What did We Learn?

Sermon for January 15, 2012 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, Remembering St. Thomas the Apostle

St. Thomas, Apostle, is mentioned as one of the Twelve in all four Gospels. In the Gospel according to John, where his name is translated as 'twin', he appears in three episodes: offering to die with Jesus on His way to Bethany; interrupting the last discourse with his question, “. . .we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” and, doubting the Resurrection unless he were to touch the wounds of the Risen Lord, today’s Gospel lesson.

There are many different stories about St. Thomas. According to an early tradition mentioned by the historian Eusebius, he evangelized the Parthians, in what would be now called North-east Iran.

The Syrians of Malabar, who call themselves 'Christians of St Thomas', have a tradition that they were evangelized by the Apostle, who later was martyred and buried at Mylapore, near Madras, in India. The 'Thomas Cross', an ancient stone cross with a problematic inscription, is preserved in the church which marks the place where his body is held to have rested before its removal to Turkey, in the 4th cent.

In the Roman Martyrology the place where he died is given as Calamina, in India.

In the apocryphal book, “The Acts of Thomas,” a story of the Apostle is told: Gundaphorus, one of the kings of India, wishing for a magnificent palace, sent his merchant Abbanes to Syria to obtain a skilled architect. At Jerusalem, Abbanes met Jesus, the carpenter’s son, who recommended to him his ‘slave,’ Thomas, and Thomas agreed to go back home with Abbanes. Thomas then gave to the poor the large sums of money which Gundaphorus had provided him to build the palace, and he soon convinced Gundaphorus that his money was being used to build a far nobler palace in heaven than the earthly building for which it had been intended. Gundaphorus and many others were converted to Christianity.

After further missionary work, accompanied by healing miracles in the neighboring land of King Misdaeus, Thomas was persecuted for his success in persuading Mygdonia to cease marriage relationships with her husband, Charisius, and Thomas was soon thereafter pierced with spears. In this tradition, the Apostles’ bones were taken back shortly afterwards to Mesopotamia. (OxDict, 1624)

We must go back a few verses for today’s Gospel lesson to be understood. So we go back to verse 19. It is a Sunday, the first day of the week. The Apostles are locked in a room because they are scared. Their leader, Jesus, had just been executed and they are scared that they might be next. Suddenly in their midst, Jesus appears. Whether Jesus came through the walls or whether the door was mysteriously unlocked is not known. But, Jesus appears, in the flesh, among them. He greets them and shows them his hands, and his side which had been pierced by a spear. He then commissions them, saying: As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. This phrase is sometimes called “The Great Commission.” He breathes on them telling them to receive the Holy Spirit. Remember, breath and spirit are the same word in Greek. He then says to them: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. You heard those same words here on November 29, 2009. They are the words that the Bishop uses to ordain a priest. The Bishop says: RECEIVE the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the Imposition of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained. And be thou a faithful Dispenser of the Word of God, and of his holy Sacraments.

Now we come to today’s lesson. Jesus is gone from this room, and Thomas, who has been somewhere else, arrives. The other apostles tell him that they have actually seen Jesus. But, Thomas does not believe them, saying, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John Wesley reminds us that "We must not judge Thomas too harshly as a doubter, because he demanded only the same physical evidence that the other disciples had seen." (Wesley, 1617) In the Orthodox tradition, the doubt of Thomas is described as “blessed,” for it was not a doubt of resistance to truth, but one that desperately desired a truthful answer - a doubt which gave birth to faith. (Orthodox, 1465)

St. John’s report, now, simply skips the next eight days.

The disciples are in this same room again, but Thomas is there this time. The doors are once again locked and again, Jesus shows up. He gives the same greeting as before, then says to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Jesus knew what Thomas had said.

Thomas replies “My Lord and my God!” This is a clear affirmation both of Jesus’ sovereignty and His diety.

St. Gregory commented on this verse that Thomas’ not being present for Jesus first appearance was not an accident. God arranged it that way so that through the doubting disciple touching the wounds of his Master’s body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed. (Navarre, 703)

Jesus then states, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”(John 20:29 ESV) St. Gregory ties this verse to St. Paul’s statement to the Hebrews, that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. (Heb 11:1) Faith has to do with things that are not seen, for those which are seen, are no longer the object of faith, but rather of experience. Jesus words Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed, are clearly directed to us . . . who confess what we have not seen in the flesh. It is our responsibility then to practice what we believe. (Navarre, 703)

The Life Application Study Bible provides some excellent commentary on this passage. It says, Have you ever wished that you could actually see Jesus, touch him and hear his words? Are there times that you want to sit down with him and get his advice? Thomas wanted Jesus’ physical presence. Bur God’s plan is wiser. He has not limited himself to one physical body; he wants to be present with you at all times. Even now he is with you in the form of the Holy Spirit. You can talk to him, you can find his words in the pages of the Bible. He can be as real to you as he was to Thomas. (LifeApp, 1788)

We are told by the ESV Commentators, concerning the last two verses of today’s lesson, that John’s entire purpose in writing this book is that all readers come to confess Jesus as their Lord and their God in the same way that Thomas did. (ESV, 2071) And the Life Application commentators remind us that John tells us that his Gospel records only a few of the many events in Jesus’ life on earth. But . . . the gospel includes everything we need to know to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, through whom we receive eternal life. (LifeApp, 1788)


 John 20:24-31

John 20:24   Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

John 20:26   Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Sermon for January 8, 2012 Epiphany, Transferred

When I arrived today, the second thing that I did was to move the wise men from the snowy mountains, on the white rug, to the stable in Bethlehem. I did this because today we celebrate the Epiphany, or as it is also called, “The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.” The word Epiphany comes from the Greek, meaning ‘reveal.’ It is the revealing of the Christ Child to someone other than the Jews, that we remember today.

The Holy Family: Joseph, Mary and Jesus were in Bethlehem, because they had been ordered, by the Roman authorities, to go there to be counted. It seems to us to make more sense to count people where they live, but we are told by the Navarre Scholars that, Since Rome normally respected local usages, censuses were carried out in line with Jewish custom, whereby every householder went to his place of origin to be listed in the census.(Navarre, 356)

The lesson begins: 1   Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. . . 

The first person introduced in today’s lesson, after Jesus, is Herod the king. There are four different Herods mentioned in the New Testament. This one is Herod the Great. He had a son, Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist and abused our Lord during His passion; A grandson, Herod Agrippa I, who executed the apostle St. James the Greater and imprisoned St. Peter; and Herod Agrippa II, before whom St. Paul answered Jewish accusations. It is said that the Herod of today’s lesson, even if he was Great, had a persecution complex and was notorious for his cruelty. That was discussed last week.

Next, we meet the wise men from the east. These were probably learned men from Persia, what we today call Iran. Such men devoted themselves to the study of the stars. Since they were not Jews, they can be considered the very first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. The adoration of the wise men forms part of the very earliest documented tradition. This scene was depicted at the beginning of the second century in the paintings in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome.

These wise men came to Jerusalem, and the King’s court, with a question:  Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  We are told that the Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew about this expected Messiah, a King of the Jews.

According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected to his birth. It is reasonable to assume that God made use of these ideas to draw Christ to these representatives of the Gentiles who would later be converted. (ibid, 58)

According to St. John Chrysostom, a 4th century Bishop of Constantinople and a Doctor of the Church, God called these wise men by means of the things that they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star, so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty. Later, the star would be hidden from these wise men, so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative, but to consult the Jews. In this way, the birth of Jesus would be made known to all.

God called these wise men in the midst of their ordinary occupations. Likewise, He called Moses when he was tending his sheep; Elisha the prophet, while he was plowing his land; and Amos when he was looking after his herd. God, in his person as Jesus, called Peter and Andrew, James and John, as they were working on their fishing nets. And, Matthew as he was working at his custom house. God even called Paul as he was trying to destroy the seeds of Christianity. God still calls people, if only they will listen.

When Herod heard what these wise men were looking for, this new born king of the Jews, he was troubled. Herod was troubled because of his political ambition and his lack of any religious sense. We are told that not only was Herod was troubled, but so was all Jerusalem with him. It is reasonable to assume that such a statement is an exaggeration. There is no way that “all” Jerusalem knew about this. But, those around Herod would know about this, and they certainly feared for their positions, which they had because of Herod’s patronage.

Herod needed to know where this child would be born, so he called all the chief priests and scribes of the people. In all likelihood, these were members of the Sanhedrin, the 71 members, presided over, by the high priest. These were the people who knew the Law: that is, the Bible and its commentaries.

These Jewish leaders apparently conferred, and come back with an answer to the question, “Where would this new King be born?” The answer was found in the writings of Micah, an 8th century B.C. prophet:  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.  Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiah’s exact place of birth, Bethlehem, and as referring to a particular person. This is clearly one more of the prophecies of the Old Testament that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Like those discussed in all of our Advent Sermons, concerning the prophet Isaiah.

Herod obtained this information not to just answer the question of the magi, but also, and primarily, to dispose of this competitor. Herod, being a very sneaky person, tells these travelers about Bethlehem and then says,  Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.  

Once the magi got this message, they went on their way. But. . .  lo, the star, which they had previously seen went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  St. Josemaria Escriva, tells us that there is a lesson here for us: It might happen at certain moments of our interior life - and we are almost always to blame - that our personal star disappears, just as it did to the wise kings on their journey. . .What should we do when this happens? Follow the example of those wise men and ask. . . we Christians have no need to go to Herod or the wise men of the world. Christ has given His Church, sureness of doctrine and a flow of grace in the sacraments. Christ has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way.

It was with great joy that the magi once again found the star as they were on their way to Bethlehem. Once they arrived, they fell down and worshipped the babe, and gave him presents of gold frankincense and myrrh, those items most valued in the East. That such men would pay homage to the Messiah and offer Him valuable gifts was foretold by Isaiah (Is 49:23 & 60: 1-6) It was St. Gregory of Nazianzus, on whose festal day I was made a Deacon, who wrote, Let us remain in adoration; and to him, who, in order to save us, humbled himself to such a degree of poverty, as to take our flesh, let us offer him not only incense, gold and myrrh ( the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes (Oratio, 19)

Today lesson concludes with the Kings, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, went home by another way. In the same way, we need to be receptive to what ever specific grace and gift that God has given us and be willing to persevere in this, even if it means having to change any personal plans that we have made.

  Matt. 2:1- 12

Matt. 2:1   Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Matt. 2:9   When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 

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Sermon for December 25, 2011 The Nativity of Our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ, Commonly Called Christmas Day

Instead of a Christmas sermon, I read a short story from a book called Christmas Stories by Max Lucado. The story was called “Gabriel’s Questions.”

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Stories-Heartwarming-Classics-Angels/dp/1401685439/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325023597&sr=1-7

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Sermon for December 18, 2011 4th Sunday in Advent

Today’s Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 40, verses 1-11, is the final topic in the series of Advent Sermons on the Prophet Isaiah. This lesson is heard annually in most communities of any size in the English speaking world, because it is the opening vocal piece in Handel’s Oratorio, called “The Messiah.” Its placement at the beginning, tells us a great deal about how this chapter is to be read. It is a proclamation of the coming of the “Messiah.”

What is a Messiah? The term is from the Hebrew word which is translated, “The annointed one.” In Greek, the word is Christos. “Messiah” and “Christ” are the same word. This messiah, to the Jews, was the promised deliverer of Israel who would establish God’s rule. To Christians, this Messiah or Christ, is the one in whom God’s promises are fulfilled and who brings salvation to, and who will ultimately rule, the world and its new divine order. _{(WestminsterDict)}

In the King James version of the Bible, the word Messiah is found only four times: twice in the writings of the Old Testament Prophet Daniel, and twice in the writings of the Apostle John. It is not found in Isaiah.The Greek word of the same meaning, Christ or Christos is found 555 times, and is only in the New Testament. Today’s lesson, in Handel’s Oratorio, is a Recitative for the Tenor Soloist. A Recitative is a vocal passage of narrative text that a singer delivers with the natural rhythms of speech. And that is how the tenor delivers the first passage. He sings: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. And again, with emphasis, Comfort ye. comfort ye my people, saith your God.

“Comfort,” here is not like “My easy chair is comfortable.” This has to do with giving hope or consolation in time of grief or pain. It is about encouraging and strengthening. _{(Wesley B)} And, who are “my people?” that are to be comforted? These are the people of God who are in a covenant relationship with Him. This phrase “my people” is so important to Isaiah, that he uses it 27 times in his book.

The tenor continues 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. Even when we move far from God, He knows who we are and he understands our sufferings and weaknesses. And, His forgiveness is generous.

The tenor continues, 3.The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Who is Isaiah talking about here? John, the Baptist: the one who called on the people of his time, to repent. And, he still issues this same call to us. These words of Isaiah are the very same words that Matthew uses to introduce John to his readers. Preparing a straight highway means removing obstacles and rolling out the red carpet for the coming of the Lord. The desert is a picture of life’s trials and sufferings. We are not immune to these, but our faith should not be hindered by them _{(LifeApSB, 1138)}

The music changes at this point, going from Larghetto /lärˈgetō/: In a fairly slow tempo, to Andante, which is technically at the same pace, about 80 beats per minute, but there are far more 16th notes, making it seem faster. He continues: 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: These are metaphors based on the rough terrain as one approaches Jerusalem from the East. These metaphors are about personal repentance and social reformation, remaking the world a fit place for the coming King.

Now, the whole chorus comes in at Allegro - a brisk tempo. 5. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. What is this that will be revealed? God’s glory, which is His essence as absolutely resplendent and ultimately great. This viewing is not just for a remnant, just for a few people, but it will be for the whole world. As Simeon will note, in St. Luke’s report, God’s kingdom is revealed in the acts of salvation and judgment in Jesus Christ. And, the ultimate glory of the redeeming God will be seen in Jesus Christ, and especially at his return. _{(NIVSB, 1089)}

Handel leaves Isaiah for a little while and looks at the prophecies of Haggai and Malachi. He also omits verses 6 to 8 in which people are compared to grass and flowers that wither away. We, like the flowers, are mortal, but God’s word is eternal and unfailing. Public opinion changes and is unreliable, but God’s word is constant. Only in God’s word will we find lasting solutions to our problems and needs.

