Among the mysteries I am pondering as the new year begins are the ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes web site for two films Beth and I watched as we greeted the new year. The first, a Brad Pitt vehicle called Ad Astra, was highly rated by critics (84% positive according to Rotten Tomatoes). Audience ratings, with which we agreed, told a different story. It was a pretentious mess joining together horrible space technology nonsense with banal pop psychology, all pretending to be some great journey of the self.
On the other hand, the film we did enjoy, Netlflix’s Murder Mystery, was more or less panned by both critics and audience (45% and 41% positive, respectfully). However, we had some good laughs at the antics which were somewhat reminiscent of older comedies and a send-up of the Murder on the Orient Express genre of multiple-suspect mysteries.
The above is all a light hearted lead in to a preview of my first sermon of the year, for Epiphany Sunday, based on the epistle reading from Ephesians 3:1-12. It’s about a mystery which is no longer secret. That is pretty much the case with what the Bible calls mystery. It’s not about deep, hidden things beyond human understanding, but about the things God has revealed in Jesus Christ. Here, it is especially about the inclusion of Gentiles in the Gospel.
The themes of revelation and inclusion are, of course, tied together thoroughly in the Gospel text for Epiphany. The magi are led by the revealing light of the star to worship the young child Christ. Thereby foreigners, non-Jews, are included in the story of Jesus from the very beginning.
Like any good mystery story, there were hints of the mystery, of that glorious including grace of God, in all that had gone before in the history of God’s people in Israel. But with Jesus the mystery is fully revealed. Now the only mystery remaining is how we will let that grace of Christ which is for all people play out in our own lives and in our service to Him.