JANUARY
8, 2017
We are called to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ!
We are called to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ!
One of the
best and most enduring traditions that we have here at Emmanuel is our placing
the Nativity out on our South lawn. We
like the Catholics across the street every year show the importance for our
community of our celebration of the Nativity of the Savior of the World. I remember one year the dedication that was
shown by one of the men of the church in order to insure the placement of the
Nativity he spent 20-30 minutes with the snow blower making a place for our
nativity to rest.
So
important is our tradition and this ministry that it boils down to a simple
reason. We not only acknowledge the gifts
given to give God the greatest glory from our past we do this by pointing to
the riches found in Jesus Christ in the manger.
Today as we celebrate Epiphany we point and step to another stepping
stone in the celebration of the coming of the Christ Child. We have heard about Mary and Joseph’s journey
to Bethlehem, the Angels proclaiming the birth of Jesus Christ, the shepherds
being inspired to go to see the child wrapped in swaddling cloths and today we
come with the three Wise Men who bring gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Each gift denoting one of the offices of
Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.
Yet, what
is found in these gifts by the Wise Men are not monetary riches or value in the
gifts placed at the foot of the manger, but the ‘unfathomable riches’ found in
the manger of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For Jesus Christ is the greatest gift given not only unto Mary and
Joseph, but unto the entire world. Just
as we build and yearly rebuild a manger scene, insure it remains erect even in
spite of the wind of Western Kansas. The
gift of Jesus Christ found wrapped in swaddling cloths is meant to be shared
with our world.
Jesus
Christ sole purpose was to come into this world in order to save each and every
one of us and take us home to be with Him in His Kingdom. Jesus Christ offer of life and salvation,
eternal life is in order that we might enter into eternal glory and be with Him
for all eternity. Jesus Christ wants His
gift for us and the message of salvation that was foretold in sacred story to
be told not only by the shepherds, the people in Israel, but by all of us who
claim to be Christian.
After the
business of this holiday season, Michele, Sarah and I spent our ‘vacation’
close to home. During this time we
introduced Sarah to the “Star Wars” movies, not just the latest, “Rogue One” in
the theater, but even the original trilogy, then the prequels and finally the
latest episode. In the first movie that
began the series of movies nearly 40 years ago, entitled, “Star Wars: A New
Hope” the character, Luke Skywalker, learned that in of himself, trusting in
technology he would fail in trying to destroy the Death Star. But when Luke trusted in the Force he would
succeed.
Translating
this message for us today, just like the wise men, they knew what the
prophecies were, but the treasures they carried, their journey if focused upon
themselves would ultimately fail. But if
they trusted in Who they found in the manger, their journey and experience would
be successful. We who gather here today
need to apply these lessons both from Star Wars and the Wise Men who followed a
star to ourselves.
For Who we
find in the manger is none other than the Savior of the World, Jesus
Christ. His riches are endless and the
gifts He can give us are limitless. When
we trust and are willing to tell others, or preach and proclaim what we find in
the manger, and the gifts He offers all of mankind, our reward, our eternal
reward will be beyond our wildest imagination.
You see the
message of the wise men and our celebration of Epiphany is not static or for
the here and now, but it is forward looking to what is to come. How out of God’s great love for us our world
would be radically changed and out of God’s love manifest in His Son, Jesus
Christ, the world would be offered eternal life found in the manger, by the
Three Wise Men and we who gather to celebrate today. The message of Jesus Christ is what we are
called to share in season and out of season.
This is the message we are called to bring others to the saving
knowledge of the Savior of the world.
This is the true message the Three Wise Men found in the manger of a
Savior Who came to offer Himself in order that we might have eternal life. For Jesus Christ is the ‘richest treasure’
found in the manger.
And we who
gather here today not only find the treasure, but we are inspired, dare I say,
“We are called to preach the
unfathomable riches of Christ!”
For in our preaching the ‘riches of Christ’, we not only give nod to the
gift found in the manger, but lay claim to the love He showers upon each of us
with each and every day of our lives.
May we today during this season of Epiphany be inspired to share this
message of the Messiah that was found by the Three Wise Men. And not only point to, but boldly fulfill our
calling to tell others about Jesus Christ, since we are God’s children in,
through and by our baptism into the Savior, we find in the manger that we
celebrate today with the Three Wise Men.
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