3rd Sunday of Epiphany

Readings: Nehemiah 8v1-3&5-6 &8-10; Psalm 19v1-6; 1 Corinthians 12v12-31a; Luke 4v14-21.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: In the reading about Nehemiah we hear about a Judean exile, a man of God, a man of prayer, a prophet of God who was serving King Artaxerxes in the land that he had found himself. Nehemiah was a good and capable man who listened to God’s call to return and rebuild Judah. He was a man who served the King so well that the king listened to his plea and trusted him enough to send his to be a governor to oversee the re-building works. However, all did not go smoothly for Nehemiah even though he was following God’s call and was supported by the King - because he met with resistance, hostility and plotting against him. However this did not stop him and eventually, the city was re-built and after many exiles returned, the priest Ezra encouraged them to return to the ways they had been taught. To help them understand what God expected of them, Ezra read the book of the law to them and others interpreted the meaning for them.

In the reading from Luke, we hear that in Jesus’ time, the reading and explaining of God’s word continues in the synagogues. For after Jesus returned to his home town of Galilee, he went into the synagogue and taught those who were there. Then on the Sabbath day after Jesus read the scroll that set out the ministry he was sent to fulfil, Jesus declared that the scripture had been fulfilled in their hearing. For as he read it, Jesus knew he was called to: bring good news to the poor, proclaim the release of captives, give sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

In many Churches, we do something similar in our own time to what Ezra, Nehemiah, the Levites and Jesus were doing in their time. For, we listen to and hear from the word of God when we listen to readings from the Bible and we learn about their meaning when we listen to what is said by those who preach. But learning how to live as God’s people is about more that this for we need more than people to read the Bible, or people to preach, or people to lead our intercessions. For in each generation we need to raise up people who will lead the Church in following God’s mission to the world. For there are many people across the world and in our own communities who have no access to a Bible and have not read or heard the stories and messages it contains. But God has a plan and has made provision for them, for as it tells us in the Psalm, the whole of creation points us to God and God’s glory – in the heavens and the sky, the day and the night, and the sun as it runs its daily course – and these people need someone to teach them.

In our time, we believe it’s the work of the Church to help people who are being called by God to hear what God has to say through the Bible and learn how to live with help from the Church. In Paul’s time, we hear that the Church is a body of people with gifts that are to be used for the benefit of all, with no part of the body being more important than any other. In Paul’s time the worldwide church was made up of: apostles, prophets, teachers, people with powers, healers, people who assist and help others, people to lead and people who spoke in tongues; all of them appointed by God. In comparison in our time, we have Bishops, Clergy and Lay workers, alongside the main body of the Church, the people who gather regularly, plus all of those who turn to the church in their time of need. I believe that Paul is saying that no-one who holds a position of appointment in the Church is greater than anyone else – yes they have a part to play, in accordance with the gifts God has given them – but they are no more important than anyone else because everyone of us is called to service in God’s work.

In response to this, I believe that each one of us is being asked to consider the call that God is asking us to respond to so he can use the gifts he has given us in his service. I pray that each of us will respond to his call.

Let us Pray: Lord of all time and eternity, through your son Jesus you revealed signs and miracles and renewed your people by your grace. May your word enlighten us and our weaknesses be overcome by your mighty power so we shine with the bright reflection of Jesus’ glory. May Jesus our saviour, the light of the world, be known, worshipped and obeyed to the ends of the earth. Amen

Thanks for joining us today.