United in Giving: Epiphany

Have you ever stopped to realize that everything you have has been given to you by God? Our modern culture, with its desire for independence, self-reliance, and personal identity, tries to trick us away from realizing that we are only what we are and have what we have thanks to God. All of your talents and dispositions that led to your success were not your making. If you are a good writer or listener there are so many things around you, that were not in your control that led to that. Our interests and passions are much the same. Even someone’s ability to focus, work hard, and strive largely comes from what God has given us. 

Our independence and freedom comes in how we choose to live into what God has graciously given us. We can decide to use a gift or ignore it. Like a fruit tree in our backyard, we can pick and share its fruit or not. We can decide to use a gift for good or for bad. Like Nuclear fusion, we can create weapons or we can create sustaining energy. How we use a gift or ignore a gift, doesn’t change the reality that it was a good gift given to us by God. It just tells us that we have either used it for the good it was meant for or corrupted it. Take the example of diligence. Someone that has the gifts of hard work and diligence can strive and do a lot. They could dedicate that to something bad like theft or something that isn’t as good like video games or social media. They could dedicate themselves to something that has a lot of good like work or even family, but find that in such a hyper focus that they are actually hurting others. Or they could dedicate that diligence to God and find that through worship and prayer they find a balance in their other relationships and goals. 

When we realize that everything has been given to us by God, this leads us, God’s people to a profound and beautiful unity in God that is not possible otherwise. All of these things that make us different and special, don’t actually separate us, they come from and are dependent on God, the one thing that connects us. In that, we are all the same. Even if in our lives we have a part in the realization of these gifts, no gift makes us better than anyone else. In fact, thinking that our gifts makes us better than others often turns these gifts into corrupt versions of themselves. Instead, we can all, together realize a simple fact. We depend on and are united in our sheer need for God and his graciousness. 

This idea of God’s gifts and graciousness speaks intensely to me right now. As many of you know, Mary Anne gave birth to our little baby girl, Eliza, last Sunday at 10 pm. It was and is not without its challenges as our little girl came more than a month early. As I waited, watched, and listened with a few fearful thoughts rattling in my brain, I first found myself in such a prolific sense of worship. An almost strange and confusing realization that God is the one worthy of all of my thanks and praise, especially in the moments of trial and tribulation. Then almost as a byproduct of this, I became painfully aware of all that I have been given that I do not deserve and yet I desperately need. I became painfully aware of the time and gifts that I have misused and thrown away. I’ll admit there was some guilt there, but it was more of a realization that I was meant for, just as we all are, so much good that we don’t live into. These gifts were given for that good and godly purpose. 

In the days following that whirlwind of emotion, I have been trying to sort through these original feelings and thoughts. As much as I am aware of the profound truth of what I experienced, I know that living into this realization of God’s immense gifts and purpose is almost as profound as the realization. Finding a balance between spending time with God, supporting Mary Anne’s recovery, being present for our little Eliza, still being a father to Matteo, caring for you my church family and taking care of myself can sometimes feel like an impossible task. But I have come to realize that this is not a task of burden, it is a sheer gift. At this time I might have to give the most to Mary Anne and our little girl, but the gifts that surround it only add to this task. I think about all the prayers and support we were surrounded by during this birth and recovery. I think about the ways that Matteo remind us of how much all of this pain and struggle was worth it. I think about all the ways that worshipping God and knowing his work, brought me comfort and peace, even when fear could have overwhelmed me. I think about how this ministry and work gives me the opportunities to reflect and share the joys that God has given me. I could go on. 

This reminds me of one of my favorite passages - come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, for my burden is light and my yoke is easy. There is a beautiful way that we are called to give God our burdens and trust them with them. But then instead of taking those burdens back, we are meant to take on his burdens which are light and easy and even restful for our souls. This does not mean that we don’t work and do the things that are needed, but they are no longer our burdens. Instead, God’s burden helps us to carry these things in ways that they actually serve and care for the things we need. 

This brings us to our readings today. These readings focus not on God’s immense gift to us, but instead on how we use those gifts to give back to God. This is immensely important. Because we can either be like King Herod or the Wisemen in how we use our gifts. This king Herod (not to be confused with his son who met Jesus) was the King of Israel under the dominion of Caesar. In history, he was famous for being overly protective of his throne and position. He killed wives and sons because of this. He becomes frightened of baby Jesus and as a result, commits a massive genocide. This is contrasted with the Wisemen who gave up their position and comfort for a time to travel massive distances, simply to meet this new king that even the stars foretold and give him gifts. 

This is the kind of choice laying before us with the gifts that God has given us. Are we going to try to protect and selfishly hold onto what we have or are we going to be willing to use our gifts even give them up to join in the amazing and beautiful work of God. In a worldly sense, there isn’t much of a choice. Here is this baby king that would likely take everything away from us, of course, we are going to protect it. There are numerous times in our lives when we face the same thing. Every time someone becomes pregnant, here is this little baby that threatens to take away our old life. Every time we go into work here are these colleagues that could take away my raise or get the success I wanted or have created. Everytime we are with friends or welcoming someone, here is this person that could take away my popularity my position, my comfort. Even death, loss or suffering can be an excuse for us to try to hold onto something and reject the other things that God is leading us to or doing - as we only want this one thing that we can’t have. This is the worldly way of looking at the gifts God has given us and so rejecting the purpose of those gifts and ultimately the future gifts God is offering. 

The only other choice is to give up those gifts and use them for God. 

There might be shades of grey in between the choices to use our gifts for God, or use them for ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that there are more choices. It just means that we aren’t yet really making the choice. 

Let's look at these wise men. So there are a few different traditions but in the one I was taught, they came from India, Ethiopia, and Persia. In the very least this would have taken them months to travel. This means that they would have left the comfort of their homes and communities and possibly kingdoms - to travel for months through the dangerous and barren wilderness - why? Well, to start it was to follow God’s signs. They saw a new and radiant star that they thought, rightfully, meant a great and wonderful newborn king. What did they think they were going to get from this journey? Maybe it was just to discover, see and know. Maybe they did all this because they knew such a grand sign in the heavens would lead to something they knew they should join and support. Maybe they went because they hoped this possible alliance would mean a better future for their communities and kingdoms. Whatever it was, these kings, may not have known everything that Jesus was and would become, but they were willing to invest their gifts, even sacrifice them to this heavenly reality, because they knew it meant something far more than the simple, even if substantial gifts they had been given.

This might not feel like an obvious choice for you. It takes seeing with a different kind of eyes and looking in different places than where our culture points. It takes faith and trust that God has more than what we currently have been given. It takes a willingness and diligence to strive through some present struggles with greater hope. As Paul says, our present struggles are not worth comparing to the glory God has waiting for us. 

So I am challenging you today to do three things. First, look, really look at the gifts that God has given you whether they are physical, social or personal, and see those gifts for what they are: gifts given by God. Worship him for them, even if you are struggling. Give him the glory and thank him for all the ways that you have been able to see them and live into them. Second, ask God how you can use those gifts for him. Be open to how you can give them, even sacrifice them for him. Then act and give, following his signs, investing your gifts in God, trusting that what we have known in Jesus has far more promise and hope than anything else we have, know or have experienced. God is the giver of all good gifts and these current gifts only point to the surpassing things he has waiting for us in this life and the next. AMEN