Epiphany
January 22, 2017
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:12-23
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. –Matthew 4:18-23
First Jesus called his disciples, and then he taught them by word and example. He taught in the synagogues, and he lived his love as he interacted with real people in real situations of need. Following in Jesus’ footsteps often requires us to clear some previously conceived notions that are ingrained firmly in our very beings. Jesus saw the potential for good in everyone.
How much of our reticence to love all people comes from being carefully taught something that is not true? Rogers and Hammerstein in their musical South Pacific coined that phrase in a song on bigotry.
You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!*
As we prepare to be disciples of Christ this year, some self-examination may be in order. What were we carefully taught by word or example? We most likely will need God’s help identifying our prejudices; we will need God’s help ridding ourselves of them.
Our experience at times makes us unable to follow Jesus’ lead. What do we do about those real life experiences that planted seeds of fear and hate in us? How do we deal with them and meet the call to love all of God’s children? Hate we must give to God for only love can overcome hate. Small steps in safe places can help us recover from fear. Making that journey with other disciples may make the rough places plain more quickly.
Prayer: Lord we dedicate this year to learning to love like Jesus, to seeing your image in everyone, and to telling your good news in both word and deed. Amen.
*See at http://www.metrolyrics.com/youve-got-to-be-carefully-taught-lyrics-south-pacific.html
**See Isaiah 40:4 and Luke 3:5
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.