011520 – Matthew 3. 13-17 Transitions!
Tonight we are going to spend “a little bit of time” talking about TRANSITIONS. Everybody HAS them. Everybody goes THROUGH them.
Some transitions are SMOOTH and EASY, others, not so much. Some of us FIGHT any and all CHANGE.
George Bernard Shaw said, “PROGRESS is IMPOSSIBLE without CHANGE, and those who cannot change their MINDS, cannot change ANYTHING.”
HERACLITUS of Ephesus said, “There is nothing permanent EXCEPT change.”
Transitions HAPPEN…
ONE DAY you are crawling and scooting around and the next day you ARE NOT.
One day you have a NEW BORN and before you know it you have a young woman or a young man standing before you!
We go from riding bikes to driving cars!
We go from PLAYING to Structured Schools to Middle school to High School to College or to Vocational/Trade or Technical schooling, or perhaps into the Military…to starting a new career or JOB.
There is that whole LEAVING HOME thing…living on your own, “ADULTING” we call it. Getting MARRIED, settling down, FIRST HOME, new jobs, starting a FAMILY, empty nesting, separation and divorce, PROMOTIONS, accidents, relocations, RETIREMENT, grand-parenting, health issues, rehabbing, senior relocation…and then, there are the LOSSES that we ALL must face along the way.
The transitions are continuous…they happen and occur THROUGHOUT our life time.
To INK or NOT TO INK? To PIERCE or not to pierce?
Some changes are more significant than others…
We turn GREY, we put on some WEIGHT, hair starts to THIN, our SKIN becomes more loose, we go to BED earlier, WRINKLES and dark spots appear, we become MORE SEDATE, eye sight FAILS, hearing becomes more difficult, words DO NOT FLOW. We become FORGETFUL. DENTURES happen.
From DRIVING to being dependent on others…issues with MOBILITY…BALANCE…FALLING…
So many “transitions” – so many “changes” and they all happen OVER TIME…
Jesus TOO had his transitions…and his BAPTISM was one such event. It was huge. CHANGE was on the horizon. BIG CHANGE.
ONE DAY you find yourself at home in the little village of Nazareth. And the next day, you leave that place and family all behind.
Your LIFE changes.
Some change WE direct, other change is imposed UPON us.
And Jesus went from being someone who worked with hands in the TRADES to becoming an ITINERANT preacher, HEALER and worker of GREAT SIGNS and miracles. He went from WORKING and transitioned into TEACHING.
HIS change was MAJOR. Unprecedented!
He went from being a neighbor, brother, son in NAZARETH on to a WORLD STAGE and almost achieving a kind of ROCK STAR LIKE fame.
He went from being the Son of Mary to being the SON OF GOD…from Mary’s kid to GOD’S kid.
This is total conjecture on my part, but we know that he was raised in a RELIGIOUS home. We know that he knew the SCRIPTURES well and seemed to be well EDUCATED. We know that he could READ…in a time when MOST of his contemporaries could NOT.
It would seem to me that “the ONE CONSTANT” was his life of FAITH. His personal BELIEF system. His PRAYER life. His TRUST and his RELIANCE on GOD.
Jesus’ FAITH was CENTRAL to ALL that he said and did. FAITH was central for his very life.
Faith was necessary for stepping out FROM Nazareth. Faith was necessary for stepping off of THE BANKS of the Jordan.
Faith was necessary for his forty day sojourn in the WILDERNESS.
Faith was necessary for his FIRST sermon. Faith was necessary for his FIRST miracle. Faith was necessary for each and every HEALING.
Faith was necessary for his TRANSFIGURATION.
Faith was NECESSARY for his being SCOURGED and BEATEN. Faith was necessary for his CRUCIFIXION and DEATH.
Faith was necessary for his RESURRECTION and ASCENSION.
Never underestimate the IMPORTANCE of the Faith that is WITHIN YOU. FEED your FAITH. NURTURE your faith and above all CLING to your faith. And be THANKFUL for the Faith that is within you! Transitions happen.
But your faith can see you through ANYTHING.
Amen.