Fourth Sunday in Ordinary January 29, 2012

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm: 95    1 Cor 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28

On Tuesday, I attended the RCIA meeting and Anna was speaking about the Sacraments – more specifically about Confirmation and the Chrism that is used. It is the sweet smelling ointment used in Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination. My mind wandered a bit as I thought about Baptism. Anointing with Chrism after the baby is baptized is especially dear to me. You are special to your parents and God, I say under my breathe to the child, - but now you belong to the elite and super-elite group – who can wander into God’s presence at your convenience. I anoint the child as priest, prophet and king. I wonder, what type of prophet will he or she turn out to be? – will they be bold and charismatic, or will they be soft and gentle. We need both.

Moses speaks about the prophet.  He was not referring the final prophet, but rather to the guild of prophets, the group of prophets, - the calling of men and women who will speak God’s message to the people to guide them in the ways of the Lord.  Later on however, after the people of Israel had seen so many wonderful and dynamic prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Hosea and Amos, there was talk of the final prophet, the prophet before the end of the world. After this prophet would come the Day of the Lord and a final reckoning.

When Jesus spoke, the people were amazed. This was teaching that was new. It was teaching with authority. It was a teaching unlike that of the Scribes and Pharisees. They wondered whether this was the eschatological prophet. Scholars tell us that Jesus did not see himself as this final prophet in an explicit manner. However, Jesus did hint that there would be some still alive at the final reckoning and in that sense Jesus did see himself as the prophet to announce the Kingdom, which would come when Jesus accomplished his work.

Understanding the role of Christ in this manner, or this type of Christology one would expect today in our theological courses. It is quite sophisticated, and hence it is surprising coming even in the lifetime of Jesus himself. Jesus as Prophet, and as the final or eschatological prophet was something that the Jews were eagerly looking forward to. The title of prophet was high praise indeed.

However, the end of time did not seem to materialize. Christianity began to spread to the Gentile areas, mainly where they spoke Greek. In this milieu the title of prophet was ho-hum! It was sort of being called the Prime Minister. He might have authority and power, but the title did not sound as charismatic or grand as El Presidente or El Jefe – the Chief. And so in the Greek speaking territories, the title of Jesus as Prophet was changed to The Lord – Kyrios or King: Basileos. It was definitely more impressive.

The job description however remained the same from the time of Moses, God would choose men and women who would speak in God’s name.

-       God would choose a prophet from their own relatives

-       God would take the initiative, no one should be presumptuous.

-       God’s prophet would have authority.

-       God would hold accountable anyone who did not listen to the prophet.

Jesus had definitely be chosen by God

He came unto his own, and many of his own, did not receive him.

Those who did listen to him, became Children of God.

Jesus spoke with authority and spoke something: New.

And yet in our Gospel acclamation we sang, “the people who lived in darkness have seen a great light”  It sounds familiar, because we used these words of Isaiah during Advent – at the dawning of a new day, new age, new era, - the Kingdom of God.

How is that after 2000 years, the whole world is not aware of Jesus Christ and the Good news he brings. Many of us have not yet come out of darkness, we prefer to remain there. It is more comfortable, it is less threatening. It is dangerous to come out into the light, because then we will be seen as we truly are: our warts and our sins and our shortcomings. However, this is the negative way of looking at things. We should be proud to come into the light and to be seen as the elite and super-elite children of God.

Robert Fulghum, a Unitarian minister was attending. Any questions? Asked the Leader of the seminar. Fulghum laughingly asked him what was the meaning of life. Everyone in attendance laughed and stirred to leave. However, the leader replied "I will answer your question."

He took his wallet out of his pocket and removed a small round mirror about the size of a quarter. Then he explained "When I was a small child during World War II, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.

I kept the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun could never shine. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find. I kept the little mirror, and as I grew up, I would take it out at idle moments and continue the challenge of the game.

As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game, but a metaphor of what I could do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light. But light  be it truth or understanding or knowledge  is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it. I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world  into the dark places of human hearts  and change some things in some people. Perhaps others seeing it happen will do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life."  And this is the work of a Prophet.