Sunday devotion: 6 January 2019, The Epiphany of Our Lord
Sunday Devotions
Revelation, hope and lightbulb moments
Main readings: Isaiah 60.1-6; Ps 72.1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12
Supplementary readings: Ps 104.11-24; Ephesians 4.1-16; Numbers 24.12-17a; Ps 87; Matthew 12.14-23
“And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12: 21)
I love ‘lightbulb’ moments. That moment of revelation when something takes on a greater clarity, a deeper sense of knowing. Many years ago I found myself living with a very painful grief. In the midst of that grief God was silent – or so I believed. Through the love and care of good people I discovered that God wasn’t silent, in fact God grieved with me and had held me every step of the journey. I had an Epiphany.
The passage in Matthew 12:18-21 has at its centre a quote from the prophet Isaiah (Is 42:1-4) which speaks of the way, a new way that God’s chosen servant will offer transformation for all people. Despite the authorities of the day plotting against him, Jesus, secure in his chosen path, faithfully followed that call. He witnessed to a way of hope and the people responded.
When I think of the Epiphany, I find myself pondering the light bulb moments of those who had previously felt excluded, and then discovered that Jesus, ‘God with skin on’, was there for all humanity offering hope to everyone. This reminds me that someone offered that same hope to me once and transformed my life.
The Epiphany reminds us that even when we are unaware of the Sacred Presence, God is with us; every one of us. How might we take that message of hope and enable others to experience their own Epiphany?
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