From the Inside Out

Third Sunday After Epiphany – Year C

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10                                                      
Psalm 19                                  
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
 
Soon after Jesus completed his time alone in the wilderness, he began his ministry by teaching in the local synagogues.  On this occasion he selected a passage from Isaiah as the basis for his instruction, a passage that summarized the love and compassion that would be the hallmark of his ministry.

The people expected a Messiah that would expel foreign oppressors from their holy land, and restore the power, peace, and dignity of their people.  Their focus was on the physical, external world around them.  The way to solve problems in the world, so they thought, was to have the strongest army, the best weapons, and always obey every commandment of God to retain His favor.

But Jesus knew better.  Focusing only on externals would never bring a lasting peace or prosperity.  It may come and last for awhile, but this type of "peace" is not sustainable.  Some people would prosper, but it was always at the expense of others, causing suffering.  Jesus knew that to change the world for the better, each person would need to change on the inside first.  Once their hearts and minds were transformed, the physical world would change, too.

Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."  This was not the economically poor, but anyone who lacked the love and compassion of God.

"He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives...to let the oppressed go free..."  People would no longer have to accept the authority of social norms, marketing lies, or the enticement of their own egos.  They would be free to follow the teaching, wisdom, and love of God.  The standard of truth now came from the mouth of God, and not the mouths of men.

"He has sent me to proclaim...recovery of sight to the blind..."  Yes, of course, he had the power to cure blindness of the eyes, but here he was talking about begin able to see the truth of life.  The richness of God's love extends far beyond the physical things we see; the structures that mankind builds, the books that are written, or the pictures that are painted – His love penetrates deep into each person's soul, as well as from the farthest sun to the smallest atom.  His love is what fuels the universe in all its parts.

It was part of Jesus' mission to help people "see" the truth – that God is love, that He loves us very much, that He sent His Son to us to teach us how to live in this world, together as one family.

Paul writes about this in his letter to the Corinthians, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." 

He goes on to show how all these members of the body (us) are to live together as one body: "The members of the body that seem to be weaker are actually indispensable, and those that we think are less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect."  There should be no dissension within the body... "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it."

This is the law of the Lord, and as the psalmist says, "It is perfect, reviving the soul...rejoicing the heart...enlightening the eyes...more to be desired than gold...sweeter than honey."

This new ministry would turn the world upside down.  The messenger would be loved by some for it, and hated by others.

Reflection Questions

1. What should your Messiah do for you?  What should you do for your Messiah?

2. Why did some people feel threatened by the message of the Messiah?

3. How can you feel more like a member of the body of Christ?

4. Can you accept God's unconditional love for you?

Do Whatever He Tells You

Second Sunday After Epiphany – Year C

Isaiah 62:1-5                                                   
Psalm 36:5-10                         
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

The season of Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus' ministry to the world.  What would this ministry be like? Who would it serve? How would it impact people?  The wedding at Cana set the stage for this most amazing ministry, laying a foundation that would capture the hearts of many people, while inflaming the pride and hatred of others.

Usually when we think of the story of the wedding at Cana, we think about how Jesus turned the water into wine.  But a closer walk through this story reveals quite a lot more about what's to come from the ministry of the Son of Man.  Consider these:

·         Jesus, the Messiah, was not above participating in social events or mixing with the crowds.  Yes, he often spent time alone in prayer, but he also realized that he would reach people at the intersections in their lives – work, celebrations, meals, informal gatherings, festivals, and funerals.  He attended these events, and didn't intentionally make the hosts or guests feel uncomfortable. He would be involved with people in their everyday lives.

·         Jesus entered into people's troubles, whether they were life or death matters, or as simple as the embarrassment of running out of wine at a wedding celebration.  he was there to help.  And if he convinced people of his good and loving intentions on small matters, maybe they would be open to him on larger ones, too.

·         Jesus showed us that although he is the center of all healing and help, he works through others to get the job done.  At the wedding, he (and his mother, in this case) enlisted the servants to help with the wine shortage issue.  We, too, must keep focus on the love and compassion of  God as we ace life's trials and troubles, but we must remember that as the body of Christ, he works through the various gifts of all the people.

St. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians that, "...there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

Some people can help us heal from physical wounds or illnesses, some can help us heal from emotional wounds, some can help to feed us, or clothe us, or teach us, or build us homes and roads.  We are one body in Christ, and must learn to live together – for the common good.  The idea of being independent from other people is an illusion, and the source of many of our society's ills.

·         Jesus had the power to change water into wine.  On a number of occasions during his ministry, Jesus demonstrated his power over nature: walking on water, walking through walls, feeding thousands of people with a few loaves and fishes – and even John the Evangelist wrote, "He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." (John 1)

So, he certainly had the power to change water into wine.  But within the words of this story we see more clearly exactly how he did it.  In keeping with the way he prefers to accomplish things, he worked through other people. 

Notice first that Jesus' mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  A good piece of advice for anyone, to be sure.  The servants then turned their attention to Jesus, awaiting his instructions.  "Fill the jars with water," he told the servants, which they did.  "Now, draw some out, and take it to the chief steward."  So they took it to the steward who tasted it and declared it to be very good wine.   

Perhaps we could look at this situation and see what can happen when someone listens to Our Lord, and does what he asks.  Any situation (water) can be made better (wine) if we can all work together for the common good.  Maybe all he was trying to point out is that when we come together to help someone else out, things will get better in some way.

The wedding at Cana gave Jesus an opportunity to demonstrate what was to come with his ministry: his teachings were meant to bring people together for the common good; to meet people at their point of need, wherever that may be; to help people through other people, regardless of the need.  We are all one family, under one God, members of the same body.

Reflection Questions

1. How do you think the world would change if we all lived together for the common good?

2. Have you ever had any water-to-wine life experiences?
 
3. How can you become more aware of the needs of others around you?

4.Who can you reach out to for help if you need it?

Great Expectations

Baptism of the Lord – Year C

Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

For centuries the people of Israel had been waiting for the coming of a Messiah who would lead their nation to a place of safety and power, ridding themselves of all oppressors and enemies. The prophecies of scripture foretold of his coming, and now this man, John, emphatically claimed that the time had come.

The people were filled with great expectations, since this was to be a glorious time – a victory for the Righteous God. They wondered if John himself was the Messiah. But John made it clear that he was not the Messiah that the people hoped to see, but that "one who is more powerful than I is coming." John knew that his role was to prepare the way for the Messiah; John must decrease while Jesus must increase.

John further emphasized this difference in power as he said his baptism was of water, but that the Messiah's baptism would be one of the Holy Spirit and "fire." Fire, in this sense, refers to a deep and abiding passion – an undauntable commitment to the proper understanding and acceptance of God's love and compassion. The Messiah "burns with passion" regarding this core essence of God.

What do the readings from today tell us about this core essence of God? Isaiah can barely contain himself as he hits on the high points:

• In the fullness of life and eternal nature of our souls, we have nothing to fear. "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you..." and, "Do not fear, for I am with you..." John the Baptist may have tried to scare people into salvation, but Jesus was more apt to attract them through love, to awaken the goodness inside each person.

• God has a deep, abiding, personal interest in each one of us. "I have called you by name, you are mine...I will be with you...Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you..." He knows each one of us intimately, and cares for us; He made us, He formed us.

• It's God's intent to bring us all back home to Him some day, one way or another: "I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, 'Give them up,' and to the south, 'Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth...' "

John interjects a comment about the wheat and the chaff, often interpreted as either a person would end up as "wheat" and be saved into God's barn, or that a person would be considered as "chaff" and burned in the unquenchable fire. (Luke 3:17) But Jesus knew that every person is part wheat (goodness) and part chaff (egocentric). Both wheat and chaff are part of the same plant. As part of God's plan to bring every one of His children home, He will indeed separate the wheat part of us from the chaff part of us, cleaning us up where needed. The wheat part will be brought home, and the chaff part destroyed.

Today, we respond to these great expectations we have of Jesus' love for us by passionately fulfilling our Baptismal vows. We continue in the apostle's teaching, resist evil, seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. And we do this in our own unique way, in the way that God made us, and in the place that He's put us, moment by moment.

Reflection Questions

1. Do you have these same great expectations about God's love for you?

2. What do your Baptismal vows mean to you?

3. How can you develop a closer relationship with God in your life?

4. How can you share your relationship with God with other people?