Year B: Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
A Moses for the Rest of Us
This is the special grace of Epiphany. In view of his divine dignity and power, the Son of God gathers into himself the entire human family past, present and future. The moment that the Eternal Word is uttered outside the bosom of the Trinity and steps forth into the human condition, the Word gives himself to all creatures. - Thomas Keating1
Over the next few weeks, we will be contemplating the revelation of Jesus to several groups of people: the apostles, those afflicted with demons, and many who were sick and in need of a Savior. As we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus to these blessed few, may Jesus appear in our lives in new ways and with a new intensity.
Year B, Fourth Sunday After Epiphany, January 28, 2024
First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm:Psalm 111
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
First Reading - A Moses for the Rest of Us
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command” (Deuteronomy 18:18). 1500 years before Christ, a man named Moses led his people out of Egyptian captivity. For forty years they wandered in the wilderness. During this time they received the Law, saw great wonders, and made a few mistakes along the way.
For about 500 years they remained in the land as one, but then the kingdom was divided. Shortly afterwards, the northern kingdom was taken into captivity. A hundred years after that, the southern kingdom was taken to Babylon, and Jerusalem was destroyed. From that time onwards, Israel was in a perpetual state of exile. Though they rebuilt the temple and fought for their sovereignty, those who heard stories of the old days knew that they were still in a kind of exile.
So they looked for a Messiah. This passage in Deuteronomy, quoted at the start of the article, is one passage they clung to for hope. When would God raise up a second Moses to lead the people on a new kind of Exodus? Who would this prophet be? What would he look like? What would he do?
The gospel writers go out of their way to draw comparisons between Moses and Jesus. In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus comes preaching repentance, healing people who were sick and demon possessed, and teaching with authority. Instead of quoting someone else or referencing tradition, Jesus said, “I say unto you.” This kind of authority was unparalleled since the time of Moses, but Jesus could fill those shoes because he was the long-awaited prophet foreseen by Moses in Deuteronomy 18. May we listen to his words with attention and readiness.
Reflections
This week wasn't a preaching week for me. My co-minister Gary was actually dealing with some health problems, so it was unsure of whether or not I would preach, so I ended up switching directions on my writing, but he ended up preaching anyway, so I never wrote a sermon for this week! So, here’s my article which goes along with the gospel reading and the first reading.
Thanks so much for keeping up with this blog. If you have any suggestions, recommendations, or critiques, you can always comment here or reach out through my website: https://danielr.net.
Keating, Thomas. The Mystery of Christ: The Liturgy as Spiritual Experience. New York: Continuum, 2008. Print.