jan-22-epiphany-3.md

Sun, Jan 22, 2017:

Preface

Lectionary

Trying to hear with new ears

Jesus has heard that John was arrested. Was he afraid? Was that a sign for him? Whatever, he withdrew to Galilee and went to Capernaum by the sea. Fulfilling the prophecy he said.

Who are these living in a land of deep darkness?

  • 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. (Is 9)

We hear this passage twice today: once from the prophet himself. The other from the gospel writer quoting the prophet.

Mathew’s call of the disciples: 2 familiar pairs of brothers: Peter & Andrew, James & John

With the repetition of the words of the prophet, I am inclined to emphasize them. To see in them a clue for us to hear with fresh ears.

The prophet spoke to his generation. The writers of the NT heard the words as God speaking to them. We perhaps should do the same. Listen to these words speaking to us in our generation.

then as now I ask myself what does the gospel have to speak to us today?

Scripture is “Word of God” and means to me that through these words I hear God speak to me and to us, in this time and this place. In order to help me understand this text today …

I wonder about Matthew’s gospel overall

Characteristics

  • most Jewish of the gospels
    • Law and Torah is important. Cf. the primacy of Torah in Judaism.
    • Abraham as father – the other genealogy traces Jesus back to God so as to emphasize he is Lord of all people.
  • of the church – only time ecclesia is used in the NTP
    • Matthew uses the phrase kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God. It is generally understood that Matthew is using a Jewish sensitivity here that would avoid using not only the name of God but even a direct reference to God.
    • Peter has a primacy and a focus. Thus he highlighted in today’s Gospel among the disciples. Last week, you may remember he didn’t have the same prominence.
  • Structured with a kind of 5-fold scheme (echoing the Pentateuch?) made of 5 speeches given by Jesus.
    • The Sermon on the Mount is the first of these.

We might conclude then that Jesus has brought to us a new covenant command. A command to shine in the darkness.

So this Gospel opens up the account of Jesus ministry with the prophecy that his disciples / students will no longer fish for for fish – but will fish for human beings. Fish by being a light.

Gathering people into the kingdom of heaven

Do we hear Matthew as addressed to individuals? That is the way I have usually heard it. Thus I would usually have associated this call of 2 pairs of brothers as a evocation of the call to conversion and discipleship of each of us as individuals.

I am now not so inclined to do that. Look at what Matthew’s gospel focuses on. It focuses on the community of those whom God has called. Each is called individually, yes, but they are called into community.

The call to be fishers of men is a call primarily to the community. Matthew speaks to the community, to be a light in the darkness.

Peter’s primacy in Matthew’s gospel is about the community, because Peter is a sign and symbol of his leadership of the community.

The season of Epiphany as setting something in motion

Epiphany is all about the start, the inauguration, the opening signs, the groundwork … of Jesus’ ministry.

Last time I was here it was the Sunday after the election. Today it is the Sunday after the inauguration.

The reading from Matthew’s gospel is set toward the beginning and the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry. What a coincidence! My spiritual director used to regularly say to me, “There are no mere coincidences.”

What he meant by that is that it is God at work through those coincidences. We are responsible for paying attention, for hearing with new ears.

This Sunday comes between two major feasts in the church year. 1/18 was the confession of Peter. 1/25 the conversion of Paul. These 2 figures are the leaders of the 2 great divisions in the early church. For almost a century it has been the custom of many in the church to pray and work for Christian unity.

  • Paul writing to church in Corinth? He writes to a divided Church.

    • Now 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.

God has chosen us for what?

So from the Gospel and Prophet we hear God’s voice calling the community to walk in the land of darkness and to be a light. And from the epistle I hear a suggestion that what makes the land we walk in a land of darkness is a deep division.

The call to the land of darkness is pretty loudly spoken to us as it is repeated twice. Isaiah speaking it to his generation, Matthew speaking it to his generation, … it seems that we are to speak it to our generation.

  • It is commonly observed that we are a land (maybe a world) that is deeply divided.

    • “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,

  • We ought, then, not to be disturbed by dwelling in a land seemingly divided against itself. That is the kind of place that Jesus went at the very beginning of his ministry.
  • He went, I think, with some confidence and trust that God was going to do the lighting of the way.

When I say us I mean in the church. Ultimately the insight of Christianity is that God is addressing all human beings.

  • Not to be great – whether again or not.
  • But to be a light to the world – a beacon

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