Here
is a partial definition of the word epiphany:
·
An usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.
·
An intuitive grasp of reality through something usually
simple and striking.
· An illuminating discovery,
realization, or disclosure.
The first chapter of the Gospel
of John is built around some huge theological statements, which have their
foundation in John’s epiphanies of Jesus:
·
In the beginning was the Word…
· All things came into being through him…
· The light shines in the darkness…
· To all who received him… he gave power to become children of
God…
· And the Word became flesh and lived among us…
These are ideas knit together after considerable reflection
on intuitive perceptions and realizations about Jesus. They are theological expressions of the
epiphanies John encountered first-hand.
This morning we read even more from the first chapter of
John. This time it is John the Baptist
who is making profound declarations.
When he sees Jesus pass by he proclaims to everyone within earshot:
Here is
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
It is an incredible statement, given the role of the innocent
lamb in the sacrificial rituals of the Temple.
He goes on:
He ranks
ahead of me because he was before me.
I saw the
Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
I myself
have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.
John the Baptist says these things, but no one seems to pick
up on them. His words do not make for an
epiphany because on this day no one follows after Jesus. He repeats them the next day and this time
two of his followers decide to approach Jesus.
Here is where the chapter turns from big ideas and proclamations to,
well, the startlingly ordinary and mundane.
Even though the two men are “following” Jesus, it is Jesus
who has to initiate the relationship. His question, “What are you looking for?” can
mean anything from “What is your deepest longing and desire?” to “Why are you
tagging after me?” By addressing Jesus
as “Rabbi/teacher”, it is clear they see him as someone who possesses something
of value, but have not yet had the profound epiphanies detailed in the
beginning of the chapter.
The disciples pose to Jesus
what appears to be an odd question: “Where are you staying?” Jesus’ response is open and gracious: “Come
and see.” And it hints at something even
deeper… if you come with me you will see (as in perceive) who I am.” Given the disciples spend “the day” with
Jesus and given the reference to four o’clock in the afternoon, it appears the
disciples are asking Jesus if they can spend the Sabbath with him. This explains why Andrew gets his brother
before the sun goes down and the Sabbath begins. Three individuals searching for a Rabbi to
teach them spend an evening with Jesus; sharing supper, saying prayers, singing
hymns, and enjoying one another’s company.
The first chapter of John’s
gospel proclaims Jesus is infinitely more than a teacher, but for the remainder
of the Season of Epiphany we will encounter Jesus as a teacher. In fact, of the ninety different times people
address Jesus in the four gospels, sixty times they address him as “Teacher.” Today, when we hear the title teacher we tend to associate it with a
person who imparts specific knowledge or who develops certain skills in a
classroom setting. Teachers teach and
then evaluate through a variety of quizzes, tests, and papers how well students
have learned.
This is not the kind of teacher
these followers hope to find nor is it the kind of teacher Jesus is. They are looking for what we might refer to
as a kind of life-coach/shaman. They long
for a guide to illuminate, to admire, and to emulate. And they believe deeply God is sending just
such a teacher to show them how to live.
The world is always hungry for
a person who can help us live fully and faithfully in our own time. I read an article this week discussing Joshua
Cooper Roma’s new book titled The Seventh
Sense. The book builds on a
century-old insight articulated by Fredrick Nietzsche that those living at the
dawn of the Industrial Revolution needed to develop a sixth sense to help them manage
the new conditions it created. Roma suggests
we are now living in a new era, which he calls the Age of Network Power, and we need to develop a seventh sense in
order to navigate a our world of constant contact. Roma states we need a seventh sense to give
us “the ability to look at any object and see the
way in which it is changed by connection.”
If you don’t have a clue what
this means, you are not alone. I too
struggle to grasp it! Still, it
highlights for me our constant need to return to Jesus the Teacher. How do his timeless words speak to the
challenges, demands, and opportunities of our time?
Next Sunday the appointed
readings of the Lectionary take us back to the Gospel of Matthew from which,
over successive weeks, we will hear Jesus’ teaching in what is known as the
Sermon on the Mount. These teachings,
found in chapters 5-7, will challenge us, stretch us, comfort us, and reassure
us. They will be epiphanies revealing
the true nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, which we advance by living in to in
our earthly realm.
We Episcopalians are notorious
for loving the bible while never actually reading it on our own. Let me issue an Epiphany challenge: why not
set aside ten minutes this week to read the Sermon on the Mount! I know, it means locating your bible,
actually opening it, and finding the Gospel of Matthew, which, by the way is
the first book in the New Testament, which, by the way, follows all the books
of the Old Testament. Chapters 5-7. Most bibles break down each book into
chapters and verses. If finding these
three particular chapters feels like it is well beyond your skill set, you have
two options: either come and see me and let me help you, or do a Google search on
“The Sermon on the Mount” and let the instrument requiring a seventh sense take
you to the promised land.
We are like those early
followers asking Jesus “where are you staying?”
In the coming weeks we will learn what happens if we accept Jesus’
invitation to “come and see.” We will
have the opportunity anew to apply the timeless teachings of the Teacher to our
contemporary lives. All the while, we
will gather in friendship and fellowship to discern Jesus in our midst as we
say prayers, sing hymns, and enjoy one another’s company.
