Epiphany

January 17, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’

‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ We have morphed into a society that longs for magic wanes to wave and get whatever we want. I do not understand from where that attitude comes. Most people would not word it that way, but I think it describes well our attitudes. We hear about white privilege a lot these days, and I know that is real. I think we may also need to deal with the concept of privilege being expected in most aspects of our lives. Parents bribe schools so the school will accept their children who might or might not otherwise be accepted. Wealthy, influential people are trying to go to the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine. A young woman attacked a 14-year-old claiming he had stolen her phone when he was using his phone. She thought she had done nothing wrong.  People think being required to wear a mask to curb the spread of a deadly virus is an infringement of their first amendment rights. A mob storms the Capitol of the United States, resulting in five people’s deaths and many injuries because their candidate did not win the election.

Privilege is not a new phenomenon. Amos addressed it when he described some of the women of Israel; he called the Cows of Bashan (Amos 4:1-3). Cows are fed well as they are prepped for slaughter. Greed and lust for power always pave the road to destruction.

As we start a new year and a new administration in Washington D. C., let us evaluate ourselves for attitudes and actions that are not of God but represent the privilege we have come to expect.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when our self-centeredness and self-righteousness prevents us from doing your justice. Show us the better way. Amen.

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.