Saint Luke's Lutheran Church

I suppose that you have heard the old adage: "Ignorance is bliss." The idea behind this saying is that there are many times when we are better off not knowing something. It's what keeps some people from getting on the scale after the holiday seasons - they would rather not know how many extra pounds they we picked up from all their feasting and snacking. It's what keeps some people from going to the doctor and getting a physical - they would rather not know how high their blood pressure or their cholesterol is. It's what keeps some people from thinking too deeply about ethics in politics or economics - they would rather not know how they benefit from unfair policies and practices or from the exploitation of third world countries. Not knowing about these things, they are free to continue on their merry way without making any real changes in their life.

So there seems to be some truth in that saying, "Ignorance is bliss." But someone has quipped: "If ignorance is bliss, then how come there are so many unhappy people in the world." Today I want to paraphrase that question and ask, "If the birth of Jesus is such good news of great joy, then how come there are so many joyless Christians in the church?"

And there are, you know. As I was watching some of the bowl games lately, I was struck by the difference I see between in people in the stands and people in the pews. Now, I don't expect you to act like spectators at a football game, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little more joy and enthusiasm from some of you. Some people look more like Michigan fans after the Rose bowl. But we've won! So why is it that there are so many joyless Christians in the church?

The prophet Isaiah suggests that it is because they have not lifted up their eyes and looked around, for he says, when you do that you will be radiant and your heart will thrill and rejoice. Isaiah delivered this message to the people of Israel in the dark days following their return from Exile. After the city of Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians, large numbers of Jews from Judea were relocated in Babylonia. Hundreds of miles away from their homeland, the exiles lived with great grief and deep despair. Some remembered the words of Isaiah - a prophet who promised that their Exile would not last, who promised that the Lord would restore his people to their promised land.

It took nearly 70 years before the Babylonians were defeated by the Persians, and these Jews were finally allowed to return to their homeland. They returned from exile with great expectations - expecting to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and her Temple to their former glory, expecting the Lord to raise Israel up as a great nation. These expectations were never really fulfilled, as the people of God continued to live under the yoke of occupation and oppression.

It is in these dark days that another Isaiah came along with a message of hope - promising that the glory of the Lord would rise upon them - that the nation of Israel would become the shining star to which all nations of the world would be drawn, bringing great wealth to the land. For five hundred years, the Hebrew people clung to these words of hope. For five centuries, they waited for the glory of the Lord to rise upon them. Five hundred years of unfulfilled hope and unrealized expectations. And then when the promise finally came true, when the light finally dawned, when men on camels came bearing their gifts of gold and frankincense, the people living in Jerusalem missed it.

Isaiah's vision was fulfilled by the Magi who followed a star in the east to come and honor the child born to Mary. They honored him as the newborn King of the Jews, with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. These Magi went first to the city of Jerusalem and to the palace of Herod the Great. Matthew says that Herod and the whole city were frightened by the message of the Magi. No one understood what was happening or even cared enough to travel the six miles to Bethlehem to check it out. No one, that is except the Magi, who had already traveled hundreds of miles. The people of Jerusalem had the book - the Holy Scriptures. They had the tradition and the Temple. They had the promise. But when the promised was fulfilled, they missed it.

I suspect that it had something to do with their expectations. Maybe it was that after five hundred years, their sense of expectation had lost its edge. Maybe it was that they were too wrapped up in their traditions or the grind of daily life to be bothered by some star-crazed rumors. Maybe it was that they were not expecting a baby, at least not a peasant child born in a barn. Maybe it was because they were looking for an earthly king when God had something much greater in mind. Yes, that's it. Their expectations were too low and their vision was too narrow for them to see the glory of God when it rose upon them.

The question, of course, is how about you? Are you more like the Magi or more like the people of Jerusalem? Are you able to glimpse the glory that has risen upon you, or are your expectations too low? Are you able to recognize God at work in the common and ordinary things of life or are you expecting something a more spectacular? Are you willing to follow a star and worship the Christ child, or are you too wrapped up in the demands of daily life? When you consider what is going on in our world today, are you over come with fear, or are you overwhelmed with the joy?

The problem with too many people today is that their expectations are too low. Too many people today are only interested in a God for now. They want a God who will make their life a little easier, a God who will make sure they have what they need, a God who will heal them when they are sick and rescue them when they get into trouble. Of course, our God does these things, but our God does so much more.

Consider Jesus' earthly ministry. People wanted him to heal the sick and raise the dead to life. They wanted him to drive out evil spirits and to calm the storms. They wanted him to provide bread when they were hungry and even wine when they had run out. And Jesus did all of these things, but God had something more in mind - much more. God did not send his son so that we might have a better life here on earth, God sent his son so that we might live in God's heavenly kingdom. God did not send his son to rule the world, but to save the world. So, Jesus did not heal every one who was sick or feed everyone who was hungry, but he did give his life on the cross so that everyone might have eternal life.

If all you expect of God is for him to give you peace of mind when you are upset, to give you strength when you are overwhelmed, to heal you when you are sick and to help you when you are in trouble, then you may be disappointed. If all you expect of God is that he will bless our nation or bring peace on earth, then you may well be disappointed. But if expect God to make a new heaven and a new earth, if you expect God to raise us from the dead on the last day, then you will not be disappointed. This is the vision of the prophet Isaiah, and this is the promise of the child born to Mary.

If you are looking for God to act in your world and in your life in some spectacular way, if you are expecting some kind of miracle, or some kind of dramatic sign, then you may well be disappointed. But if you look for God to be present and at work in common, ordinary ways, then you will not be disappointed. You will see God at work in those who let the light of God's love shine in their lives. You will see God at work in the simple faith of a little child and in the generosity of those who give their time and their money to feed the hungry, to build houses for the poor, to visit the sick, and to comfort those who are grieving. You will see God at work in those who share their faith and give witness to the presence of God in their hearts. You will see God present in the ordinary bread and wine of Holy Communion.

The lessons of Epiphany can help us hone our expectations in a way that will enable us to see the glory of God in the world around us. They encourage us to life up our eyes and to raise our expectations. They encourage us to see God at work in the common and the ordinary and to recognize his glory. When we do, we will be radiant -- our hearts will throb within us, and we will be overcome with joy. Amen.