Reason to wake up
Commentary
Object:
It was one of those rough Fridays that one wishes to forget. Everything went wrong, from the car having issues on the way to work to the machines at work also breaking down. People were in a bad mood. The phone seemed to have only irate customers and vendors. The plumbing at the workplace was not working properly. Some key people called in “sick,” so the office and shop were both shorthanded. It was the day from hell! When closing time finally came, there was an accident on the main highway and traffic was backed up for miles! What will Monday bring?
Today’s texts are passages that provide a reason to wake up and do it all over again on Monday morning. All three passages bring with them the realization that God remains in charge and points us to new life and hope. On this Epiphany Day, we can have confidence that we are not in it all alone. God is the one who transcends any natural or human-made catastrophe.
Isaiah 60:1-6
This text is connected to the Matthew 2 gospel lesson in that “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6). This text is seen through the eyes of the wise men from the East in Matthew 22:1. This text itself is actually an attempt to redefine “salvation” for the people of Jerusalem from a onetime celebrative event toward an ongoing process. One theory is that the Isaiah of exile (Deutero-Isaiah) had heightened hopes of a grandiose homecoming of returned exiles, which never occurred. So the Isaiah of the return (Trito-Isaiah) is reworking the salvation to reflect the sense of profound disillusionment the people experienced upon their return to the land of Judah, yet suggesting God is still sovereign.
God is still invested in God’s people and God’s city of Jerusalem. However, to a people who are lethargic and self-serving regarding their immediate needs, Isaiah 60 seeks to rekindle God’s promise in the form of a new age for Zion. Do not expect any immediate supernatural intervention on one hand, but there is no war or international upheaval in the lands on the other hand. The bullies are gone, but so is all of the drama, violence, and action they heaped upon the lands they conquered. Jerusalem is no longer the leading headline or “breaking news” story, but rather an afterthought -- a late or back page story under the category of “one year later after the hurricane, shooting, or wild forest fires.”
If Monday morning is going to be decent, then somebody has to brew the first pot of coffee. And somebody else has to make sure the restrooms have been serviced. It is at this time one latches onto the local constants of their universe. This might be a local sports team, a restaurant meal special, a family or local school event taking place, and remembering stories as to when this group, company, organization was indeed the leading headline story in the area news. God is still working with God’s people, but it will not be an overnight event. This is a process and takes time.
There will come a day when strangers will come to admire how this group has come a long way despite its past losses, tragedies, and “black eyes.” An example might be a scouting organization which recently lived through an embezzlement scandal by one of its officers has now produced new eagle scout candidates with projects that are making a positive impact upon the community. Another example might be a town that has lost its major industry, but where a new Dollar Store opened up. This is the biggest and most popular business in the area, and it brings in different customers than the industry once did (which has moved offshore!).
A sermon path might include: Why would one arise and shine after black Friday? 1) God’s glory outshines any darkness (60:2); 2) People still have children and grandchildren, what ministry is possible now (60:4)?; 3) What message are we now sending to travelers that would make them want to stop into the community? So the power goes off in the wintertime at a church service. A Sunday school teacher starts singing the Vacation Bible School song “This little light of mine....” The pastor is happy, gives the benediction, and people are dismissed. Arise and shine, for your light has come. Amen. [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998); Claus Westermann, The Old Testament Library: Isaiah 40-66 (Westminster John Knox Press, 1969)]
Ephesians 3:1-12
While authorship issues have been contested on Ephesians, this does not alter the meaning and theology of the texts. One-third of the book of Colossians is in Ephesians. Similar to the Isaiah 60 theme, the Pauline author (hereafter “Paul”) does not expect an imminent second coming or return of the Lord, but envisions a future in which Christians throughout Asia Minor will have to live and grow as disciples (hence, Paul includes the “Full Armor of God” text, 6:10-17).
Ephesians is viewed as a general encyclical letter to be read to many communities in Asia Minor (Taylor, pp. 14-25). Paul views himself as a steward of the gospel message entrusted to him. He has just concluded a section of addressing Christians who were Gentiles of the faith (2:11-22). Now he expounds on the “mystery” that is being revealed as well as upholding his credentials as “apostle.”