Handel comes back in his 9th movement, with the chorus singing, 9. O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion: get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! The Good news of the Messiah is not to be murmured in the back streets. It is to be announced from the highest mountains. Those who make these announcements, both the Apostles and us, are not to be afraid. Isaiah says that the Messiah will come. And we know that He will come again.

Not only will the Messiah come, 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

God is often pictured as a shepherd, gently caring for and guiding his flock. He is powerful, yet careful and gentle. In Psalm 23 He is called a Shepherd. In John 10, the good shepherd. In Hebrews 13, the great Shepherd. And in 1 Peter 5, the Chief Shepherd._{(LAppSB, 1139)}

And. . . if we let him. . . God shall also be shepherd to us.

Isaiah 40: 1-11 1   Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

Is. 40:3   The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Is. 40:9   O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

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Sermon for December 11, 2011 3rd Sunday in Advent

Today’s Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 35, continues with the series of Advent Sermons on the Prophet Isaiah. He is the first of what are called the Latter Prophets and is sometimes called the Prince of Prophets. Isaiah was a contemporary of the Amos, Hosea, and Micah. He was called to the office of Prophet, in Judah, in the year that King Uzziah died, about 740 BC, and according to Jewish tradition, he was sawed in half during the reign of Manassah. While some scholars claim that he did not write all the material credited to him, Isaiah uses the expression “the Holy One of God” as a title for God a total of 26 times in the book attributed to him. Outside of Isaiah, the phrase appears in the Old Testament only 6 times. _{(NIVSB, Intro)}

The word “Isaiah” is found 21 times in the new Testament, more than any other Prophet. Isaiah writes that God will punish his rebellious people, but afterword will redeem them during the new Messianic age. This book contains both prose and poetry, and some call its poetry “unsurpassed in the Old Testament.” _(ibid)

Today’s lesson, which is in the form of a poem called “The Joy of the Redeemed,” is found near the end of the first part of his writing. Like much of Isaiah, today’s lesson can be read in two different ways: as an historical document in which Isaiah is offering comfort to his contemporaries who have recently been under the rule of the Assyrian Army. And/Or, as a prophecy to those Christians who need to be strengthened and confirmed in their faith.

Today’s Old Testament lesson is the stared lesson for today’s office of Morning Prayer. This means that it is, according to Dr. Shepherd, “Particularly appropriate for use when Morning Prayer, with one lesson, precedes the Holy Communion.” While we do not generally have Morning Prayer before the Mass, the starred lesson is assumed to coordinate best with the other lessons of the Mass.

The Life Application Study Bible Commentators tell us that in chapters 1-34, Isaiah delivered a message of judgment on all nations, including Israel, the Northern kingdom, and Judah, the southern kingdom. This judgment was based on their rejection of God. Although there may have been glimpses of relief and restoration for the remnant of faithful believers, a climate of wrath, fury and destruction, prevailed earlier in the book. In today’s lesson, Chapter 35, Isaiah breaks through with a vision of beauty and encouragement. It is a description of the Messiah’s kingdom in which all spiritual evil and physical catastrophe will be reversed and the land will be blessed.(KJSB) At this time, God is seen as just as thorough in His mercy, as He is severe in his judgment. His complete moral perfection is revealed by his hatred of all sin, and this leads to judgment. The same moral perfection is revealed in His love for all that He has created. This love leads to mercy for those who have sinned, but who have sincerely loved God and put their trust in him _{(LASB, 1131)}

This chapter, 35, is a beautiful picture of the final kingdom in which God will establish his justice and destroy all evil. Just listen to the words:

1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;

2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing.

This is a description of the world that the redeemed can anticipate after the judgment, when creation itself will rejoice in God. Chapter 34 speaks of the great distress when God judges the people for their actions. Chapter 35, however, pictures the days when life will be peaceful, at last, and everything will be made right. That is why Isaiah writes:

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the LORD,

Mount Carmel and the plain of Sharon were regions of thick vegetation and fertile soil, so they were a model of what the rest of the wilderness would become. The other way to see these verses, is metaphorically, as does John Wesley when he writes, “After a rain the desert will almost immediately blossom abundantly. So it is with the human spirit which is opened to the Holy Spirit.” _{(WesleyB, 1029)}

Verse four gives good advice for all time: Be strong, fear not, Behold, your God will come. . .

If verses 5 and 6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

And the tongue of the dumb sing.

If these verses sound familiar, it is because there are incidents like these reported by both of the Gospel writers, John and Matthew.

In verse 8, Isaiah talks about a highway that will be called “the Highway of Holiness.” This is a metaphor about the highway that righteous pilgrims will take from the desert of suffering to Zion or Jerusalem. Such a highway can only be found by following God, and Isaiah tells us that only the redeemed can travel God’s highway: there they will be protected from wicked travelers and harmful animals. God is preparing a way for his people-those who walk in his ways, on their travel to His home, and he will walk with them. And, He will walk with us. God never stops at simply pointing the way; He will walk beside us as we go. _{(LASB, 1130-2)}

As an aside, any of you who have been on Ohio Route 4, just south of Middletown, there is a Pentecostal church called “The Highway of Holiness Church.” It was not until I started this sermon, that I learned the source of that title. That is one of the joys of preparing a sermon each week. I am always learning something new.

Perhaps the best summary of this lesson comes from that great commentator, Matthew Henry. He wrote: The Messiah will come, in the fullness of time, to take vengeance on the powers of darkness, to spoil them, and make a show of them openly, to recompense those that mourn in Zion with abundant comforts. _{(MHenry, 4-153)}

Sermon for December 4, 2011 2nd Sunday in Advent

Today’s Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 55, in the New King James Translation, begins with a most unusual word: “Ho . . .” This is apparently not like Santa Claus’, “Ho, ho, ho!” This word is used as an interjection or an exclamation. It is found only 3 times in the King James Translation: In today’s lesson; in the book of Ruth, when Boaz says Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here and in the book of the prophet Zechariah,  Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD. Most translations simply leave the word out. The interpretation called The Message, has, “Hey there!” You get the idea.

Isaiah was good at getting attention. While today Isaiah is generally regarded as the greatest of the prophets, in his own day, he was ‘unpopular because his messages were so difficult to hear. He called people from their lives of sin and warned them of God’s judgment and punishment. . . The first half of his book contains scathing denunciations and pronouncements as he calls Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations to repent of their sins.” _{(LifApp, 1074)} Today’s message is in the second half of his writings and is primarily about “hope as Isaiah unfold’s God’s promise of future blessings through his Messiah.” _(ibid)

Isaiah begins by telling those who are thirsty to come and drink, and those who are hungry to come and eat . . . because the wine and milk that God has, do not cost money. That’s because he is not really talking about eatable foot and potable drink. They do cost money, but they only meet our physical needs and they only last a short time.

What Isaiah is talking about is the free nourishment that feeds our soul. Or, as John MacArthur tells us, the wine and milk are symbols for abundance, satisfaction and prosperity.

In verse 1 Isaiah reminds us that we come; in verse 2 that we listen; and in verse 6 we seek and call upon God. God’s salvation is freely offered, but to nourish our souls we must eagerly receive it. We will starve spiritually without this food, just as surely as we will starve physically without our daily bread. _(ibid)

In verse 3, Isaiah reminds the listeners, and us, that in God’s covenant with David, the people Israel were promised a permanent homeland with no threats from pagan nations, and no wars. The problem was that Israel did not fulfill its part of the covenant, by obeying God and staying away from idols. Even so, God was ready to renew His covenant again, because He is a forgiving God.

Isaiah continues, 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. God has no plans to move away from us. The problem is that we often move far from Him, or we erect a barrier between ourselves and Him. We must not wait until we have drifted so far away from God, that it becomes increasingly difficult to seek Him. The later in life that we turn to God, the more difficult it may be. Or, God may come to judge the earth before you decide to seek Him. Remember, Advent is not just about preparing for the coming of the baby Jesus, it is also about preparing for the judgement of the risen Christ.

We all have the opportunity to enter into God’s victory, but it is conditioned upon repentance. That is why each week we need the Mass. That is why we, together, state the General Confession:

ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life . . .

And what comes after that Confession? The Absolution:

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life.

Therein lies the greatness of the Mass. It brings us back into a right relationship with God.

In verses 8 and 9, the people Israel are reminded that it is foolish to act as if they know what God is thinking and planning. His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than man’s. As the Life Application Commentators tell us, “We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold - to make his plans and purposes, conform to ours. Instead we must strive to fit into his plans.” _{(LifApp, 1075)}

Verses 10 and 11 remind us that just as the rain and the snow cannot fail to nourish the earth, so God’s word of promise cannot fail to bring people into the richness and fullness of eternal life. Human good intentions fail, but God’s promises succeed. The word of God not only describes a glorious future, it is the appointed means to create that future. _{(ESVSB, 1342)}

The prophet concludes both this chapter and all of chapters 40-55 with a vision of the triumph of God’s grace, when the effects of sin and the fall are put right, and as St. Paul tells the Romans, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” _{(Rom. 8:21)}

As John Wesley tells us, Salvation is offered to all. It can never be earned, only received with gratitude. How easily we spend our lives trying to obtain what will not last even as long as earthly life and, in so doing, miss what will last for ever. _{(Wesley, 1061)}

Isaiah 55

1   Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Is. 55:6   Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

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Sermon for November 27, 2011 1st Sunday in Advent

The word Advent comes from the Latin, Adventus, "coming," that is the coming of Christ.  It is the ecclesiastical season immediately before Christmas.  In western Christianity, Advent Sunday, i.e. the first day of Advent, is the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's Day on November 30. Four Sundays in Advent always precede Christmas Day.  The season is marked by the liturgical use of purple (except on the Third Sunday, when rose colored vestments or candles may be used.  The season is observed as a time of preparation not only for Christmas, but also for the Second Coming of Christ, as Judge, on the Last Day, or the Day of Final Judgment. _{(OxDictXCh, 20)}

According to the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, “From the earliest times, Christians have believed that already before the Incarnation (the birth of Christ), God the Holy Spirit, as affirmed in the Nicene Creed, ”spoke by the prophets.” Such prophetic inspiration was found especially in the supernatural knowledge by which holy men were enabled to foresee and foretell, in part, the revelation which was to be given in Christ.”₍₁₃₄₅₎

One of these prophets was Isaiah. Two weeks ago, in the introduction to my sermon, I pointed out for you the frequency of the use of the Prophet Isaiah in the readings for Morning and Evening Prayer during the Advent Season. For today’s sermon, I would like to point out for you the Prophesies of the Messiah found in the Book of Isaiah, and how these are fulfilled in Jesus Christ as reported in the New Testament.

According to The King James Study Bible, there are eleven of these Isaiah Prophecies concerning the forthcoming Messiah. If I just spoke two minutes on each of these, I would be here for more than twenty minutes, and that far exceeds the time limit that I have always set for myself for sermons. So, I will look at the most recognizable of these. When you leave, you will receive a list of all of them.

First, from Isaiah 7: 14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The subject here of course is that the Messiah will be born of a virgin. It is St. Luke who addresses this in his first chapter: 26  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 1:34   And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Luke 1:35   And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The part of this prophecy that always bothered me are the final words and (you) shall call his name Immanuel. He was called Jesus, not Immanuel. The word Immanuel means, “God is with us.” So it is not really a name, but a way of understanding how this child of Mary would be understood: as “God with us.”

Isaiah also spoke of another prophet who would immediately precede the Messiah. In chapter 40, he writes, Is. 40:3   The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Saint Luke practically quotes Isaiah in explaining the fulfillment, saying: Luke 3:3 And (John, known as the Baptist) went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be rejected by his own people when he wrote: Is. 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Both John and Luke write of this prophecy. John wrote at the very beginning of his Gospel John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. And in his report on the Thursday of Holy Week, Luke tells us, Luke 23:18   But they all cried out together, “Away with this man (Jesus), and release to us Barabbas”

Isaiah prophesied, of the Messiah, that He would be spat upon and smitten. He wrote Is. 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Matthew reported that during Holy Week, Matt 67 . . they (the chief priests and elders) spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him.

Isaiah also wrote of how the Messiah would become the vicarious sacrifice for us: Is. 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. Paul, in his letter to the Romans states: Rom. 5:6   For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. And 5:8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And finally, Isaiah writes of Jesus’ burial with the rich: Is. 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Matthew reports to us, Matt. 27:57   When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.</p>

Isaiah, the Prophet, in the middle seven hundreds before the birth of Christ, foretold much of what would happen to the Messiah. Today we have heard some of those prophesies and how they were fulfilled.

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Sermon for November 20, 2011 Thanksgiving(Transferred)

Today we celebrate “Thanksgiving Day, Transferred.” According to Dr. Shepherd, author of The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary, Harvest festivals were well-nigh universally observed by ancient religions, both Jewish and pagan. Among the Jews, each of their three chief feasts were associated in some way with the harvest: Passover with the first-fruits, Pentecost with the harvest, and Tabernacles with the vintage harvest. The early Church, however, had no such observance, possibly because of reaction against pagan festivals of this sort. But, in medieval England, Lammas Day (August 1st) was known as ‘loaf-mass’ from the loaf made of the newly harvested wheat blessed on that day.

In America, the first Thanksgiving Day was observed in 1621 by the Pilgrims. Beginning with the Continental Congress, the annual proclamation of a national day of Thanksgiving, by the civil authorities, has become a fixed feature of our common life. The proposed book of 1786 contained ‘A Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the Fruits of the Earth, and all other Blessings of His merciful Providence.’ It was appointed for use on the first Thursday in November or such other day as might be set aside by civil authority.”_{(Oxford American, p. 264)}

The Gospel Lesson for Thanksgiving, Matthew 6: 25-34, is the same as that assigned for the 15th Sunday after Trinity. I spoke on this passage on September 20, 2009, but decided to speak on it again, as that was more than two years ago, and I do not have the slightest idea what I said then. Plus, the reference tools that I use today, to prepare a sermon, are very different from those which I used in 2009.

The first thing that I do when I begin a sermon, is to copy the chosen lesson from a computer program that I have, to the end of the word processing document that will contain my sermon. To my surprise, the words in the Prayer Book are different than those in the computer program. The Prayer Book says, Be not anxious for your life. The computer program, for the King James Version says, Take no thought for your life. . .

I just love it when those discrepancies pop us. I expect differences among various translations, but generally, The King James is the King James, no matter the source of the words. I turned to one of my fourteen Study Bibles called “The King James Study Bible” to see if it addressed this problem, and it did. The commentary on verse twenty-five reads, “Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry! ‘Take no thought’ means ‘Do not be anxious’ or “stop being perpetually uneasy.” _{(AmpB, 1400)} The Greek means to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing his will. So, both translations, ‘Take no thought’ and ‘Do not be anxious’ are equally valid.

Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith. Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear. The question, Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions. To set one’s heart on material possessions, or to worry about the lack of them, is to live in perpetual insecurity and to deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.”_{(KJSB, 1424})

Jesus illustrates his point by referring to objects in nature that were immediately at hand: the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. The key point of the passage is found in the phrases, Are ye not much better than (the birds) and shall he not much more clothe you( than the flowers)? Using these two statements that the birds are fed and the flowers are beautifully arrayed, is called argumentum a fortiori . It is a type of reasoning that says, “if A, then B.” It builds on a listener's confidence in one proposition, to argue for a second proposition, that is implicit in the first: If God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, will he not do even better for those made in his image._{(ESV, 1833)} The point is not that birds are idle - an adult bird does not stay in its nest with an open beak. The point is that birds do not worry about what the future holds. And flowers definitely do not worry about how they look. Anxious worry shows a lack of trust in God’s knowledge and care. _{(RefSB, 1370)}

Worry and anxiety are then related to the length of one’s life in the verse Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? A cubit is a measurement of about 18 inches. However this reference is probably not to one’s actual height, but to the length of one’s life. The term stature, in add one cubit unto his stature also means “age.” Thus the idea seems to be that one cannot add the slightest measure to the span of his life by worrying. And, if you spend your time worrying, you probably will not enjoy life anyway.

A state of anxiety is related to having little faith. Faith is total confidence in the provision of God. _{(KJSB, 1424)} To be anxious, then demonstrates a lack of trust in God, who promises that He will graciously care for us, and, who loved us so much that “he gave his only begotten Son” to die for our sins _{(ESV, 1833)}

Today’s portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by the statement seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue to seek the kingdom and its righteousness. In both English and Greek, the present imperative form of the verb seek, indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (the material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Each day has its own troubles and challenges which are to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow. _{(KJSB, 1424)} Food and drink and clothes and shelter are necessary, but they are not the goal of life.

The commentators of The Life Application Study Bible tell us: “Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry may 1. damage your health, 2. cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, 3. disrupt your productivity, 4. negatively affect the way you treat others, and 5. reduce your ability to trust in God.

Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern - worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action. _{(LASB, 1544)}

What have we learned? What is important, what is within our reach, is to live in God’s presence and to make good use of the present moment: ‘Do your duty ‘now’, without looking back on ‘yesterday,’ which has already passed, or worrying about ‘tomorrow’ which may never come for you.” (Navarre, 94) Plan for tomorrow, but do not worry about it. _{(HCSB, 1624)}

Matt. 6:25-34 25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

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Sermon for November 13, 2011 The Feast Day for St. Jude and St. Simon (Transferred)

Today's Collect, the prayer read just before the Old Testament Lesson, is the last of a series from the Gelasian Sacramentary. This was a liturgical book from the 8th century, written by the "nuns of Chelles" in the neighborhood of Paris. In our version, two words were changed from the original, which was in Latin: We ask of the Lord, "peace and pardon:' while in the original, "peace and indulgence" were asked for. Concerns about the medieval abuses associated with indulgences, brought about that change. Also, the phrase "that they may serve thee with a secure mind" has been changed to a quiet mind." "Quiet" is a good Anglican word.

Dr. Shepherd tells us that today's Gospel story of the Healing of the Nobleman’s son is the Johannine version (that is St. Johns version) of the account of the healing of the Centurion's servant in the Synoptic Gospels, that is Matthew, Mark and Luke. Shepherd also argues that the word "nobleman" should rightly be translated "an official:' Let us however, see what else other commentators tell us about todays Gospel Lesson.

The first half of verse 46, which is not included in this lesson tells us that Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee. Cana was where Jesus had performed his first miracle: the turning of water into wine at the wedding. Today's lesson begins by telling us that this incident took place in Capernaum. Capernaum was found on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. This city, a thriving fishing city, is usually recognized as the headquarters city for Jesus' ministry.

A man, variously called an Official, a Nobleman or a Gentile Centurion, shows up telling Jesus that his son is ill and he asks Jesus to come to his home to heal his son who is at the point of death. This is the third of a series of incidents in John's report: The first, in chapter 3 shows Jesus bringing the Gospel to a Respected Jewish teacher named Nicodemus. Second, at the beginning of chapter 4, Jesus took his message to an outcast Samaritan woman at the well. In this story, Jesus reaches out to an official working for the Roman government. Putting these three lessons together, is telling us, by analogy, that Jesus' message is for the whole world.

At this point, we hear Jesus' first words in this lesson: "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." This is a challenge not only to the Roman official, but also to the Galilean people present, because Jesus is using the plural: "Unless you (plural) see signs ... " This should not be seen as a negative comment on miracles. Jesus often did miracles of healing, and that is what frequently brought people to Him. The Navarre commentators have noted that "The Galileans in general were more inclined to watch Jesus perform miracles than to listen to his preaching:' _{(Navarre, 578)}

The official did not allow this comment about signs to stop him. He immediately retorted, "Sir, come down before my child dies." This official calls Jesus, 'Sir,' even though the official had legal authority over Jesus. _{(Life App, 1747)} And Jesus immediately responded, "Go; your son will live."

We are then told: "The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way." The official not only believed Jesus, he also obeyed Him, by starting home. It isn't enough for us to say that we believe that Jesus can take care of our problems. We need to act as if He can. When you pray about a need or a problem, live as though you believe that Jesus can do what He says. _{(LifApp,1747)}

That is all that it took for the official: Jesus' word, and the man believed. On his way back home, some 20 miles away, the official's servants met him with the good news that his son was recovering. But, the man needed to know, when his son got better. And it was the exact time that Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." To this, the man responded by believing in Jesus. Not just the man, but his whole household believed.

This was not just a healing, in which Jesus touched someone and the person was healed. This was a "long distance healing" showing us that Jesus' divine power knows no earthly limits._{(Orthodox,1431)} We can never put so much space between ourselves and Christ that He can no longer help us. _{(LifApp,1747)}

Johns final comment in this lesson, tells how he understood this incident: "This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee."

Jesus asks people to have a strong committed faith which, though it may draw support from miracles, does not require them. _{(Navarre, 578)} We live in an age of miracles: batteries are put in hearts to make them beat correctly. We climb into an aluminum tube with wings and nine hours later we are half-way around the world. We flip open our cell phones and talk to people we may not have seen for years.

And, every Sunday, we witness the miracle of the Eucharist.

If we remember nothing else from this lesson, we should remember that this is a story about how the faith of the official grew: First he believed enough to ask Jesus to help his son. Second, he believed Jesus' assurance that his son would live and he acted upon it. And third, he and his whole house believed in Jesus. Faith is a gift that grows as we use it. _{(LifApp, 1748)}

John4: 46b-54

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum ..

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out ofJudaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death ..

48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy so~ liveth. And the Inan believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

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Sermon for November 6, 2011 The Feast Day for St. Jude and St. Simon (Transferred)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude. According to Dr. Shepherd, The various lists of the Twelve Apostles, in the Gospels, do not exactly agree and attempts to harmonize them are not very convincing. In Luke’s account, Simon and Jude form a pair: Simon is called the Zealot and Jude, in some translations “Judas, not Iscariot,” is the son of James, or perhaps his brother.

In Matthew and Mark’s lists, Simon is called a Cananaean, perhaps meaning someone from Cana, and Jude is replaced by Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. Further confusion has come about by a tradition of Jude being a brother of James, and a relative of Jesus.

We really know nothing for certain about these two men. Even the attempt to make Simon a “Zealot,” or a member of the party of revolutionaries, appears to be mistaken, because most historians contend that this band of Jewish nationalists did not appear until shortly before the Jewish rebellion against Rome in 66 AD.

The tradition of the Eastern Church is that both of these Apostles labored in Persia and were martyred there. This is reported in an apocryphal book called “The Passion of Simon and James.”

The Epistle lesson for their Feast day is from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Some have claimed that Paul did not write this letter, but his secretary did. Most scholars today reject this contention. The letter was written to the “saints in Ephesus.” These would be the Christians who lived in and around the city of Ephesus, in western Turkey, near the Aegean Sea. Paul had been there, but he had not met all of the people in the outlying churches, so some of the writing is to strangers. The selected verses are from a section titled, One in God.

Many in this Ephesian church had been Gentiles, before their conversion, and there were issues between the Gentiles and the Jews. Paul’s main point is that all, regardless of their previous condition, are to be considered one in Christ. No baptized person, be he Jew or Greek, slave or free, can be regarded as an outsider or stranger in this “new people of God.” Jesus preached both to Jews and Gentiles, and the Ephesian’s previous status should no longer matter. The Gentiles are no longer wanderers, but they are now in the kingdom of faith, which is their new home country. Or, to use the other analogy, through Jesus, a new home is being built. The apostles and the prophets laid the foundation, and the new members are constructing the new building, brick by brick and stone by stone, with Jesus as the cornerstone.

That is the key point: Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. It is the cornerstone that determines which way the building will face and what its angles will be and it is from the cornerstone that all sides are constructed. The church, which grows day after day, is to be a holy temple built by God, and all are to be built into it, a place where both the people and God will feel at home.

A church building is sometimes called God’s house. In reality, however, God’s household is not a building, but a group of people. He lives in us and shows himself to a watching world through us. People should be able to see that God is love, and that Christ is Lord, as we live in harmony with each other and in accordance with what God says in His Word. We are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of His household.

The foundation of God’s house today is not built on modern ideas, but rather on the spiritual heritage given to us by the early apostles and the prophets. And, by study and faithfulness to his traditions, and His Word, we continue to strengthen his presence here. _{(Life Application S.B.)}

Our Anglican tradition of understanding God’s house on earth, can be highlighted by the numbers one through five. One Scripture, two testaments, three creeds, four councils, and five centuries.

There is only one Bible; it comes in many different translations, but in its original signature or language, it is one.

It is composed of two Testaments: the Old and the New. The Old tells the story of God’s first Chosen people and predicts the Messiah. The new tells this Messiah’s story, the history of the new church, and gives us guidance in behavior and relationships.

There are three creeds: The Nicene - which we proclaim in the Mass, the Apostles which is used in the Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, and the Athanasian - which is not found in the 1928 prayer book, but is found in the Historical Documents in the ’79 Prayerbook and also in the Anglican Service Book, which is used in some APA churches, like the one in Merrillville. This Athanasian Creed certainly lays out in very specific terms, the beliefs of Catholic Christians. Of course, we are Catholic Christians. There are three great Catholic Christian bodies: the Roman, the largest; the Orthodox, in their many varieties; and the Anglican, in their many flavors. There are also many other smaller Catholic Christian bodies, like the Philippine Independent Catholic Church and the Polish National Catholic Church

The first four Councils: Nicaea in 325, Constantinople in 381, Ephesus in 431, and Chalcedon in 451. These Councils clarified (and, for some, defined) what the Christian scriptures taught and what the early church believed about God, Jesus and Mary. Some of the great leaders of early Christianity affirmed the importance of these councils. St. Augustine compared the authority of the ecumenical councils with that of the apostles, and St. Gregory the Great said: "I confess that I accept and reverence the four Councils as I do the four Gospels…for they are founded on universal consent." _{(http://www.jesusdecoded.com/catholicchurch4.php)}

And the five centuries. As an Anglican church in San Antonio, puts it: Traditional Anglicans believe much the same as the Christian Church did in the first five centuries. In a time when many churches are modernizing their liturgies and theologies, traditional Anglicans have faith that God's truth is unchanging.

This day set aside to remember two of the lesser known Apostles, Simon and Jude, and is a day for us to remember that the church is for all, and that we as Anglicans, must do our best to remember and proclaim the Church as we received it from our fore-fathers.

Ephesians 2: 19-22

Eph. 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

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Sermon for October 30, 2011 All Saints/ All Souls (Transferred)

Today we celebrate All Saints and All Souls Days, transferred. The Feast of All Saints is for all the Christian Saints, known and unknown. It is normally the evening prior to All Hallows Eve - or Halloween. All Souls Day, or The Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed, comes the day after all Saints Day, and it commemorates the souls of all Christians who have died. The monastic Collect for All Saints Day says, “. . .grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous living; that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee.” The Collect for All Souls says, “ . . .grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaidens the remission of all their sins; that as they have ever desired thy merciful pardon, so by the supplications of their brethern they may receive the same. . .” Sometimes the prayers tell you more than the definitions.

