SERMON - FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

LET US BEGIN AS WE BEGIN ALL THINGS
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE FATHER
WHO CREATED US,
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE SON
WHO REDEEMED US,
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO INSPIRES US.

LET US BEGIN IN THE NAME OF GOD,
MOTHER OF US ALL.

THIS IS THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY.
EPIPHANY
WHICH IS THAT TIME OF THE CHURCH YEAR
BETWEEN CHRISTMAS
AND THE BEGINNING OF LENT.

THE WORD EPIPHANY MEANS
TO SHOW.
THE CHURCH USES THIS SEASON
TO COMMEMORATE
THE TIME WHEN JESUS
WAS BEGINNING HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY.
WAS BEGINNING
TO SHOW THE WORLD
WHO HE WAS.

SO LAST WEEK
WE HAD THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY ITSELF

WHEN THE WISEMAN CAME.
MEN DRAWN BY A STAR
HERALDING THE BIRTH OF A KING.
THAT KING BEING JESUS.

THIS SUNDAY WE HAVE
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
DURING WHICH GOD THE FATHER
SPEAKS FROM HEAVEN
DECLARING
THAT JESUS WAS HIS SON.


THE BAPTISM JESUS RECEIVED
WAS NOT THE SAME AS THAT BAPTISM
WE RECEIVED
WHEN MOST OF US WERE CHILDREN

BAPTISM WAS RESERVED IN THE JEWISH FAITH
FOR THOSE
NOT BORN JEWS
THOSE SINFUL PEOPLE
NOT BORN A JEW

THE JEW BELIEVED
THAT BEING A SON OF ABRAHAM
HE WAS ASSURED OF GOD'S SALVATION

AS LONG AS HE FOLLOWED THE LAW
HE WAS ASSURED OF GOD'S SALVATION
THERE FOR HE HAD NO NEED FOR RITUAL CLEANING

BUT THERE WAS A MOVEMENT IN JUDEA
IN JESUS TIME
THAT THE NATION HAD LOST THEIR PRIVILEGED STATUS

THE NATION HAD BEEN CONQUERED BY ROME
THE PEOPLE
WERE DESPERATELY WAITING
FOR THE MESSIAH
TO FREE THE LAND
THEY FELT THAT GOD WAS ANGRY WITH THEM
ANGRY WITH THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR LIFESTYLE
THEY FELT
THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CHANGE
THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CLEANSING
THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR REPENTING

SO THERE WENT OUT INTO THE LAND
THOSE CALLING FOR CHANGE
SOME WERE CALLING FOR POLITICAL CHANGE
OTHERS LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE ESSENES
WERE CALLING FOR MORAL CHANGE
AND THE SYMBOL OF THAT CHANGE
WAS THE WHOLE BODY PLUNGING
OF A PERSON INTO A LAKE OR RIVER



BUT THE CANDIDATE HAD FIRST TO STATE
HE WAS SORRY FOR HIS SINS
AND WOULD TRY TO AMEND HIS LIFE

AND JOHN'S MESSAGE OF REPENT
AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE
WAS BEARING FRUIT
MANY WERE FLOCKING TO JOHN
FOR REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM

UNDERLYING THIS MOVEMENT
WAS THE THOUGHT
THAT IF THEY CHANGED THEIR LIVES
THE MESSIAH WOULD COME
BUT THEY WANTED A POLITICAL MESSIAH

WHAT THEY WOULD GET
WAS A SERVANT

THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED
BECAUSE GOD HAD DESCRIBED THAT SERVANT
IN ISAIAH
OUR FIRST READING TODAY
LET ME REFRESH YOUR MEMORY

THE LORD'S SERVANT

THE LORD SAYS,
"HERE IS MY SERVANT,
WHOM I STRENGTHEN -
THE ONE I HAVE CHOSEN,
WITH WHOM I AM PLEASED.
I HAVE FILLED HIM WITH MY SPIRIT,
AND HE WILL BRING JUSTICE TO EVERY NATION.
HE WILL NOT SHOUT OR RAISE HIS VOICE
OR MAKE LOUD SPEECHES IN THE STREETS.

HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF A BENT REED
NOR PUT OUT A FLICKERING LAMP.
HE WILL BRING LASTING JUSTICE TO ALL.
HE WILL NOT LOSE HOPE OR COURAGE;
HE WILL ESTABLISH JUSTICE ON THE EARTH.
DISTANT LANDS EAGERLY WAIT FOR HIS TEACHING."



AND NOW
THE LORD GOD SAYS TO HIS SERVANT,
I, THE LORD, HAVE CALLED YOU
AND GIVEN YOU POWER
TO SEE THAT JUSTICE
IS DONE ON EARTH.
THROUGH YOU
I WILL MAKE A COVENANT
WITH ALL PEOPLES;
THROUGH YOU
I WILL BRING LIGHT
TO THE NATIONS.
YOU WILL OPEN THE EYES
OF THE BLIND
AND SET FREE THOSE
WHO SIT IN DARK PRISONS.

THE THINGS I PREDICTED
HAVE NOW COME TRUE.
NOW I WILL TELL YOU
OF NEW THINGS
EVEN BEFORE
THEY BEGIN TO HAPPEN."

THIS SERVANT
THIS GOD MADE MAN
WHO DID NOT CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD
SOMETHING TO BE GRASPED,
TO BE CLUNG TO
BUT RATHER
EMPTIED HIMSELF OUT
TOOK ON THE FORM OF A SLAVE
A SERVANT
TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS

THIS GOD MAN WAS BORN IN A STABLE
WAS HUNGRY AT HIS MOTHER'S BREAST
WAS SENT TO SCHOOL
LEARNED TO TIE HIS SANDALS
WAS TRAINED TO BE A CARPENTER
TOOK CARE OF HIS MOTHER
STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES
LOOKED OUT AT THE WORLD
AND KNEW IT WAS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE



SO HERE HE WAS
STANDING
LOOKING AT THE RIVER JORDAN
WHERE JOHN HIS COUSIN
WAS BAPTIZING
KNEW HE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION
KNEW HE HAD TO DECIDE
WHAT HE SHOULD DO WITH HIS LIFE
KNEW THAT IF STARTED PREACHING
THE WAY JOHN WAS PREACHING
THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY KILL HIM

BUT HE HAD HEARD
THE CALL OF HIS FATHER
TO MISSION
LIKE A BUGLE SOUNDING SOFTLY
IN THE DISTANCE

AND LIKE ALL MEN
BECAUSE HE WAS MAN
HE STRUGGLED WITH HIS DECISION
TRYING TO DETERMINE
HIS FATHER'S CALL
TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW TO BECOME THE PERSON PAUL WOULD DESCRIBE IN OUR SECOND READING

HE DID NOT NEED BAPTISM
THERE WAS NO SIN IN HIM
WHAT WAS IN HIM
WAS A DESIRE
A NEED
TO SHARE HUMANITY'S PLIGHT
TO BE WITH SINNERS
WHERE THEY WERE
AND WHERE THEY WERE
WAS WITH JOHN ENTERING THE WATER

SO HE JOINED THE LINE
BUT HIS COUSIN JOHN
FELT HE WAS UNWORTHY
BUT JESUS SAID
LET IT BE DONE




SO JOHN PLUNGED HIM INTO THE RIVER
AND HE CAME UP
GASPING FOR AIR
LIKE A NEWBORN BABY
LIKE A REBORN BABY
LIKE ALL THOSE IN LINE WITH HIM

AND FROM HEAVEN CAME A VOICE
THE VOICE OF A FATHER
PROUD OF HIS SON
FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
AND THE VOICE SAYS
THIS IS MY BELOVED SON
IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED

AND JESUS LOOKING AT ALL GATHERED AT THE RIVER
AND LOOKING DOWN THE LONG RIVER OF HISTORY
COMES TO THIS ROOM WHERE WE ARE GATHERED
AND SAYS
TO EACH ONE OF US INDIVIDUALLY
YOU
YOU ARE MY BELOVED BROTHERS
YOU ARE MY BELOVED SISTERS
IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED