Jesus revealed through us

 
"An important thing for us to remember in this season of Epiphany," says Bishop Hughes, is "the many ways in which Jesus is revealed, including the ways that Jesus is revealed through us. Everywhere we go, in every interaction that we have with every person that we see, we have an opportunity to present Jesus to the rest of the world." (Time: 4:04.)

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Video Transcript

This is Bishop Hughes in the Diocese of Newark, and it is the season of Epiphany. We started celebrating on the 6th of January, thinking about those magi that traveled such a distance because they knew that there was someone special for them to meet. The King of the Jews had been born, his star had risen, and they decided to go and find him and pay homage. And we celebrate that, their arrival at that place. We also celebrate their listening to the voice of God, the leading of God, telling them to go home in a different route in order to keep themselves and others safe.

That's the start of the celebration though. There are seven Sundays in Epiphany – we just celebrated the second one – so we've got five more in front of us in this season. And I think it's helpful for us to think in a more expansive way about Epiphany. That Epiphany, this season, is a time where Jesus is revealed to the rest of the world. Starting with those travelers who followed a star, followed their intuition, followed their wisdom, followed the whisperings of God to go and find Jesus. It's also the time that we celebrate Jesus being baptized, Jesus being presented at the temple, Jesus healing the first people, Jesus calling disciples, Jesus teaching – all of these ways in which Jesus was revealed.

That's an important thing for us to remember in this season of Epiphany - the many ways in which Jesus is revealed, including the ways that Jesus is revealed through us. Everywhere we go, in every interaction that we have with every person that we see, we have an opportunity to present Jesus to the rest of the world.

Now hear me correctly: I’m not saying we're Jesus because we're not Jesus. But in that wonderful mystery that is the way that Jesus is with us, that God is with us in all things, Jesus dwells within us and is alongside us and guides us all through the day and night, through all that we do in our life.

And so, when you head out to the grocery store, you present Jesus. When you head over to work or to school, you present Jesus. When you sit on that next Zoom call for a meeting that goes on too long – knowing that you've got three more to do before the day is over and you're just tired of it all – you are presenting Jesus. Presenting Jesus to people who may not know of Jesus, who may not know of his love, and who may need his care.

We don't even have to know the right words to say or the thing to do – simply by showing up with Jesus dwelling inside of us, we present who Jesus is. We bring the love of Jesus for all people. We bring our own love of Jesus, and we bring the love that flows through us from Jesus to other people.

So this time, Epiphany, these next five weeks in front of us, as you move along your life, know that you are being blessed by God. You're being given the gift, the invitation into ministry. To present Jesus, to reveal Jesus's love to all the people that you encounter.