Sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany, 2021

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I made the point last week that Epiphany was about Christ being known to all the world. The introit to the Venite during Epiphanytide is “The Lord hath manifested forth His glory.” The little infant in Bethlehem, small and hidden, like a little tea candle in a room, soon shows who He is, and His glory is clearly seen, like a blinding beacon on the top of a hill.

We often see how Jesus is known and manifest in the Gospel. In last week’s Gospel, Jesus is manifested to the doctors in Jerusalem when He sits in the Temple and talks with them. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is known and manifest when the Father speaks from heaven at the Baptism and announces, “Thou art my beloved Son, in who I am well pleased.” Next week’s Gospel is the miracle at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, and St. John says, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” So, the Gospel Propers in Epiphanytide show us how Christ has been made known and for what He is known.

The Epistles and the Old Testament Propers often show how we are to be known. Last week, we saw Jesus as the New Solomon, the King of Wisdom. We, the Church, are to be filled and known for being wise. Next week, we see Jesus as the New Noah who brings the wine of the New Covenant, joy to the whole earth, peace and laughter to the downtrodden, because He is the Bridegroom coming for His Bride. We, therefore, are to live joyfully, peaceably, returning slights and violence with good will and clemency, as one often does when he has had a little of the best wine.

This week, we see Jesus at the waters of Baptism as the recipient of the Father’s pleasure. He is known for being known and loved and cherished by the Father. “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And just like in the other weeks, the connection follows. What is true of Jesus is true of His Church. We, too, are known and loved and cherished by the Father. We are to be known for being known, loved, and cherished. And just in case you missed it, if you belong to Jesus, if you are a member of His Bride, the Church, then you are known, loved, and cherished by the Father. Even though we are far from perfect, because we belong to Christ, the Father looks down on us at the waters of Baptism and says, “This is my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.” And every waking moment this announcement issues forth. If it weren’t for the noise of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, we’d hear it so clearly. “I know you. I love you. I cherish you.”

No doubt, this direct and intimate connection between the Father and the Son that we share in is the greatest blessing of the Christian life. If we take hold of it truly, constantly, there is nothing that can shake us. But to go even further in showing His favor on us, our Old Testament lesson and our Epistle point out two other things that manifest God’s favor for His people to the world.

Zechariah 8: “Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.”

This passage shows God’s favor towards His people. It says He is jealous for them with a great jealousy. The boys play a lot of sports, and for the first time I’ve had the experience of sitting on the bleachers as a parent, not the coach. It is a different dynamic. As the coach, you are constantly avoiding any appearance of favoritism toward your own kid. But as a parent in the stands…it’s a different story. The overwhelming feeling of love, but more of a jealousy that comes from love. You want to see them succeed so badly; you feel it when they are passed over unfairly. This is but an analogous sliver of how God feels about His people. He is jealous for them with a great jealousy.

And how does this loving parental jealousy play out in the passage? He will establish His people, His remnant, in Zion. He will gather them together in His holy city. His people will live together in peace. And what do we see. We see people in the streets of Jerusalem. The elderly walking with their canes. The streets filled with children playing. Very practically, God’s favor on His people is manifest to the world when His people live intergenerational, local, joyful lives.

One of the greatest pleasures of my life was my pilgrimage to Galilee and Jerusalem a few years back. I took the trip with my mentor and friend, Fr. John Boonzaaijer, and my middle and high school students. For about 1/3 of our trip, we stayed in the Old City of Jerusalem. During the day, we’d go to this place and that, praying at the Holy Sepulchre, learning about the Herodian Temple and the Tower of David. At night, we’d walk the streets, the old street lamps casting a golden light on the wide reflective stone that pave the streets. One of the most amazing moments came on Friday evening at dusk. After a slight lull, the streets were filled with the elderly, the middle-aged, and the young, all dressed in their finest clothes, going to the Sabbath feast. Everyone was so happy. It is hard to imagine that moment being any sweeter, but I think that if I had Zechariah 8 in mind, I would have wept for joy. No doubt, God has continued to show His favor on the Jewish people.

But, the Jewish people are not the primary referent in this prophesy. The Scriptures and the Fathers teach that the Church is the fulfillment of these prophesies. God will gather His Church from the four corners of the Earth. The Church will dwell in the streets, the old and the young together. And Zion is the city above, the heavenly Jerusalem, that we enter every time we take the Eucharist, we carry in our hearts, and is mystically present every time we love one another for Christ’s sake.

