Musings for Epiphany 3

Sunday, January 23, 2011
Third Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 3

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ken Klassen

INTRODUCTION
Jesus begins his public ministry by calling fishers to leave their nets and follow him. In Jesus the kingdom of God has come near. We who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. We see this light most profoundly in the cross—as God suffers with us and all who are oppressed by sickness, sin, or evil. Light dawns for us as we gather around the word, the font, and the holy table. We are then sent to share the good news that others may be "caught" in the net of God's grace and mercy.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Lord God,
your lovingkindness always goes before us and follows after us.
Summon us into your light,
and direct our steps in the ways of goodness
that come through the cross of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Isaiah 9:1–4 NRSV p 665

The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali experienced defeat, but they are assured that their condition will be reversed when God makes a light-filled appearance. The joy they will experience will resemble celebrations of great harvests, because God will deliver them from everything that diminishes or oppresses them. The people in the northern parts of Israel have experienced "gloom" and "darkness" because of the destruction wrought by Assyrian military forces. To these people, the prophet announces the shining of a great light of salvation.

But 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.
²The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness —
on them light has shined.
³You 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.
⁴For 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.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 27:1, 4–9

The LORD is my light and my salvation. (Ps. 27:1)

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then ^| shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I ^| be afraid?

⁴One thing I ask of the LORD; one ^| thing I seek;

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek God ^| in the temple.

⁵For in the day of trouble God will ^| give me shelter,

hide me in the hidden places of the sanctuary, and raise me high up- ^| on a rock.

⁶Even now my head is lifted up above my enemies ^| who surround me.

Therefore I will offer sacrifice in the sanctuary, sacrifices of rejoicing; I will sing and make music ^| to the LORD. R

⁷Hear my voice, O LORD, ^| when I call;

have mercy on me and ^| answer me.

⁸My heart speaks your message— ^| "Seek my face."

Your face, O LORD, ^| I will seek.

⁹Hide not your face from me, turn not away from your ser- ^| vant in anger.

Cast me not away—you have been my helper; forsake me not, O God of ^| my salvation. R

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:10–18 NRSV p 1038

Paul calls on the Corinthians to end their dissensions and share the unified outlook of the gospel. Discord arises when we forget that we belong not to human leaders or institutions but to Christ who was crucified for us. Indeed, the unifying word of the cross of Christ is the center of the gospel and the power of God's salvation.

¹⁰Now 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. ¹¹For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. ¹²What 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." ¹³Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? ¹⁴I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷For 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.
¹⁸For 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.

Gospel

Matthew 4:12–23 NRSV p 966

Jesus begins his public ministry shortly after John the Baptist is imprisoned by Herod. He proclaims the nearness of God's reign and calls four fishermen to be his first disciples.

¹²Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
¹⁵"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles —
¹⁶the 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."
¹⁷From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
¹⁸As 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. ¹⁹And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹As 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. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
²³Jesus 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.

Reflection

Light - what a wonderful metaphor for Christ. In our first reading Isaiah prophesizes that with the coming Messiah, "people walking in darkness have seen a great light". Light is an integral part of essentially every level of our understanding of science. It plays an important role in almost everything that touches our lives. So what better way to describe Christ? This metaphor appears many times in scripture. John the apostle says of Jesus, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5) Later in the same chapter he quotes John the Baptist saying that he "came that He might bear witness of the light . . . the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man (John 1:8-9). And our gospel reading for today says, "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."

As an object is illuminated with light, we begin to fully know and understand it. At low levels of light we can only start to make out its shape. With more light, we begin to see the details of the object and then we begin to see hue and the intensity of its color. Of course we use our other senses to understand the world around us, but seeing light is so essential to understanding. What's more, as an object in the dark is exposed to light, it absorbs and reflects that light. The more it is exposed, the more it absorbs and the more it radiates and reflects light for others to see. Light - what a wonderful metaphor for Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, from the beginning of time you have been and are the light of the world. Help us to understand that our light is a reflection of you. Give us more of your light so that we may absorb more and radiate more. We pray for wisdom to understand your scriptures. We ask that your protecting hand will be on all of those who serve our country and work for peace. Teach us compassion for the sick, the suffering, and those in need.