Preaching and bringing the Gentiles into the fold of God’s covenant people is the mystery that is now revealed (3:6). There is a repetition of the “grace” theme, as mentioned earlier in 2:8. This grace does not necessarily fill an official “office” but rather a ministry to the Gentiles or outsiders, which has led to Paul being imprisoned (3:1). “Paul’s commission is to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Taylor, pp. 56-57). This is part of God’s divine plan which was hidden in the past, but now Paul is committed to revealing it -- even if it means detention by government authorities.
Paul views his imprisonment as part of a cosmic plan in which God initiates grace through the message of the gospel with which he is entrusted. Therefore, setbacks such as his imprisonment are not to be viewed as reasons for discouragement, but as signs of more mysterious ways God’s plan works throughout history in a cosmic arena (3:9-10).
For example, a person gets bad news of a medical report. Ephesians would counsel that God is still at work here in a mysterious way, though initial appearances seem grim. Another example is a worker who is terminated or whose contract is not renewed by an employer. Ephesians would argue that there is a larger picture here where God continues to work in mysterious ways. Just as nobody anticipated a messiah to both Jews and Gentiles, God is capable of revealing more wisdom in many places and ways. [Source: Walter F. Taylor (Ephesians), John H.P. Reumann (Colossians), Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Ephesians-Colossians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985)]
Mathew 2:1-12
There are at least a couple paths one might follow in this familiar text. It can be seen as the first piece of a bookend of how Jesus and his ministry will be viewed as a threat to the local leaders whom Rome has entrusted to keep the peace. The second bookend is completed in Matthew 27 with the chief priests and elders conspiring to kill Jesus. The teacher and his community of faith will never be rid of local leaders who impede and are suspect of his ministry (Overman, pp. 46-47).
The Micah 5:1-2 prophecies can be viewed through the events of this text. King Herod, a pretender to the throne (according to Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War) is now threatened. This does set up a confrontation between the monarchs and baby Jesus’ family, similar to the ancient story of the threatened Pharaoh and baby Moses (Exodus 1). It can be argued persuasively that Matthew sees Jesus as the new Moses. The threat on the child’s life is where the saga begins in the gospel.
Another path one can follow is the irony that the Jewish king of Israel does not honor the newborn babe while the Gentile wise men or astrologers see God actively at work in this text. This is the tie to the Isaiah 60 text in that they bring the baby gifts, though by Jewish standards they are pagans at best. Yet they come to a clearer realization that God’s actions are most urgent and bear obedience than King Herod with multiple resources.
All of these paths might expound upon the “mystery” in Ephesians 3:3-4. In local congregations, when is it that outsiders see what is actually going on in church? Some programs or ministries must simply be left to die as there is an urgent need in the community for another outreach effort, which means people from unchurched, possibly immigrant backgrounds would be attracted. Do outsiders see things within a given church that lifetime members are blinded toward?
Another idea might be, when does a person know that they are being sent to “spy” on someone else and realize that they are being “used”? How is the community being enhanced when a leader has somebody else do his or her “dirty work”? All of these are “realizations” that the community or group can be impacted in one way or another.
One real example might be a young person hired for a job by general management. The new employee is told something to the effect that they will learn under an older person. But “Between me, you, and the fencepost, we think the person you are learning under is getting rusty, aging, and not as sharp as they used to be when they were younger.” Does the younger hire carry on the with the “spy mission”? A movie example might be the 1970s version of the movie The Mechanic, when hit man Charles Bronson’s’ character is suspected of getting too old and expensive, so his apprentice is hired to execute his mentor.
