Blessings

The first Sunday after Epiphany is traditionally when the focus is on the story of Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist. To me it has always felt a bit strange, a bit forced. We just celebrated Christ’s birth - I’m not ready to jump ahead 30 years.

So, this year, as the first in a series of messages on relationships in the kingdom, we looked at two gospel stories about relationships. Yes, we did visit Jesus’ relationship with his cousin John and the baptism event, but we also spent some time looking at the story of Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus at the temple. I was struck by a theme that connects the two events - and that speaks to us about our relationships in the kingdom.

(I encourage you to read these two passages: Luke 2: 21-40, and Matthew 3:13-17)

What struck me was the theme of blessings.

1. Mary and Joseph blessed their child Jesus by doing the best that they knew to do in following the Law. Certainly you can have an interesting - at least for me - discussion about the necessity of this action. After all, Jesus did not need to be purified - did not need to be consecrated. Yet this was the best that his parents knew to do. As parents, doing the best we know to do is all we can do. There are times when I look back on my life as a parent and realize that what I did was not enough, or wrong, or foolish. But my intentions were good. I did the best that I knew to do. As children, when we understand that our parents did the best they knew to do, we understand that their actions were a blessing in our lives. Mary and Joseph blessed Jesus by doing the best they knew to do.

2. In the Lucan narrative we are introduced to two senior saints: Simeon and Anna, both of whom are waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Mary and Joseph blessed them by allowing them to see and participate in their family life. They honored them by sharing their joy. This has broad and significant implications for the intergenerational community of faith.

3. Simeon and Anna blessed Mary, Joseph and Jesus with their words. Of course, if you read the passage carefully, you may not think Simeon’s words to Mary were all that much of a blessing. I’m sure the statement “And a sword will pierce your own soul as well” was not what she wanted to hear that morning in the temple courts. Yet when those who are wise speak truth into our lives - in love - it is a blessing.

4. God blesses Simeon and Anna. What God had promised, God fulfilled, and they experienced joy in this promise kept.

5. With all this in mind, I have fresh eyes for the story of Jesus’ interaction with his cousin John. John’s ministry, calling the people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, was shortly to be superseded by the ministry of Jesus. And what Jesus did that day, in participating in John’s ministry, even over John’s protestations, was a blessing. Jesus blessed John’s ministry. Jesus honored John’s work. There were those who wanted to see the two as in competition - both those who were disciples and those who were looking for ways to discredit both. (If this sounds similar to the situation today - with both followers and critics of ministry trying to portray churches and Christian leaders as adversaries rather than co-laborers, you get my point.)

6. And, of course, we then read of the Father’s act of blessing Jesus, both for whom Jesus is, but also for the work Jesus is about to do.

This theme of blessing speaks to me. It encourages me to cross the lines of generations that the culture so embraces and that the church has so foolishly accepted as inevitable. It encourages me to cross lines that divide ministries, as we are so tempted to define ourselves by our differences rather than what we have in common in Christ.

More importantly, it encourages me to look for opportunities to bless. I want to bless parents who are doing the best they know to do. I want to bless folks who have been faithful across many years. I want to bless those who are doing what God has called them to do. I want to bless children and teens as their service to God is just beginning.

And I want to bless you.

Grace and peace