At the very least, we should take away that God’s favor for His people is manifest to the world when we live joyful lives together. But, I will press further. If God’s favor toward His people is shown when the elderly and the young are both found in the street, then how are we show that to the world? In the past, our country was predominantly Christian. There was a robust public life and trust. The old and the young conversed together, and there was a shared identity around the Gospel. This is not so anymore. Children don’t typically plan in the streets. The elderly are often alone in nursing homes. There is no longer a shared Christian identity in our neighborhoods. If we are to manifest God’s glory in this way, we have to choose to do it. We must do our part. I’ve been very encouraged about the conversations in the mission about moving closer to one another, closer to the church, not to hide from the world, but to manifest the love of God that we share to the world, and to have a community to invite them into. Is this not the blessing that is promised to us in Zechariah 8? Living local, intergenerational lives is both a manifestation of God’s favor towards His people and a crucial testimony to post-Christian society. It says to the world, “These are my beloved children, in whom I am well pleased."

Our Epistle shows us another way that God’s favor His people is shown. He gives us gifts. “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” There is so much debate about spiritual gifts. We won’t really get into it much this morning. First, I simply want to make the connection between spiritual gifts and God’s favor. Have you ever thought of that? Isn’t it wonderful that this passage from Romans 12 is paired with the Baptism of Christ so that we can see that the pleasure that the Father has for the Son is manifest when He gives good gifts to His people?

As I said, there is much confusion around spiritual gifts, but what is clear from the passage is that everyone in the Church has a role of some kind, and that he or she is valued in that role, and should do that role with joy, diligence, love, and humility. Isn’t it interesting that both the Zechariah 8 and Romans 12 both discuss the community life of God’s people? When everyone does their role and is valued by others in that role, it is an incredible testimony to the world that God is here.

So much application of the Bible is lost on us because we so rarely live together. The Church for so long has been a check-in at 10am on Sunday morning, check-out at 11. “See you next week.” We’ve lost the imagination of a city of God, like in Zechariah 8, where we are actually Together in Life. So, in closing, I’d like to simply read with amplification the rest of our Epistle, and I want you to hear Paul’s instructions as the Roman Christians would have heard them: as members of Christian neighborhood and communities. As people who dwell together in the streets of the New Jerusalem. So open you booklets up to page 10 and follow along.

“Let love be without dissimulation.” Meaning, without other motives. Love without hope of political or social advance, but merely for the good of the other. St. Thomas a’Kempis talks a lot about this in the book we are readying as a mission, The Imitation of Christ. “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” These verbs are written in the plural. They imply some shared understanding of what is evil and good. This is called a Christian culture. It no longer exists. Let God use you to remake it. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.” Sharing table, sharing a cigar in the evening, a gift from one family to another for no reason, sitting with one another in tragedy, celebrating in times of joy. “in honour preferring one another.” Encouraging one another. Make it a habit to tell someone at the mission that you are appreciate them and why. Why are we so reserved with our praise towards each other. “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” The streets of the New Zion should be filled with activity, yet free from anxiety. We should be churning out poetry and music, recipes, crafts, acts of mercy, businesses known for the excellence and fairness, schools that are desirable to all for their relentless pursuit of the Good, True, and Beautiful. “rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” To rejoice and mourn together. To pray together, daily, when the church bell tolls; some coming into the sanctuary, some staying where they are, but praying together. “distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” To see needs and to meet them. The wealthy of the Church assisting the poor, giving them a leg up in life. Those with free time, especially those with children, blessing the lonely with our time. “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” This will be especially important in the next few decades. “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” To be present with those around you. To show empathy towards both the lost and the found.  “Be of the same mind one toward another.” To discuss politics, philosophy, theology, ethics, art, sports, whatever. Maybe to disagree about some of it, but to be of the same mind about who God is to us, and who we are to God.  "Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.” To be constantly including those who are outside, who don’t know the culture of the New Zion, who have nothing to offer except themselves as an icon of Christ.

May God be manifest to the world through us, His baptized and beloved children, citizens of the New Jerusalem, in whom He is well pleased.