Monday, January 6, 2020

WOW!

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Epiphany – Monday, January 6, 2020

When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles...assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.  As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.  As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.  God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.  And this is God’s plan:  Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children.  Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.  Ephesians 3:1-6

Epiphany is, in the Christian calendar, the appearing (or Revelation) of Jesus Christ celebrated by the magi’s arrival to discover the infant Lord at the manger.  In common language epiphany is also descriptive of an awakening to insight previously unknown; in short, to know epiphany you must first be ignorant. 
The Apostle Paul writes of the epiphany of God’s mysterious plan regarding Jesus, that both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ are accepted by God.  In the first century A.D. that was news to everybody.  Jews imagined the coming of Christ was for them alone; Gentiles were the dogs, too dirty for God’s liking. 
This marvelous revelation (epiphany) was not received well at first.  After all, how can two groups that despise each other welcome the idea of not just tolerating one another, but embracing as brothers?
These days epiphany is just as surprising.  However, particularly in Christian circles, the shoe is on the other foot.  Many Christians assume the Jews to be lost to God, somehow outside of God’s plan.  In Jewish hardliners, Goyim (all Gentiles, including Christians) are only fit to flame the fires of hell.  Sometimes it seems with all the enlightenment and understanding we think we have in today’s hi-tech information-glutted culture, we are still stuck in first century ignorance.
As the new pastor of a church many years ago I met a man who defied understanding.  In retrospect I was just as baffling to him.  We were both raised in humble circumstances, albeit his circumstances were Southern, mine Northeastern, and ne’er did the twain meet eye-to-eye!  As a steelworker my parishioner’s days were filled with physical challenge to build big buildings by the strength of his back and welding equipment.  As a pastor my job was to meet the flock where they were and introduce God into the conversation.  Our personalities were quite opposite, he the extroverted and outwardly vocal one concerning truth and life; Russell the introverted pastor, certain of little beyond working out this call with fear and trembling. 
When the inevitable clash of personality and suspicion met head-on the truth was squeezed out of us like toothpaste all over the counter.  It was not a pretty sight.  I can still hear the contemptuous accusation he flung across the room at me – you’re so calm, collected, and sure of yourself…all smart and in charge. 
Now, I know I’m not prone to talk, except when nervous or trying to be helpful, but in-charge, collected, calm…. SURE of myself…give me a break; I’ve never overseen anything except changing my socks regularly.  I’m more like the swan swimming across the pond – I look calm and serene, but underneath the water I’m paddling for all I’m worth.  And what I found out about my fellow church-dwelling steel worker who was intimidated by my calm exterior, was he was paddling for all he was worth too.  The problem (after 30 years of retrospect) was we were both looking at how deep the water was, instead of how fit God had made us to travel the waters together, rather than holding each other at bay.
For You Today
I certainly wish I’d done better with the one who, as much as we were different, were both trying to paddle towards God.  Some epiphanies take time to sink-in. 
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

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