The unification of humanity
Commentary
The English word "epiphany" derives from the Greek epiphaneia, which means "appearance" or "appearing." In a religious sense, the term is used for manifestations of divinity on earth, and, in the Bible, it is used exclusively for Christ (with reference to his first appearance, 2 Timothy 1:10; with reference to his second coming, 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13).
Liturgically, the day of Epiphany has been a time for the church to celebrate God's manifestation in Christ. The scriptural focus has always been on events where that manifestation became public: the birth of Jesus, his baptism, his first miracle (water into wine), or his transfiguration. Today, the eastern church celebrates the baptism of Jesus on the day of Epiphany, while the western church focuses on the visit of the Magi, observing other epiphany events on Sundays during the season that follows.
The common theme in the three lessons appointed for this day is the manifestation of God to people outside the religious community. Third Isaiah reminds the community of its call to be a light to the nations and destroys the false dichotomy between internal and external ministry by suggesting that expansion and restoration are integrally connected. The author of Ephesians suggests that the ultimate purpose of God is the unification of humanity in a truly multicultural community where all distinctions between "insiders" and "outsiders" have vanished. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us that such distinctions began to erode with the coming of Christ, who was revealed to some who were thought to be on the outside and paradoxically rejected by many who were thought to be on the inside.
Isaiah 60:1-6
The epiphany theme established in our Gospel reading for today is sounded in this passage in a way that goes well beyond the superficial connection suggested by the mention of gold and frankincense in verse 6. The prophet describes the destiny of Israel as being to provide light for a dark world (vv. 2-3), thus seizing upon a metaphor that later writers would apply to both Jesus (John 1:5; 8:12) and the church (Matthew 5:14-16).
As expressed in this passage, the vision of Israel as light for the world has two essential parts. One is restoration of family, a reunion that includes the return of children who have wandered or been taken away (vv. 4, 9). Another is expansion of family, inclusion of people from many nations who come to Israel from all directions, by land (vv. 6-7), by sea (vv. 5, 9), and even by air (v. 8)!
The prophet does not allow for any prioritization between the two aspects of the vision, restoration and expansion. The returning exiles are not to think, "First we will get our own house in order and then we will see about becoming a light to the nations." In this text, in fact, that chronology is reversed: first, nations come to Israel's light (v. 3); then, Israel's sons and daughters come from afar (v. 4). Indeed, a rather remarkable connection between the restoration and expansion themes is made in verse 9, where it appears that the latter facilitates the former. The children do not simply come back to the homeland of their own accord but are brought by representatives of the nations who now revere the Holy One of Israel.
Ephesians 3:1-12
Insight into mysteries was a popular theme in the world that produced our New Testament. Witness the prevalence of apocalyptic writings, of gnostic literature, and of secrecy themes in documents like the Gospel of Mark and the scrolls at Qumran! The author of Ephesians (either Paul or someone writing in his name) exploits this interest to rhetorical advantage in the pericope for today, a text that claims to reveal God's "eternal purpose" (v. 11) for all of history.
The mystery is that "Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the same promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." After such a big build-up, this may seem anti-climactic, especially for an audience of Gentile Christians (3:1), who we would expect already know that the gospel is for them. But there is more to it than that. A couple of theological points are scored here that are subtle but significant.
First, the author claims this is a new revelation, unknown in "former generations" (v. 5) even though he knows that Old Testament prophets spoke about the inclusion of Gentiles in the people of God (he quotes some of these references at other points in the epistle, for example, Isaiah 57:19 in 2:17). What this writer envisions is not the inclusion of Gentiles in an entity that remains "Israel," but the creation of a new multicultural community. Jews and Gentiles are "members of the same body" (v. 6), and thus equally integral to its identity and necessary for its survival. Indeed, the nature of this unity is emphasized in verse 6 by three words that begin with a form of the prefix syn- ("together"), all three of which relate to concepts discussed elsewhere in Ephesians: sygkleronoma ("fellow heirs," 1:14, 18); syssoma ("members of the same body," 1:22-23); and symmetocha ("sharers in the promise," 2:12).
