AND AS THE PEOPLE WERE IN EXPECTATION, AND ALL MEN MUSED IN THEIR HEARTS OF JOHN, WETHER HE WAS THE CHRIST OR NOT; JOHN ANSWERED, SAYING UNTO THEM ALL, I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER; BUT ONE MIGHTIER THAN I COMETH, THE LATCHET OF WHOSE SHOES I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNLOOSE: HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE "HOLY GHOST" AND WITH FIRE.
AS JOHN PREPARES FOR ANOTHER BAPTISM IN THE JORDAN, HE PROTESTS- NOT BECAUSE HE ENCOUNTERS UNREPENTANCE BUT BECAUSE THE CANDIDATE IS JESUS HIMSELF. AND JOHN THINKS HE SHOULD BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND. A FEW VERSES AGO JOHN WAS NOT " WORTHY TO CARRY HIS SANDALS" (MATT.3:11), YET JESUS EMPOWERS JOHN TO BE PART OF HIS WORLD-TRANSFORMING MINISTRY, AS HE DOES TO ALL OF US IN BAPTISM. BEFORE WE WERE WASHED CLEAN OF OUR SINS, GOD COULD NOT HAVE DECLARED, " I AM WELL PLEASED" WITH ANY OF US; AFTERWARD, THROUGH THE SON WHO LET HIMSELF BE BAPTIZED BY JOHN, WE JOIN COMPANY WITH THIS BELOVED. IN THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN, JESUS IS REVEALED AS THE BELOVED SON OF GOD. THROUGH THIS GREAT EPIPHANY, JESUS FULFILLS ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS AND BECOMES THE SERVANT OF GOD WHO WILL BRING FORTH JUSTICE AND BE A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS. WE MUST REMEMBER IN THE WATERS OF OUR BAPTISM, WE TOO ARE WASHED BY THE WORD, ANOINTED BY THE SPIRIT, RECEIVE THE NAME "GOD'S BELOVED CHILDREN". OUT OF THIS, OUR BAPTISMAL MISSION, COMES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL WHO ARE OPPRESSED OR IN NEED OF GOD'S HEALING. EPIPHANY BEGAN TO MEAN THE SAVING PRESENCE OF CHRIST WHICH BEGAN TO ASSERT ITSELF WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHICH FORMED AROUND JESUS. FOR MANY YEARS ( 21) SINCE 1975- I'VE BEEN A REV. DEACON OR TEACHER OR TEACHER DEACON. NEEDED SOMEONE WITH WHOM WE CAN IDENTIFY TO SUSTAIN AND INSPIRE US. THE PERSON I CHOSE MUST HAVE POSSESS AN HONEST HUMANITY. FOR MANY YEARS I HAVE IDENTIFIED WITH A MAN NAMED JONAH. THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JONAH AND ASKED HIM TO GO TO "NINEVEH," WHICH WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE. HE WAS TO GO AND PROCLAIM THE WORD OF THE LORD AT THIS PLACE.
JONAH WENT DOWN TO JOPPA WHERE HE FOUND A SHIP WHICH WAS ABOUT TO DEPART FOR TARSHISH, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. OUT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA A STORM CAME UPON THEM. THE CREW BELIEVED THAT SOMEONE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TRAGEDY. THEY CAST LOTS AND IT FELL UPON JONAH. THE SAILORS ASKED HIM, WHO ARE YOU? HE REPLIED, " I AM A HEBREW AND I FEAR THE LORD WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH." THEN THE SAILORS ASKED A FURTHER QUESTION. "WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH YOU?" JONAH SUGGESTED THAT THEY CAST HIM IN THE SEA. THIS THEY DID AND THE STORMED BEGAN TO SUBSIDE. A SEA MONSTER WHICH THE BIBLE CALLS (A HUGE FISH), JONAH PRAYED TO THE LORD HIS GOD FROM INSIDE THE BELLY OF THE FISH, SAYING " I CALLED TO THE LORD OUT OF MY DISTRESS AND HE ANSWERED ME OUT OF THE BELLY OF SHEOL. I CRIED, AND YOU HEARD MY VOICE. YOU MUST CAST ME INTO THE DEEP, INTO THE HEART OF THE SEAS, AND THE FLOOD SURROUND ME.; ALL YOUR WAVES AND YOUR BILLOWS PASSED OVER ME. THE WATER CLOSED OVER ME. THE WEEDS WERE WRAPPED AROUND MY HEAD. MY PRAYER CAME TO YOU INTO YOUR HOLY TEMPLE AND YOU SPOKE TO THE FISH, AND IT SPEWED JONAH OUT UPON THE DRY LAND. (JONAH 2). THE WORD CAME TO JONAH A SECOND TIME.
