Isaiah 49:1-7

Since I'm only doing these sermon helpers for Sundays, I skipped over one of the special days of the calendar, Epiphany. This section of the year is the season of Epiphany. For beginners, that's the one where angels tell the Magi in the desert to follow the star. This week, we hear from the servant that Isaiah spoke of last week. The servant has a mission. It is so much a part of him, he was born with it. This is not a statement about when a fetus becomes human, it's a poetic way of saying his work is his destiny. He doesn't spend his days pondering his career choice, or worrying about his job being the right one for him. From his earliest memories, he has wanted to use his mouth, his voice, to restore Israel to its former glory.

It doesn't appear he was born into this work by his lineage either. He was “hidden” and has “labored in vain”. But this shifts to a great mission by verse 6, one that probably sounds familiar as it has been taken out of context and put into memes and plaques around the Christian world. And it is homage to God speaking to Abraham, telling him he will be a “light to the nations”. Christians and other religious people repeat this pattern; feel a sense of purpose, show humility, maybe a bit persecuted, claim or hopefully do some hard work, say your mission is from God, then take it to the world.

The “tribes of Jacob” would be the 12 twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob was renamed Israel, way back in Genesis. His sons’ names came to be associated with the loosely defined boundaries of territories inhabited by the Jewish people between the time of Moses and David. Depending on your source, these can be really important differences, meaningful to the overall Biblical narrative. In this passage, I see it as that smaller group, where all good ideas and organizing come from, the places where change begins.

Psalm 40

I’m a fan of U2, partially because of Bono’s ability to bridge classical storytelling, deeply rooted in his heritage, with the modern world of popular music. This Psalm is translated in to their song, “40”. You may recognize the chorus, “How long, how long to sing this song”. It appears on the album “War”, aptly named. That album (which is what we called them when they came out on vinyl) is full of songs about the struggles in Ireland. Then there’s this as the final track, this prayer with a sense of urgency to get beyond that violence, and the tension of waiting patiently for the saving grace from above.

Much of the Psalm focuses on the good works and constant faith that God won’t let them down. It also points early on, and in the U2 lyrics, that many will see this. They will see the works, hear the singing of praises, and see the result of them being lifted from the bog on to a firm rock. The tension is we know it never really ends. We’ll be back in that bog again someday, or someone will.

A lot has been learned from the civil strife in Ireland. You can go there today and the tour bus will show you where the bullet holes are in the statues along O’Connell Street Lower. Hopefully the tours continue and the shooting doesn’t return.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

In this season of Epiphany, the lectionary will be featuring Corinthians. It is a well-known text, attested to Paul, with a few possible changes that were not by him. This is a standard salutation and introduction of what is to come.

John 1:29-42

The notes within this passage, shown parenthetically in the link provided, are from the original Greek. The author is giving us translations from Aramaic words. Peter is the Greek, Cephas the Aramaic, both meaning “stone” or maybe “rock” and probably having some subtle meaning lost in translation. Later, as we work through the book of Matthew, we’ll see how Peter came to be called “The Rock of the Church”. Make of that whatever you will.

The meat of this passage is in the question from Jesus, “What are you looking for?” Those who answer don’t seem to know. They just want to know where he’s staying, so they can hang out. If we asked them follow up questions, or to think back to that time they met Jesus, I suspect their answers would sound like the range of answers you get from church goers today, or any kind of spiritual seeker, or even someone climbing a mountain or hiking through the Pacific Crest Trail; meaning, community, fellowship, a break from the mundane, adventure, change.

Jesus doesn’t seem to mind that they didn’t really answer his question. He probably knew they couldn’t formulate a cogent response. He didn’t need them to, he was the leader and he knew where they were going. Knowing how the story ends, Christians think all of the people in the story made the right move, and today they continue to follow Jesus without feeling the need to explain it. It seems to go without saying, now that they know of the miracle of the resurrection, that wherever Jesus is going, that’s the way to go.

If you need a reason to follow a messiah, the question takes on a different meaning. It should be you asking the leader what they have to offer. The exclamation, “here is the Lamb of God”, may have been enough for them, but there are more chapters to this story for a reason. For most people, that’s not enough. By time the gospel of John was written, there were many sects of Christianity. This book is attempting to sell a particular version. It turned out to be pretty successful, but people then and now demand reasons and evidence.

As a writer of this sermon helper, I don’t get to participate in a conversation, but “What are you looking for?” is a great starter. If the answer is just, “the Messiah”, I think you’ve missed something. I think that is an “I’m looking for answers” answer. If you are looking for meaning or purpose, then I think Jesus gives you the answer here, by asking you, “What are you looking for?” Meaning is created in having some sense of what you are seeking and being open to what you find. If you seek community, create community then listen. If you want fellowship, be someone others would want to be in fellowship with then be with those who find you. If you are looking for love, then love.