The Gospel Lesson for today comes from the writings of St. Matthew, and is usually called either The Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes. The sermon was probably given on a hill with a view of The Sea of Galilee, above a town called Tabgha (pronounced tahb'- gah), near Capernaum. Jesus sat while giving this sermon, because teachers in Judaism typically sat while teaching, as usually does our Bishop. Two groups were there for the sermon, the disciples who had made a commitment to Jesus, as the Messiah, and the crowds who were curious and often astounded by his teaching and ministry, but for the most part remained neutral and uncommitted _{(ESV, 1827)} That which Jesus spoke has been described as a challenging but practical ethic that Jesus expects his followers to live by in this present age. These Beatitudes do not tell how one is saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved. _{(KJSB, 1415)}

Beginning at verse 3, all of the remaining verses start with the word Blessed. The word in Greek is pronounced mak-ar’-ee-os and is translated as Blessed or Happy. Of the nine English versions of the Bible on my computer, eight of them have these verses beginning, “Blessed are.” One of them, the Message, begins with “You’re blessed when you.” The editors of the ESV Study Bible, define the term “Blessed” in this way More than a temporary or circumstantial feeling of happiness, this is a state of well-being, in relationship to God, that belongs to those who respond to Jesus’ ministry. ₍₁₈₂₇₎

When Virginia and I got back from our trip, I took one whole day off to do laundry, and on Friday, I sat down to review this sermon which I had written before leaving. I had decided on the trip that much that I had researched and written on the Beatitudes, today’s lesson, was theological “gobble de gook.” There is a lot of that, in Bible commentary. So it seemed more reasonable to handle the sermon, in this way, as it is written in the Bible Interpretation, called the Message:

Matt. 5:1    When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down 2 and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

Matt. 5:3   “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

Matt. 5:4   “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

Matt. 5:5   “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

Matt. 5:6   “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He is food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

Matt. 5:7   “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

Matt. 5:8   “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

Matt. 5:9   “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

Matt. 5:10   “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

Matt. 5:11   “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you, to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. 12 You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And, know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. _{(The Message)}

Matt. 5:1-12

 1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Matt. 5:3   Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

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Sermon for October 9, 2011 The Feast of St. Luke

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Luke The Evangelist, transferred from October 18. During this long green season, usually called The Sundays after Trinity, I occasionally transfer the special feasts that are found during the week to Sunday. This provides us with more lessons from which we can learn, and changes the colors for the day, providing us with visual variety.

As I said three weeks ago the term Evangelist, with a capital E, refers to the writers of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, John and Luke, whose day we celebrate.

The Books of Luke and Acts are generally considered to be parts 1 and 2 of the writings of Luke. He was not an Apostle, that is not one of the 12, but was a follower and companion of Paul and a recorder of what Paul said and did. There are even parts of Acts that are in the first person plural, that is the subject is “we,” so it is generally accepted that Luke was a present for those events. Luke was a Gentile, probably from Antioch and he was, by profession, a physician. Luke’s writings were probably made before the year 65, because he writes about Paul preaching in Rome, but not about the terrible persecution of the Christians, by the Emperor Nero, which began in that year.

Today’s lesson is the second of two “sending lessons.” The first one is found in Chapter 9, and involves Jesus sending the 12 Apostles, in what some call a short term apprentice mission. Today’s lesson is called “Jesus sends out the Seventy-Two.” There is some dispute about the number that was sent. Some very old and reliable documents say “72,” while others say “70.” In the book of Genesis in Greek, Chapter 10, the nations of the world are listed and there are 72 of them. In the Book of Genesis in Hebrew, there are 70. The number of missionaries sent matches the number of nations. There is another reference to the Old Testament in the first verse of today’s lesson. The missionaries are sent out “two by two” to provide mutual support and Deuteronomy tells us that two witnesses are necessary for testimony to be considered valid _{(Deut 17:6)} in this case, testimony is about the Messiah. As an aside, when I first read this lesson I thought, well, Noah also sent the animals into the ark, two by two, but when no one in the twelve Study Bibles that I examined, noted this, I thought, this must have been a dumb idea. But low and behold, when I turned to The Ancient Christian Commentaries, Ambrose said the same thing about the pairs and Noah. Ambrose was not only the Bishop of Milan, but he was also the teacher of Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest of the early Church Fathers. So maybe, my thought about the pairs and Noah, was not so dumb after all. _{(TACC, Luke 170)}

The first verse also tells us that these pairs are being sent as “advance men” because they are being sent to towns where Jesus was about to go. This was not just a job that they volunteered to do, it was a job that Jesus sent them to do. They were sent on a God-given mission, one that, in the future, Peter the Apostle, while standing before the Sanhedrin, described as a mission in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, _{(Navarre, 419)} for there is no other name under heaven. . .by which we must be saved. _{(Acts 4:12)}

In the Eastern or Orthodox Church, the number 70 is used. These 70 are considered so important that each one of them is commemorated by a special day in their calendar. In just the month of October, Amplias, Apelles, Aristob-ulus, Artemas, Cleopas, Crispus, Justus, Luke, Mark, Narcissus, Philip the Deacon, Stachus, and Urbanus, each of whom are among the 70, have their own days of Commemoration. On January 4, all 70 are remembered. We are told in the Orthodox Study Bible that the 70 were instrumental in helping to plant the Church throughout the world. Many became bishops, but the names of all are numbered in heaven in the Book of Life as faithful servants of the Lord, apostles and foundations of the Church. _{(Orthodox SB, 1387)}

The next verse in the Gospel lesson, is one that you hear, about every sixteenth Sunday: Jesus said unto them, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest. This is one of the sixteen “Offertory Sentences” that I read at the end of each sermon. I move through these sentences, one per week, so that we hear each of them about once every four months. They are found on pages 72 and 73 of our Prayerbook. Dr. Shepherd tells us that (William) Cranmer, the prime editor of the early Anglican Prayerbooks, eliminated the (traditional and) ancient (sung) offertories from the 1549 Prayerbook, and in their place substituted a set of Scriptural verses designed to stimulate generosity to the poor and needy. Remember, in that time, the Anglican Church was supported by taxation, and much of the offering went to support the poor and needy in the Parish. That is of course, no longer true. However, the sentences remain worth hearing on a regular basis. Also, these same words about sending forth laborers, but from the Gospel of Matthew, are found in the service for the ordination of a priest.

Note the verb in the next statement. It is in the imperative: in the form of a command. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.There was and continues to be a need for people, both lay and ordained, to tell the Good News of Jesus the Christ: how He was immaculately conceived, born, lived, taught, healed and died, that our sins might be forgiven.

Jesus warns these seventy-two that He is sending them out as lambs in the midst of wolves. It could be understood that Jesus uses this metaphor because He does not want these disciples to attempt to gain converts by force; rather the spread of the Gospel should come through preaching and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and inviting the hearers to respond willingly. This should be contrasted to the forced conversions by other religious groups, and by some Christians, even today. I remember my mother filing a complaint against a home health care nurse whose attempts to force my mother to go the nurse’s home church, were excessive and inappropriate in their setting. This woman felt required, to bring to her church, at least one visitor per month. That may result in church growth, but it is not, I believe, Jesus’ way.

Jesus tells these missionaries to travel light: no moneybag, no knapsack and no extra sandals. Later, when Peter, was asked for alms, by the beggar at the Beautiful Gate, he replied “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”And the man not only walked, but he leaped while praising God. _{(Acts 3:6)}

The order to greet no one on the road was probably to keep these messengers from wasting time in long greetings with friends they might meet along the way. St. Ambrose tells us, To greet a person is a good thing, but it is better to carry out a divine instruction which could be easily frustrated by a delay. _{(Navarre, 420)}

They were also told to enter a home by saying, Peace be to this house. The expression Peace (Shalom), in Hebrew, has a much richer connotation than the English word does, since it conveys not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil, but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God. _{(ESV, John 14:27)} If such “Peace” is not returned, then the greeting will itself be nullified.

This part of the lesson ends with directions to the missionary to eat and drink what the host provides. This continues to warn the disciples not to fall victim to the materialism of the world and its pursuit of pleasure and status. To the host is a reminder that the laborer deserves his wages. It is worth noting that Paul quotes this phrase, the laborer deserves his wages, in both his first letter to the Corinthians and his first letter to Timothy.

The directions to the missionaries, demand of them, as the Navarre Scholars tell us, total detachment and complete abandonment to divine providence, _{(Navarre, 418)} an amazingly high standard of performance. And, this demand was given to people who were really lay, not the designated Apostles.

As the editors of the Life Application Study Bible state, today’s lesson reminds us that there is no unemployment and no retirement from Christian service. God has enough work for everyone. We are not just to do the work, but also to pray for workers. Whatever your role in God’s work, pray for more helpers. Believers are not always to work alone. God wants them to pray, recruit and equip others to join them as they explore opportunities to serve Jesus, _{(LASB, 1693)}

Luke 10:1-7

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

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Sermon for October 2, 2011 The Feast of St. Michael and all Angels

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, transferred from September the 29th. We celebrate this day to remind us that we are not alone. We are part of a great divine family, created by God. We share eternal life with brethren spirits, who, like ourselves, have free-will, intelligence, reason, and a mind, but who do not have a body. These are the Holy Angels.

The Nicene Creed tells us that God, the Father Almighty is not only the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is also the maker of all things visible and invisible. Men, women, children and angels, together are God’s created family. With the church, which we define as the mystical Body of Jesus Christ, we are One Family in Heaven and on Earth.

Angels do exist. I am not sure that they look like the 100 statuettes that are on our piano each Advent, but they exist and we know this is so because God has told us that in His Bible. If you do a word search of the Bible, for the word “angel,” you will get 201 hits in 192 verses: 104 in the Old Testament and 97 in the New. And, the vast majority of the time, a positive experience is reported in these incidents.

Let us talk first about what angels are Not: They are not, as Bishop Jones tells us, “anthropomorphized beings subject to whims of feeling.” They are not cute, chubby squeezable babies. If angels appeared before us here in the Nave, they would strike terror into our hearts by their overwhelming power and glory. We cannot bear their luster, the way that they shine.

Angels are not to be worshipped, as they are not half-god, half mortal mediators between us and God. They are a part of the family of God, just as we are. John, in the Book of Revelation, tells us: I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God”

It is our responsibility to worship God the Creator, not his angels, who are His created beings. The Bible Interpretation called “The Message, ” translates the 18th verse of the 2nd Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians in this way: _{Col. 2:18}   Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are. I’m not saying that we should not put out our collections of Angels at Christmas and enjoy the creative beauty of human artists. What it is that we must not do, is worship them. Worship is for God.

If they are not to be worshiped, why are there angels? They appear to have two purposes: First, for the worship of God. Isaiah tells us:  In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim.(these are angels) Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

Virtually the same thing is said by John in His Revelation: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come!” (Rev 4:8)

Angels exist primarily to magnify their God and ours. But, they also serve as intercessors, protectors and messengers of God’s will. The word angel apparently comes from the same root as does the word “Gospel” and this root means messenger. Angels were created to serve humanity as messengers of God’s Gospel - His good news.

Usually, during the Christmas season, we sing hymn 599, “Ye watchers and ye holy ones.” It continues “Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones, Raise the glad strain, Alleluia. Cry out dominions, princedoms, powers, Virtues, archangels, angels, choirs. Alleluia.” These are the nine groupings of angels: again, ‘seraphs, cherubim, thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers, virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs’

The leader of the angels is said to be Saint Michael, whose name means: “Who is like God?” He is said to be the chief and captain of the heavenly army of hosts, the great Prince of the angels who mightily defends and protects us. He is first introduced in the Old Testament book of Daniel, where we are told that he has a special responsibility to care for the nation of Israel. _{(ESV, 1609)} As Bishop Jones notes, "In the New Testament, Saint Michael, our heavenly champion, vanquishes the power of Satan. We read: ‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (that is Satan)’ _{(Revelation 12.7).} He is the special protector and defender of Christians, the holy standard-bearer who leads souls to love and serve God. Saint Michael battles for us against the world, the flesh and the devil; he is the personification of the mystery of the angelic world."

Angels who look upon the face of God, also behold us on earth. With the same eyes that behold the Trinity, they see us. They also love us with a love not tainted by sin. It is comforting to know that we possess such friends who look upon us with love, as they look upon God with love.

As Bishop Jones concludes his blog, "The Holy Angels of God love us, protect us, watch over us, guide us, and pray for us. We should honour them, invoke their presence, aid and defence, and ask for the effect of their prayers, knowing that their love for men surpasses imagination."

That, is the message of comfort for The Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels.

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Sermon for September 25, 2011 The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Today’s sermon will be on the Old Testament Lesson from the Book of Micah.

Micah is considered to be one of the Prophets in the Old Testament, although he does not specifically refer to himself in that way, but says merely that the source of his power is “the Spirit of the Lord.” _{(ESV, 1695)} Never the less, he is considered to be a prophet. The prophets were people chosen by God to bring the word of the Lord to Israel at urgent times in the life of that nation. They came from many different walks of life, and lived in different historical conditions._{(TBoTB, 479)} But, they were all considered to speak with the word of God. Micah spoke to the southern kingdom of Judah. The Promised land was then divided into two parts: Israel in the north and Judah in the South. Micah “spoke” from about 740 BC until about 700. He foresaw that Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah, would be destroyed because of their injustice and corrupt religion. The complaints that Micah delivered in God’s name were essentially the same ones that Amos and Hosea had made a generation earlier. The people had abandoned the covenant God had made with them, and they had taken up the pagan religious practices of the Canaanites. (Micah speaks of witchcraft, spells, idols, sacred stones and Asherah poles.) Because the covenant had been abandoned, the rich and powerful were ruthlessly exploiting the poor and ignoring the law of Moses. Micah warned that in punishment for their unfaithfulness and injustice, both kingdoms would be invaded, conquered, and exiled. Just as he predicted, Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC and Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587. _{(TBoTB, 527)}

Today’s lesson is in two parts: Verses 1-5 are called an “Indictment of the Lord,” and verses 6-8 are a statement of “What the Lord Requires.” An indictment is a legal term. It is a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime. The charges, themselves, are not in today’s reading. They are found earlier in the book. The charges are idolatry: that is allowing carved images which are forbidden in the Law of Moses; the seizure of property: especially that of the poor; the failure of civil leadership: in showing injustice; the failure of religious leaders: in teaching for a price and practicing divination for money; believing that personal sacrifice satisfies divine justice: that is, burnt offerings for sins; and, corrupt business practices: using deceitful weights and wicked scales.