Second, the formation of this community is not presented as one part of some overarching scheme or as a step toward the accomplishment of some divine plan but as, definitively, the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. The creation of multicultural communities is often viewed as a high priority today also, but few proponents of such communities would elevate their significance to the level that this writer does. We might be more inclined, for instance, to identify God's ultimate purpose as the gracious salvation of humans and to view the formation of a multicultural church as the appropriate and necessary means through which this purpose may be carried out. The writer to the Ephesians would reverse these priorities: salvation is the means, and the formation of the community is the end. The reason God has decided to provide salvation by grace is so that all may be placed on the same footing (2:8-9). Common dependence upon grace is intended to facilitate transcendence of cultural and ethnic barriers to the unification of humanity.
Matthew 2:1-12
The story of the Magi recalls elements from the narrative of Balaam in the Old Testament (Numbers 22-24) and foreshadows later developments in Matthew's narrative. Even in infancy Jesus inspires both worship and hostile opposition, responses that are repeated throughout the narrative. The Magi represent the first of many characters to worship Jesus in Matthew (2:11; compare 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17), a point that may be obscured in English Bibles that choose a soft translation here for proskyneo (NRSV, "do homage"). As for opposition, the religious leaders of Israel here do the bidding of a political ruler who wishes to destroy Jesus. Later the situation will be ironically reversed: the political ruler (Pilate) will do the bidding of religious leaders who have decided Jesus must die (27:1-2, 11-26).
A literary masterpiece, this brief episode in Matthew's story has captured the imagination of Christians for centuries and inspired the formation of numerous legends. The Magi came to be identified as kings, probably due to an association of this passage with Isaiah 60:3, part of our First Lesson for today. They came to be called "wise men," an identification so pervasive that it is even used in English translations of the Bible (including NRSV). In the Middle Ages, the Western Church decided there were three Magi (the Eastern church has twelve) and assigned them names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
Such legends are not insignificant for Christian piety, but they may distract us from the story Matthew tells. Matthew's story is indeed about kings and wise men, but these figures are people other than the Magi. The kings in Matthew 2 are Herod and Jesus. Herod exemplifies the sort of king whom Jesus later denounces in Matthew 20:25. He is a tyrant who lords over those he rules rather than serving them. He is not a ruler who "shepherds" God's people (v. 6). By contrast, the infant king Jesus is helpless and vulnerable, a ruler whose power is hidden in humility (compare 21:5). The wise men in Matthew 2 are the chief priests and the scribes who function as Herod's key advisors. Learned in the scriptures, they possess academic knowledge that both Herod and the Magi lack. But what good does it do them? It does not lead them to their Messiah but causes them to become involved in a plot to kill him.
Responsible exegesis by both Catholics and Protestants has always resisted the identification of the Magi as kings. Calvin called it "dubious" and Luther polemicized against the tale, in harmony (for once) with doctors of the Roman Church. But the identification of the Magi as "wise men" may ultimately be even more problematic because a major theme in Matthew is that God does not reveal things to "the wise and intelligent" (11:25).
If the Magi are not to be regarded as kings or wise men, what are they? In Matthew's narrative, kings are contrasted with servants (20:25-28) and wise men are contrasted with infants (11:25). The Magi are depicted in Matthew 2 as persons who do as they are instructed, who seek no honor for themselves, and who gladly humble themselves, kneeling even before a woman and a child. Clearly, they fit the image of servants better than that of kings. Surprisingly, they also embody perfectly the only two traits that are ever ascribed to infants in Matthew's story. They are persons to whom God reveals what is hidden (11:25) and from whom God derives worship or praise (21:16). If Jesus as a literal infant is contrasted here with Herod, the Magi, as metaphorical infants may be contrasted with Herod's advisors, the wise men of Israel.
In short, the central message of this text may be framed as an answer to the question, "Whom does God favor?" Not kings or wise men, but the Magi who embody qualities that this Gospel will declare antithetical to the traits of the royal and the wise. Ironically, in recasting the story so that the Magi actually become kings or wise men, readers have subverted this message until the text seems to support notions it was intended to suppress. We must not be arrogant in judging these traditions too harshly. They tell us that, apart from such elaboration, the message of this text has been a hard one to hear. It still is.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeieir
Isaiah 60:1-6
The church has designated this text for the celebration of Epiphany Sunday -- that Sunday when it announces the fact that the gospel is intended for all peoples throughout the world. Both accompanying stated texts emphasize that fact. In the story of the wise men, who symbolize the foreign nations, Matthew shows them coming to Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus. In Ephesians, Paul's ministry to the gentile world is proclaimed.
