Sunday after Theophany

Title

The Light Shines

Outline

On Theophany we heard of the inauguration of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah

He was always Son of God ontologically (if one can speak of “always”) - we saw that in the Trinitarian reference

But in his baptism he is identified with humanity, its sins, and its need of rescue; Messiah, Son of David, is the second meaning of Son of God

But after the inauguration and after the testing in battle with the devil, what does one do next?

He takes up his role as the king to whom John pointed

Jesus had apparently returned to the baptist movement about the time John was arrested; identified with John, he chose to go somewhere where that relationship was unknown

He chose to go into Galilee, the heart of Herod Antipas’ territory, but moved from Nazareth, which was close to Sepphoris, which Antipas was building, and go now to the Sea of Galilee, close to the border and far from Gentile strongholds

There in the heart of darkness, in a place of Jewish compromise, Gentile residence in the area, and uprisings by Jewish radicals (Isaiah refers to it as a place of oppression, but Matthew as “the region and shadow of death”) he establishes his headquarters and starts his ministry

He continues the announcement of John - with one difference

John called on people to change their minds and lives, to repent and get in line with the coming rule of God - but John made it clear he was not the ruler, simply a forerunner

Jesus makes the same ringing call to change, but makes no reference to anyone coming after him. We know from Matthew that he is the Son of God, he is the King. The kingdom is not just coming, but it is present in him.

He gathers a community

This takes us into tomorrow’s readings in which he calls his first followers, men whom he will make leaders of his new community.

John had followers, but John never called people to follow him, but to prepare for the coming King.

Jesus gathers and organizes his followers so that they are the community of the King, the beginnings of the Kingdom of God.

Eventually he would have cells in the various towns of Galilee, for he would send out his apostles, his emissaries, to carry the message and gather disciples everywhere in Herod’s kingdom

Brothers and sisters, we cannot stop with Theophany

We cannot say, “Good, there is a king anointed by God, now we can go home and see what God does.”

God calls us to follow Jesus into the heart of darkness, to be kingdom lights with Jesus in the darkness.

God calls us to change our lives and to call others to do the same, to bring everything in our lives under the rule of the King, under the rule of God

God calls us to a new community, each, as Ephesians says, with his or her own role. It is a structured community, but it is a community that reaches out to others and gathers them into itself.

It is a subversive community due to its lifestyle, but it eschews the world’s methods of power and violence. It is therefore in one way not a threat to Herod or Pilate and in another sense more dangerous than any threat that could be put down with violence, for it makes them irrelevant

The program started right after Theophany. And, while it took a universal turn with Pentecost, it continues right up to the present.

The Kingdom of God has come; long live the King; come, let us adore him

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 1-9-2022: Sunday after Theophany

EPISTLE

Ephesians 4:7–13

7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8  Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 1-9-2022: Sunday after Theophany

GOSPEL

Matthew 4:12–17

12  Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; 13  and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Caperna-um by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15  “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

toward 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 preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 1-9-2022: Sunday after Theophany

SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2022 | THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD

SUNDAY AFTER THEOPHANY

Bright Vestments

Matins Gospel John 20:1–10 (29th Sunday)

Epistle Ephesians 4:7–13

Gospel Matthew 4:12–17