"Does Jesus Really Know Me?”

In Jesus Holy Name January 14, 2024

Epiphany II John 1:47-48 Redeemer

“Does Jesus Really Know Me?”

January 6th is the Sunday of the Epiphany. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." Just as the Christ child, was "revealed" to the Magi as Lord and King so in today’s Gospel lesson Philip is the one who makes Jesus “known” to his friend Nathaniel. The voice of Jesus is clear. “Nathanial, Come follow me.”

We know that God makes himself known in the world today as the writer of Psalm19:1 declared “the heavens declare God's glory”. But that truth only tells someone there is an intelligent designer who established the universe with order.

The truth which we are to make know to our friends as did Philip, is that the Creator of the Universe wants everyone to know how their broken commandments can be forgiven and experience peace in their soul.

Over the Christmas break I had the privilege of officiating at 2 weddings. The first was with two long time friends, both in their 80’s, whom I have known for over 40 years. I baptized and confirmed each of their children and officiated at several of their children’s weddings. Both had lost spouses over years. And although their bodies were showing some significant signs of wear and tear, their minds were still running on all eight cylinders.

It was a great party and a blessing, as their children, grandchildren and extended family came together to heap praises upon these gentle, loving souls. Their lives, and previous marriages, had shown to their children how it was possible to honor their marriage vows, to love in sickness and health, for richer and poorer, in good times and bad, in happy times and sad.

The 2nd wedding was also a great celebration as God used the love of

music to bring two lives together to create a new family.

For a moment: Try to imagine what advice this older, but newly married couple, both in their 80’s could offer to the young couple just starting their marriage. What advice and wisdom could first wedding couple now in their 80’s share. I know their sense of humor and I can just imagine what the new bride, 82, in her 2nd marriage, would say with a twinkle in her eye to the youngsters.

In your mind imagine the scene. She would approach the microphone, stopping for a moment and looking down at all the eager faces. She would smile sweetly and with a twinkle in her eye say, "As a new bride, myself, I don't feel qualified in giving you, youngsters, advice on how to succeed in marriage. But if you'll come back in a few years, I'll let you know how this husband of mine is working out ………..and if I think the marriage has any possibility of surviving."

With that, she turns and begins to walk off the stage. The audience is silent for a moment, and then, realizing she was having fun with them, they erupted in applause. Advice is simple. Marriage takes time to “really know someone deeply. Her point is well taken.

Try as hard as we can, there's never enough time for any of us to really know somebody else, no matter how long we have been married.

Oh, we can work at it. And we do figure some things out. After 54 years of marriage, I know that when Colleen says she says something is "Just fine!"—and she says it with that tone—it's not fine. I even know that when she says, "We need to talk," she really means she needs to talk, and I need to listen. And I will be a dead man if my eyes glance over to the TV to see the instant replay of a 103-yard kick-off return.

After all these years of love and marriage, I still cannot read her mind, nor can she read mine, and, I suppose that's a good thing. You see, all of us, every one of us, have things in our lives we don't want anyone to know about. Amazingly, if we're being honest, most of us prefer it that way. That's because most of us have thoughts, actions, feelings of which we are deeply ashamed. We never want them exposed to the light of day.

Yes, we try to keep these past things in the past, but we're never sure when someone might stumble across them. One day, in jest, Mark Twain said, "I once sent a dozen of my friends a telegram saying, 'Flee at once. All is discovered.'" He reports, "They all left town immediately." I'm not surprised.

Look at how many honorable, highly respected men and women decline to

have their names put up for public office because they know they will never survive the private investigation and the public scrutiny. They know there are things in their past which would be so shocking, so surprising, so sad and sinful that, if these things came to light, the public would turn their backs on them and they would, without further discussion, reject them. So that the secret sins may stay secret, most people are glad that others can read their mind. (notes from a sermon by Rev Ken Klaus 2023)