AND HE WENT TO "NINEVEH" AND PROCLAIMED THE MESSAGE ABOUT IMPENDING JUDGMENT. THE KING AND THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH COVERED THEMSELVES WITH SACKCLOTH AND SAT IN ASHES. GOD REPENTED AND THE DRAMATIC JUDGMENT DID NOT TAKE PLACE, BUT EXPRESS ITSELF AS GRACE, AND JONAH IN HIS DESPONDENCY OVER THE GRACE, FOR HE WAS LOOKING FOR JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION ON NINEVEH. JONAH SET NEAR NINEVEH , IN A BOOTH, AND A PLANT GREW UP WHICH SHADED HIM. IN THIS COMFORT, JONAH'S SPIRIT WAS REVIVED. THEN A WORM DESTROYED THE PLANT, AND JONAH FELT SORRY FOR HIMSELF.
THE LORD SPOKE THESE WORD' OF REBUKE TO HIM:" YOU FEEL SORRY FOR THE PLANT; OUGHT NOT I, THE LORD HAVE MERCY ON "NINEVEH?" THE BOOK OF JONAH IS NOT DATED; BUT SCHOLARS FEEL SOMETIME IN THE FIFTH OR FOURTH CENTURY.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MOMENT IN JUDAH'S LIFE WHEN THIS BOOK SPOKE TO THIS PEOPLE. GOD HAS ELECTED AND HAD CHOSEN THIS PEOPLE TO LIVE
ON THIS LAND WHICH HAD BEEN PROMISED TO THEIR FATHER ABRAHAM. BUT ISRAEL REBELLED AND HAD CHOSEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. IN THE COURSE OF TIME, JUDAH WAS DEVOURED BY A MONSTER BY THE NAME OF BABYLON. IN 587 B.C. THE SECOND DEPORTATION OF THESE PEOPLE TOOK PLACE FROM JERUSALEM TO BABYLON. FROM THE BELLY OF THIS MONSTER, THESE PEOPLE CRIED TO THE LORD, AS THE MONSTER SPEWED THEM FORTH WHEN CYRUS OF PERSIA CONQUERED BABYLON IN 539 B.C. ANOTHER PROPHET LIVED WITH THESE PEOPLE AT BABYLON AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR MISSION AND PURPOSE AS THEY LIVED ON FOREIGN SOIL. WE HAVE HIS SERMONS IN ISAIAH 40 THROUGH 46.
THERE IS AN OLD STORY THAT IS, AS FAR AS I KNOW IS TRUE. IT TEACHES US AN IMPORTANT LESSON. WHEN THE HOUSE LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE CONCERT WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN, THE MOTHER RETURNED TO HER SEAT AND DISCOVERED THAT HER CHILD WAS MISSING. SUDDENLY, THE CURTAINS PARTED AND SPOTLIGHTS FOCUSED ON THE IMPRESSIVE STEINWAY ON STAGE. IN HORROR, THE MOTHER SAW HER LITTLE BOY SITTING AT THE KEYBOARD, INNOCENTLY PICKING OUT " TWINKLE, TWINKLE,, LITTLE STAR."
AT THAT MOMENT, THE PIANO MASTER MADE HIS ENTRANCE, QUICKLY MOVED TO THE PIANO, AND WHISPERED IN THE BOY'S EAR, " DON'T QUIT. KEEP PLAYING"
THEN LEANING OVER, THE GREAT [PADEREWSKI] REACHED DOWN WITH HIS LEFT HAND AND BEGAN FILLING THE BASE PART. SOON HIS RIGHT ARM REACHED AROUND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHILD, AND HE ADDED A RUNNING OBBLIGATO . TOGETHER, WITH THE OLD MASTER AND THE YOUNG NOVICE TRANSFORMED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A FRIGHTENING SITUATION INTO A WONDERFULLY CREATIVE EXPERIENCE . THE AUDIENCE WAS SO MESMERIZED THAT THEY COULDN'T RECALL WHAT ELSE THE GREAT MASTER PLAYED, ONLY THE CLASSIC, " TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR."
WE STARTED WITH A REFERENCE TO JONAH. HE WAS VERY HUMAN. HE DID THE LORD'S WORK AND AT THE SAME TIME KICKED AGAINST GOD'S PURPOSE.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN THIS LIFE THAT WOULD TEND TO DISCOURAGE US: ILL HEALTH, FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES, FAMILY PROBLEMS, STRUGGLES AT WORK, BOREDOM, ALL OF WHICH MAY TEMP US TO THROW IN "THE TOWEL" BUT LISTEN TO THE WHISPER OF THE MASTER, "DON'T QUIT, KEEP PLAYING."
GOD DOESN'T SEEM TO CALL THE EQUIPPED, RATHER, HE EQUIPS THE CALLED!
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