Creation is called upon to be the jury in verses 1 and 2. The mountains could confirm the people’s guilt, because it was there that the pagan altars had been built and sacrifices were made to pagan gods. Verses 3 and 4 are the opening statement of the prosecutor, reminding these Chosen people of what God has done for them: He has released them from the slavery of Egypt and has provided them with leaders such as Moses, Aaron and Miriam. God then, through Micah asks the question, My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? The people cannot answer that question because God had done nothing wrong. In fact, God had been exceedingly patient with them, had lovingly guided them, and had given them every opportunity to return to Him.

Micah then reminds the people of the story of Balak (short a)and Balaam (long a).

I did not remember what this story was about until I saw the title of the story in the commentary: Balaam’s ass: This is one of those strange Old Testament Stories: It occurred near the end of the 40 years of wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt, and shortly before the death of Moses and the crossing of the River Jordan.

The Israelites had already defeated two kings on their side of the Jordan. Balak, a king on the other side of the Jordan, becomes alarmed, because there are a lot of these Israelites, and they are effective soldiers. So, he sends his elders and messengers to Balaam , who is renowned as a powerful seer, asking Balaam to come and CURSE the Israelites.

Balaam sends back word that he can only do what YHWH, that is God, commands, and God has, through a dream, told him not to go. Balak then sends higher ranking priests and offers Balaam honours; Balaam, being greedy, continues to press God, and finally, God gives Balaam over to his greed and permits him to go . . . but with instructions to say only what God commands. Balaam, without being asked again, sets out in the morning with the princes of Moab.

God becomes angry as Balaam travels, and the Angel of the Lord is sent to stop him. At first, the angel is seen only by the donkey which Balaam is riding. The donkey tries to avoid this invisible angel by stopping or turning aside from the path. After Balaam three times whips the donkey for refusing to move, the donkey is miraculously given the power to speak to Balaam. Yes, the donkey was talking. It complains about Balaam's treatment. At this point, Balaam is allowed to see the angel, who informs him that the donkey is the only reason the angel did not kill Balaam. He immediately repents, but is told to go on. The story continues with Balak repeatedly trying to convince Balaam to curse Israel, but because Balaam, as a prophet, can only speak God’s words, he continues to bless Israel. _(Wiki)

The purpose of Micah’s reminding them of this story, is to tell the Israelites that the Lord longs to bless, rather than curse, them. The statement of what happened from Shittam to Gilgal reminds the Israelites that they broke their covenant with God at Shittam, but they renewed it at Gilgal. When people refuse to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God’s gifts for granted, they become self centered. They and we need to remember God’s goodness and thank him. Remembering God’s past protection will help us to see his present provision. _{(LifeApp, 1462)} That is perhaps why some form of the word “thank” is found 14 times in our Eucharist service.

The second half of the lesson states what the Lord requires of his people: God does not want burnt offerings, or rivers of oil, or a pledge of one’s first born. Rather, God wants his people to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.(6: 8) Micah is reminding the people that they wrongly see sacrifice as an entry fee, rather than as an avenue for God to administer grace and forgiveness to the penitent. God wants from his people justice, mercy and faithfulness as a response to His redemptive acts. It was actually this verse about doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God, upon which Jimmy Carter, in 1977, and Warren Harding, in 1921, placed their hands as they took the presidential oath.

The statements in the last two verses reflect key terms in the faith of the Old Testament people: Righteousness and Justice. John Wesley tells us that righteousness is a fundamental rightness of action in any situation. It flows from the conviction that because God is One and good, there is always a right thing to do, and He will always do it. His followers must do that as well. Justice means that God will bring order into the world based on dignity, equity and compassion. It is the human sinful worship of power, place and possessions, that prevents this order. _{(Wesley, 1353)}

So what then is the point of this lesson? In spite of God’s faithfulness to the people Israel and the simplicity of his requirements, the people insisted on wickedly oppressing the helpless. (Wesley, 1353) The result of this unacceptable behavior is not stated in this lesson, but is found later in the chapter:

Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.

You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty

You will store up but save nothing, because what you save, I will give to the sword.

You will plant, but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on yourselves you will crush grapes, but not drink the wine. . .

Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations

I have to wonder, is Micah just talking to the people of Judah in 725 BC, or is he also talking to America today?

Micah 6: 1-8

Mic. 6:1   Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

2 Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

Mic. 6:6   Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

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Sermon for September 19, 2011 The Feast Day for St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Today’s sermon will be in two parts: first I will introduce Matthew, whose feast day we celebrate, and second, I will discuss the Gospel Lesson.

Let’s begin with the title of today: St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. The word “apostle” comes from the Greek apostolos which means “one who is sent.” When used with a capital A, it usually refers to the earliest, closest followers of Jesus, the twelve. The Gospel according to Matthew says in Chapter 10, verses 2-3, Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Matthew is also called an Evangelist. This is also from the Greek evangelion, (a-van-gel-ion) which means good news. An evangelist is one who shares the good news of Jesus Christ: immaculately conceived, born, lived, taught, died and rose again, to save us from our sins. It is customary that the term Evangelist, with a capital E, refers to the four, whose names are connected with the four Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Only two of the four Capital E Evangelists are also Capital A Apostles: Matthew and John. Mark was a follower and recorder of the words of Peter. Luke was a follower and recorder of the words of Paul. Matthew and John were first generation Christians who knew and followed Jesus.

Matthew is named only five times in the New Testament: At his calling, in todays Gospel lesson.     In the listings of the Apostles in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. And, in the listing of those in the Upper Room in the Book of Acts. He is sometimes called Levi, son of Alphaeus, also a tax collector, who is mentioned in both Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27. Like many people then, this Gospel writer probably had two names: Matthew Levi. He may have collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas. That is why he was called a Publican. Matthew was presumably born in Galilee. He and others who collected taxes for the Romans were despised and considered outcasts because they had a reputation for extortion and fraud._{(Shepherd - 251)} As a tax collector, he would have been literate in both Aramiac, the everyday language, and in Greek, the language of the government and the political classes.

Dr. Shepherd tells us that The “Gospel according to St. Matthew” very early became the most popular of all the written Gospels for the Church’s liturgy and instruction, and this explains its initial position in the New Testament, even though the Gospel of Mark is older and is one of the sources of Matthew.₍₂₅₁₎

It is generally reported that for about 15 years, Matthew preached the Good News in Galilee, and later, he evangelized in the Caucasus, Macedonia and Persia. _(Wiki) Tradition also holds that he died as a martyr, and that is why our liturgical colors today are Red. Saint Matthew is regarded as the Patron Saint of accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, stock brokers and tax collectors.

The book which we call “The Gospel According to Matthew” is generally accepted as one written primarily for the Jewish people. It begins with Jesus’ genealogy and emphasizes that Jesus was the son of David, as well as the son of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Matthew focuses on Jesus as the expected, and awaited for, Messiah of the Jewish people.

Today’s Gospel lesson begins with the calling of Matthew. It reads: As Jesus passed on from there (that is the town of Capernaum which was the home base of His ministry), he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (v. 9) Clearly, there was no hesitation of the part of Matthew to abide by Jesus’ command, even though he knew that when he left his tax-collecting booth, he guaranteed himself unemployment. For several of the other disciples, there was always fishing to return to, but for Matthew, there was no turning back._{(Life App-1549)}

Matthew had likely witnessed Jesus’ public teaching and healings and was now ready to join him. _(ESV) The Navarre scholars tell us that From the very outset of his messianic preaching, Jesus rarely stayed in the same place. He was always on the move. He had (as it says in Matthew 8:20), no place to lay his head. Anyone who desired to be with him had to “follow him.” The phrase “following Jesus” has a very precise meaning: it means “being his disciple.” Sometime the crowds “followed him”; but Jesus’ true disciples are those who “follow him” in a permanent way, that is who keep on following him._{(Navarre-102ff)}

God calls all Christians in their baptism, but sometimes the Lord can also extend, to whomever he chooses, a further calling to engage in some specific mission in the Church. This second calling is defined as a special grace additional to the earlier calling through Baptism. In other words, it is not man who takes the initiative; it is Jesus who calls, and man who responds to this call by his free personal decision. Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I choose you.” _{(John 15:16)}. As in the case of the other apostles, St. Matthew was called in the midst of the ordinary circumstances of his life. Jesus sought out Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Matthew sitting in the custom house, and-wonder of wonders! - Paul, in his eagerness to destroy the seeds of Christianity. _{(Navarre-107)} Jesus calls each of us at a time when we are ready to respond to him, because He is acquainted with our innermost hearts and knows the secrets of our minds: when each of us is fully ready to respond. _{(Ancient Com -Mt, 176)}

The scene in today’s lesson shifts to Matthew’s home. Jesus and others are reclining at table and eating. At homes that could afford it, those who were dining did not sit up in a chair as we do, but they “reclined” on “couch like” pieces of furniture with their heads at the table and their feet away from the table. It must have been a large table in a very large room, because we are told that many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. It is not unreasonable to assume that this was a first floor room, because some Pharisees saw what He was doing and started complaining. Any time that Jesus showed up in a city, someone would start complaining about His behavior. In this case the complaint was that Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners, two groups of people with whom Pharisees would never, ever dine. These Pharisees apparently had not heard or had ignored Jesus’ earlier words: Judge not, that you be not judged _{(Mt 7:1)} and Let him who is without sin among you, be the first to throw a stone at her._{(Jn 8:7)} Good advice not only to the Pharisees, but to all of us.

Jesus apparently heard the remark of the Pharisees and had a quick answer to their complaint, saying, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. That is a metaphor that is clear and easy to understand. Recognizing that we are all sinners, that is, we are all spiritually sick, is the only correct attitude to have in the presence of God. Jesus came to seek all, but, if a person considers himself to be righteous, by doing so, he is closing the door to God. _{(Navarre - 107)}

Jesus continues by saying 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, more than sacrifice.’ _{(Navarre-107)} This is a quote or paraphrase from the Old Testament prophet Hosea. When Hosea wrote these words, he meant that sacrifice would not assure atonement for anyone who sought God’s mercy, but did not extend it to others._(HCSB-1628) Jesus cited these words to make clear, that caring for sinners, such as those He was dining with, was more important than observing religious rituals. _(ESV-1837) In many different places in the Bible, God says that he doesn’t want our gifts, and sacrifices, when we give them out of ritual or hypocrisy. God wants us first to love and obey him. _{(Life App - 1403)} Our gifts will then follow willingly.

Jesus concludes this lesson by stating I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. The righteous, those who were already in a right relationship with God, did not need Jesus’ guidance, but those whose living was “out of sync” with God, did need Jesus’ presence and guidance. It could also be said that those who think that they are righteous and need no help, cannot be helped by Jesus. _{(Wesley - 1427)}

The first step in following Jesus is acknowledging our need and admitting that we do not have all the answers. _{(Life App - 1550)}

St. Matthew 9: 9-13

9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

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Sermon for September 12, 2011 The Feast Day for St. Bartholomew

Today’s sermon will be in two parts: first I will talk about today’s saint and then talk about the Gospel Lesson.

Today is the Feast Day for St. Bartholomew, transferred from the 24th of last month. The person after whom this day is named is a problematic one. Bartholomew is clearly one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles, as this name is given in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and he is mentioned in Acts as one of those present in the upper room. However, we know little about him. His name in Hebrew means “Son of Tholomaeus.” Some scholars believe that he was also called Nathanael, the one who was summoned by Phillip to become one of Jesus followers. Jesus described Nathanael as “a true Israelite; there is no duplicity in him.” Bartholomew, or Nathanael, was one of the Apostles to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. The Roman Martyrology, a book that deals with the lives of martyrs, says that Bartholomew preached in India and Greater Armenia, where he was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages (As*ti*a*ges) in Albanolopis, Armenia. There is a Gospel of Bartholomew, but it is considered to be not reliable.

There is a story told: During World War II, the Fascist (German/Italian) regime looked for ways to finance their activities in Italy. The order was given to take a silver statue of St Bartholomew and melt it down. The statue was weighed, and it was found to be only a few grams. It was returned to its place in the Cathedral of Lipari. In reality, the statue is made from many kilograms of silver and it is considered a miracle that it was not melted down.

Today’s lesson is from the 22nd chapter of Luke’s Gospel and is often called “Who is the Greatest?” This passage is found only in Luke’s Gospel. It is a story that is not particularly complementary of the disciples of Jesus. It begins, A dispute also arose among them (the disciples), as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. This verse rather depicts the disciples as being jerks: “I’m greater than you are.” Three years with Jesus had not purified them from self seeking. John Wesley tells us, this purification would be the ministry of the sanctifying Holy Spirit. _{(Wesley, 1565)}

We should perhaps give a little leeway to these disciples, as they still thought of the Messiah as being a political liberator, and these men dreamed of status, honor and power, as the Messiah’s closest followers. This is not the first time that this topic of greatness had come up. It also happened when they were all going to Capernaum after Jesus’ second announcement of His forthcoming Passion. When the mother of James and John made her special request that her sons sit at Jesus’ right and left hands, the other disciples became indignant _{Matt 20: 24} But, Jesus told them 28 the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus, however, does upbraid them in today’s lesson, saying, 25b The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. Jesus is comparing the disciples to power-hungry Gentiles, and the disciples, as Jews, considered such people to be an abomination. Jesus adds, 26 But not so with you. God’s standards are diametrically opposite to the world’s. Jesus continues by saying Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. It is important to note that this incident probably took place after Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples and after He had instituted the Holy Eucharist. Jesus continues making his point by saying, 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But, I am among you as the one who serves.

