Larry Devich
Saturday, January 20, 2007
January 20, 2007 - Saturday in the Second Week after Epiphany
“YHWH reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.” (Psalm 97:1)
The Lord reigns, and that is good news for all. The earth is glad and even the distant shores, far from Israel rejoice. The salvation worked by Jesus is universal: His death and resurrection extend over all creation.
The season of Epiphany rings loud with the universality of Jesus’ reign. He is not the Savior of the chosen few, but of the many, the whole world, the cosmos. We tend to think of salvation only in personal terms, how Jesus is “my Savior.” And this is most certainly true, as your Baptism testifies. But, He who died and rose for you also brought the whole creation through His death and made all things new in His resurrection. Fire, lightning, mountains, and the heavens all cry out in praise to Him.
Those who worship idols are put to shame before the Lord. He is exalted above all gods. What “god” ever became man, suffered, died, and rose again to save humanity? What “god” ever embraced the death of the cosmos in His own death on a cross? What “god” ever shared in our poverty and misery that we might share in His riches and glory?
The church is given to proclaim the splendor of God, to herald the good news that God has come to be with and save His people in Jesus the Christ. The church doesn’t spread the reign of Jesus; it proclaims that reign to those who have not heard and to those who do not believe it.
Our eyes will deceive us. We look at the world with all of its injustice and hardship and suffering. We see the ravages of poverty, war, genocide, terror, all the evil of humanity. We see the forces of nature bent on destruction – fires, floods, earthquakes, famines, deadly diseases. We might easily conclude that God does not reign, nor is He exalted over all the earth.
We would be wrong. Our ears tell us a different story. “Behold, I make all things new,” Jesus says, sitting upon His throne (Revelation 21:5). The entire cosmos groans like a mother in labor pains. The contractions of the new creation has already begun; the old order of things is passing away, the new has come.
This is one reason the early church worshipped on Sunday and called it the “Lord’s Day.” It was the first day of a new week. Not the last day of the old creation, but the first day of the new. Christ has come. Christ has died. Christ has risen.
“Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy Name.” (Psalm 97:12) ¶ 1/20/2007 11:41:00 AM 0 Comments
The Lord reigns, and that is good news for all. The earth is glad and even the distant shores, far from Israel rejoice. The salvation worked by Jesus is universal: His death and resurrection extend over all creation.
The season of Epiphany rings loud with the universality of Jesus’ reign. He is not the Savior of the chosen few, but of the many, the whole world, the cosmos. We tend to think of salvation only in personal terms, how Jesus is “my Savior.” And this is most certainly true, as your Baptism testifies. But, He who died and rose for you also brought the whole creation through His death and made all things new in His resurrection. Fire, lightning, mountains, and the heavens all cry out in praise to Him.
Those who worship idols are put to shame before the Lord. He is exalted above all gods. What “god” ever became man, suffered, died, and rose again to save humanity? What “god” ever embraced the death of the cosmos in His own death on a cross? What “god” ever shared in our poverty and misery that we might share in His riches and glory?
The church is given to proclaim the splendor of God, to herald the good news that God has come to be with and save His people in Jesus the Christ. The church doesn’t spread the reign of Jesus; it proclaims that reign to those who have not heard and to those who do not believe it.
Our eyes will deceive us. We look at the world with all of its injustice and hardship and suffering. We see the ravages of poverty, war, genocide, terror, all the evil of humanity. We see the forces of nature bent on destruction – fires, floods, earthquakes, famines, deadly diseases. We might easily conclude that God does not reign, nor is He exalted over all the earth.
We would be wrong. Our ears tell us a different story. “Behold, I make all things new,” Jesus says, sitting upon His throne (Revelation 21:5). The entire cosmos groans like a mother in labor pains. The contractions of the new creation has already begun; the old order of things is passing away, the new has come.
This is one reason the early church worshipped on Sunday and called it the “Lord’s Day.” It was the first day of a new week. Not the last day of the old creation, but the first day of the new. Christ has come. Christ has died. Christ has risen.
“Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy Name.” (Psalm 97:12) ¶ 1/20/2007 11:41:00 AM 0 Comments
