Ordinary Time: 4th Sunday After Epiphany, February 1, 2015

Collect for the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses said, The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak-- that prophet shall die."

Reflection: The reading reveals two things about us; first, we shy away from direct encounter with God. The other is to assume that God agrees with us—or worse, caring more for our will than for God’s.

          We shy away from god’s voice; it is not for the faint of heart! Nevertheless, God does not punish us, but meets us through mediators. God had obliged the Israelites by providing a prophet. But as we know from reading the Hebrew Bible, when the excitement abates, so does the people’s determination to follow the path laid out for them.

It’s easy to understand. When we find ourselves in the Emergency Room, we make passionate promises to change our diet and get more exercise. But when the health crisis has passed, our determination fades; our energy dissipates; inertia sets in. However sincerely we may have intended to reform our lives, change is difficult to maintain.

          The Deuteronomy passage isn’t only about the difficulty of followup, though. The other half is of the story is the struggle of those whom God has called to lead. As if discernment of God’s will in our own lives weren’t difficult enough; with all the competing voices and interests, discernment on behalf of a community is even more challenging.

In a wonderful celebration on Monday February 3^rd, we installed Mother Karen as rector of St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church. Let us continue to support her ministry through communication, involvement, and prayer.

Psalm 111 Confitebor tibi

Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, * in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the Lord! * they are studied by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and splendor, * and his righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; * the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He gives food to those who fear him; * he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works * in giving them the lands of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; * all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever, * because they are done in truth and equity.
He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever; * holy and awesome is his Name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; *those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever.

Reflection: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is not a function of how I feel or what God has done for me lately. It comes through staying centered in God.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-- as in fact there are many gods and many lords-- yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. "Food will not bring us close to God."

We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

Reflections: The passage from St. Paul’s letter opens with a rather convoluted distinction between knowledge and love. Knowledge is necessary, and we all have knowledge. But more important for us than knowledge is love. In fact, it is love that gives rise to knowledge—the truest knowledge of all, that is, God’s knowledge of us. And it is this knowledge that matters most.

          We all know that, deep inside (where we don’t let anybody in), we are vulnerable. We attempt to assuage our insecurity by amassing money, love, status, knowledge, or whatever coin appeals to our personality. But beneath the protective veneer, part of us still cowers in the dark. That is, until we are fully known and fully loved by the only one who can know us and love us totally: God.

          It is God’s knowledge of us that makes the difference, not the knowledge (or money, or houses, or . . .) we build up. Being fully known by God frees us from the need to show others that we are successful or beautiful or admired or powerful or intelligent . . . . Being fully embraced by God allows us to care more about others than about ourselves, about their needs more than about our rights.

          How many times have we heard a highly placed person say “I didn’t do anything illegal”? Far from exonerating the speaker, this claim of innocence virtually admits that the person did something morally questionable, at best. Legality is a poor substitute for kindness, good will, compassion—or whatever synonym for love you choose.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflections: Jesus’ authority clearly springs from a root different from that which grounds the professional religious leaders of his day. Jesus does not hide behind a facade; his actions and motives are transparent because his whole being is open to the Father. It is in this sort of purity and authenticity that true power lies—even over of evil.