Power and Hope

Readings for Sunday 19th January 2014 the Second Sunday after Epiphany (Year A) can be taken from Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, & John 1:29-42

In these weeks after Christmas and Epiphany we are invited to explore 
how Jesus is understood 
and made known to people.

This is what the word "epiphany" means.

So we have seen Jesus, 
as the baby born in Bethlehem 
who is not just a fairy tale for the Jews, 
but also the fulfilment of the hopes for the world.

The Wise Men who initiate the season 
are the signs of the wider world, 
and that this revelation of God is for all people.

Last week as we thought of Jesus's baptism, we were introduced to the idea that Jesus is the Beloved of God, here for a purpose.

A purpose that is full of hope and expectation.

Today we hear not only about who Jesus is, but about who we are.

And we are invited to understand that who we are is, of course, tied up with who Jesus is

and who God says we are and he wants us to be.

So picking up (not quite at random) we are told

You are my servant in whom I will be glorified and

that the Lord formed us in the womb, to bring the faithful back to him

and we hear Paul speaking to the Church in Corinth and also to us

we are made holy in Jesus we are called to be saints

we are not lacking in any spiritual gift and

the Lord will strengthen you to the end

This is powerful and hopeful language

and we should take a while to breathe it in.

But it as we look to what John says about Jesus

that we are given an insight into how to explore this in our own life. John tells them that

Jesus is "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world",

and also that he is the one who will baptise people not just with water but also with the Holy Spirit.

We can't imagine that the early disciples were able to put all this together like some elaborate spiritual jigsaw

which as long as they found the pieces and had enough time would ultimately become clear.

It is enough however for people to be entranced

and so they go looking for Jesus and try to see what he is going to do.

Now this is a pattern of our life and indeed of most people

they are captivated by Jesus.

They do indeed see in the stable, under the light of the star,

on Palm Sunday,

in the miracles,

on the Cross

and at the Garden of Gethsemane

something which they do not quite understand

but which, nevertheless, captivates them.

It grabs our attention. and for a brief moment we run after this hope and this promise.

Jesus says to us what he said to those first searchers .....What are you looking for? This is a telling little remark

it says apart from anything else

that we have to do some digging for ourselves,

even though we are often content to do nothing

and then wonder why the holy God seems silent or distant.

What are you looking for?

Take some time to think about this question.

It may be that you need to think about the question behind the question

I just want a quiet life...but what does a quiet life mean...a quiet life means a life without worry...but what worries are of concern to you....I want my children to be happy...what would their happiness look like

So you see what one such chain might look like.

The initial attraction that we (or anyone else) might feel towards Jesus

invites us to dig!

What are you looking for?

It is worth spending the time to identify what we really want

and asking Jesus to speak into that situation.