguration is interesting – “keep silence about this (the vision)
until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” Jesus’ teaching needs perspective, the perspective of the
resurrection. In those two things
we can begin to answer the “Who is he?” question. For now, however, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and
hear his words about life. The
mystagogy will come later.
Isaiah 9:1-4
There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time
he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in
the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the
Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness--
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
If we are reading the text closely, we will begin
to wonder who the “he” is in verse one, who holds the lands of the Northern
Kingdom “in contempt”? It is, in
the prophet’s mind, none other than YWHW who does so? So we face two questions, the first “What?” and the second “Why?” The “what” is easily answered by
history. In 734 BCE and again in
732 BCE, Tiglath-pileser, the Assyrian ruler forced the lands mentioned in
verse one into the Assyrian Empire.
The prophet mentions these lands: Zebulun, Naphtali, and probably an
elided text, which mentions the Plain of Sharon, and the mountain of Gilead as
well. In this move Tiglath-pileser
forced the parting of the western, eastern, and northern provinces of Israel
and made of them Assyrian administrative units.
So now we need to confront the “why?” If we follow the pattern of preaching
not only in Isaiah, but in Jeremiah, Amos, and Hosea as well we will see the “why.” The abandonment of Israel, by God, was
the result of the abandonment of God by Israel. Now the prophet wonders, is this a permanent situation, or
does the prophet harbor a hope of reconciliation. “The people who walked
in darkness have seen a great light.”
Thus we are introduced to the prophet’s hope. The huge disruption that the Assyrian
occupation represents does not separate the people from the God who has
seemingly punished them. There
will still be joy and retribution.
In an era when we see great religious conflict, and ancient Christian
centers being either destroyed or displaced, we can wonder along with the
prophet about where God is in all this.
Here Isaiah sees joy in the midst of dire times, “as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing
plunder. Here is a paradox
worthy of Saint Paul. That those
who wrote the Gospel of Saint Matthew existed in similarly dire times only adds
grist to the mill.
Breaking
open Isaiah:
1.
Do you
live in dire times? Describe them?
2.
Has God
abandoned you, or do you have hope in God?
3.
Why does
the prophet entertain the notion of hope?
Psalm 27:1, 5-13 Dominus illuminatio
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?
One thing have I asked of the LORD;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days
of my life;
To behold the fair beauty of the LORD *
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe
in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Hearken to my voice, O LORD, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." *
Your face, LORD, will I seek.
Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
The words of verse one of the psalm seem to reflect
the prophet’s emotions in the first reading for today. If Isaiah frames his hope in terms of “light
and rescue”, then so does the psalmist.
What will follow the psalmist’s initial voice of hope is a voice of
despair and supplication. These sentiments
are outlined in the missing verses (2-4). What follows in the verses following
are a vision of what God will provide in dire times. These expectations are set in a forbidding setting, the
wilderness, where the psalmist speaks of God’s goodness with the mouth of a
nomad; “He conceals me in the recess of
his tent, on a rock he raises me up.”
The juxtaposition of the notion of a tent and a tabernacle make this
an interesting image of a God whose dwelling is like a home. Such an attraction is mirrored in verse
4, “that I may dwell in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life.”
Other familiarities are used by the psalmist. It is “God’s face” that is sought. Moses wished to see God, but that was
denied him (Exodus 33:18-23). The psalmist is not put off by God’s
response to Moses, rather he listens to his heart, “seek my face. Your face,
Lord, I do seek.” There is
however, a more striking familiarity (one that is shattered) in a verse that is
not used in this morning’s reading.
The text shows the conundrum that faced Isaiah as well. “Though
my father and mother forsook me, the Lord would gather me in.” Though the most basic of human
relationships disappear or vanish, God promises to always be there.
Breaking
open Psalm 27:
- What is the “light” that gives the psalmist hope?
- What is the “rescue” that he sees as well?
- Is the church a “home” for you? Why or why not?
I Corinthians 1:10-18
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among
you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has
been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my
brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to
Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to
Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Has Christ been divided? Was
Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God
that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say
that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of
Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For
Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with
eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Paul is quick to address the problems in Corinth,
the appearance of divisiveness and “party spirit.” In spite of what seems to be divisions in the congregation
(the Greek word is the root of our own word “schismatic”, although the text
does not imply theological division) there is yet Eucharistic unity. The problem seems more to be one of
provenance. Who brought you
in? Who initiated you into the
community? Paul gives several
examples of how such divisions might have begun, but squelches them all with, “is Christ divided?” One wonders if these divisions are
echoes of the role of both Jew and Gentile within the church? For Paul, it is interesting that he
says, “For Christ did not send me to
baptize but to proclaim the Gospel.”
Conzelmann[1] offers a
possible explanation to Paul’s comment by noting that “anyone” can baptize, but
Paul must preach. That is his
commission. Paul notes that it is
difficult enough to proclaim the Gospel, “the
cross is foolishness” so he most proclaim and not with “eloquent wisdom.” The
divisions confuse the proclamation of the community.
Breaking
open I Corinthians:
- How is your congregation a community?
- What divides it?
- What reunites it?
St. Matthew 4:12-23
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He
left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of
Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah
might be fulfilled:
"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across
the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
the people who sat in darkness have seen
a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light
has dawned."
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven has come near."
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is
called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they
were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish
for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went
from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother
John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called
them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every
sickness among the people.
In a way, Matthew sets a stage for the ministry and
teaching that we will observe in the coming Sundays. First there is reminder of the Baptist, and his fate. Preaching the Gospel of repentance does
have its consequences. Matthew
also places us in the locale of Isaiah’s great hope, and of Israel’s great
downfall. The effort is to tie
Jesus to the prophet’s hope about the “great
light.” In spite of the
Baptist’s fate Jesus continues to preach the Gospel of repentance. Matthew would have us be aware of two
groups, as he sets his stage for Jesus’ teaching: the crowds and the
disciples.
Appropriate to the following Sundays of Jesus’
teaching, we are introduced to the disciples with the call of James and
John. In last Sunday’s gospel we
might Andrew and Peter. One is
struck by the immediacy of their response, “immediately
they left the boat, and their father, and followed him.” Was there a relationship prior to
this invitation that made easy their prompt response? Or, was it the attractiveness of the message – the great
light? At any rate their feet are set upon the path, and soon they are
journeying throughout Galilee following the One who teaches and proclaims.
Breaking open Gospel:
1.
What does “righteousness” mean to you?
2.
In what ways did Jesus “fulfill all righteousness”?
3.
How does the Spirit pursue you?
After
breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call
of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his
salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous
works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
All questions and commentary copyright © 2014,
Michael T. Hiller
[1] Hans Conzelmann, I Corinthians, A Commentary on the First
Epistle to the Corinthains, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1975, page 36.
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