Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 2C
In the Sundays following Epiphany 1, the Church moves us through the Scriptures in an ordinary (numbered) series of Sunday celebrations, still with an emphasis on the Fatherโs manifestation of Jesus of Nazareth as Son of God but in a progressive contemplation of the events of Jesusโ early ministry. The appointed Gospel readings for Epiphany 2 in all three years provide coverage of Jesusโ first interaction with his disciples as recorded in the Gospel of John.
In the Gospel reading for Epiphany 2C from John 2:1-11, we hear the account of the miracle of our Lord turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana in Galilee, an event John the Evangelist terms โthe first of his signs,โ that is, the first public miracle of Jesus marking him as Son of God.
The appointed OT reading from Isaiah 62:1-5 is a repetition of the stunningly beautiful words of prophecy we heard just three weeks earlier on Christmas 2 Sunday. References to marriage (โand your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be marriedโ (4) make for a compelling parallel with the wedding scene in the Gospel reading from John. But it is the words of the Father putting his glory on display through Zion, personified by the Messiah, that is especially relevant in the Epiphany season: โThe nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will giveโ (2).
Worshipers on this Sunday may have heard the appointed Psalm 96 just a few weeks ago on Christmas Day. There is a lot of repetition in the Sunday lectionary from Christmas through Epiphany due to the emphasis given in both seasons to the theme of Christ for the nations. Thus, this week, we will act like a chorus singing in the background of the revelation of Jesus in the whole world: โAscribe unto the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe unto the Lord worship and power. Ascribe unto the Lord the honor due unto his Name; bring offerings and come into his courtsโ (7-8, BCP, New Coverdale).
The Church uses the space for NT readings in this period to work systematically through much of Paulโs first letter to the Corinthians. By Year C, we are beginning a series through much of Chapters 12 to 15. This weekโs assigned reading from 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 contains Paulโs teaching on the unity of the body and the distribution of spiritual gifts: โNow there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyoneโ (4-6).
The appointed Collect, again here picking up on themes of light and shining from the Christmas season and bringing them forward to Epiphany, petitions โAlmighty God,โ that, as he has given Jesus Christ to be โthe light of the world,โ the Church โmay shine with the radiance of Christโs glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth.โ
The Collect
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christโs glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
I Will Not Keep Silent (Isaiah 62:1-5)
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
Isaiah 62:1-5
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
The โsilenceโ of God through periods of suffering is a common complaint in the literature of ancient Israel from the time of the exodus to the exile. The Psalms especially express the sentiment: โTo you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pitโ (Ps. 28:1, also 35:22). Here, and in the whole section of Isaiah 40-66, we hear YHWHโs determination to break the silence and speak out for his people: โFor Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torchโ (1). Yet it will not be simply to comfort Israel in her suffering that causes him to act, but that she might fulfill her calling to be a light to the nations for the glory of God.
Christians understand the coming of Christ to fulfill this prophecy of God breaking silence. He comes as Word made flesh. And we find, yes, globally, the gospel is going out to all the nations. In every continent of the world, the Church of Christ exists and flourishes. Locally, however, within our own congregations and around our neighborhoods, we wonder sometimes if God is not still โsilent.โ We fail to see much happening through gospel transformation. We pray for families and friends and see little change. We find ourselves echoing the complaints of ancient Israel.
Lord, today, by your Spirit, give us eyes to see, as you do, the fields white for harvest. Show us in our hometowns the smaller but real signs of your transforming power pulsating in our own lives and in others.
Ascribe unto the LORD (Psalm 96)
1 O sing unto the Lord a new song; *
Psalm 96:1-9, New Coverdale Psalter (BCP 2019)
sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.
2 Sing unto the Lord and praise his Name; *
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his honor to the nations, *
and his wonders to all peoples.
4 For the Lord is great, and highly to be praised; *
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6 Glory and majesty are before him; *
power and honor are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe unto the Lord, O you families of the peoples, *
ascribe unto the Lord worship and power.
8 Ascribe unto the Lord the honor due unto his Name; *
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
This is a psalm of praise, which we can well imagine being used at a temple service in ancient Israel with a leader calling the gathered people to worship. Notice, first, the words of exhortation which seek to draw out of people the highest expressions of allegiance and love for God: โSingโ and โpraiseโ and โdeclareโ and โascribeโ and โworship.โ Then, take note of the various attributes and deeds of God, making him worthy of our highest praise: โhis salvation day to day,โ โ[he] made the heavens,โ and โhe shall judge the peoples righteously.โ Using the passions that lie within us as human beings and directing our full attention to God, we are encouraged to open ourselves up to worship.
