Rejoicing in the Beatitudes: A Word for All Ages by David Lloyd

The Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany

February 1, 2026

I’d like the children and youth to take their piece of paper and write this word on the top:

Epiphany

Now go halfway down the page and write this word:

Manifest

Do any of you kids know what “epiphany” means? If you do, raise your hand.

Do you know what “manifest” means? If you do, raise your hand.

Now I’m going to ask the adults. What does “epiphany” mean? Raise your hand.

“Epiphany” means God appeared or manifested (a fancy word that means was revealed) to a person or group of people. The season of Christmas lasts 12 days from December 25 through January 5, like the song “On the First Day of Christmas…” (singing). We celebrate Epiphany on January 6. This year at Seekers we celebrated Epiphany early, on January 4.

We celebrate Epiphany through the story of the Three Kings, as in the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are…” (singing) They’re also known as the three wise men, priests, or prophets, in what is now the country of Iran, who studied the stars and saw a new one, which they thought meant a new king was born.

You know the story of how the three wise men followed the star to the Holy Land, met King Herod in Jerusalem, then went to Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the baby Jesus there. To Jews, people who aren’t Jewish are called Gentiles. So because the three wise men weren’t Jewish, Epiphany is the appearance of God to Gentiles. Another way of saying it is to say God became “manifest” to the Gentiles in the baby Jesus they saw in Bethlehem.

But Epiphany for Christians in the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches is different. They believe that God became manifest when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. When Jesus came up out of the River Jordan, he saw the Holy Spirit come down from the sky like a dove and rest upon him. John, and perhaps the other Jews who were there, heard God’s voice saying, “This is my beloved Son.” In Seekers we celebrated the baptism of Jesus on the next Sunday, January 11.

Now, while I’m talking to the adults, I’d like for you kids to write down as many words as you can make from the letters in “Epiphany” and write down as many words you can make from the letters in “Manifest.” I found 24 words from the letters in “Epiphany” and 73 words from the letters in “manifest.” Most of them have 2,3, or 4 letters. See how many you can find.

The Gospel of Matthew continues this Epiphany theme with more manifestations of God’s power. In Last Sunday’s scripture, Jesus travels throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, and healing every disease and sickness. These are signs that Jesus is the long-awaited messiah, the kind of messiah that the prophet Isaiah had foretold.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth and childhood call to mind those of Moses and Samuel in the Hebrew Scriptures. John the Baptist is modeled after the prophet Elijah, who was to return before the messiah. Matthew has Jesus, like Moses, tempted in the wilderness but remaining faithful to God. Matthew has Jesus calling forth disciples, much as Moses called forth men to be Levites. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus prophetically preaches the word of God like Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets had done. Jesus’ healing the sick was like Elijah’s. And Matthew has Jesus climbing a mountainside to teach, as Moses and Joshua had, using the Hebrew Scriptures, and saying that the Scriptures have been fulfilled.

Now, adults, take your piece of paper, and at the top, write ““Blessed are…” down the left side, write the following, going no more than half the way across, leaving room on the right side:

a person or group who is dispirited
a person or group in mourning
a person or group that is being gentle or unassuming
a person or group crying out for justice
a person or group who has shown mercy
a person with a clean heart
a person or group working for peace
a person or group being persecuted because they are seeking justice
one or more Christians undergoing persecution

On the right side, write a name for each of these. You have about 5 minutes. If you don’t finish, finish it at home.

What was your mood after writing this list? Happy? Contented? Each time Jesus says that the person or group he described is “blessed.” For example, “Those who are poor in spirit are happy because…” The word “blessed,” whether in ancient Aramaic, Hebrew, or English means “happy, contented.” God had promised happiness and contentment for those in each of these categories in Isaiah and in the Psalms. Jesus is reminding his disciples of theses promises in the scriptures.

