Weekly Meditation - Epiphany 1

 Greetings in the Name of Christ Jesus, the Light of the World!

The Old Testament reading for the first Sunday after Epiphany was 1 Kings 8:6-13, and this morning I'd like to consider verses 10 and 11, which read: "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."

It would have been an utterly exciting day for the priests.  The temple was being finished, finally, after so long.  Everything was being transferred from the old, portable tabernacle to the Temple where everything would just stay and remain.  And the priests move the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies, and just as they get ready to do all their ceremonies... they can't.  The Glory of the LORD overshadows the place, and they can't be in there.  The LORD Himself nudges them to the side and He Himself tends to what needs to be done.

This is the same thing we see play out with salvation.  When our own works and our own attempts to make up for our sin fall flat (as of course they would), Jesus comes down from heaven and nudges all our efforts out of the way and He Himself does what is needed to win salvation and forgiveness.  He provides the sacrifice, the mercy, the righteousness, everything that is provided for salvation.

We live in a day and age of instantaneous pressure - that if you see something, you must react to it immediately, and not only must you react immediately, but everything hinges upon you having the right instant reaction.  This is our societies' sinful pride and arrogance popping up - and frankly it's driving us all a little bit batty and cruel.  It's not just that we make mountains out of molehills, now we think our opinion on this anthilll is the hinge upon which the world stands or falls.

No, that's not the way it works.  The way it works is this.  Jesus Christ, the Word by Whom all things were made, takes care of things.  He does.  And God gives you blessings and what you need daily for this body and life, and Jesus has won you eternal life and forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit pours this forgiveness and life out upon you in the Word and in the Sacraments.  Jesus takes care of what is vital - everything else is just gift to enjoy and to put to use in loving your neighbor.

You're not going to save the world this week; and you're not going to ruin it (and certainly not because of whether or not you like this post or forward it on to a dozen people, nice though that might be).  Sin makes a mess of the world, and Jesus has dealt with and continues to deal with your sin, even until the day you rise from the dead and sin is just one of those former things to be remembered no more.

This week, have a restful and confident week in Jesus!

Pastor Brown