Lectionary Notes - Epiphany 5C

Lectionary Notes - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

(view sermon or sermon for this text)

Readings for 5th Sunday after Epiphany, 2/4/07:

Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11

Isaiah 6:1-8

Seraphs certainly are strange creatures!
Note that even though Isaiah says he "sees the Lord", it is the other things that are described in detail, not what God is like in God's self.
Isaiah expresses a deep sense of unworthiness, "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips." He doesn't feel worthy to be seeing God.
The imagery of the seraph taking the hot coal to Isaiah's lips is very powerful. We read nothing of pain for Isaiah, but it make sense that this cleansing and purifying would have burned him, been painful. That resonates with how we experience being made pure. It takes work and pain. I think of the image of Eustace Scrubb in The Voyage of the Dawntreader in the Chronicles of Narnia, when he is turned into a dragon. His skin must be painfully torn off by Aslan before he is made clean.
"Whom shall I send?" "Here am I; send me." Isaiah has felt unworthy, but he still has the courage (and good sense) to respond to God's call. Can we do the same? Even when we feel unworthy, can we trust that God knows better than we do??

Psalm 138

Not surprisingly, another psalm that ends with talk of the psalmist's enemies and God's protection from them.
This psalm is in thanks and praise for God's faithfulness, for answered prayers, etc. It's good to remember to thank God for our gifts. We remember to turn to God in need - turning to God in blessings is easier to omit.
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." I believe that free will is one of God's greatest gifts to us. And yet, I also take comfort and strength from knowing that God has purposes to see fulfilled in me. But for this to happen, I think, we have to take an active part. God works with us.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Paul is giving the facts about who has witnessed the resurrected Christ - it's kind of like a court case he's laying out, with the witnesses as proof that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. Who could doubt, when Paul has lined up so many eye witness accounts?
Did you notice that he doesn't mention any women seeing the resurrected Christ? What happened to Mary Magdalene? Interesting omission!
"I worked harder than any of them." Classic Paul. Yes, I know he adds the disclaimer, saying it is not he that has done the work, but God within him - even still, Paul manages to make himself look pretty good, doesn't he? I can't help it - I love Paul's theology in great part, but his personality that shines through the text sometimes makes me cringe! :)
The last verse in this passage, at least, gets it right: "Where then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe." However it has happened, the people have faith, and Paul knows that this is his mission being fulfilled.

Luke 5:1-11

This passage is rich in imaginative possibilities for us - some who have traveled to Israel tell me that this scene is one that is easy for them to imagine after having seen the lake themselves. Imagine the smells and sounds and atmosphere of a fishing area, with people hard at work for their livelihood, and Jesus teaching from a boat in the midst of all this, and the crowds gathered around.
"Put out into the deep water". At Drew, a preacher in chapel focused on this phrase in his sermon on this text, saying that God is calling us to go out into the deep water. We want to stay in the shallow water and feel safe, have a surface level relationship in Christ, do surface level work for our neighbor. God calls us to go deep, where it's a little more dangerous, but the possibilities for blessings are so much greater.
Like our Isaiah text, here is another who begins in God's presence with a feeling of unworthiness. Simon Peter says, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Jesus tells him not to be afraid, that now Peter will catch people. Like Isaiah, Peter looks past his fear, and follows God's path for him.
I wish I could remember where, so I could give proper credit, but somewhere I read a comparison of "from now on you will be catching people" with the imagery of the Catcher in the Rye: fishers of people = catchers in the rye. Very moving!

Pastor’s Note: (I use the Greek-English Lexicon from Liddell and Scott, the “little Liddell” and the Metzger et. al Greek New Testament in my translation work.)

Lectionary Notes are from the Lectionary Chat Group Bible Study of St. Paul's UMC, Oneida, NY, Rev. Beth Quick.

Return to Notes Year C

Return to Lectionary Notes Page

Return to Home Page