Friday prior to Epiphany 3

 

[1]

Matthew 4:12-25—Matthew sees Jesus beginning His ministry as a fulfillment of the Isaiah promise that deliverance would come to those taken captive by the Assyrians in Zebulon and Naphtali. Fulfillment implies that Jesus was more than a man, a prophet, or a teacher; He was the Son of God, the Messiah. Repentance (verse 17)—For John the Baptist, repentance was a condition for entering the kingdom of God. For Jesus, repentance was accepting the salvation already offered and present. Repentance is not a condition of grace but a response to it. Repentance is acknowledging God’s forgiveness and acceptance; it is a turning to God to accept his grace by faith.

The Feast of the Lord’s Epiphany and the entire Epiphany season of the church year make plain that the baby of Bethlehem’s manger is not merely a human being, but is both God and man, the promised Christ. The star in the east led the Magi to worship Him; His baptism begins His public ministry, in which He revealed Himself as God’s Messiah. Our reading includes the account of His calling of His first disciples. Whatever those disciples may have known about Jesus prior to His “Follow Me,” they realized when He called them that they had been summoned by none other than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They recognized Jesus as God’s light in the midst of darkness.           

When we understand the Gospel we make known the perfect life of Jesus, His innocent suffering and death, and His resurrection victory as the salvation which avails for everyone. Jesus is the Savior. He is our light in the midst of the darkness.

Collects for Epiphany 3: Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit, that we, too, may bring good news to the afflicted, bind upon the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives. [2]

Collect for Friday of the week of Epiphany 2: Grant us, O God, so utterly to believe in Thee and in Thy good and unchangeable purpose, that believing we may be our lives bring back upon the earth, for its darkness, light; and for its sadness, that glory which need never have vanished. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen [3] -20 January 2023

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[1] Lift High the Cross, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Collects for the Epiphany season, © 2006, Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Friday of the week of Epiphany 2, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY