[Mcgregorpage] McGregorPage #593, Epiphany 3, 1/27/08

[rmcgregoralbq at aol.com]

Epiphany 3 – January 27, 2008

Isaiah 9:1 4
Psalm 27:1, 4 9
1 Corinthians 1:10 18
Matthew 4:12 23


The Light of the World for the lost of the World

One of the problems with the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was that they lived on the Interstate.  The lost tribes of Israel got lost on the Interstate.  If they weren't hopping a freight to Nineveh, someone was hopping off a freight from Memphis.  If they weren't being conquered and assimilated, there were being courted and assimilated.  Thus their land became known as  "the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations," not our kind of people.  Jerusalem, on the other hand, was taken to be the fulfillment of the Psalm,  "The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)  It is hard to let the Lord be my light and salvation without pinning God down to my land and my people.  Paul is exasperated with the church at Corinth for staking out territory within God's salvation.   He wants no part of it.  What Paul understands is that the light of God can only be shared; it cannot be stored.  The salvation of God can only be proclaimed not dispensed.  The world is called to Christ not to any of Christ's servants.  

It was in response to Jesus that James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.  Already, in the Corinthian church of Paul's letters, people were subdividing their allegiance.  Christ is the light of the world and the unity of the church.  In him the nations have their hope and Israel her vindication.  If anyone would serve Christ, he/she must lay aside all notions of domesticating God, of franchising Christ or packaging the Holy Spirit.  The light that saves the world allows only a two level organization, God and people.  

We deny what God has done and deny the world a clear witness when we divide ourselves according to the tradition in which we were baptized.  We deny what God has done and deny the world a clear witness when we divide the human community into our people and their people.   Perhaps the northern tribes disappeared into the nations precisely so that no one would ever again be able to make a clear distinction between the chosen people and all the people.  "The lost of the house of Israel" that Jesus declared he had come to find were all over Galilee and beyond. It may sound like foolishness to look at a Hindu and say to yourself, "She is one of us, one for whom Christ died."  It sounds especially foolish in the face of anti-Christian violence in India.   The existence of competing religions tempts us to retreat into territory we have staked out within the culture.   We sing a defensive song, "The Lord is my light ... not yours."  This inflames the violence of the human family.  If we are going to be attacked, let it be on the grounds that we hold a common devotion to Christ and an uncommon love for the world.  If we are branded foolish for not seeking the protection of orthodoxy or fundamentalism or humanism...  If we are dismissed because we don't align ourselves with human power...  Let it be for the sole reason that we were faithful to deliver to the world the single message with which we were entrusted:  Out of God's love for you, Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.  


May these thoughts strengthen you. 
 
An Open Letter to Fellow Pastors 
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor 
(an e-mail service) 
 
[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message coordinated with these lections.] 
 
http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/ 
 
Multiple Sermon Starter Essays are available at 
http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/ 
 
Children’s Sermons coordinated with McGregorPage  available free to your email inbox 
To subscribe, write the word SUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send it to childpage-request at intenex.net. 
 
To unsubscribe, write the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send it to mcgregorpage-request at intenex.net. 
 
You may contact the author at RMcGregorAlbq at AOL.COM. 
 
  --Copyright 2008, Roland McGregor, all rights reserved— 
You have permission to share this material with any individual provided that you include the source with e-mail address. 







________________________________________________________________________
More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com