There are some time, logistics, and date disputes between the Matthew and Luke accounts of the birth of Jesus (Schweizer, pp. 38-39). Matthew’s intent is probably to portray Jesus as a new Moses (for an audience familiar with Hebrew scriptures and traditions), whereas Luke is either an evangelism tract for Gentiles or a retelling of salvation history which is more intentional about putting a spotlight on the Gentile ministry (that is, Matthew ends with the “Great Commission” in 28:16-20). Bethlehem remains the place of birth. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Israel’s local leadership and Rome’s governor are culpable players in Jesus’ execution. As applied to the illustration above, is making life a challenge for one’s bosses or opposition reason enough to wake up on any given morning? This might be another perspective to pursue in the lessons for today. [Sources: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War (Penguin Books, 1959); J. Andrew Overman, Church and Community in Crisis: The Gospel According to Matthew (Trinity Press International, 1996); Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, translated by David E. Green (John Knox Press, 1975)]
Application
Winters of discontent can often become times that God does enlighten us with “epiphany” experiences. From Isaiah, the new house, car, job, or community is not the panacea we thought it would be. Life is still a daily labor of effort. The problems we had in the past are now replaced with new ones. But God is still sovereign and acting within God’s creation. At one time in the church, clergy were told to create “cell groups” which will grow one another. This might have worked for a year or so, but then the cell group leaders are tired and want a break. Now the cell groups are falling apart because those who were trained or empowered as future leaders have moved on and no longer attend this church. A new model is sought, or maybe there will have be paid part-time leaders.
As related to Ephesians 3, a person’s idea of having a community dinner was a great outreach idea back last Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now it is back to standard time when it gets dark outside earlier. The local TV cameras are gone for the videos on helping the needy -- they are at basketball or hockey games now. Like Paul in Ephesians, is the commitment to the meal ministry still worth it? Was this ministry activity a real calling, or just a seasonal idea which will lose interest by spring? Does one do ministry for the affirmations, or like Paul because they believe this is how God is working now in our community?
As related to Matthew 2, once the New Year’s ball has dropped, the holiday gifts are unwrapped, and the visits from out-of-state friends and family are over, what is left to look forward to now? As Christians, one can look for God’s messages through strangers who come into our lives. One can see how people conspire to hoard more money and power, and see how this works out for them as people observe and expose them. Matthew’s gospel continues to empower believers in these wintry times, as Jesus provides a manual for discipleship through the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Could this be why King Herod was so threatened?
Alternative Application
Is there a time for civil disobedience? “Paul” in Ephesians and the wise men both practice blatant acts of noncompliance with the local government officials. When does this become necessary? Also, can a paid person within a given congregation carry out civil disobedience, or might it be more prudent for a layperson to do so for insurance and “boundaries workshop” caveats?
Has anyone ever imagined the wise men or astrologers’ “re-gifting” any of the objects given to the baby Jesus? After all, it was a long trip. King Herod’s troops might have already rifled through the sojourners’ belongings. If so, does this make the visit or gifts any less significant?
Today’s texts are passages that provide a reason to wake up and do it all over again on Monday morning. All three passages bring with them the realization that God remains in charge and points us to new life and hope. On this Epiphany Day, we can have confidence that we are not in it all alone. God is the one who transcends any natural or human-made catastrophe.
Isaiah 60:1-6
This text is connected to the Matthew 2 gospel lesson in that “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6). This text is seen through the eyes of the wise men from the East in Matthew 22:1. This text itself is actually an attempt to redefine “salvation” for the people of Jerusalem from a onetime celebrative event toward an ongoing process. One theory is that the Isaiah of exile (Deutero-Isaiah) had heightened hopes of a grandiose homecoming of returned exiles, which never occurred. So the Isaiah of the return (Trito-Isaiah) is reworking the salvation to reflect the sense of profound disillusionment the people experienced upon their return to the land of Judah, yet suggesting God is still sovereign.
God is still invested in God’s people and God’s city of Jerusalem. However, to a people who are lethargic and self-serving regarding their immediate needs, Isaiah 60 seeks to rekindle God’s promise in the form of a new age for Zion. Do not expect any immediate supernatural intervention on one hand, but there is no war or international upheaval in the lands on the other hand. The bullies are gone, but so is all of the drama, violence, and action they heaped upon the lands they conquered. Jerusalem is no longer the leading headline or “breaking news” story, but rather an afterthought -- a late or back page story under the category of “one year later after the hurricane, shooting, or wild forest fires.”
If Monday morning is going to be decent, then somebody has to brew the first pot of coffee. And somebody else has to make sure the restrooms have been serviced. It is at this time one latches onto the local constants of their universe. This might be a local sports team, a restaurant meal special, a family or local school event taking place, and remembering stories as to when this group, company, organization was indeed the leading headline story in the area news. God is still working with God’s people, but it will not be an overnight event. This is a process and takes time.
