God's Authority Conferred

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year B)

Deuteronomy 18.15-20; 1 Corinthians 8.1-13; Mark 1.21-28

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

The primary question we ask in the season after the Epiphany is: how God is revealed to us? How is God revealed to us specifically in the person of Jesus Christ? But thanks to the wisdom of the framers of our lectionary, we also gain insight into how God is revealed in a broader sense. How does God, throughout time, reveal himself? How does God – how will God – reveal himself to us?

Today, all of our readings look at a particular aspect of God’s revelation throughout time and to us. Specifically, how God reveals – and confers – God’s authority.

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Being Called . . . Down Through the Ages

Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year B)

Jonah 3.1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7.29-31; Mark 1.14-20

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Okay. So let’s get this straight. Jesus is in Galilee, proclaiming the Good News. The gist of his message is “the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.” As he’s walking along the Sea of Galilee, he comes across two brothers – Simon Peter and Andrew. They’re hard at work, fishing. By all indications, these men have never met. Jesus doesn’t know them from Adam. (And if anyone would know Adam, it would be Jesus.) And out of the blue, he calls out to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people” (Mk 1.17). Not even knowing who this is, these brothers immediately drop what they are doing and follow him. And then it happens a second time. Jesus comes across another set of brothers – James and John. Again, no indication that they knew each other or had ever met. Jesus does the same thing. He calls out to them to follow him. And again, these brothers leave their nets, their boat, and their father, to follow Jesus.

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Call and Response

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year B)

1 Samuel 3.1-20; Psalm 139.1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6.12-20; John 1.43-51

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

The season of Epiphany is particularly focused on exploring the ways that Jesus is revealed as the Son of God. Last week we saw this revealed in a very direct way. Where at his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and the voice of God proclaimed, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mk 1.11). You can’t get a much more obvious revelation than that. Today we move to a far less dramatic revelation. And to a far more personal one. Today’s Gospel, and even our Old Testament reading and Psalm, point to the fact that God – and Jesus as the Son of God – is indeed revealed to us. But even more so, that God through Christ seeks us out and calls us into relationship.

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Resolution for New Life

First Sunday after the Epiphany – Baptism of Our Lord (Year B)

Genesis 1.1-5; Acts 19.1-7; Mark 1.4-11

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Show of hands. How many of you made some sort of New Year’s resolution this year?

So, what kind of resolutions did you make? I seriously doubt any of you resolved in this new year to work even more hours per week. Or that any of you resolved to eat less vegetables and more desserts. Or that any of you resolved to create more stress in your life.

No, our resolutions typically are designed to help in our quest to live a better life.

• To eat better or to exercise more, as a way to better and healthier physical life.
• To save more money or to pay off debts, as a way to better financial life, and more peace of mind.
• To spend more time with family or friends, as a way to better relational life.
• To have a more positive attitude, to be more compassionate, as a way to better emotional life.
• To pray more, read the Bible more, go to church more, as a way to better spiritual life.

As we think about those ways that we can improve our lives, those ways that will help us live better lives, those ways that will lead to a new sense of life, it seems quite appropriate that today – the first Sunday in the new year – we are presented with scripture readings that all deal with new life.

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