Set in that context, this Isaiah passage takes on an interesting twist. It is applied to Jesus. Thus it speaks of "kings," verse 3, coming to the "light" who is Jesus, and it says that the foreigners will bring him gifts of "gold and frankincense" (v. 6). The story from Matthew 2 is obviously in mind.
Originally, however, the unknown author of this passage intended it as a proclamation of salvation to post-exilic Israel in the last quarter of the sixth century B.C. Many of the Israelites have returned to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylonia, but Jerusalem lies still in ruins and life is very hard. Thus, Jerusalem is pictured in this passage as a woman, mourning in the dust, for her lost children and lost glory. She has been chastised for her continuing sin against the Lord, a judgment spelled out in the preceding chapters 56-59.
Now, however, God declares that he will nevertheless be present in the midst of his people in his "glory" (vv. 1, 2) to restore the life of his people and to make them honored among all the nations. The central thought is stated in verse 10: "In my wrath I smote you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you." Israel does not deserve such mercy, but nevertheless a loving God will shower it upon her.
As a result, Israel will shine with the reflected glory of her God, present in her midst, and all nations will be gathered to her light. They will carry Israel's exiled children back to Jerusalem (v. 4) and bring with them abundant gifts to rebuild the Temple and to supply its sacrifices (vv. 5-7). There will be camels bearing gifts from the desert tribes of Midian and Ephah; gold and frankincense from the Arabian trading center of Sheba; herds from Kedar and Nabaroth; silver and gold from the sea peoples; fine timber from the North. But all will be brought to pay homage, not to Israel, but to the Lord (vv. 6, 9). Because the peoples see that God has visited his people and saved them, all nations will be drawn to Israel's light, to worship that saving God. (The thought is the same as that found in Isaiah 52:13--53:12 and Zechariah 8:22-23.)
So to be true to the text, the preacher has the option of applying this passage to Israel, as it was intended, or to Jesus, as the tradition of the church has used it. There is, however, another option that preserves the integrity of the text.
Suppose we read this passage as an address to the church, the new Israel in Jesus Christ. Certainly in many passages in the New Testament the church is conceived to be "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16), the "true circumcision" (Philippians 3:3), that has not replaced Israel but that has been joined to her (cf. Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11-22). Thus that which was spoken to Israel by the prophet can be understood as spoken to us, the Christian Church, also. Read in such a manner, this Isaiah text then becomes a call to the church to be the church.
Certainly there is a lot of mourning taking place in our mainline churches these days. Our life is characterized by conflict, by loss of members, by confusion of theology, by insufficient resources. To that mournful condition, God through this prophet now addresses his word: "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"
What is that glory? It is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul writes, God "has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). God, in his glory, has come into our midst in the incarnated Person of his Son. Moreover, he has promised us that he remains with us always, even to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20). And he has assured us that nothing in all creation, not even death itself, will separate us from Christ's loving presence with us (Romans 8:38-
39). We do not deserve that presence any more than Israel deserved God's presence with her in ruined Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Christ is Immanuel, God with us, in sheer mercy and love.
The role, the mission, of the church then is to reflect in its life the light of the glory of Christ, just as Israel was to reflect the light of God's presence with her. The church's words and proclamations are to point to Christ's work and to declare Christ's redemption. The church's actions are to mirror Christ's love and to imitate Christ's deeds of mercy. The church's worship is to be directed toward the glorification of Christ, praising him for all he has said and done for all peoples everywhere. In short, the life of the church is to reflect that of its Lord -- his love, his sacrifice, his mercy, his goodness, his unstinting obedience of his Father. It is not the church that is to live, but Christ who is to live in it, so that when all peoples look at the church, they see instead Jesus Christ, still at work in his body, the church, to bring his salvation to all peoples.
If the church can carry out that God-given mission and truly be Christ's body and not its own, then indeed, all peoples everywhere will flow to it, as God says in our Isaiah passage that they would flow to Jerusalem. There, in a faithful church, the nations of the world may see that for which they have so longed -- the reflected light of God's peace, of God's truth, of God's hope, of God's joyful salvation. Then there will be "good news" for all peoples and not the evil tidings that we read in our newspapers. If the church will truly be the church, it can spread the gospel to the whole wide world.
There are little groups here and there in the universal church who carry on such a mission now, so it is not an impossible dream. Such groups believe God's promises, given in the scriptures, and so they shine with the light of Christ among them. They do so, however, not by their own efforts, not by their own planning, not by their self-conceived programs, but by surrendering themselves wholly to the working of Christ in their midst. God's salvation of the world comes not from us, but from Jesus Christ working in us. It is not our light that is to shine forth, but the reflected light of God's glory in our Lord.