Why should the dispirited, the mourners the gentle, those seeking justice, those who have shown mercy, those with clean hearts, those working for peace, those being persecution, and especially those being persecuted for following Jesus’ teachings be happy or contented NOW? Because the kingdom of God has come! During Advent we sang (and prayed) “O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel” (singing). The word “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God had arrived, and it was time to REJOICE! God was with them! And two thousand years later, we can REJOICE, the kingdom of God has arrived for us, God is with us in Christ Jesus.

Back to you kids. Now turn your piece of paper over and at the top, write the phrase: “Blessed are…” See how many words the letters in that phrase can make that you can write down. I found 79 words and, in the email I’ll send, I’ll list the 79 words I found.

Everyone: at the bottom of your piece of paper write “REJOICE, CHRIST IS WITH US” in all capital letters. As a reminder, not just during Epiphany, but all year.

REJOICE, CHRIST IS WITH US, Amen.

Here are the words that David found [ed]:

EPIPHANY (24)

any

ape

hip

nap

nape

nay

nip

pan

pane

pap

pen

pep

pine

pip

pipe

yap

yea

yeah

yen

yip

yipe

MANIFEST (73)

aim

aims

ant

ants

east

eat

eats

fan

fans

fast

fat

fate

fen

fens

feta

fin

fins

fine

fines

finest

fist

fit

fits

ifs

ins

its

man

mane

manes

mast

mat

mate

mates

mats

mean

means

meant

meat

meats

met

mine

mines

mint

mints

mist

nest

net

nets

nit

nits

safe

same

sane

sat

sate

set

sift

sine

sit

site

sites

tam

tie

tine

tan

ten

tin

tine

“BLESSED ARE…” Matthew 5:1-12(79 words)

able

alder

ale

ales

ass

bad

bade

bale

bales

bar

bare

bared

bares

bars

bass

bead

beads

bear

bears

bed

beds

blade

blades

bled

bleed

bleeds

bless

dab

dabs

dare

dares

deal

deals

dear

dears

deer

ear

ears

ease

eased

eases

eel

eels

elder

elders

ere

lab

labs

lad

lade

lads

lass

lead

leads

lease

leased

leases

led

lede

less

read

reads

real

rebel

rebels

red

reds

sable

sables

sale

sales

slab

slabs

sled

sleds

“BLESSED ARE YOU…“ (Luke 6:20-23) (194 words)

1	able	blur	duel	lead	orb	rude	suds
2	adore	blurs	duels	lead	orbs	ruder	sue
3	adores	bore	dye	leads	ore	ruse	sued
4	alder	boy	dyes	lease	ores	ruses	sues
5	ale	boys	ear	leased	our	rye	sure
6	ales	bud	ears	leases	ours	ryes	usable
7	aloud	buds	ease	led	ray	sable	use
8	as	buoy	eased	lede	rays	sables	yea
9	ass	buoyed	eases	leery	read	sale	year
10	aye	buoys	easy	less	read	sales	years
11	ayes	bury	eel	lessee	reads	slabs	yeas
12	bad	bus	eels	lessor	real	slay	your
13	bade	buses	eely	load	rebel	slays	yours
14	bar	buy	elder	loads	rebel	sled	yule
15	bare	buyer	elders	lob	rebels	sleds
16	bared	buyers	ere	lobs	rebels	so
17	bass	buys	eye	lode	red	sob
18	bass	bye	eyed	lodes	reds	sobs
19	bead	dab	eyes	lore	road	sold
20	beads	dabs	lab	loss	roads	sole
21	bear	dare	labor	loud	rob	soles
22	bears	dares	labored	lure	robs	soul
23	bed	day	labors	lured	robe	souls
24	beds	days	labs	lures	robed	sour
25	blade	deal	lad	lyre	robes	soured
26	blades	deals	laden	lyres	rod	sours
27	bled	dear	lads	ode	rode	soy
28	bless	dears	lass	odes	rods	soya
29	blue	dour	lay	old	rose	sub
30	blues	dual	lays	olden	roses	subs