It does not take many Epiphany days in the lectionary scriptures to get to the first of the stories in which Jesus appears to someone, heals them and then admonishes them : Do not make me known to anyone. Odd suggestion from the One Who came to seek and to save all of that which was lost, methinks.
A fair amount of the stories of Epiphany are full of ordinary things : Jesus staying overnight out in the country; Jesus walking through a grain field; Jesus having his supper interrupted yet again by yet another crowd of people asking questions; people begging Jesus to leave their neighborhood; Jesus being rejected in his hometown; Jesus and his friends with nothing to eat at the end of a long day; Jesus taking another boat ride; Jesus on a visit to a synagogue; Jesus refereeing an argument over when to wash your hands and an argument about divorce and then another one about who gets to go first; Jesus taking more than a few long, dusty walks to Jericho and Bethlehem and Bethany and other really exciting travel destinations. And there is more than one story of Jesus telling yet another crowd of folks not to tell what they saw and who, of course, went and did just the opposite. These are the stories of the first Epiphany, Epiphany Past shall we say, the stories Jesus did not want told, oddly enough.
We followers of the One Who came have turned out a glorious Church indeed, a church without spot or wrinkle as someone once said — someone who had not been to church in a while perhaps.
But it is plain to me that the Church does have some difficulty doing what Jesus told us to do from time to time. And one of those times comes when those who have seen the Messiah in action cannot seem to keep quiet about it. And I say, thanks be to God.
Here is an assignment for Epiphany Present :
Go on out there, just go on out there in the world and try not see the One Who came among us.
And when you see Him, and you will, unless you have your head in the sand, then try and keep quiet about it.
You cannot do either one — you cannot miss Him or keep your mouth shut about it either.
Thanks be to God for that as well.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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7 comments:
Amen.
EMILY —
Thanks for reading, of course. And So Be It to you as well.
Namaste —
R. Benson
I'm here because of my friend Emily who loves this blog :)
I grew up in a very Evangelical world where there was a lot of guilt associated with keeping quiet. I like your challenge much better...it's not about "have to," but about overflowing with good news.
I am a lifelong Nazarene (52 years) and started attending the Episcopal church a few years ago. I was confirmed last year and became a member there. I still attend the Nazarene church with my wife, so every Sunday I sit at both ends of a very long pew. :-) Your story has been a great encouragement to me. Thanks!!
Mark
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and evermore shall be world without end.
Alleluia.
I've always been so intriqued by the odd ball things Jesus did like this one you wrote about. "Here's the Good News - now be quiet about it!" Ha. I love the challenge you put out there to try to avoid God. He still comes and finds us, and he knows we'll act just like our long ago sisters and brothers. We won't be able to keep any of it to ourselves. Some things never change. Great post.
MARK AND COLLEEN —
Thanks for stopping by and for reading and for writing. I was away when you wrote and am just catching up. I look forward to running into you again along this great long pew we call the Church.
NAMASTE —
R. Benson
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