I Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

We are all physical beings here, at least it appears so from this vantage point. Paul reminds the people of the house church in Corinth they are physical beings. But he also adamantly tells them they are a temple. Not some golden spire or a brick building or even a house, but a physical bodily temple. Many of us put Jesus on such a high plane we forget he is the same. A physical being with physical needs

who hungers and thirsts, who needs others to be around, who has needs and longings. It’s easy to put him into a sphere that conveniently places him beyond

such physicality as the rest of us. We read all the descriptions of him in our passage from John:

-the One whom Moses and the prophets wrote

-son of Joseph

-from Nazareth

-knows the persons’ heart

-Rabbi

-Son of God

-King of Israel

-Son of Man

and get all caught up in these names. He is above and beyond any description most of us carry with us about ourselves. But we are all someone who has been written about either in a diary or on Facebook or received a letter or an email.

And we are all someone’s daughter or son. We all know someone who often knows us better than we know ourselves. We have all taught someone at some point in our lives whether a child or a dog or a friend. There are days we are treated as a king or queen by someone who loves us dearly. And we are all incredibly human. So if we put Jesus on this pedestal out of reach how can he reach us?

-The gospel of John is very different from the other gospels for the author describes Jesus from a cosmic focus. Beyond time

before creation. But a human being nonetheless. And this passage is that critical link between the cosmic Christ and the earthly ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.

What he shows us in this passage is an epiphany. The epiphany of God which contains both time and eternity. Jesus choosing who will follow is the Christ before existence happened in a very human aspect. It’s hard for us to combine the two,

but this first chapter of John does just that. Jesus making his own decisions

as to who to call, where to go, yet always as he continually chooses God.

We are like him in so many, many ways. You see, God can do wonderful things

even if seemingly insignificant, and then we through listening and following

can exceed what we think we can do and what we can imagine. Like Jesus being from Nazareth.

The Rev. Linda R. CalkinsRector, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church