Liturgically, the day of Epiphany has been a time for the church to celebrate God's manifestation in Christ. The scriptural focus has always been on events where that manifestation became public: the birth of Jesus, his baptism, his first miracle (water into wine), or his transfiguration. Today, the eastern church celebrates the baptism of Jesus on the day of Epiphany, while the western church focuses on the visit of the Magi, observing other epiphany events on Sundays during the season that follows.
The common theme in the three lessons appointed for this day is the manifestation of God to people outside the religious community. Third Isaiah reminds the community of its call to be a light to the nations and destroys the false dichotomy between internal and external ministry by suggesting that expansion and restoration are integrally connected. The author of Ephesians suggests that the ultimate purpose of God is the unification of humanity in a truly multicultural community where all distinctions between "insiders" and "outsiders" have vanished. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us that such distinctions began to erode with the coming of Christ, who was revealed to some who were thought to be on the outside and paradoxically rejected by many who were thought to be on the inside.
Isaiah 60:1-6
The epiphany theme established in our Gospel reading for today is sounded in this passage in a way that goes well beyond the superficial connection suggested by the mention of gold and frankincense in verse 6. The prophet describes the destiny of Israel as being to provide light for a dark world (vv. 2-3), thus seizing upon a metaphor that later writers would apply to both Jesus (John 1:5; 8:12) and the church (Matthew 5:14-16).
As expressed in this passage, the vision of Israel as light for the world has two essential parts. One is restoration of family, a reunion that includes the return of children who have wandered or been taken away (vv. 4, 9). Another is expansion of family, inclusion of people from many nations who come to Israel from all directions, by land (vv. 6-7), by sea (vv. 5, 9), and even by air (v. 8)!
The prophet does not allow for any prioritization between the two aspects of the vision, restoration and expansion. The returning exiles are not to think, "First we will get our own house in order and then we will see about becoming a light to the nations." In this text, in fact, that chronology is reversed: first, nations come to Israel's light (v. 3); then, Israel's sons and daughters come from afar (v. 4). Indeed, a rather remarkable connection between the restoration and expansion themes is made in verse 9, where it appears that the latter facilitates the former. The children do not simply come back to the homeland of their own accord but are brought by representatives of the nations who now revere the Holy One of Israel.
Ephesians 3:1-12
Insight into mysteries was a popular theme in the world that produced our New Testament. Witness the prevalence of apocalyptic writings, of gnostic literature, and of secrecy themes in documents like the Gospel of Mark and the scrolls at Qumran! The author of Ephesians (either Paul or someone writing in his name) exploits this interest to rhetorical advantage in the pericope for today, a text that claims to reveal God's "eternal purpose" (v. 11) for all of history.
The mystery is that "Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the same promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." After such a big build-up, this may seem anti-climactic, especially for an audience of Gentile Christians (3:1), who we would expect already know that the gospel is for them. But there is more to it than that. A couple of theological points are scored here that are subtle but significant.
First, the author claims this is a new revelation, unknown in "former generations" (v. 5) even though he knows that Old Testament prophets spoke about the inclusion of Gentiles in the people of God (he quotes some of these references at other points in the epistle, for example, Isaiah 57:19 in 2:17). What this writer envisions is not the inclusion of Gentiles in an entity that remains "Israel," but the creation of a new multicultural community. Jews and Gentiles are "members of the same body" (v. 6), and thus equally integral to its identity and necessary for its survival. Indeed, the nature of this unity is emphasized in verse 6 by three words that begin with a form of the prefix syn- ("together"), all three of which relate to concepts discussed elsewhere in Ephesians: sygkleronoma ("fellow heirs," 1:14, 18); syssoma ("members of the same body," 1:22-23); and symmetocha ("sharers in the promise," 2:12).
Second, the formation of this community is not presented as one part of some overarching scheme or as a step toward the accomplishment of some divine plan but as, definitively, the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. The creation of multicultural communities is often viewed as a high priority today also, but few proponents of such communities would elevate their significance to the level that this writer does. We might be more inclined, for instance, to identify God's ultimate purpose as the gracious salvation of humans and to view the formation of a multicultural church as the appropriate and necessary means through which this purpose may be carried out. The writer to the Ephesians would reverse these priorities: salvation is the means, and the formation of the community is the end. The reason God has decided to provide salvation by grace is so that all may be placed on the same footing (2:8-9). Common dependence upon grace is intended to facilitate transcendence of cultural and ethnic barriers to the unification of humanity.
