January 23, 2011: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1 and 4-9;1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23
Psalm 27:1 and 4-9: Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
Matthew 4:12-23: “Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so 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— 16 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.’ 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
18 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 lake—for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 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. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 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.”
Third Sunday after the Epiphany Comment: The season of Epiphany is the season of revelation, the season of God’s ‘showings’. Epiphany comes to the northern hemisphere in the darkness of winter. David the Shepherd King learned to conquer the darkness of fear trusting in Jehovah. A star guided the Magi to Jesus, the God of the gentiles.
Was John the Baptizer was able to surrender to imprisonment because God revealed Jesus to him as Messiah? Because of this ‘showing was Jesus able to leave his cousin and fulfill the prophecy, “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.”
Consider this . . .
"Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that, this, too, was a gift." - Mary Oliver
Epiphany Blessings,
Rev. Julia,
©January 19, 2011