Second Sunday after Epiphany

Readings — Isaiah 49:1-2; Psalm 40:1-12; I Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

The holiday decorations are mostly down – the large candlestands, the nativity creche, the window candles and greens, the window wreathes, yet the poinsettias that bloom in dessert, and the Epiphany Star remain.  The wisemen and the shepherds have gone back to their homes.  And we jump about 30 years to the Christ-child, now the village carpenter, who has been baptized in the Jordan River by his cousin John.  The next day as Jesus was walking by, John proclaimed —

Look, here is the Lamb of God.

Two of John’s disciples immediately followed Jesus.  We know the name of one, Andrew.  Andrew and the unnamed disciple addressed Jesus with these words —

Rabbi, where are you staying?

And Jesus responded —

Come and see.  Come and see.

In this simple exchange we discover the key to living faithfully for all of us.  Faithful living is making our spiritual home with Jesus.  It is that simple.  To be faithful is to make our home with Jesus.  In making our home with Jesus we are living, in the eternal life, here and now. 

The proper collect for today describes it like this–

Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments,
may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory…

In this home we have Jesus, we are supported, we are nourished, through the Word, especially Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four Gospels, and through the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, the Sacraments – all seven of them.  There are the two Great Sacraments – Baptism and Holy Eucharist, plus the sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing, Marriage and Ordination. 

Yet, nurtured in the home of Jesus, as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,

in every way you have been enriched by him    

we are not to stay at home!  Our readings from Isaiah and from the Psalmist point to a life of service.  The People of God, Isaiah proclaimed —

[God] who formed [us] in the womb to be his servant…

We are nurtured, we are enriched, by Word and Sacrament —

[to be] a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the
ends of the earth…because the Lord God, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who was chosen by you.

While some would have us believe that our role is to “make America great”, our God calls us to be “light in the darkness”, “to be a light to the nations”.  We have been nurtured at home with Jesus; we have been chosen to leave home, to leave the nest and to fly, indeed, to sore into all the world.  Our greatness is to live as the People of God, and to be a light to the nations. 

So, we fly the Nurses Heart to Heart.  We fly with Martha’s Table.  We fly with Meals for Seals.  We fly with Meals on Wheels.  We fly with Snyder County Children and Youth.  We fly with the Regional Engagement Cener.  We fly with Mostly Mutts.  We fly with all those people and organizations that seek to do good, that promote and live the gifts of eternity that St. Paul calls the Gifts of the Spirit —

love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness,
generosity, and self-control.

Our Sunday Prayers of the People share with us many rays of light we project–

family, congregation, community, commonwealth, nation, and world.

These are six avenues where the light of Jesus shines forth.  These are six avenues where the light of Jesus shines forth to serve. 

Home nest to nurture, to strengthen, to nourish.
Skyward to fly, to shine, to illumine, to light up. 

We are chosen to serve and to live the eternal life today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Amen