Epiphany Season

Each church season offers a unique “movement of the soul,” a particular way of growing in grace. The movement of the soul Epiphany offers is not something we do, but instead something we receive. In Epiphany, we receive a revelation of God’s character in the person of Jesus Christ. Do we see him clearly? Do we receive him? To that end…

In an educational philosophy book, I once read these (paraphrased) words of admonition to parents and teachers: “We undervalue the gift of the Spirit; he is giving each of our children all of his attention, all of the time.” All of his attention, all of the time, to each one of his children. What a gift our King Jesus has given to us, in going back to the Father and sending us his Spirit! As Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 40:28-29), our God “does not faint or grow weary…he gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”

Our God, revealed to us in the person of Jesus, graciously gives us all his attention, all the time, and even supplies us with his power and might, knowing that we have no abiding strength in ourselves. And yet, how often do we actually turn to our Lord and seek him? Martha, in the story told of her and her sister Mary in Luke 10:38-42, is burdened by many cares. She turns to Jesus, saying, “Lord, do you not care…?” Jesus’ response to her is a rebuke, but also an invitation to join Mary in sitting at his feet and listening to his teaching. We, like Martha and Mary, are loved by our Lord, and like them we are invited to sit at his feet—as Jesus tells Martha, the one thing necessary, the good portion! May we turn to our Lord in distress, weakness, and worry and hear his invitation to sit at his feet as his beloved ones.