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Nothing Ordinary About This Week 1

Writer's picture: Joe VaszilyJoe Vaszily

Updated: Jan 30

The Rescue Mission Begins

As we enter the season of Ordinary Time, it can be very easy for us to forget the awe and wonder of the Christmas season.  

 

The greatest love story that has ever been told.  

 

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a rescue mission.  Jesus is the New Moses. The new Exodus.  The new Temple.  What did Jesus rescue us from?  

 

Ourselves.  Our sinful nature.  What we could not save ourselves from - sin.   Throughout the Old Testament, God sends prophets to His people to urge them to turn from their sinful ways.  But the pattern repeats itself over and over again.  

 

So God sent His Son to us.  To become one of us.  The one who knew no sin would be the One who would conquer sin once and for all.  

 

We hear today from Isaiah 62:1 - For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch.

 

God bringing vindication and victory to His people.   Remember these are a people in exile (Babylon) who have lost everything, including their most sacred place of worship.  The temple.   But Isaiah sees into the future and places his hope in the Lord that He will redeem His people. 

 

No more shall you be called “Forsaken,”

nor your land called “Desolate,”

But you shall be called “My Delight is in her,”

and your land “Espoused.”  Isaiah 62:4

 

God desires to restore His people.   The rescue Mission.   And we know that this mission is fulfilled in the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

 

There is Nothing ordinary about that at all.   

 

And what does our psalm ask us to do today:

 

Proclaim God’s ordinary deeds to all the nations.   

 

Not quite. 

 

Proclaim His MARVELOUS deeds to all the nations.  

 

It’s so easy for us to go through each day thinking we do things; we accomplish things; we say things that come from our own self; our merit.    Dare I say that would be foolish.    It is the Lord working in and through us (when we allow Him to).  Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  Paul recognizes that nothing we do or accomplish is on our own merit.   When we are completely absorbed with ourselves; focused inwardly, we can easily be frustrated; easily run out of energy.   

 

Or like today’s Gospel, the “wine” will run out!   Our lives are not about ourselves.  The love that Jesus shows when He comes on this rescue mission is not an inward love.  It is an outward love.   Agape.  A love that wills the good of the other.   It’s radical!   Not ordinary.  

 

And yet, we see that in Jesus and through Jesus the wine does NOT run out. In fact, as my friend Allen Hunt says this week, he turns our shortages into abundance.   And not just ordinary wine. A wine that tastes so good the headwater says:

 

Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

 

An extraordinary wine.   His first sign in John’s Gospel as He begins His earthly Mission to rescue us from ourselves.   

 

My friends, God’s Word, the Good News of Jesus Christ is radical and relevant.   And yet, so often, we come to Church each week and hear the Gospel proclaimed but so quickly tune it out thinking:

 

It is not relevant

It doesn’t apply to me

I’ve heard it 1000 times. 

 

We need a mindset change.  Jesus wants to speak to us through His Word.  I believe that is why John begins His Gospel by saying “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.   

 

You see Jesus is the Word and He most clearly IS speaking to us every time we open the Word and read, hear and reflect on it.   

 

When Mary says to the waiters, “Do whatever he tells you”.  She knows that His words have the power to transform any situation.  

 

But the choice is ours.  Jesus does not force us to listen to Him.  We must make a daily choice.  A daily commitment.   To focus on Him or focus on ourselves.  

 

As we begin this season called Ordinary Time, may the Holy Spirit move and inspire us to see that Jesus words have meaning and power to transform us each day; to bring His light and love to the world and to live out the Gospel with the same passion and vigor as the disciples did 2000 years ago.  

 

Trust me, there is nothing ordinary about that!

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1 Comment


Dave Raf
Dave Raf
Jan 29

Thx for this Joey! 🙏🏼

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