In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Gospel reading today begins by mentioning the “Feast of the Dedication” which took place in Jerusalem. We don’t hear too much about the Feast of the Dedication. It’s also known as the Festival of Lights, or Hanukah.
In order to really understand the people of Jesus’ time, and their reaction to what Jesus said, we need to know some of the history of Hanukah.
Around the year 168 B.C., Israel’s history changed, and they gained their freedom. This period lasted until approximately 40 B.C., and started when a priest named Mattathias and his sons, especially Judas Maccabeus, opposed attempts by the government to force Greek, or Hellenistic, practices and culture into Jewish life.
When Alexander the Great conquered the region in 332 B.C., most of the area adopted the Greek culture and language. However, the people of Judea remained strong in their Jewish tradition and faith.
The Ptolemies, the Syrians, and even the Romans pressed for political control over Judea. Greek culture had spread through the region, and we see this in the fact that the New Testament books were all written in Greek. The Ptolemies encouraged learning and built the Library of Alexandria competing with Athens itself in Greek culture.
But not everything Greek was good. The aim of the Hellenists was to force Greek culture on the Near East, by encouraging intermarriage between Greeks and Asians, forcing assimilation, ensuring that National Heritage would be lost, and guaranteeing the regional religions would diminish and the people would accept the Greek gods.
Even though Judah was a small nation their steadfast resistance to Hellenist assimilation was a thorn in the side of the Seleucid dynasty, Alexander’s generals, and all the rulers seeking long-term control.
Around 200 B.C., Judea reached an agreement with Syria giving Syria control over them. In appreciation, Antiochus the Great of Syria allowed Judea to remain tax-free for three years and offered to pay to rebuild the cities destroyed in the battles. Priests, scribes, and temple singers were exempted from taxes. Money was available for sacrifices and many Jewish prisoners were set free.
But by 175 B.C., things had changed. Antiochus IV Epiphanes usurped the throne of Syria by killing his brother and the rightful heir to the kingdom. He decided to spread Greek philosophy and traditions at a rapid pace throughout the region.
In Judaism, the high priest had been a descendent of Aaron. This position was held by a strong inspiring leader, firm in his face, and someone who could lead by example. When Antiochus tried to install his own henchman, Menelaus, as high priest the Jews were upset to say the least. While Antiochus was away invading Egypt, the Jews removed Menelaus and reinstated their own former high priest. So Antiochus ordered that the city be sacked. He had many of the people killed, desecrated the temple, and stole its treasure.
Antiochus outlawed Judaism by outlawing their traditions and observances. He outlawed observing the Sabbath, religious festivals, sacrifices, circumcision, and had copies of the Torah destroyed.
He had altars to the Greek gods built, and ordered all the Jews to eat the flesh of pigs. The temple in Jerusalem was made a shrine for Zeus, and Antiochus sacrificed a pig on the altar.
In every village in Judea he had an altar set up and ordered a sacrifice under the watchful eye of a Syrian officer. In 166 B.C., an old priest with five sons was scheduled to offer a sacrifice of unclean flash to a pagan god. His name was Matathias, and he refused to offer the sacrifice.
The priest killed an apostate Jew who had offered the sacrifice and the Syrian officer supervising the offering. He called upon supporters of Mosaic Law to follow him, and he and his sons took to the hills. He and his supporters waged a very successful guerrilla war from bases in those Judean hills. Mattathias died in 166 B.C., and his son, Judas Maccabeus became the leader of the Jewish resistance. Despite huge odds against him, Judas was successful in many battles and had virtual control of the country.
Judas Maccabeus then began to restore the temple. He destroyed the altar that had been used for sacrifices to Zeus, and faithful priests rededicated the temple so daily worship could resume. While they were rededicating the temple, they discovered only one bottle of holy oil that had not been desecrated — enough for just one day. Miraculously, this oil lasted for eight days, until new holy oil could be brought to the temple.
The temple desecration by Antioch us and 167 B.C., was prophesied in the book of Daniel 11:31, “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.”
The celebration of this rededication is known as the Festival of Lights or Hanukkah, and in first century Judea, it was known as the Festival of the Dedication.
Evil had tried to destroy what is holy and failed. God’s holiness conquered desecration. Likewise, Satan tries to destroy the holiness of this world, leading us to worship false idols instead of following the one true God.
In our consumer driven society, the need to succeed has replaced our desire for God. It’s been said that our idols are what our minds drift to when we’re relaxed.
What do we think about when we relax at home? Our stock portfolios? The Padres? The latest celebrity breakup or affair?
I bet more people know the final 12 contestants on American Idol than know the 12 apostles.
We reach for more money, bigger houses, flashier cars, and act amazed that a church with dirt floors in Nigeria can bring forth millions of new Christians — while we allow the cross to be displayed in a jar of urine but not on a hilltop.
Do our checkbooks show a dedication to the Lord, helping others in need, or mostly donations to Costco and various department stores for even more stuff we don’t really need?
Jesus will return to reclaim his kingdom, just as God worked through Judas Maccabeus to reclaim God’s temple. The desecration of God’s creation does not prevent its salvation.
Will we continue to worship false idols like many Judeans in 165 B.C., and like the Pharisees Jesus confronted in the first century?
Or will we recognize the voice of our shepherd, the good shepherd who died for his sheep, and follow him?
I know of a priest back in New York City who went to Ireland to visit his relatives. While he was staying at his cousin’s farm, they decided to have some fun with him. After doing some chores in the fields, they told him to come in for dinner just as soon as he was through rounding up the sheep into the pen.
After nearly an hour of chasing after sheep, trying to push, poke, prod, and even pull them with no success, he gave up and asked his cousins to help. They sent out their five-year-old daughter, who simply called out to the sheep, and within minutes they had all followed her through the gate into the pen. Few clergy are as fortunate as he was to see the Gospel story of the shepherd come to life.
The worshipers at the dedication of the temple in 164 B.C. with Judas Maccabeus saw the miracle of the shepherd, of God holding on to what was his and what was holy, and using it to bring forth new light in the world.
Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel passage that God will hold us in his grip, transforming us, and bringing new light into the world for our becoming one with Jesus. For just as Jesus and the father are one — meaning “of one mind” not “one person” — the original writings used this neuter word for “one,” instead of the masculine form used to indicate persons — we are made one with Christ.
Jesus says elsewhere in John’s Gospel that he is the light that has come into the world to save us from the darkness of evil. The irony of the Pharisees not seeing the “light of the world” after celebrating the Festival of Lights should be a wake-up call for us.
They were just going through the motions, checking off the right boxes, playing church if you will. But their hearts weren’t in it, and they were blinded by the light.
Is Jesus the light of our life or do we just go through the motions?
If we listen for his voice, he will lead us to wonderful places. You can learn to recognize his voice by talking to him more often. I’ll bet there are lots of people you talk to on the phone who never have to say who they are because you recognize their voices.
Jesus recognizes our voices; and he wants us to be so much a part of him, that we can recognize his voice when we hear it and follow him.
D. L. Moody, one of the great preachers of the past century, used to say that “the only way to keep a broken vessel full is to keep it always under the tap.”
If you have dedicated yourself the following Christ, to live as Jesus lived and do what Jesus did, he will never let you go.
Remember, God is reaching down to us. When we reach back up and grasp his hand, he’s the one doing the holding.
God bless you all.
