Al and Inigo

Matthew 12:14-21

          There once was a man named Al. He woke up as usual and as was his habit, started to read the daily paper. One of the things he always checked was the obituaries and to his surprise his name was there! True story. It turns out Al's brother had died and the paper for whatever reason, picked Al's obituary and printed that instead. Al was an extremely wealthy and an important man. He had made a fortune in industry and specifically in armaments. Al was overwhelmed at seeing his own in the obituary though and he had what we might call an 'epiphany'. He turned his life completely around dedicating his life to peaceful causes and using his wealth in peaceful ways. You may have heard of him, his name is Alfred Nobel and he created what we know as the Nobel Peace Prize.

         So today's passage has perhaps less to do with the actual passage of scripture and more about the fact that the church celebrates the Epiphany on this day. The idea of having an epiphany is what came to my mind and to my daily meditation. Still, I was struck by the last line of this passage that "in his name the Gentiles will hope". 

          There are far too many people who have taken it upon themselves to say who is saved and who is not. Originally Jesus came to save the Jews. Jesus himself is a Jew.  But I think even Jesus may have had an epiphany of sorts. His love and the love of the Father (Creator God) could not be contained. The message of salvation is open to everyone. So you find Jesus proclaiming salvation to the most unlikely people according to the 'rules'.  Today there are so many who are marginalized by both society and religions. These people will not be saved according to televangelists, evangelicals, much of the hierarchy of the Catholic church, select Imams and so many others who look to holy scriptures with a jaundiced eye. In their view they know who is saved, who is condemned, who is 'intrinsically dissordered' and who is an infidel. 

             But I am reminded of a line from the movie The Princess Bride. The character Vezzini keeps using the word "inconceivable!" to which Inigo Montoya says "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

            Well, here is an epiphany. People quote the Bible from cherry picked lines to support what they want to say about God's love, salvation and judgement. They're very quick on the judgement, very slow on the intent which is love, compassion, inclusiveness, forgiveness. The Epiphany is very much that those who are saved may very well not be the ones that they think are saved. Those words you toss like weapons and grenades to destroy human spirit and lives are not the words or will of God. 

            It came as quite a shock to Al realizing what his life really amounted to when he read it unadulterated in his obituary. It was his Epiphany and his wake up call. What does it take for each one of us to realize in our hearts and minds the universal message of love that God has for every single one of us, ( yes, even us ). As for holy scripture used as weapons, 

'You keep using those words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean.'

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 

‘Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,

   my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

   and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 

He will not wrangle or cry aloud,

   nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 

He will not break a bruised reed

   or quench a smouldering wick

until he brings justice to victory. 

And in his name the Gentiles will hope.’