Matthew 2:1-12
The story of the Magi recalls elements from the narrative of Balaam in the Old Testament (Numbers 22-24) and foreshadows later developments in Matthew's narrative. Even in infancy Jesus inspires both worship and hostile opposition, responses that are repeated throughout the narrative. The Magi represent the first of many characters to worship Jesus in Matthew (2:11; compare 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17), a point that may be obscured in English Bibles that choose a soft translation here for proskyneo (NRSV, "do homage"). As for opposition, the religious leaders of Israel here do the bidding of a political ruler who wishes to destroy Jesus. Later the situation will be ironically reversed: the political ruler (Pilate) will do the bidding of religious leaders who have decided Jesus must die (27:1-2, 11-26).
A literary masterpiece, this brief episode in Matthew's story has captured the imagination of Christians for centuries and inspired the formation of numerous legends. The Magi came to be identified as kings, probably due to an association of this passage with Isaiah 60:3, part of our First Lesson for today. They came to be called "wise men," an identification so pervasive that it is even used in English translations of the Bible (including NRSV). In the Middle Ages, the Western Church decided there were three Magi (the Eastern church has twelve) and assigned them names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
Such legends are not insignificant for Christian piety, but they may distract us from the story Matthew tells. Matthew's story is indeed about kings and wise men, but these figures are people other than the Magi. The kings in Matthew 2 are Herod and Jesus. Herod exemplifies the sort of king whom Jesus later denounces in Matthew 20:25. He is a tyrant who lords over those he rules rather than serving them. He is not a ruler who "shepherds" God's people (v. 6). By contrast, the infant king Jesus is helpless and vulnerable, a ruler whose power is hidden in humility (compare 21:5). The wise men in Matthew 2 are the chief priests and the scribes who function as Herod's key advisors. Learned in the scriptures, they possess academic knowledge that both Herod and the Magi lack. But what good does it do them? It does not lead them to their Messiah but causes them to become involved in a plot to kill him.
Responsible exegesis by both Catholics and Protestants has always resisted the identification of the Magi as kings. Calvin called it "dubious" and Luther polemicized against the tale, in harmony (for once) with doctors of the Roman Church. But the identification of the Magi as "wise men" may ultimately be even more problematic because a major theme in Matthew is that God does not reveal things to "the wise and intelligent" (11:25).
If the Magi are not to be regarded as kings or wise men, what are they? In Matthew's narrative, kings are contrasted with servants (20:25-28) and wise men are contrasted with infants (11:25). The Magi are depicted in Matthew 2 as persons who do as they are instructed, who seek no honor for themselves, and who gladly humble themselves, kneeling even before a woman and a child. Clearly, they fit the image of servants better than that of kings. Surprisingly, they also embody perfectly the only two traits that are ever ascribed to infants in Matthew's story. They are persons to whom God reveals what is hidden (11:25) and from whom God derives worship or praise (21:16). If Jesus as a literal infant is contrasted here with Herod, the Magi, as metaphorical infants may be contrasted with Herod's advisors, the wise men of Israel.
In short, the central message of this text may be framed as an answer to the question, "Whom does God favor?" Not kings or wise men, but the Magi who embody qualities that this Gospel will declare antithetical to the traits of the royal and the wise. Ironically, in recasting the story so that the Magi actually become kings or wise men, readers have subverted this message until the text seems to support notions it was intended to suppress. We must not be arrogant in judging these traditions too harshly. They tell us that, apart from such elaboration, the message of this text has been a hard one to hear. It still is.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeieir
Isaiah 60:1-6
The church has designated this text for the celebration of Epiphany Sunday -- that Sunday when it announces the fact that the gospel is intended for all peoples throughout the world. Both accompanying stated texts emphasize that fact. In the story of the wise men, who symbolize the foreign nations, Matthew shows them coming to Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus. In Ephesians, Paul's ministry to the gentile world is proclaimed.
Set in that context, this Isaiah passage takes on an interesting twist. It is applied to Jesus. Thus it speaks of "kings," verse 3, coming to the "light" who is Jesus, and it says that the foreigners will bring him gifts of "gold and frankincense" (v. 6). The story from Matthew 2 is obviously in mind.
