Meditation for Epiphany 3
Almighty God,
whose Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving presence:
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Luke 4:16-21 describes Jesus explaining the meaning and significance of His fulfilment of the prophecy. ‘When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ ‘
He demonstrates the humility, service and self-sacrifice which is the measure of true leadership in God’s Kingdom.
I can’t help making a comparison between Jesus’ example and the self-centred leadership described throughout the Old Testament – the Books of Kings, Daniel and others, and many others throughout the ages – up to and including ours today. Daily, we hear of continuing war and violence, societal discord and injustice propagated by those in power seeking their own aggrandisement. Is it any wonder that this aggressive role-model behaviour percolates down to young people? It’s all very well blaming a lack of parental discipline, social media, peer pressure to conform, the desire for instant gratification and other aspects of our current society, but I think those are simply symptoms of an underlying cause – a lack of personal values, identity and an empty future with wordly populist leadership that is the total opposite of the leadership that Jesus shows.
What, then, you might ask, is the answer? What can we do about it? St Paul makes it clear. In 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 – we are to live in the Spirit, use our individual gifts as the body of Christ, to be faithful, hopeful and loving. In Galatians 5, he describes that Christian life – avoiding those things that deprive us of our inheritance in the Kingdom of God, and instead demonstrating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self-control. In the face of a sinful society, it is up to us to offer servant leadership through the example of living, not just talking, not just going to Church once a week, but being the Body of Christ. Every Day, every hour, every minute. (Yes I know we won’t be able to – but that doesn’t stop us trying.) Most importantly, in the face of what appears to be a society built upon prejudice and hatred, we are sustained and strengthened by the knowledge that in the end, love will triumph, leaving the wordly values of the tyrant to be forgotten. Let’s leave Percy Shelley to have the last word.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
No thing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
— Percy Shelley, “Ozymandias”, 1819
You call us,
Wanderer of seashores and sidewalks,
inviting us to sail out of our smug harbours
into the uncharted waters of faith
to wander off from our predictable paths to follow You
into the unpredictable footsteps of the kingdom;
to leave the comfort of our homes and accompany
You into the uncomfortable neighbourhoods we usually avoid.
As we wait,
in our simple, sometimes crazy,
constantly uncertain lives,
speak to us, Spirit of Grace:
of that hope which is our anchor;
of that peace which is our rock;
of that grace which is our refuge.
Rev. Bob Gibson, United Church of Canada.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 30th August 2026
Just like those early disciples and apostles there’s an important work to continue. You and I are part of that bunch of followers – ordinary people – let’s keep that in mind – as we reach out to others, each and every day of our lives.
Praying Together 23rd August 2026
Cambridge dictionary definition: ‘Conform’ – to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour that are expected by a group or society.
Praying Together 16th August 2026
We share the shame of both if we fail to address the divisive hatred within our own purportedly Christian ‘tribe’ before condemning others. For Scripture also says Judge not lest ye yourself be judged (Matthew 7:1). Jesus Himself makes it clear that hypocrisy has no place in a Kingdom founded upon love.
Praying Together 9th August 2026
Trusting Jesus and obeying His call takes commitment, it takes faith, it takes the courage to face antagonism, discomfort and sometimes suffering.
Praying Together 26th July 2026
Just cling to the promise that neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Pray Together 19th July 2026
We define hope as ‘to want something to happen or to be true, and have a good reason to think that it might’.
Praying Together 12th July 2026
But the real task to which godparents promise is to ensure that the newly-baptised are supported in their Christian growth, by prayer, advice and example.
Praying Together 5th July 2026
We obey His command, but not as slaves – instead, he invites us to be willing servants, alongside the freedom to always ask and reason together with Him as we choose our actions. Therein lies the path to Wisdom, and in God’s Wisdom lies gentleness, humility and rest for our souls.
Praying Together 21st June 2026
‘You are of more value than many sparrows.’
Yes perhaps we are – but that doesn’t mean that sparrows have no value at all.
Praying Together 31st May 2026
Throughout the world, greeting one another with a kiss is a standard way of greeting – once, twice or more (four times in some regions of of France.) In our less demonstrative culture, we perhaps tend to ‘Share the peace’ by means of a nod, wave, handshake a hug or sometimes even a kiss itself in order to respect what we understand as the boundaries of a person’s ‘personal space’.
Praying Together 17th May 2026
‘Somethin’s comin’, don’t know what it is, but it is gonna be great’
Praying Together 10th May 2026
This week I offer a report of our Archbishop John’s Introductory address to this week’s General Synod. It speaks for itself. I wish certain political leaders would read it too.