William Barclay reminds us that It is only the person who will consent to serve, more than anyone else, who will really rise high. It frequently happens that the ordinary worker will go home at 5:30 to forget about his job until the next morning, while the light will be burning in the office of the chief executive long after that. . .It is a law of life that service leads to greatness: and the higher a man rises the greater a servant he must be. _{(Barclay, Luke, 317)}

This is not an uncommon theme of Jesus, elevating the least. Earlier, as we are told in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus, 2 calling to him a child, put him in the midst of them 3 said, Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven._{(Matt 8:3-4)} Heaven is not about greatness in terms of human endeavor, accomplishment and status. Repeatedly, Jesus spoke about the importance of humility and child like belief, and often exhibited them in His own life.

Jesus concludes this passage by reminding the disciples that the Messianic banquet in heaven is His table, that the kingdom of God is His kingdom, and that the disciples, in their time, will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.(v.30) Jesus promised them, and he promises us, that _{(Navarre 493)} the reward of those who stay faithful to Him far exceeds anything that human ambition can envisage.

What then was the point of this lesson? First, as Matthew Henry notes, “We should take example from Jesus to entertain and edify our family and friends with such discourse at table . . .” or in contemporary terms, “eat together and talk.” Second, and more significant, the most important event in human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, was about to take place, and the disciples were still arguing about their prestige. Looking back we say, “ This was no time to worry about status.” But, the disciples, wrapped up in their own concerns, did not perceive what Jesus had been trying to tell them about His approaching death and resurrection. What are your major concerns today? Ten or twenty years from now, as you look back, will these worries look petty and inappropriate? This is the time to get your eyes off yourself, and get ready for Christ’s coming into history for the second time. _{(Life App., 1723)}

St. Luke 22: 24-30  

  22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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Sermon for August 28, 2011 The Tenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today’s sermon will be on the Gospel Lesson: Luke 19: 41 - 47. Luke was from the second generation of the Church and was not an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry. He was a Gentile, a physician, and a companion of Paul. This Gospel was probably written during Luke’s travels with Paul. It is assumed that this Gospel is a trustworthy record of the gospel that Paul preached. Eusebius ( who is known as the Father of Church History) reports that Paul quoted from Luke by saying, “According to my Gospel” _{(ESV, 1937)} Today’s lesson was probably written in the 60’s or the 70’s of the first century.

The lesson has two parts: first, “Jesus weeps over Jerusalem”, and second, “Jesus Cleanses the Temple.” Or as William Barclay combines them: “The Pity and Anger of Jesus.” Chronologically, this lesson happens after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday.

The lesson begins with Luke, and only Luke, telling us that as Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, He wept over it. It seems that Jesus was weeping for two reasons. First, He felt sorrow over the rejection of Him, as the Messiah, by the vast majority of the Jews. In Chapter 13, Jesus was quoted as saying: 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Jesus also weeps for the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, by the Romans. This will involve the extermination or removal of most of the population and the destruction of the city, including the Temple. _{(Oxford Dict/Christian Church, 874)}. This destruction will be so complete that a plow will be drawn through the middle of the city. Historians might tell us that this destruction took place because of the administrator’s mismanagement of this nation, which resulted in the Jewish rebellion, which brought about the Roman seige of the city. Traditional theologians however say that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple will be a punishment for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer. Jesus loved the Jews with a very special love: they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached; to them he directed his ministry; he showed by his words and by his miracles that he was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures. But, the Jews, for the most part, failed to appreciate the grace that the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus visits every one of us; he comes as our Saviour; he teaches us through the preaching of the Church; he gives us forgiveness and grace through the sacraments. We should not reject the Lord, we should not remain indifferent to his visit. _{(Navarre Bible, 477)}

Matthew Henry notes, What a tender spirit Christ was of; we never read that He laughed, but we often find Him in tears.₍₆₃₈₎ And, as Origen of Alexandria notes, by weeping over this city, Jesus fulfills in himself the beatitude “blessed are those who weep.” Jesus weeps not only for this city but also for all believers who fall away, because of sin and the evil spirits that surround them. _{(Ancient Christian Commentators, 299)}

The second part of this Lesson, which is found in all four Gospels, is extremely short in Luke’s Gospel. He writes: [45] And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, [46] saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke tells the story in just 36 words. Matthew also tells the story briefly, but more descriptively: And Jesus entered the temple12 and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Mark adds to the story writing, [16] And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.

Within the temple, probably in the Court of the Gentiles, was a sort of market where commercial activity enabled Jewish pilgrims from throughout the known world to participate in temple activities and exchange, at an exorbitant rate, their own currency for temple currency. Their own money which probably bore the image of Caesar was considered profane and thus could not be used in the temple. They could then purchase animals and other items for sacrifices, for, as the Homan Christian Standard Bible says, for “outrageously high prices,”or as Barclay tells us for as much as ten to fifteen times more than they would cost outside. Jesus compared the temple and its keepers to a den of robbers. Thieves often used caves, dens, to store their ill-gotten wealth and to plot future crimes. _{(ESV, 1999)} Jesus was not pleased with what He saw: traders engaging in business which has nothing to do with divine worship. Even the priests allowed some of these abuses to go on, perhaps because they benefited from them in the form of taxes. The traders did perform services necessary for divine worship, but this was spoiled by their excessive desire for gain, thus turning the temple into a marketplace. _{(Navarre, 477)} Plus, the system, in William Barclay’s words, was a deliberately planned victimization of (especially) the poor pilgrims, nothing more or less than legalized robbery._{(Barclay, 287)}

Jesus’words, “My house will be a house of prayer,” are from Isaiah and they underline the purpose of the Temple. As the Navarre Scholars remind us, Jesus’ behaviour shows the respect the temple of Jerusalem deserved. How much more reverence should be shown to our churches, where Jesus himself is really present in the blessed Eucharist. ₍₄₇₇₎

Concerning the verses following today’s lesson, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan and teacher of Augustine, notes, The temple will become the locale for Jesus’ teaching during these final days. Hence it must be cleansed so that the holiness of Jesus may dwell in a holy place. Some of the moneychangers cannot distinguish good from evil and do not realize that all money is the Lord’s. Also, his student Augustine, has noted, that casting out (the money changers) is a violent act by Jesus, but no more violent than the casting out of demons.

Today’s lesson is not included in the more contemporary “A, B, C Lectionary.” Never-the-less, it is an important lesson which reminds us of the great pain which we cause Jesus when we reject His teachings and the importance of showing respect to His body on earth, the Church.

St. Luke 19:41-47   

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

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Sermon for August 21, 2011 The Ninth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today’s first lesson is from St. Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth. Corinth is and was a city located just below the isthmus which connected the Greek mainland to the Peloponnesian peninsula. It was a city of trade and ideas, and was thus a city of many religions. Paul, Priscilla and Aquila had founded a Christian house church there, but Paul had eventually left because of opposition from certain Jews._{(Acts 18: 2-18)} Paul had continued on his missionary journeys, and was writing from Ephesus, in what we would now call Turkey, across the Aegean Sea from Greece.

The letter is a pastoral letter dealing with problems that troubled the Church in Corinth. Paul knew these people, so it is much more personal than, for example, his letter to the Romans, which I talked about last week.

The excerpt for this week’s reading can be described as a “Warning Against Idolatry,” and is primarily a history-slash-morality lesson, illustrating the tragic consequences of rejecting the blessings of God for the delights of idolatry and other sins. _{(Wesley, 1726)}

Today’s reading begins with the history part: For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. . . Here Paul is talking about the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt and their journey to the Promised land. We are told in Exodus 13 that the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; Passing through the sea is found in Exodus 14: Most of us remember this episode from the DeMille movie “The Ten Commandments:” Moses raised his arms and staff, and the water backed up and there was dry land for the Israelites to go across, but when Pharaoh and his armies crossed this land, the wall of water collapsed and the Egyptians all drowned. The ESV Commentators tell us that Paul interprets these events as being analogous to being baptized into Christ._{(ESV, 2204)} John Wesley, however, says that the Israelites were now baptized into Moses, committed to his authority and leadership. _{(Wesley, 1726)}

Paul continues reminding his readers that the Israelites ate the same spiritual food that is the manna which was found on the ground in the morning, and all drank the same spiritual water, which was the water at Mt. Horeb which came out of the rock when Moses struck it with his staff. This is seem by many as a Biblical “type” for communion.

Then Paul makes a statement which seems, at best, a little unusual: For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Some rabbinic commentators of Paul’s time believed that this rock, the source of water for these Israelites, followed them throughout their wanderings. Paul’s claim, however, was that the Rock following them was both spiritual and Christ, show(ing) that he did not believe that a physical rock traveled with the Israelites, but that Christ (in spiritual form) was ever-present with them: he was there to supply their need for water, and there to judge those who tested him. “Rock” is a common OT name for God, and this probably facilitated Paul's identification of the rock with Christ. _{(ESV, 2204).} If you remember the rest of that story, because of their disobedience and grumbling against God the Israelite generation that experienced God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt and his provision of bread and water did not see the Promised Land.Though they had seen many of God's miracles, only a few had genuine faith. _{(ESV, 2204)}.

As Paul explains it, these Old Testament events took place as examples (or ensamples as it says in the King James version), as examples for us and for our instruction. Paul tells us not to desire evil, or worship idols, and not to indulge in sexual immorality, reminding us that 23,000 of these Israelites died in one day, because of their behavior. We are not to tempt Christ or put Him to the test by becoming impatient with our provisions. Grumbling was and is especially offensive to God, as we are reminded in the Book of Numbers:  And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. _{(Numbers 11:1 ESV)}

As the Life Application Study Bible commentators remind us, We start to grumble when our attention shifts from what we have to what we don’t have. The people of Israel didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them - setting them free, making them a nation, giving them new land - because they were so wrapped up in what God wasn’t doing for them. They could think of nothing but the delicious food of Egypt they had left behind . . . Are we grateful for what God has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have. Don’t allow your unfilled desires to cause you to forget God’s gifts of life, family, friends, food, health and work. _{(Life App S.B., 1927)}

Today’s pressures make it easy to ignore or forget the lessons of the past. But Paul cautions us to remember the lessons the Israelites learned about God, so we can avoid repeating their errors. The key to remembering is to study the Bible regularly so that these lessons remind us of how God wants us to live. We need not repeat their mistakes. _{(Life App S.B., 1927)}

Paul concludes this reading telling us that Even when Christians face morally confusing situations, they should never think that they have no options other than sinful ones. There will always be a morally right solution that does not require disobedience to any of God's moral laws._{(ESV, 2205).}

We sometimes just have to diligently look for that solution, and remember the final words of this lesson:   No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. _{(1Corinthians 10:13 - Message)}

1Corinthians 10:1 -13

1Corinthians 10:1   Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1Corinthians 10:6   Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

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Sermon for August 14, 2011 The Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today’s Epistle Lesson is from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, the eighth chapter beginning at the twelfth verse. I will look at this lesson in two different ways: through William Barclay’s lens of the Roman adoption procedure and then through the analysis of other scholars.

First, the William Barclay analysis.

This Epistle, to Barclay, is different than the other letters that Paul wrote. This letter is far more impersonal, because he did not know the people in Rome. At this point in his life, Paul had not been to Rome and therefore had not founded the church in that Imperial City. For this reason, this letter is more theological and less personal than his other letters. Barclay tells us that Romans is the nearest approach to a systematic exposition of Paul’s own theological position, independent of any immediate set of circumstances. _{(Barclay, Romans, 1)}

This reading succeeds a section called “Life in the Spirit.” The point of that paragraph is that by becoming a Christian, you are free from the law of sin and death. Christ’s death for us has met the requirements for forgiveness in the law, and brings to us both life and peace. The lesson for today is called “Entry into the Family of God.” The big picture of today’s lesson is that, it is a metaphor about choosing to be adopted into the family of God rather than following normal human nature.

Paul sees becoming a Christian through the metaphor of Roman adoption. Adoption in Rome was even more complicated than adoption is today in our country. The Roman adoption custom was called patria potestas. In Rome, a father’s power over a son was absolute. No matter how old the son was, he was still completely subject to his father’s authority. To change fathers, that is to be adopted into another family, there was an actual, if symbolic sale of the son, in which the son was sold and bought back twice and then was sold a third time, but was not bought back. Then the adopting father then had to go to a Roman magistrate, to make the sale and adoption legal.

Once this was done, the adopted person lost all of his rights in the old family, but, gained full rights as a son in the new family. The adopted one would gain full rights of inheritance as any other child of the new father, whether the child was born before or after the adoption. The adoptee’s debts also would be fully cancelled.

Paul sees becoming a Christian as parallel to this Roman adoption system. Originally we are under control of our human nature. By becoming a Christian we are to come under the absolute possession of God. Our old life has no rights over us, but God has an absolute right. Our debts, that is our sins, are cancelled, and we become heirs of all of God’s riches. Not only are Christians the heirs of God, we are also the co-heirs with Jesus, God’s own Son. Whatever Christ inherits, we also will inherit. The other Side of the coin is that if Christ has had to suffer, we will also inherit that suffering, but if Christ was raised to life and glory, we also inherit that life and glory.

When we become Christians we enter into the family of God. We did nothing to deserve it; God, in his love and mercy, has fully adopted us, so that our debts are cancelled and the glory inherited.

That is Barclay’s viewpoint.

