EPIPHANY II
January 14, 2024
So . . . What’s New?”
The new year doesn’t seem quite so new anymore, does it? It’s only a couple of weeks old, and that warm glow from Christmas and the sense of a fresh new year is fading quickly. But the reality is that many of us have needed to get back to work, to school, and to the everyday routines and responsibilities from which we’ve had an enjoyable break. Not to mention this week’s blizzards and dangerous winter weather that has created a great deal of work and interrupted many areas of everyday life. Another not-much-fun aspect of January involves getting our financial information together so we can do our taxes, or remembering to make appointments and take care of other business that we do annually. I haven’t heard anyone singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” for over a week!
So why do we give importance to a change of the calendar and how we identify a period of time? It might be tradition, or the centuries-old practice of defining times, days, and seasons — creating some structure for ourselves to create some form of order.
We usually assign significant value to “the new” — a material item, an idea, or an experience. We delight in bringing home a new baby, making a new friend, or starting a new job. There is even cause for a little celebration in something “new to us” when we find a great bargain in an antique shop, thrift store, or on a car lot.
Since this is a devotional article, I thought I’d better search the Bible for phrases including “new”, and I found that it’s often used as a descriptive term for change, or as a positive condition. Psalm 96 tells us to “sing a new song unto the Lord, for he has done marvelous things.” The Gospel of Luke 22:20 tells of Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper, telling his disciples, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” In the Gospel of John, 13:34, we learn that Jesus said to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” As we continue to learn about the newness Christ brings, we also find the source of it: our Lord himself.
As Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching and healing began and grew, his listeners found themselves wondering, questioning, and feeling conflicted. To no longer be under the judgment of the Law was a radical concept, requiring a major change in the mindset of those hearing the message. After all, turning away from centuries of religious and cultural beliefs is bound to create conflict.
As he answered questions and challenges, Jesus explained that he had come not to abolish the law, but as a fulfillment of it. This new understanding of God’s will for his people gives us the understanding and ability to fulfill our own callings, and we are blessed that we have both a history and a future, gifts from our generous and loving heavenly Father. Our foundation is solid, and our horizons are unlimited. Thanks be to God for every new year!
Happy to have opened a new calendar,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers