(This post is from my sermon for January 5th based on Ephesians 3:1-12)
Epiphany is the celebration of people who recognize God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. On Christmas Eve, I talked about the wise men’s visit to Bethlehem, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They followed the star, a sign in the heavens that showed God was at work in the world. The Magi recognized this for what it was. They asked in Jerusalem, “Where is the newly born King of the Jews?”
We see this revelation of God in Christ at other times in the gospels and the book of Acts. We will celebrate the baptism of the Lord next week which is one of those times. However, Epiphany is different because it begins the ministry that Paul later takes up.
Paul’s Call
Paul is often called “The Apostle to the Gentiles.” I like the title given by the late F. F. Bruce, a New Testament scholar. His book about the letters of Paul is called, “Paul, the Apostle of the Heart Set Free.” Since he is given titles like that, we may wonder why Paul often speaks of suffering. He says here, as in other places, that his suffering is for a greater purpose. He suffers for the sake of preaching the gospel. Paul says his suffering is for God’s glory. He also says that he suffers for the great mystery being revealed in his work. The Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise made to Abraham and his descendants in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Revealing Jesus
Jesus never directly talks about this in the gospels. Yet, we are given hints. The biggest of these hints is the Canaanite woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter. The disciples beg Jesus to send her away. Jesus replies to her, “It is not right to give the children’s food to the dogs.” He calls this gentile woman a dog. She responds, “Yes, Lord, but the dogs receive the crumbs from the master’s table.” Jesus praises her faith in front of the disciples, who want to send her away. (Matthew 15:21-28)
Paul says the Holy Spirit revealed this mystery to Christ’s Apostles and Prophets. The mystery of grace to the Gentiles is the wisdom of God revealed in the Church. People out of church often tell me how the Church has hurt them. Now, I could answer that in two ways. I could say, “Yes, I have been too. Let’s compare scars.” Or I could say, “Well, that is not the same kind of church I am in.” Both answers minimize another person’s feelings and are not helpful.
While I can claim the church has hurt me, I have found grace in the Church that I have not found anywhere else, not even my family. Jesus warned us not to put family before God. One reason is we can cut ourselves off from the healing we need and from being the healer’s other brothers and sisters need.
An important question from this text is, “Does this revelation of grace continue?”
The Gift of Mission
Let’s ask a good Wesleyan question. Who cannot be saved? What makes that a Wesleyan question? Grace is for everyone. Yet, the question of “who cannot be saved” plagues churches today just as it did in Paul’s time. We often assume we know the rules of salvation and judge other people by these rules. The earliest followers of Jesus after his resurrection were Jewish people who continued keeping the laws of Moses. We can imagine an argument like this one. Jesus was an observant Jew. His disciples were observant Jews. Should not all those claiming to call him their Lord keep the laws of Moses as interpreted by Jesus and the disciples? We have another observant Jew in Paul who comes into communities of believers and says, “Not really.”
As a pastor, I encounter the same problem of people despising others or claiming there is another place for other people, just not in their own church. Many people who should know better know who they want in and not in their church. I am guilty of this when I want troublemakers to go somewhere else. Paul offers a different perspective, though.
Paul knows this mystery of grace is the promise God made to Abraham. God tells Abraham that all nations of the world will be blessed through him. Paul says in Galatians 3:8-9 that blessing is on everyone of faith.
Revealing the God of Grace
People who take part in their first mission trip usually realize they had the wrong idea about it before going. Missions do not bring God to people. They instead reveal to the people God has been among them the whole time. God is shown in the message of grace. Wesley spoke of prevenient grace. The grace was always there even when we did not realize it.
People do not see grace when caught up in rules and traditions promoting fear. Hindus do not merely practice India’s caste system, but also Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians to some degree. It is an example of a cultural system that, for some, gives no hope, only fear. The class system of Europe and the Americas is a watered-down example of the same thing. On the other hand, the mystery of grace allows us to learn to love, which diminishes fear. As John says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18). We need to be reminded of that too. Pastors frustrated by people in their congregations and communities quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer when he said, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the church.”. Practicing no grace, however, is a far worse danger to the church.
Conclusion
The Magi from the East were gentile pagans who were the first to worship Christ in Matthew’s gospel. This is itself an epiphany. Let’s not forget that.
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