Other scholars see the pericope somewhat differently. The lesson begins by telling us that as Christians, we are no longer to be captive to our “flesh,” that is our human desires, but we are to live in the Spirit. Living “in the flesh” will result in eternal death, but living in the power of the Holy Spirit, will give, to us, eternal life. What is the meaning of “living in the flesh”? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul defines it. He writes: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. _{(Colossians 3:5)}

Once we are Christians, we are a part of God’s family; we can call upon God, and we can call him Abba, or Daddy. As Christians, God has given us his best gifts: his Son, his Holy Spirit, forgiveness and eternal life; and he encourages us to ask him for whatever we need. _{(Life Application, 1894)}

Plus, the Holy Spirit will assure us that we are God’s children and we are heirs of his promises. We must remember however, that in order to be glorified with Jesus, we may be required to suffer with him. Unlike first century Christians we will not suffer economic and social persecution. Other Christians in the world today do face such persecution, especially in the Middle East, Northern Africa and China. However, to live as Jesus did - serving others, giving up one’s own rights, resisting pressure to conform to the world - always extracts a price. Nothing we suffer, however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us. _{(Life Application, 1894)}

The question that needs to be both asked and answered is, “When do we become Christians?” The answer is at baptism. The Orthodox Study Bible tells us that baptism is our death, burial, and resurrection in union with Jesus Christ. It is a rite of passage, given by Christ to the Church as an entrance into the Kingdom of God and eternal life._{(Orthodox S.B., 1532)} Through Baptism We are raised to new life for a purpose: union and communion with God. In this sense, baptism is the beginning of eternal life. For this reason, Peter writes that baptism now saves us (1Pt 3:21) - it is not the mere removal of dirt from our bodies, but provides us with “a good conscience toward God.” _{(Orthodox S.B., 1532)}

The way to best summarize today’s lesson is to quote from the lesson, using the Amplified Bible, verses 17 & 18:

17 And if we are God’s children then we are His heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, and sharing His inheritance with Him; only, we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

18 But what of that? For I consider that the sufferings of this present time or this present life are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us.

Romans 8: 12-17

Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Romans 8:17   And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

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Sermon for August 7, 2011 Transfiguration Sunday (Transferred)

Today’s Gospel Lesson comes from The Gospel According to Luke, the ninth chapter beginning at the 28th verse. This same pericope is reported in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as in today’s Epistle Lesson in Second Peter. They all address a remarkable transformation that took place in the appearance of Jesus while on the mountain. The story is usually called The Transfiguration. In the Orthodox Church, Transfiguration is celebrated as a major feast day. In our prayer book, it is called a holy day. In the Anglican Breviary, the book used by Anglican Monks, it is a “Double of the Second Class” and is a Feast of Our Lord.

According to Dr. Shepherd, the author of the Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary, This “mountain-top” experience of our Lord came at a critical turning point in His earthly life. His Galilean ministry was completed, and to all outward appearances, it had failed; the people, who at first, had received Him gladly, had been disappointed because they had expected Him to be a temporal, nationalistic Messiah, and their rulers, both civil and religious, had begun their treacherous plot to get rid of Him. Only the faithful twelve held fast, as He turned His face toward Jerusalem for the final appeal of His mission._{(Shepherd, 248-250)}

Jesus, Peter, John and James had gone away from the crowds to pray and meditate. As was common with Jesus, they went to a mountain for this time of rest and recuperation. We are not sure which is the mountain of this story. Tradition holds that it is Mount Tabor which is about 12 miles from the Sea of Galilee. Most contemporary scholars favor Mount Hermon, about 40 miles SW of Damascus.

Regardless of the actual place, the event begins with Jesus praying, and the disciples, who, according to today’s collect were “chosen witnesses,” were also supposed to be praying, but they were sleeping. It’s easy to blame the disciples. They usually seemed to fall asleep when they were supposed to be praying, but it was probably hot, and they had walked a long way.

Luke tells us that several things took place on this mountain. As Jesus prayed, his face was altered. His face glowed, not from the outside, but from the inside. And his clothing became dazzling white or as the King James puts it, his raiment was white and glistering. The clothes were, literally, in Greek, as bright as a flash of lightening _{(ESV, 1973)} and that is a lot whiter than Oxi-clean could get them. In some icons, the color is shown as beyond white, a blue-white, ineffable color, indicating its spiritual quality. _{(Orthodox S.B. 1301)} This image also parallels the description of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9-10 and shows that Jesus possessed the glory of His Father. _{(HCSB, 1645)}

This Transfiguration is usually seen as a glimpse of the future glory of the Christ, at His second coming, when He comes in the cloud of the glory of God. It likewise gives a glimpse into the reality that Christ is the transcendent Son of God, sent by His Father for the salvation of His people: that is, for all who believe in Him, both Jews and Gentiles. _{(ESV, 1973)}

Jesus, however, is not alone, there are two men there, talking with Him: They are Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law, as he was the one who brought the tablets down from Mount Sinai. Elijah, or Elias as it says in the King James version, represents the Old Testament Prophets. These two great figures of Jewish History are there to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. The theologians tell us that Moses and Elijah are not reincarnations, but rather, that they come from being in the direct presence of God. Also, as John Wesley tells us, that they came from heaven to visit with Jesus, reflects His superiority over them, and thus the superiority of the new covenant over the old. _{(Wesley, 1537)}

These two historical figures talk with Jesus about His decease, that is His forthcoming death, resurrection and ascension, which would take place in Jerusalem. John Wesley also tells us that the underlying word for His decease, means “exodus.” By the first “exodus,” God delivered his people from Egypt. He would (now) deliver them from sin and death. _{(Wesley, 1537)}

Finally, Peter and the other disciples wake up, and they see Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Peter speaks up saying, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”. Luke tells us however, that Peter does not know what he is saying. Dr. Shepherd tells us, that the chosen witnesses of (this event) were at a loss in understanding its revelation, since its ultimate meaning could only be apprehended in the light of the final obedience of the Cross and the triumphant glory of the Resurrection and Ascension Why Peter wants to build these tabernacles is not clear. Some contend that Peter understood that real faith is built on three cornerstones: the Law, the Prophets and Jesus. The word in Greek for tabernacle, pronounced skay.nay, can apparently be translated tabernacle, booth, tent, or habitation.

The ESV commentators say that Peter’s comment shows that he, Peter, still does not grasp the greatness of the Messiah. He sees Jesus merely as someone similar to Moses and Elijah, and he wishes to raise tents, as earthly habitations for heavenly beings, or, perhaps, because he wants to prolong the experience. _{(ESV, 1973)} John Wesley sees here a metaphor: Often we prefer the wonder of the mountaintops to the daily grinds of the valleys of life. But the disciples must take up (Jesus’) cross before they can enter into His glory. _{(Wesley, 1537)} It should also be pointed out that Peter grew in his understanding, and eventually he would write of Jesus as “the chosen and precious cornerstone” of the church. (1Peter 2:6) _{(Life Application S.B., 1691)}

Suddenly they are surrounded by a cloud, and a voice comes out of the cloud saying. “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” This is not just a simple, “Pay attention!” It should be read as give attention to Jesus' teaching above all else, even above the Law and the Prophets of the OT (not that they are any less the Word of God, but that Jesus' teaching supersedes and rightly interprets the OT for the new age of the kingdom of God and the new covenant). Jesus is not merely equal to Moses and Elijah; he is far greater. All the OT pointed to him. _{(ESV, 1973)} In Chapter 24, Luke will write 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, (Jesus) interpreted to them, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.

The words “Listen to him” also allude to Deut. 18:15, “the Lord your God will raise (a prophet) up for you.” Jesus is the prophet that Moses predicted. _{(ESV, 1973)} The Orthodox Study Bible reminds us that God does not say, “This has become My beloved Son,” but “This is my beloved Son,” indicating that, divine glory, is Christ’s, by nature. From eternity past, infinitely before Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration, He is God’s Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father._{(Orthodox S.B., 1301)}

It is also worthwhile noting that the cloud symbolizes the covering of the divine presence. When Moses went up onto Mt. Sinai, a cloud covered it. There is a cloud to receive Christ out of his disciples’ sight at the Ascension. And Revelation tells us that the return of Christ will be with clouds. _{(IVP-NB Dictionary - Transfiguration)}

Then suddenly . . . Jesus was alone with only the disciples. But the disciples kept quiet about what they had seen, until after Jesus’ death. They probably did not immediately talk about this event, because they were scared, as direct encounters with God inspire fright _{(HCSB, 1644),} they would later speak, when they finally understood the full significance of this event.

The Transfiguration is the acceptance by Jesus of the perfect Sonship, the readiness of our Lord to fulfill the promise of the Law and the Prophets, for the redemption of mankind, whatever the sacrifice and the cost. _{(Shepherd, 249-250)}

Luke 9:28- 36

28  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

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Sermon for July 31, 2011 The Sixth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Todays Gospel Lesson comes from The Gospel According to Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. When Jesus called him, Matthew was sitting in his tax collectors booth, collecting taxes for Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great. In this first Gospel, he is referred to as Matthew, but in Marks Gospel, he is called "Levi, son of Alphaeus:' and in the Gospel according to Luke, he is called just "Levi.” While there has been much scholarly discussion about the difference in names, it is reasonable to assume that he had two names, Matthew Levi. (Sometime ask me the story about how my name has changed over the last 60 some years.) Matthew was most likely an educated man, as he had to be able to read and write to be a tax collector and he was probably a Jew, as he interpreted the words and actions of Jesus in light of the Old Testament Messianic expectations. _{(ESV, 1815)}

The ESV Commentators tell us that this first Gospel is the story of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded by the apostle Matthew as a compelling witness that Jesus is the long-anticipated Messiah, who brought the kingdom of God to earth and is the prophesied fulfillment of God's promise of true peace and deliverance for both Jew and Gentile. _{(ESV, 1816)}

Todays lesson comes in the middle of a series of statements or mini-sermons by Jesus. The first verse ends a paragraph called “Christ came to Fulfill the Law" and the rest of the lesson is a paragraph about “Anger.” All of the words are in red, as they are all to be understood as quotations from or paraphrases of Jesus words.

The lesson begins, For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What then is righteousness? The Navarre Bible Commentators tell us that A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the will of God, which is discovered in the commandments, in one's duties of state in life and through one's life of prayer. Righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as what nowadays is usually called "holiness." We should not just have a vague desire for righteousness. Rather, we should hunger and thirst for it. (Matt. 5:6) Righteousness can be found through frequent use of the sacraments, an intimate relationship with God in prayer, and a valiant effort to meet ones social, professional and family responsibilities. _{(Navarre, p. 77)}

Jesus often came down hard on the scribes and the Pharisees. Who were these people? The scribes do not seem to be a coherent social group with membership. They were basically bureaucrats, experts on Jewish life and law. They might be lower level scribes who served the villages as village scribes, making contracts, documents, and serving as government officials. But they mostly lived in Jerusalem and associated with the priests: (The scribes) were expert in judicial procedures, helpful in the enforcement of Jewish law and custom, and even joined the governing class and served on the Sanhedrin. Because they depended on the wealthy for their training and their positions, they (tended to be) loyal to the chief priests and leaders. _{(http://bible.org/seriespage/scribes#P14_3018)} The Pharisees were like a political interest group; they had their goals for society and sought to achieve them; they were always there to gain access to power and to influence society to a new communal commitment to a strict Jewish way of life. Jesus saw the Pharisees as being hypocrites because, in attempting to be faithful to the letter of the Law, they lost the spirit of the Law and failed to show compassion for their fellow human beings. Jesus was not their only critic. Alfred Edersheim in The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, writes that some of the sayings, in the Rabbinical literature, on the Pharisees, are more withering than those in the New Testament. _{(http://bible.org/seriespage/pharisees)}

Jesus' point was that the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes was an outward conformity to many extra-biblical regulations, but that left them with impure hearts. Jesus taught that kingdom righteousness worked from the inside out, because it produces changed hearts and new motivations. In this way His followers should, in fact, exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. _{(ESV, 1829)}

In the lesson, Jesus then deals with the issue of anger. He says, 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old tinle, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgnlent: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.

The introductory phrase Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time . . . is phrase is given repeatedly as Jesus' introduction to the faulty interpretation given by the religious leaders, to the Hebrew Bibles dictums. Then Jesus says, But, and gives His interpretation. Jesus is not correcting the Old Testament. He is correcting the misunderstandings of the Scripture that were prevalent at that time. In this particular case, Jesus is not approving premeditated murder, but he is expanding the rule, or intensifying the commandment against murder, to include anger, as something that will make one in danger of the judgment. That is, to be brought before Gods judgment. The destructive effect of anger is stressed throughout Scripture. Anger often includes a desire to damage or destroy another person.

When the Pharisees read the sixth commandment “Thou shall not murder,” they felt righteous because they had never murdered anyone. Yet, they were angry enough with Jesus that they would soon plot His death, though they would not do the dirty work themselves. We need not just to understand the words in Gods laws. We need to understand the intent behind them. It is not enough just to avoid killing, we must also avoid anger and hatred. _{(Life Application Study Bible, p. 7539)}

There is however, a caveat, that I did not see until the third time that I read the sentence. The caveat is "without a cause." Even Jesus got angry with a cause. Remember what he did to the money changers tables at the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus rightly accused them of turning the Temple into a den of thieves through their commercial activities. It should be noted, however, that many scholars regard this phrase "without a cause" as an addition to the text by a copyist uncomfortable with Jesus' prohibition of anger. _{(WesleyBible,p.1419)}

Calling someone a fool is closely related to anger, in that it represents a destructive attack on ones character and identity. The other part of this verse, calling someone Raca, is a term of abuse in the vernacular of Jesus' time, and falls into the same territory as calling them a fool. And calling someone a 'fool' implies that the person has lost all moral and religious sense to the point of abandoning or renouncing ones religious belief: a scathing accusation in a religious society. When one talks like this, is is a reflection of resentment or hatred, in one’s heart, which is ultimately self-destructive.

