Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31

Mark 1:29-39

February 7, 2021

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31 The importance of story for faith

The New Revised Standard Version God’s People Are Comforted

21 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

and spreads them like a tent to live in;

23 who brings princes to naught,

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,

scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,

when he blows upon them, and they wither,

and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 To whom then will you compare me,

or who is my equal? says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:

Who created these?

He who brings out their host and numbers them,

calling them all by name;

because he is great in strength,

mighty in power,

not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,

and speak, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the LORD,

and my right is disregarded by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint,

and strengthens the powerless.

30 Even youths will faint and be weary,

and the young will fall exhausted;

31 but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.

“Has is not been told you from the beginning?” - from the time of coming into faith a central story is told - God created heaven and earth, God led Israel from Egypt to be a light in the dark world, to be the salt of the earth, to be a blessing to all the nations.

Have we understood this foundational truth? And what does it mean for us?

Mark 1:29-39 Jesus heals and we follow and are sent

The New Revised Standard Version Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

A Preaching Tour in Galilee

(Mt 4:23–25; Lk 4:42–44)

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

“they” = disciples follow Jesus and go the house of Simon and Andrew with two other disciples. Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with fever. Jesus heals her and she regains her strength immediately. She went on to serve them.

what is the healing about? Is it a sign of the kingdom present and to come? What do we think about the fever gone, the mother-in-law begins to serve the visitors to the house? Was the woman healed so that she could follow him? Did Jesus heal the mother-in-law that she might be healthy to serve others? Is that what kingdom healing about?

Then that evening many who were sick or possessed came to be healed and the demons were sent packing. NOTICE: The Sabath is over at sunset! Not all, but many were healed or had the demons driven out. What do you make of that? What is the purpose of the healing? of the driving out of demons?

Have you noticed that Jesus doesn’t set up an office and wait for the people to come to him. No, Jesus encounters people in their day to day lives in the midst of their suffering, and with compassion uses his power to heal them. Have yu noticed that Jesus responds to human initiative?

The next morning Jesus goes to pray - before the light of the day comes.

The disciples did not know where he went. They said to him “Everyone is searching for you.” What are they searching for? More healing, maybe?

Jesus doesn’t appear to answer that question. He says let’s go together, that is follow me, into the towns nearby as I have been sent to proclaim the message (repentance, coming of the kingdom, gospel).

They, the disciples, followed where Jesus went. Are we following where Jesus goes OR do we expect Jesus to come to us?

Later Jesus sends the disciples to do as he did - proclaim the gospel, practice what Jesus taught them to do, disciple others by telling the stories of Jesus, practicing together and sending them out to be with and among those of the world. This has been the church - a missional people sent to go where Jesus goes (Holy Spirit), to proclaim the gospel (story of Jesus), practice what Jesus taught, disciple by sharing and embodying the gospel and sending out others into the community and the world.

Have you noticed this morning, that in this little fragment of Mark we have almost the entire story of the gospels - Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, is sent by God the Father who delivered Israel from the oppression of Pharoah, who were set up as a nation to be a blessing to the nations, who were be a light, but now Jesus came to succeed where they failed, and to be Israel , to be the temple, to show signs of the kingdom of God present among us in the Holy Spirit.

This is the foundation of my faith. How about you? Let me take a moment to read from out hymnal these words of Samuel Stone from the Hymn “The Church’s One Foundation.”