Originally, however, the unknown author of this passage intended it as a proclamation of salvation to post-exilic Israel in the last quarter of the sixth century B.C. Many of the Israelites have returned to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylonia, but Jerusalem lies still in ruins and life is very hard. Thus, Jerusalem is pictured in this passage as a woman, mourning in the dust, for her lost children and lost glory. She has been chastised for her continuing sin against the Lord, a judgment spelled out in the preceding chapters 56-59.
Now, however, God declares that he will nevertheless be present in the midst of his people in his "glory" (vv. 1, 2) to restore the life of his people and to make them honored among all the nations. The central thought is stated in verse 10: "In my wrath I smote you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you." Israel does not deserve such mercy, but nevertheless a loving God will shower it upon her.
As a result, Israel will shine with the reflected glory of her God, present in her midst, and all nations will be gathered to her light. They will carry Israel's exiled children back to Jerusalem (v. 4) and bring with them abundant gifts to rebuild the Temple and to supply its sacrifices (vv. 5-7). There will be camels bearing gifts from the desert tribes of Midian and Ephah; gold and frankincense from the Arabian trading center of Sheba; herds from Kedar and Nabaroth; silver and gold from the sea peoples; fine timber from the North. But all will be brought to pay homage, not to Israel, but to the Lord (vv. 6, 9). Because the peoples see that God has visited his people and saved them, all nations will be drawn to Israel's light, to worship that saving God. (The thought is the same as that found in Isaiah 52:13--53:12 and Zechariah 8:22-23.)
So to be true to the text, the preacher has the option of applying this passage to Israel, as it was intended, or to Jesus, as the tradition of the church has used it. There is, however, another option that preserves the integrity of the text.
Suppose we read this passage as an address to the church, the new Israel in Jesus Christ. Certainly in many passages in the New Testament the church is conceived to be "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16), the "true circumcision" (Philippians 3:3), that has not replaced Israel but that has been joined to her (cf. Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11-22). Thus that which was spoken to Israel by the prophet can be understood as spoken to us, the Christian Church, also. Read in such a manner, this Isaiah text then becomes a call to the church to be the church.
Certainly there is a lot of mourning taking place in our mainline churches these days. Our life is characterized by conflict, by loss of members, by confusion of theology, by insufficient resources. To that mournful condition, God through this prophet now addresses his word: "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"
What is that glory? It is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul writes, God "has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). God, in his glory, has come into our midst in the incarnated Person of his Son. Moreover, he has promised us that he remains with us always, even to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20). And he has assured us that nothing in all creation, not even death itself, will separate us from Christ's loving presence with us (Romans 8:38-
39). We do not deserve that presence any more than Israel deserved God's presence with her in ruined Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Christ is Immanuel, God with us, in sheer mercy and love.
The role, the mission, of the church then is to reflect in its life the light of the glory of Christ, just as Israel was to reflect the light of God's presence with her. The church's words and proclamations are to point to Christ's work and to declare Christ's redemption. The church's actions are to mirror Christ's love and to imitate Christ's deeds of mercy. The church's worship is to be directed toward the glorification of Christ, praising him for all he has said and done for all peoples everywhere. In short, the life of the church is to reflect that of its Lord -- his love, his sacrifice, his mercy, his goodness, his unstinting obedience of his Father. It is not the church that is to live, but Christ who is to live in it, so that when all peoples look at the church, they see instead Jesus Christ, still at work in his body, the church, to bring his salvation to all peoples.
If the church can carry out that God-given mission and truly be Christ's body and not its own, then indeed, all peoples everywhere will flow to it, as God says in our Isaiah passage that they would flow to Jerusalem. There, in a faithful church, the nations of the world may see that for which they have so longed -- the reflected light of God's peace, of God's truth, of God's hope, of God's joyful salvation. Then there will be "good news" for all peoples and not the evil tidings that we read in our newspapers. If the church will truly be the church, it can spread the gospel to the whole wide world.
There are little groups here and there in the universal church who carry on such a mission now, so it is not an impossible dream. Such groups believe God's promises, given in the scriptures, and so they shine with the light of Christ among them. They do so, however, not by their own efforts, not by their own planning, not by their self-conceived programs, but by surrendering themselves wholly to the working of Christ in their midst. God's salvation of the world comes not from us, but from Jesus Christ working in us. It is not our light that is to shine forth, but the reflected light of God's glory in our Lord.