Devotionally, I would add, and not just on Sundays only. Certainly, our worship is at its fullest in the assemblies of faithful hearts and bodies in our temples. However, we have opportunities day to day to โascribe to the LORDโ in smaller groups and to individuals. Recently, a young woman I have known as a pastor since she was a child but who has been away from the church for years called to ask if I might be willing to officiate at her wedding. I was tempted to dispatch the situation by citing the rules: โI canโt do the wedding unless you are active in the church communityโ and โWe would have to do marriage preparation classes.โ But then the Spirit (in a voice that sounded eerily like my wifeโs) said, โInvite the couple to dinner.โ Now, Blanca and I are planning how we can tell them about the goodness of God, how he has blessed our marriage, and how they are missing out on the best possible life they can have by not surrendering their hearts to Jesus. The compulsion here is that we become like the psalmist to these people. We, too, can honor Jesus โto the nationsโ one person at a time. Weโll see how it all turns out.
Today, by your Spirit, Lord, keep the song from Sunday going in my heart all week so that my friends, family, and work associates can hear and be drawn to you.
Now Concerning Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says โJesus is accursed!โ and no one can say โJesus is Lordโ except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
The opening line, โNow concerning spiritual gifts,โ is most likely used by Paul to indicate he will respond to a concern the Corinthian church members themselves have raised in an earlier letter (see 7:1). From the context, it appears they were looking for not only general teaching about spiritual gifts but how to respond to abuses of power found in the fellowship around the use of gifts. In response, Paul has to walk a fine line between, on the one hand, killing a desire for spiritual gifts altogether and, on the other, overlooking the abuses. (The remainder of the section in Chapters 12-14 clearly displays this tension).
Devotionally, the problem seems to be the opposite in our modern American church context. While the abuse of spiritual power in the church certainly exists, it does notโat least in mainline denominationsโcenter around the use of spiritual gifts in worship. We have an overall absence of most of the spiritual gifts in our worship and a lack of desire for it. We are deathly afraid of disorder and the controversy surrounding manifestations of the Spirit in our worship, so we settle contentedly (so we believe) on not having them at all. Amazingly, Paulโs same teaching about spiritual gifts applies to us even coming from the other side of the problem.
Beloved, we continue to put aside our “earnest desire” (see 14:1) for the spiritual gifts to our great loss. Look at the overall list of gifts in this passage and, forgetting the strangeness of some of them for a moment, make an account of the gains for the church found in allowing themโ”wisdom” from God, “knowledge” from God, the word of God clearly spoken, discernment of spiritual direction, displays of power to encourage believers and convict non-believers.
Today, in the Spirit, as a church, let us say in response to Paulโs teaching here, whatever spiritual help and power you are offering, God, we will gladly receive it, in Jesusโ name.
They Have No Wine (John 2:1-11)
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, โThey have no wine.โ 4 And Jesus said to her, โWoman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.โ 5 His mother said to the servants, โDo whatever he tells you.โ 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, โFill the jars with water.โ And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, โNow draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.โ So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, โEveryone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.โ 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11
Many commentators believe that Jesusโ response to his mother, โMy time has not yet comeโ (4), refers to the hour of his death and exaltation. Maybe so. However, in the context of Johnโs narrative, it might equally refer to the initiation of Jesus doing the โworksโ he sees his Father doing in ministry. Not that he wasnโt imitating his Father before this point in what he did, but that the formal launch of his ministry had not yet taken place. If that is true, and the miracle of turning water into wine is โthe first of his signsโ (11), then we must conclude that it was not some contemplative moment of isolation with the Father that kicked things off for Jesus, but rather the insistence of his mother.
How does the Holy Spirit lead you forward in following Jesus and doing the will of the Father? What do you find yourself paying attention to most in discerning the will of God? It could be leading from the Scriptures or prayer, but let us be careful not to overlook the words made in conversation with others, especially those from our brothers and sisters in faith. Proverbs 20:15 says, โThere is gold and an abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.โ Often, we may find that God chooses to use a conversation with a believer to discern his will or lead us forward in ministry. Even an offhand comment from a stranger, even an unbelieving stranger, could be a word from the Lord to us that we just canโt get out of our heads.
We may wonder if something like that was happening with Jesus at this moment in Cana, the words of his mother giving him clear direction from the Father. Today, Holy Spirit, observing the ways of Mary and Jesus in this beloved text, open the ears of my heart to be attentive to the ways you are speaking to me in conversation with others.
Today in the Spirit
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