Deacon Weaver's Homily - 8/22/2010

Today's Homily follows the intent for this the twelfth Sunday after Trinity.  That shows the intent for the day to be about the "Mystery of Christ".  Our readings today reflect some of these mysteries and as always call to us to be more and work on ourselves:  Our first reading talks about "The first mystery" as being the Mystery of Manifestation.  Manifestation came to us through the Word and embodied in the Christ.  So the Logos/Christ and the very creation have always been intrinsically linked.

John 1:3-5 tells us "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people". The Word can then be seen as the "Light of People" and in this way the Word becomes a "Revealer" as well as a savior, not only holding a divinity for himself alone but also gives light to reveal to us the possibility of knowing the creator and in so doing illuminates the way to know ourselves. In this way John presents a Jesus who gives self understanding in the light of creation and tells us that we can know ourselves because we have been illuminated to know God.

In the Johannite book the Levitikon this verse is followed with the statement: "And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not understand it at all."  This passage is interesting because we are told clearly that the light of revelation shines on us all and that the darkness is made light to those that see; however, many do not and remain in darkness without understanding.  This makes sense from the prospective of revelation.  However, we are also talking about manifestation, so this speaks to how we all create.  Some of us create in light and some in darkness, or more appropriately, sometimes we each create from understanding of what we are creating and other times in ignorance of what we are creating.  So in this lesson let us think on those times that we feel at the mercy of the world, that we feel blown about without ability to navigate our lives, and let us pray to leave a victims mentality of darkness and pray for the light of revelation to encompass us that we may find our way.

Our reading from the Book if Isaiah tells us that there "Shall come forth a rod out of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root".  What does this mean?  Well as we investigate Jesse we find that he was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth and the father of David the slayer of giants and the greatest Kings.  But in the Hebrew his name is rooted in Jah, Jehova, or "I am" and suggests that when a person realizes their eternal existence of "I AM", and is firm and strong in this revelation, he is in the Jesse state of mind, and of out of this state of mind will come God's idea of man, the Christ.

Isaiah continues to say the "Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom (Sophia) and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and reverence to the Lord.  He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after hearing his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."  God tells us here that once we find this "I AM" we hold it, we believe it, and though those who are poor (in spirit) will say things and show us things we will judge for ourselves what is right and wrong through the mind of Jesse.

Let us pray to the Lord that he might give us his guidance so the light of revelation through the Word may shine upon us and guide us to the understanding of ourselves and that we may create with him and from the very foundations of "I AM".  This we pray in the the Lord's name.  Amen!!!