There will come a day when strangers will come to admire how this group has come a long way despite its past losses, tragedies, and “black eyes.” An example might be a scouting organization which recently lived through an embezzlement scandal by one of its officers has now produced new eagle scout candidates with projects that are making a positive impact upon the community. Another example might be a town that has lost its major industry, but where a new Dollar Store opened up. This is the biggest and most popular business in the area, and it brings in different customers than the industry once did (which has moved offshore!).
A sermon path might include: Why would one arise and shine after black Friday? 1) God’s glory outshines any darkness (60:2); 2) People still have children and grandchildren, what ministry is possible now (60:4)?; 3) What message are we now sending to travelers that would make them want to stop into the community? So the power goes off in the wintertime at a church service. A Sunday school teacher starts singing the Vacation Bible School song “This little light of mine....” The pastor is happy, gives the benediction, and people are dismissed. Arise and shine, for your light has come. Amen. [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998); Claus Westermann, The Old Testament Library: Isaiah 40-66 (Westminster John Knox Press, 1969)]
Ephesians 3:1-12
While authorship issues have been contested on Ephesians, this does not alter the meaning and theology of the texts. One-third of the book of Colossians is in Ephesians. Similar to the Isaiah 60 theme, the Pauline author (hereafter “Paul”) does not expect an imminent second coming or return of the Lord, but envisions a future in which Christians throughout Asia Minor will have to live and grow as disciples (hence, Paul includes the “Full Armor of God” text, 6:10-17).
Ephesians is viewed as a general encyclical letter to be read to many communities in Asia Minor (Taylor, pp. 14-25). Paul views himself as a steward of the gospel message entrusted to him. He has just concluded a section of addressing Christians who were Gentiles of the faith (2:11-22). Now he expounds on the “mystery” that is being revealed as well as upholding his credentials as “apostle.”
Preaching and bringing the Gentiles into the fold of God’s covenant people is the mystery that is now revealed (3:6). There is a repetition of the “grace” theme, as mentioned earlier in 2:8. This grace does not necessarily fill an official “office” but rather a ministry to the Gentiles or outsiders, which has led to Paul being imprisoned (3:1). “Paul’s commission is to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Taylor, pp. 56-57). This is part of God’s divine plan which was hidden in the past, but now Paul is committed to revealing it -- even if it means detention by government authorities.
Paul views his imprisonment as part of a cosmic plan in which God initiates grace through the message of the gospel with which he is entrusted. Therefore, setbacks such as his imprisonment are not to be viewed as reasons for discouragement, but as signs of more mysterious ways God’s plan works throughout history in a cosmic arena (3:9-10).
For example, a person gets bad news of a medical report. Ephesians would counsel that God is still at work here in a mysterious way, though initial appearances seem grim. Another example is a worker who is terminated or whose contract is not renewed by an employer. Ephesians would argue that there is a larger picture here where God continues to work in mysterious ways. Just as nobody anticipated a messiah to both Jews and Gentiles, God is capable of revealing more wisdom in many places and ways. [Source: Walter F. Taylor (Ephesians), John H.P. Reumann (Colossians), Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Ephesians-Colossians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985)]
Mathew 2:1-12
There are at least a couple paths one might follow in this familiar text. It can be seen as the first piece of a bookend of how Jesus and his ministry will be viewed as a threat to the local leaders whom Rome has entrusted to keep the peace. The second bookend is completed in Matthew 27 with the chief priests and elders conspiring to kill Jesus. The teacher and his community of faith will never be rid of local leaders who impede and are suspect of his ministry (Overman, pp. 46-47).
The Micah 5:1-2 prophecies can be viewed through the events of this text. King Herod, a pretender to the throne (according to Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War) is now threatened. This does set up a confrontation between the monarchs and baby Jesus’ family, similar to the ancient story of the threatened Pharaoh and baby Moses (Exodus 1). It can be argued persuasively that Matthew sees Jesus as the new Moses. The threat on the child’s life is where the saga begins in the gospel.
Another path one can follow is the irony that the Jewish king of Israel does not honor the newborn babe while the Gentile wise men or astrologers see God actively at work in this text. This is the tie to the Isaiah 60 text in that they bring the baby gifts, though by Jewish standards they are pagans at best. Yet they come to a clearer realization that God’s actions are most urgent and bear obedience than King Herod with multiple resources.
All of these paths might expound upon the “mystery” in Ephesians 3:3-4. In local congregations, when is it that outsiders see what is actually going on in church? Some programs or ministries must simply be left to die as there is an urgent need in the community for another outreach effort, which means people from unchurched, possibly immigrant backgrounds would be attracted. Do outsiders see things within a given church that lifetime members are blinded toward?
Another idea might be, when does a person know that they are being sent to “spy” on someone else and realize that they are being “used”? How is the community being enhanced when a leader has somebody else do his or her “dirty work”? All of these are “realizations” that the community or group can be impacted in one way or another.
One real example might be a young person hired for a job by general management. The new employee is told something to the effect that they will learn under an older person. But “Between me, you, and the fencepost, we think the person you are learning under is getting rusty, aging, and not as sharp as they used to be when they were younger.” Does the younger hire carry on the with the “spy mission”? A movie example might be the 1970s version of the movie The Mechanic, when hit man Charles Bronson’s’ character is suspected of getting too old and expensive, so his apprentice is hired to execute his mentor.
There are some time, logistics, and date disputes between the Matthew and Luke accounts of the birth of Jesus (Schweizer, pp. 38-39). Matthew’s intent is probably to portray Jesus as a new Moses (for an audience familiar with Hebrew scriptures and traditions), whereas Luke is either an evangelism tract for Gentiles or a retelling of salvation history which is more intentional about putting a spotlight on the Gentile ministry (that is, Matthew ends with the “Great Commission” in 28:16-20). Bethlehem remains the place of birth. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Israel’s local leadership and Rome’s governor are culpable players in Jesus’ execution. As applied to the illustration above, is making life a challenge for one’s bosses or opposition reason enough to wake up on any given morning? This might be another perspective to pursue in the lessons for today. [Sources: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War (Penguin Books, 1959); J. Andrew Overman, Church and Community in Crisis: The Gospel According to Matthew (Trinity Press International, 1996); Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, translated by David E. Green (John Knox Press, 1975)]
Application
Winters of discontent can often become times that God does enlighten us with “epiphany” experiences. From Isaiah, the new house, car, job, or community is not the panacea we thought it would be. Life is still a daily labor of effort. The problems we had in the past are now replaced with new ones. But God is still sovereign and acting within God’s creation. At one time in the church, clergy were told to create “cell groups” which will grow one another. This might have worked for a year or so, but then the cell group leaders are tired and want a break. Now the cell groups are falling apart because those who were trained or empowered as future leaders have moved on and no longer attend this church. A new model is sought, or maybe there will have be paid part-time leaders.
As related to Ephesians 3, a person’s idea of having a community dinner was a great outreach idea back last Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now it is back to standard time when it gets dark outside earlier. The local TV cameras are gone for the videos on helping the needy -- they are at basketball or hockey games now. Like Paul in Ephesians, is the commitment to the meal ministry still worth it? Was this ministry activity a real calling, or just a seasonal idea which will lose interest by spring? Does one do ministry for the affirmations, or like Paul because they believe this is how God is working now in our community?
As related to Matthew 2, once the New Year’s ball has dropped, the holiday gifts are unwrapped, and the visits from out-of-state friends and family are over, what is left to look forward to now? As Christians, one can look for God’s messages through strangers who come into our lives. One can see how people conspire to hoard more money and power, and see how this works out for them as people observe and expose them. Matthew’s gospel continues to empower believers in these wintry times, as Jesus provides a manual for discipleship through the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Could this be why King Herod was so threatened?
Alternative Application
Is there a time for civil disobedience? “Paul” in Ephesians and the wise men both practice blatant acts of noncompliance with the local government officials. When does this become necessary? Also, can a paid person within a given congregation carry out civil disobedience, or might it be more prudent for a layperson to do so for insurance and “boundaries workshop” caveats?
Has anyone ever imagined the wise men or astrologers’ “re-gifting” any of the objects given to the baby Jesus? After all, it was a long trip. King Herod’s troops might have already rifled through the sojourners’ belongings. If so, does this make the visit or gifts any less significant?
