Pentecost 22A

2 Christmas

January 3, 2010

Rev. Ken Wratten at S= t. Stephen’s, San Jose

Jeremiah 31:7-14=

Psalm 84:1-8

Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-1= 9a

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-2= 3

The Gospel story we just heard describes the desperate measures taken by Joseph; pulling up stakes and moving his family from Bethlehem, to Egypt<= span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'>, to Judea, and finally to Nazareth; his motive was not frequent flyer points, but = to save the life of his son. It = had to feel like life was ganging up on this young family. Can you think of times = in your life that you felt like life was ganging up on you? Because of illness= es in your family, managing too many bills with too little money, faced with s= omeone in your family losing their job, or handling the pile of 20 critical things= you need to do, all due YESTERDAY?

A fellow I know named Rick is going through the grief of losing his mother ab= out 3 weeks ago. As she was dying, she said there was one thing she needed him = to do for her; ‘take care of my dog.’ He told his mother that he would. = His mother died the next day. Over the next few weeks he found himself dealing = with funeral plans, estate settlement, medical bills, getting his mother’s home ready to rent out, preparing for his own upcoming abdominal surgery, fighting with Comcast to get his internet working, and, oh yes, caring for = the dog. This dog is old, not well, and now living with someone who is not used= to having a dog around. A few days ago he was working on a project, finished t= he project, drove home, and then remembered that he had left his mother’s dog back at the project site. Fear filled his heart; he raced back to the project site, and the dog was waiting for him. Does life gang up on you sometimes?

Rick waited for all this to happen, as most of us do, before he and his wife ask= ed God to take over. Within an hour of their prayer a neighbor called to ask about= the dog. She loves the dog, and would love to adopt her. He is back on the inte= rnet with Comcast. His surgery is next week.

The readings today give us important insights into the way God equips us Christ= ians to cope when we are fired upon by too much STUFF; just like Joseph and just like Rick were being fired upon.

Paul affirms to the Ephesus church that he loves so much, that believers in= Jesus Christ have been showered with God’s kindness, chosen for greatness, = marked with the Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit’s power, freed from sin’s bondage, and brought near to God.

Paul prays for God to give believers two things; first, a “spirit of wisdo= m”: or, knowing what to do with our acquired knowledge. It is one thing to know that God loves you. It is another dimension to your spirituality to live your life by that knowledge. How do you live out your faith in God? How= do you make friends, invest your resources, handle disagreements, and make decisions on ethical issues that you face; how do you do these things in su= ch a way that your actions are consistent with your faith? Knowing how to accomp= lish that calls for more than knowledge of facts; it calls for a spirit of wisdo= m.

Secondly, Paul prays for God to give believers a spirit of revelation: that is, for u= s to have knowledge beyond what we learn through schooling or through life’s experiences; said another way, Paul prays for us to gain divine insight.

Through our life, as we continue to learn more about crossing that line; committing= to live by our belief in Jesus Christ, these gifts of spiritual wisdom and= divine insight help us see with what Paul calls, “the eyes of our heartsR= 21;. This means recognizing that God’s work in and around us involves more than mere logic. There comes a point in the process of figuring out how our lives can work for God’s purpose - that wisdom and revelation take us beyond the limits of logically figuring everything out. <= /p>

Paul knew that with these gifts of wisdom and revelation we see our life with new eyes. We can feel hope where we only felt hopelessness or desperation, beca= use we recognize God’s power at work.

Joseph and Mary recognized God’s power in Mary’s pregnancy. They recognized God’s power at work protecting them and their son from the ruthless jealously and insecurity of King Herod. They recognized God’s power when they were warned about the violent, evil rule of Archelaus.

Paul says that God uses our faith in Jesus to produce hope in us; this is hope beyond the limits of logic alone; hope that God provides to protect us= .

I feel God’s power here in this St. Stephen’s faith community. Our vision as a faith community is centered in learning and growing in our fait= h, and in our love and caring for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. We le= arn and grow as we share the experiences of life together, and support each oth= er with prayer, love, caring, cards, food, car rides, mowed lawns, and phone calls. We grow in our love for others as we keep expanding beyond ou= r doors, and devote time, talent and resources to Food for the Poor, Jim’s homeless ministry, St. Julie’s Food Pantry, Second Harvest Food Bank,= the Sudanese orphans, and many other needs as they are made known to us. <= /o:p>

Through faith, where others might see coincidence, or luck, or fate, we see God at = work. Our God-centered faith gives us spiritual vision, through which we see the events of life as signs of God being with us through it all.

When Joseph was being directed into change after change, and as he saw threats f= rom every side, he never hesitated to act with wisdom; he never overlooked the = divine insights God’s angels continued to give him.

We are Christians; we are a people of faith; our faith in Jesus Christ gives us hope, and awareness of God’s power. God offers for the asking; the po= wer of spiritual wisdom, and the revelation of divine insight. When you and I c= onfront life ganging up on us, remember to pray for wisdom beyond knowledge, and for divine insight, and then to act in faith.

All of this is made available because of the God-made-man, Jesus Christ. There = is certainly reason to keep on celebrating the human birth of God the Son. So for the la= st time this year, I can say as Christmas season ends this Wednesday night, Me= rry Christmas!

Amen.