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The First Sunday after The Epiphany.
The Collect.
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O
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LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to
receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may
both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace
and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ
to the
Gentiles.
[January 6.]
The Collect.
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O
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GOD, who by the leading
of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully
grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the
fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave
The Epistle for today came from the Twelfth
Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans beginning at the First Verse. |
I
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BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say,
through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many
members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being
many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
We learn in today’s Gospel text that even the mother, and
supposed father (for God was His true Father), of Jesus became separated from
their son for three days or more:
The Gospel for
today came from the Second Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke beginning at the Forty-First
Verse.
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N
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OW his parents went to Jerusalem every
year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went
up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the
days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph
and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the
company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and
acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem,
seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them
questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and
answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him,
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought
thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that
ye sought me? wist[1] ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And
they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with
them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all
these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favour with God and man.
Have you ever been very close to Christ and suddenly, through
your complacency and neglect, found that you are separated, by a vast expanse,
from your Lord? Is it even possible for one who is intimate with Christ to
become separated? Have you omitted the Daily Bread that sustains you? I am
afraid that it is the most common occurrence rather than the exceptional one. Peter once became separated from
Christ in the Garden at Gethsemane and lost all courage during the separation.
The circumstances may even, at times, be reversed. For example: the men on the
road to Emmaus believed that they had been forever separated from Christ while
he walked at their very side. Separation from Christ, either actual or
perceived, is a failure of faith.
There are a few salient points brought out in this text that
are worthy of elaboration:
1.
Jesus attended to his religious responsibilities
in going up to Jerusalem every Passover. His parents even set the example for
Jesus had He needed an example. It is very important that the young children of
the church sit with their parents during worship rather than being separated to
a period of silly play-church. When children observe their parents doing their
Christian duty, a powerful impression is made – and a lasting one. Jesus and
His parents observe the good order, reverence, and customs of the established
feasts.
2.
Note the relationship of Mary and Joseph to
Jesus. In the KJV (Received Text) they are referred to as Joseph and His MOTHER.
In the modern versions, BOTH are called His parents which blur the distinction of Christ
as Son of God! I.e. ESV,
NIV & New American Standard Version: His parents did not know it .
3.
Jesus was a model of obedience and discretion,
therefore Joseph and His mother Mary were taken by surprise that He did not
follow the company back to Nazareth. Jesus was ALWAYS obedient to them, but now
a higher obedience was required. It was an isolated instance of His Father’s
desire to expose His only Begotten Son before the Temple elders and doctors.
Though Jesus was an obedient child to Joseph and Mary, the time would come when
He must obey the Higher Law of His Father. I am disgusted at clergy who advise
their charges to obey the secular law when that law contradicts the Higher Law
of God.
4.
Joseph and Mary were accustomed to the ordinary
expectation that Jesus would follow them. They were wrong. When religious
liturgy of practice becomes too ordinary, we may become complacent in its
observance. We may have studied so very industriously for many years from God’s
Holy Word, and then decide, “Ah, I have studied enough. I can take a sabbatical
from studying the Daily Bread of Life. But now, you are in danger of being
separated from Christ. Is it worth the risk?
5.
Joseph and Mary sought for Christ among their
kinfolk and acquaintances. Need I remind you that no kinfolk, no acquaintance,
nor even any ministers, bear any monopoly on Christ. We gain no spiritual favor
with God owing to our faith of our family. No one can “bring Christ to us.” We
must find Him ourselves. We can show the Chart and Compass to our friends, but
they must take the tools in hand to seek His face personally.
6.
Christ has an engaging manner of teaching. He
hears our inquiries and claims, and then He asks us questions that none other
can conceive to ask. He is an excellent listener, and His inquiries fathom the
depths of the heart of men and women.
7.
46 And it came to pass, that after
three days they found him in the temple. There
were courageous and loving women who also sought Christ after three days, and
found Him in the Temple of His Resurrected Body. If we earnestly seek Him, we
shall find Him.
8.
All men were forever astonished at the words of
Christ – even His mortal enemies. How often did He put the Pharisees, rulers,
and Scribes to shame with His excellent and deliberative teaching.
9.
I am sorry to say that I believe Mary’s memory
of the great Angel Gabriel’s counsel to her while she was yet a virgin may have
lost some of its meaning and luster in her memory. She refers to Joseph as His
father even though she knows full well that he is not, or perhaps she merely
did so to appease social pressures. She was most often absent during the
teaching and preaching of Christ. It may be that Mary did not come to full
realization of who her Son was until after the resurrection.
10.
Mary feels offended by the presumed one-time
failure of Jesus to obediently follow them. One thing Mary did that was right
when she learned of her separation from Jesus – she sought Him sorrowing. Every
soul that finds itself separated from Jesus must seek Him, not in the pride of
familiarity, but sorrowing.
11.
One great reason that we need Christ, not only
as redeemer and Savior, is that we do not know God the Father well. He does! 49 And he said unto them, How
is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the
saying which he spake unto them. The
reason for Jesus’ lingering behind in the Temple was as clear as the Sun to
Jesus, but Mary and Jesus could not have discerned the cause. They failed to
understand His explanation, but our failure to understand all that Christ has
spoken to us is no reason to reject His saving invitation.
12.
Though He would become the Savior of His people
and the Light of the World, Jesus was an obedient Son and remained subject to
His mother and to Joseph. I pray that young people today would be subject to
their parents even if their parents are only a carpenter and a keeper at home!
Even if the child aspires to some high calling, he should never exalt himself
above his parents. If Jesus was subject to Joseph and His Mother, how much more
should we be? 51 And
he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his
mother kept all these sayings in her heart. There was something mysterious about
this occasion to Mary. She did not fully understand, nonetheless, she kept all
in her heart.
13.
Jesus continued to grow. When we cease to grow
and learn, then we cease to live. His wisdom, too, increased with his physical
stature, and He grew in favor and knowledge of God His Father. If we take our
eyes off Christ, we may lose Him or be separated from Him for a time. Better to
be staid on Christ constantly, than to be constantly returning from our human
endeavors to seek Him out anew.
Conclusion
It would seem that this incident in the life of Christ, points
us to our own responsibilities, in coming of age, to come to Christ! Twelve
years old is a traditional and fitting age for a young person to be confirmed
into the Church and to begin to grow more vibrantly into greater stature and
wisdom. It represents the midline of youth when a fork in the road begins to
appear in the distance – a fork which will begin to lead him more directly to
the government of God in his life or, au contraire, further away if the wrong
path is chosen. Jesus
dutifully was brought to the Temple on the eighth day following His birth to be
circumcised (a custom that parallels baptism in the New Testament economy). And
when of a knowing age (twelve years) He again comes to the Temple to be
examined by the doctors thereof. This is fairly consistent with the Church
practice of Confirmation at a knowing age.
If we continue faithfully and prayerfully in following after
Christ, we shall not lose Him.
