FROM THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR "Our Epiphany Example"

On the church calendar the Christmas season is over and the Lent/Easter season has not yet started. We are in the Epiphany season, which begins on January 6 and ends with Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The epiphany season is too often overlooked and even misunderstood, but it is much more than a 'time out' between Christmas and Lent/Easter. Epiphany continues the Christmas message that this baby Jesus is really the promised Messiah. The visit of the Wise Men, His baptism, His miracles and teaching and His transfiguration also proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. 

The word Epiphany comes from a word meaning 'revealing', 'making known', and  'becoming obvious.' There is no doubt that Jesus is the Messiah and that truth makes His death, resurrection and ascension so special. But Epiphany is not just about Jesus; it is also about people who by the grace of God have received the gift of faith that convinces us that Jesus is truly the Messiah and our Savior.

Believers are also called Christians. That 'ian' at the end of that name is a diminutive--it makes 'Christian' mean 'a little Christ.' We are not Christ nor are we equal to Him. But we are to be like Him as Ephesians 5:1-2a teaches 'Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.' Just as children put their little feet in the big shoes of grown-ups and then act like them, so we try with our little feet to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and act like Him. And others should see that.

While living in southern California, I became familiar with the Hollywood Free Press, a Christian newspaper. On the cover of one edition was a picture of a pathetic person looking out from behind prison bars and the question below the picture asked 'If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?'  Or could some lawyer reassure you that even though arrested, you would never be convicted because there was so much evidence in your attitudes, behavior and vocabulary that would convince anyone beyond a reasonable doubt that you were not really a Christian?

See, the truth is that just because by the grace of God we start to be a believer, we don't then also stop being a sinner. Martin Luther taught that we are at the same time 'a saint and a sinner.' Paul describes this in Romans 7:21-25a 'so I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!' Yes, shame on us: there will always be enough evidence to convict us of being a sinner! But may there never be so much sin that others will doubt our faith and believe we are just hypocrites and pretenders.

As we fight this battle between saint and sinner, between good and evil, we would be wise to follow the advice in Romans 6:11 'count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.' A wise grandparent taught this to a grandchild by saying it was like having two dogs inside of ourselves--two dogs always fighting with each other. When the child asked 'Which dog wins?', the answer was 'The one I feed.'

Epiphany is the time to renew our determination to be as unresponsive as a dead person to the temptations from the devil to sin, but to be determined to respond to God's urging to obey. Epiphany is the time to stop feeding the sinner and to nourish and feed the saint. Epiphany is the time to make Matthew 5:16 be true in our lives 'let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.' Philippians 2:15-16a teaches that forgiven sinners and saints 'may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.'

May our faith and obedience be as obvious as a bright star shining in a dark sky and may God use us to attract others and to bring them to Jesus, just as that epiphany star guided the wise men to Jesus. Even though until we reach heaven we are both saints and sinners, may we not be guilty of sending 'mixed messages' to others--messages that show our faith but also messages so filled with sin that others doubt our faith and our witness. Just as the Epiphany season leaves no doubt about who Jesus is, so may we also have an epiphany, may we live such a visible life of faith and obedience that others will have no doubt about our faith in Him. Have a great Epiphany--that's important for you and for others.

God loves you and so do I!

Pastor Bob Allmann, LVCCM Spiritual Director