Gospel is Better than Opera

Epiphany 2A

John 1:29-42

January 19, 2020

St. Matthias

           This week I passed a Bible test.  It was one of those online things where they ask you a whole bunch of questions just so you will see all their ads and they can make money. These sites are called Click-Bait and I bet I clicked 100 times.  But I can’t resist.  I want to see if they actually know what they are talking about when it comes to the Scriptures.  There were questions from both the Old and New Testaments.  There was even one from the Apocrypha.  The more questions I answered the more difficult this quiz became to the point that I was determined to finish just to prove that I could do it.  After all, I went to seminary.  I have a master’s degree.  I remembered that it was Rahab who helped Joshua capture Jericho.  When they asked who was the painted Queen?  I knew that it was Jezebel from the Book of 1 Kings.  I even got the question right about who in Acts chapter 16 was a dealer in purple.  It was Lydia – which of course I remembered because that’s my granddaughter’s name.  In the end, I was perfect – almost.  I scored 99%.  74 out of 75 questions.  The one that got me, which book in the New Testament is the shortest – Jude or the 3^rd Epistle of John?

           John the Baptist answered a question before it was even asked.  In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus comes walking toward John and his disciples and John declares that this is Jesus - the Messiah – the Son of God.  He doesn’t actually use the word “Messiah” but that is what he means.  Jesus is the Lamb of God who comes to save the world. And immediately Peter and Andrew follow Jesus as the first of the 12 disciples.  It’s different than the story in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.  Peter and Andrew are fishermen who leave their nets and boats and fish to follow the Savior.  In Luke, Jesus first meets Simon Peter at his mother-in-law’s house and then again beside the Sea of Galilee and it’s never really all that clear when Peter actually becomes a disciple or if he is even the first.  In the Gospel of John, Peter is introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist yet in the other Gospels, John the Baptist is already dead – and none of that matters because the real question is - WHO is Jesus? 

           At this point in the Gospel story – John the Baptist fades into history.  We never hear from him again even though this is just the beginning of the Gospel story.  And I imagine that is exactly the way John would have wanted it.  John knew that he was preparing the way of the Lord.  This story was going to be about Jesus.

           For the past couple of weeks – I have been working with Opera Birmingham.  Now Opera is something I know absolutely very little about.  Two weeks ago when I started I knew next to nothing – but now I am learning.  There are posters all over the offices from past performances of many of the great operas.  I recognize a lot of the names – La Traviata – Rigoletto – The Marriage of Figaro – and many more.  I’ve started listening to Opera – as I write this sermon I am listening to a performance of Tosca written by Giacomo Puccini.  It’s in Italian which I don’t understand.  The story is about Napoleon’s invasion of Rome – which I do know something about.  I am finding that the more I listen – the more I understand about what is going on even though I still do not understand Italian.  It seems that Opera is one of those things you need to hear over and over again.  Each time I learn a little more and the story starts to make more sense.  I am beginning to understand how and why people love opera.

           This is how to understand scripture.  John the Baptist had heard the stories of the Messiah from the Old Testament over and over again.  He knew what was supposed to happen and when it did – John wanted everyone to know.  He preached far and wide that HERE was the MESSIAH who everyone had been waiting for.  The Lamb of God had come to the save the world.  Again and again he told the people and slowly it began to sink in.  People began to understand and then they began to follow Jesus.  First it was Peter and Andrew – then 10 more became His disciples.  Then more followed so that everywhere Jesus went – the crowds followed.  Even the Pharisees and the Sadducees began to understand, and it scared them so much that THEY crucified Jesus hoping he would just die.  But He didn’t and instead there was resurrection and the story continued to this day when we gather her at St. Matthias and tell the story again.

           It’s not Opera – its Gospel. It’s not in Italian.  Hear the story of Jesus again and again.  Hear the Scriptures again and again. Each time you do – God will speak, and you will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God – the Savior of the World.  You will come and receive bread and wine in faith, and you will BELIEVE the story more and more.  Christ has died – Christ is risen – Christ will come again.  There won’t be a test unless you just want to take one on the internet.  I am sure there is at least one opera about the Bible – but its ok if you don’t understand Italian.  Pray – study – and then pray again.  Slowly and surely you will begin to understand that there is always more to the Gospel story and we are living it right now at St. Matthias.  And there is nowhere to click and you won’t see any ads. By the way – John III is the shortest book in the Bible  AMEN.