Third Sunday after the Epiphany/in Ordinary Time (A)—Isaiah 9:1–4; Matthew 4:12–23

 

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Third Sunday after the Epiphany/in Ordinary Time

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time/Second after the Epiphany (A)—Isaiah 49:1–7; John 1:29–42

 

John the Baptist Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God

Cathédrale d'Amiens, France

Isaiah 49:1-17

Proof Text

This text is proof you cannot separate 

First person singular from plural—

At least not when it comes to faith,

Where one's salvation is no cure-all;

Isaiah segues back and forth,

The "me" once named and called, the nation,

But noting that he's called, as well,

Proclaims both born God's good creation.

The nation and the prophet, both,

Were called by God to be a blessing,

Through thick and thin, though down and out,

Our job's God's love for all professing.

Scott L. Barton

Listen to me, O coastlands, 

pay attention, you peoples from far away! 

The Lord called me before I was born, 

while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. 

He made my mouth like a sharp sword, y

in the shadow of his hand he hid me; 

he made me a polished arrow, 

in his quiver he hid me away. 

And he said to me, “You are my servant, 

Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” 

But I said, “I have labored in vain, 

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; 

yet surely my cause is with the Lord, 

and my reward with my God.” 

And now the Lord says, 

who formed me in the womb to be his servant, 

to bring Jacob back to him, 

and that Israel might be gathered to him, 

for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, 

and my God has become my strength— 

he says, 

"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant 

to raise up the tribes of Jacob 

and to restore the survivors of Israel; 

I will give you as a light to the nations, 

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord, 

the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, 

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, 

the slave of rulers, 

"Kings shall see and stand up, 

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, 

because of the Lord, who is faithful, 

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

+  +  +

John 1:29-42

What's In a Name (Again)?

This is another text brimming with names,

"Here is the Lamb of God," the Baptist claims;

Then it's not long until "Lamb" is "the Son!"

Thinking of these, I then wonder, "Which one?"

Lamb of God? Son of God? Which will it be?

Maybe there is a progression to see?

But, two disciples of John start with this—

"Rabbi!" they say (although not with a kiss!)

Then it's not long 'til "Messiah" he's called!

Don't get attached to one name above all,

John (the Evangelist) here seems to say;

Jesus is more than just one sobriquet—

Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah or Lamb,

Jesus is surely, "I am who I am!"

You and I, too, aren't just stuck in one place,

"Simon" can quickly be "Cephas," by grace;

Maybe it just all depends where you are—

What you are called—when, what matters, by far:

You are inscribed on the walls of God's heart,

Brimming with love, which for you, won't depart.

Scott L. Barton

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Baptism of the Lord (A)—Isaiah 42:1–9; Matthew 3:13–17

 

Bazile, Castera: Baptism of Jesus,

Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, Port au Prince, Haiti

One of the three original murals salvaged from the cathedral after

the 2010 earthquake.

Why does it matter that Jesus was baptized?

Why does it matter that Jesus was baptized?

Only that you really join him right there—

Into the water you go, as John holds you,

Then there's the voice as you gasp in fresh air;

Yes, of the Maker of all, you're beloved!

Chosen, and in whom our God is well-pleased;

How do I know this?  Isaiah says, clearly,

"Servant" means people whom God dearly sees

As those who are called to bring justice to all;

God is delighted with such a great scheme!

Taking God's people in hand as we step out,

We are God's servants, whose work’s to redeem

People from darkness, injustice and prison;

We will not whine, nor our spirits be quenched—

Jesus was baptized, so we, as God's people,

With water and spirit our lives might be drenched!

Scott L. Barton

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the LORD, that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

I tell you of them.

***

 

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Epiphany Sunday—Isaiah 60:1–6; Matthew 2:1–12; also Micah 5:2–5a

 

John of Hildesheim: The Story of the The Three Kings

retold by Margaret B. Freeman

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1955, 1978

Off By Nine Miles

You have to be careful in choosing a text

When trying to figure what God will do next;

The wise men, it seems, had Isaiah in mind,

For in chapter 60, the prophet assigned

Jerusalem as the location for light

To shine, with the glory of Yahweh so bright

The wealth of the nations around it would come!

With frankincense, camels, and gold they'd become

Disciples! From darkness, God's glory'd redound

To those who'd kept faith, and would now be renowned!

But wise can be wrong—they were off by nine miles!

The text that they needed was just not God’s style,

For Micah had said that a town, oh so small,

Would bring forth the one to be shepherd of all!

Poor Herod (the rich) also knew not this text,

And sent for the scribes of the people, perplexed

Because of the ruler his visitors sought;

Not wise, nor the powerful, ever had thought

A prophet from out in the country could know

A place such as Bethlehem ever could show

The world a new ruler who'd ever increase

The good of the world with his treasure of peace.

 

Scott L. Barton

(Based on Walter Brueggemann’s imagining, in The Christian Century [December 19, 2001] and in Inscribing the Text [Fortress, 2004], that the wise men were off by nine miles after picking the wrong text.)

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come, 

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; 

but the Lord will arise upon you, 

and his glory will appear over you. 

Nations shall come to your light, 

and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 

Lift up your eyes and look around; 

they all gather together, they come to you; 

your sons shall come from far away,

and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 

Then you shall see and be radiant; 

your heart shall thrill and rejoice, 

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, 

the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 

A multitude of camels shall cover you, 

the young camels of Midian and Ephah; 

all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense, 

and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, 

who are one of the little clans of Judah, 

from you shall come forth for me 

one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. 

Therefore he shall give them up until the time 

when she who is in labor has brought forth; 

then the rest of his kindred shall return 

to the people of Israel. 

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, 

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. 

And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great 

to the ends of the earth; 

and he shall be the one of peace.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.