This part of the lesson could be summarized by saying that Jesus argued that the law prohibits not just actual murder, but murderous attitudes as well. Similarly, violent temperaments are condemned just as surely as violent deeds. _{(HCSB, p.1620)}

Jesus then tells us that if, when you are bringing your gift to the altar, and you remember that your fellow believer, has something against you, you are to leave the gift and reconcile yourself to this person and then come and offer your gift.

This directive probably should not be viewed as a literal statement. People could not leave their lamb at the altar in Jerusalem and return to their home in, for example, Galilee, and then return to the temple to make the sacrifice. Rather, the general principle is that one should not come into the presence of God without a willingness to seek reconciliation with ones brother. _{(Difficult Passages in the New Testament)} Under the New covenant of Jesus Christ, we can begin to be reconciled, most especially with God, through the act of Penance which begins with the Prayer of General Confession, is continued through the Absolution, is reinforced in the singing of the Agnus Dei “0 Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world;' is restated in the Ecce Agnus “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him that taketh away the sins of the world,” is strengthened in the Prayer of the Centurion, “Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed,” and is finalized in the taking of the Holy Eucharist.

The last part of todays lesson concerns comi ng to terms quickly with an accuser, before you go to court where you may lose and be penalized. I t is of greater importance to become reconciled with God, before it is time for eternal judgment.

Today’s lesson is one which reminds us of the necessity of controlling ones temper and the necessity of seeking reconciliation through the sacraments offered by Christ’s body on earth, His Church.

Matthew 5:20-26

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with hint; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the utterntost farthing.

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Sermon for July 24, 2011 The Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today, the fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday, I will speak on the Epistle Lesson: the First Letter of Peter, the third chapter, beginning at the eighth verse. As far as I can tell, in the 109 sermons that I have preached from this pulpit, I have spoken on Peter’s first letter only two previous times: on the 3rd Sunday after Trinity in 2009 and on the Sunday after Ascension, this year.

First Peter is a short book, only six pages long. It is, in form, a letter written by the Apostle Peter, in the mid-50’s or 60’s, that is, half way through the first century, and perhaps only 20 or 30 years after Jesus’ execution at the hands of the Romans. It is addressed to those Christians who lived in what we would now call Northern Turkey. The recipients were most likely Gentiles and they received the letter by the hand of Silvanus, who is described in the letter as a faithful brother.

Peter begins by saying, Finally, which would lead you to believe that he was bringing his letter to a close. He was however, only half-way through. Perhaps, that is why preachers are not infrequently heard to say, “And, finally. . .” and then talking for ten more minutes. What he is finally telling the readers is to have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. These are the key elements that should characterize any group of believers:

Unity of mind or harmony is pursuing the same goals. This is about unity at more than the just the parish and individual level. It could be argued that unity is one of the major goals of our Presiding Bishop. This was reflected in the Inter-Communion Agreement with the Anglican Church in America, passed at the recent Synod in Atlanta. Our current Anglican situation is rather like the early American colonies. Ben Franklin penned a political cartoon showing a snake cut into pieces, each piece representing a state. It was titled, “Join or Die.” It can be argued that traditional Anglicans need to either join together, or they will simply, individually, fade away. Jesus prayed concerning his followers that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you. (John 17:21)

Sympathy is being responsive to each others needs

Brotherly love is seeing and treating each other as brothers or sisters. Jesus said, 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

A tender heart or compassion is being affectionately sensitive and caring, and

Humble of mind or showing humility is being willing to encourage one another and rejoice in each other’s successes. When we compare ourselves to others, we may not come up short. But the standard for comparison for Christians is Christ, and compared to his sinless perfection, we can never fully measure up. _{(Barclay, p. 263)}

These five qualities go a long way toward helping believers serve God effectively. (Life Application Bible - 2106)

These are all godly virtues, worth adopting or at least trying to adopt. Remember that the person writing these words is Peter, who, we are told, was once rash, belligerent, domineering and arrogant, yet here he is advocating and bearing witness to a life of harmony, compassion, love and humility. Each of us is God’s witness to skeptical people. Let your life be evidence of God’s truth. Let your pride become humility and your insensitivity give way to genuine affection for others. _{(Life Application Bible - 2106)}

Peter continues by offering more good behavioral advice: 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this . . . you were called . . . that you may obtain a blessing.

I do not think that Peter is talking here about a liturgical blessing, which is what happens if you come to the altar and cross you hands over your chest, and you receive a blessing from the celebrant. Nor is it what may happen at a high mass. I saw this at the Synod Eucharist at St. Barnabas’ Church. The priest who was functioning as the Deacon of the Mass, came to the Presiding Bishop, knelt, and received a blessing from him, before he, the mass deacon, with a liturgical procession of boat bearer, censer, two candle holders and one priest to hold the Gospel Book, came into the Nave, for the reading of the Gospel lesson. It is quite appropriate for this apostolic blessing to happen, but I do not remember ever having previously seen it.

Rather, the lesson tells us to bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. In only one of my study Bibles, The Amplified Bible, did I find this term “bless” defined. Again the words are bless (others), for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. To bless others is to pray for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and pity and love them. When you do this, then you will yourself receive a blessing from God, that is that you may obtain a blessing as heirs of God, bringing welfare and happiness and protection to you.

As a cross reference, in the definition of to bless, was the phrase “and pity them.” That bothered me. We often think of pity in the phrase, “You are having a pity party for yourself,” meaning that you are needlessly feeling sorry for yourself. The definition of pity however, is the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others. (Apple Dictionary) So it does fit into the definition of “bless.”

Peter then, quotes Psalm 34, which provides more advice:

10“Whoever desires to love life and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

11 let him turn away from evil and do good;

let him seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

What does this psalm tell us? If you want a full and satisfying life, speak kindly; don’t lie; do good, not evil. Why behave this way? The Lord does notice your behavior, and it is only logical, that he will bless those who behave appropriately. This does not mean that God will keep his obedient believers from suffering, we know better than that, but God will provide his grace “to strengthen and establish” believers in the midst of suffering and in times of great need. _{(ESV, p. 2410)}.

Peter next tells us that Believers are to endure hardship, knowing that they will receive a final reward. Even Jesus Christ suffered at his death, but he was raised from the dead, and thus triumphed over all demonic powers. _{(Life Application Bible - 2107)}

In verse 15 Peter tells us always (to be) prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you, for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. Some Christians believe that faith is a personal matter that should be kept to oneself. It is true that we shouldn’t be boisterous or obnoxious in sharing our faith. _{(Life Application Bible - 2107)} There is a cartoon on the wall next to my dresser. It shows a man standing before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St Peter is saying to the man, “You were a believer; Yes. But you skipped the not-being-a-jerk-about-it part” However, we should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our faith, our lifestyle, or our Christian perspective. Can others see your hope in Christ? Are you prepared to tell them what Christ has done in your life? _{(Life Application Bible - 2107)}

Peter summarizes his letter by telling us that God does not keep observant believers from suffering, but that He will provide grace “to strengthen and establish” believers in the midst of suffering and in times of great need _{(ESV, p. 2410)}.

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Sermon for July 17, 2011 The Fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today is the fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday, the fifth Sunday in the long Green Season, because for 22 weeks, the liturgical color is green. The season lasts from Trinity Sunday until Advent Sunday, when the color turns to purple.

While today’s liturgical color is green, the Gospel lesson itself is almost entirely red. That is, only seven of the 191 words are printed in black, because all of the rest of the words are a quotation from Jesus.

The lesson begins Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:36) God is the model for being merciful. St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2Corinthians 1:3-4) The quotation from Jesus is one of those statements telling us that we are to be like God. Certainly not an easy order, but should we not always try to reach beyond ourselves. How can we do this? The church has given us the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy:

To feed the hungry;

To give drink to the thirsty;

To clothe the naked;

To shelter the homeless;

To visit the sick;

To ransom the captive;

To bury the dead.

Those, who have a different orientation, might be more interested in trying the spiritual works of mercy:

To instruct the ignorant;

To counsel the doubtful;

To admonish sinners;

To bear wrongs patiently;

To forgive offences willingly;

To comfort the afflicted;

To pray for the living and the dead.

What we must be careful about in attempting, especially the spiritual works, is to be sure to differentiate between the error (which must be rejected) and the person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person, even though he flounders amid false or inadequate ideas. God alone is the judge and the searcher of hearts; he forbids us to pass judgment on the inner guilt of others. (Navarre Bible, p. 395)

The next section seems to be more positive: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete, withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38) There are wonderful stories of generosity in the Bible. In First Kings we are told about the widow of Zarepath, whom God asked to give food to the prophet Elijah, even though she had very little left. God rewarded her by constantly renewing her supply of grain and oil. (1Kings 17:9ff)

The same thing happened to the boy who provided the five loaves and two fish to Jesus. A huge crowd of people was fed, because of the little boy’s generosity.

In those cases, the reward was on earth. But as St. Josemaria Escriva wrote: However much we give God in this life, He will give us more in life eternal. (Navarre Bible, p. 395)

Jesus then talked about the blind leading the blind and the student not being above the master, but these are probably metaphors about choosing who to follow. It is important to pick the right teachers and leaders. Most of us are old enough to remember the story of Jim Jones, the founder and leader of the so-called People’s Temple. On November 18, 1978, 900 of his American followers, in Jonestown, Guyana, committed mass suicide, because he told them to drink a grape flavored drink . . . which was laced with cyanide and a sedative. It was, some claim, the greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until the September 11, 2001 attacks.(Wiki, Jim Jones) Be careful who you follow.

The lesson ends with the exceptional word picture 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle liked this phrase so much, they actually wrote a science fiction book titled, “The Mote in God’s Eye.” The point that Jesus makes is not that we should ignore wrongdoing, but we should not be so worried about other’s sins, that we overlook our own. We often rationalize our sins by pointing out the same mistakes in others. What kinds of specks in other’s eyes are the easiest for us to criticize? Remember your own “beams” when you feel like criticizing, and you may find that you have less to say. (Life Application Study Bible, p. 1681)

Luke 6:36-42 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 6:37   Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

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Sermon for July 10, 2011 The Third Sunday after Trinity Sunday

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Today is the third Sunday after Trinity Sunday. As promised last week, today we will look at the final verses in the Nicene Creed: And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the Life of the world to come.

I believe One Catholic and Apostolic Church. More contemporary renderings of this line, such as in the Methodist Hymnal, state, And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. I do not think that the meaning changes by adding the word “in,” but it is clearer. Also, the word “catholic” is not capitalized in the Methodist Hymnal. However, the Methodist version uses the adjective “holy” when describing the church. In the General Rubrics of the American Missal, the big red book on the altar, is found the statement: (In the Nicene Creed) The word holy as one of the notes of the Church, (Isn’t that a lovely word, “notes” rather than “adjectives”) (In the Nicene Creed) The word holy as one of the notes of the Church, was accidentally omitted in the text of the Creed, appearing in the first Prayerbook of 1549, and the omission has been carried over through successive versions into our own book of 1928. (The American Missal, p. xxiv) Either way, the word “catholic”, in this case, means universal or general. It is a term which has been used since St. Ignatius of Antioch, around the year 100. The term “Catholic” does not necessarily mean Roman Catholic, as there are many Churches that use the term Catholic: for example, The Anglican Catholic Church, The Philippine Independent Catholic Church, The Polish National Catholic Church, and many, many others.

The term, as we use it use in the Creed, refers to the Universal Church, as distinct from local Christian communities. As the Oxford Dictionary tells us: It is applied to the faith of the whole church, i.e., the doctrine behind “everywhere, always, and by all,” or as academics put it in Latin quod ubique, quod semper, quod ad omnibus creditum est: “everywhere, always, and by all,” While a Roman Catholic would probably use the term to refer to just those under the authority of the Pope, most people in the A.P.A., use it to refer to the Romans, the Orthodox and traditional Anglicans. It is the fifth definition in the Oxford Dictionary, that probably best defines it for us: In general, in present day usage, it (the term catholic) is employed of those Christians who claim to be in possession of a historical and continuous tradition of faith and practice, as opposed to Protestants, who tend to find their ultimate standards in the Bible as interpreted on the principles of the Reformation of the 16th century. (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church) We need always to remember that as Anglicans we are people of the three legged stool, looking not just to the Bible, but also to tradition and reason.

We are also an Apostolic church. We trace our lineage back to the Apostles, as we believe that our Bishops are consecrated in an unbroken line back to the original followers of Christ. Our bishops are the chief pastors of the church, and by their sharing in the College of Bishops, they embody the unity of the church, and by their consecration, and by their power to confer Orders, that is, to make men priests, they witness the succession of the church throughout the ages. The chief duties of the modern bishop in the Western church consist in the general oversight of his diocese, in the leadership of his clergy and laity in the proclamation of the Gospel, and in administering those Sacraments which he alone is competent to confer, that is Ordination and Confirmation. (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church) APA bishops are often assisted by Bishops Suffragan (for example, Bishops Chandler Holder Jones and Peter Brewer), Bishops Coadjutor, with or without the right of succession (of which we have none), and assistants (who often come into the APA from other churches in which they had been consecrated.) Bishops traditionally have, on the Gospel side of the sanctuary, a special chair (cathedra, in Latin), a mitre (the pointed hat symbolic of the fire of the Holy Ghost), a pectoral cross and a ring. Anglican Bishops are titled The Right Reverend, or if Archbishops, The Most Reverend. Our Bishop is The Most Reverend Dr. Lawrence L. Shaver, Archbishop Ordinary of the Diocese of Mid-America of the Anglican Province of America.

The Creed continues I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. This was discussed in last week’s sermon. As I said then, “We (Anglicans) are required to baptize using the formula, “ I baptize thee In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” This includes all three parts of the Trinity. A person who has not been baptized by this formula, must be correctly baptized, not re-baptized, before being admitted into the Anglican Fellowship. In some churches, one is baptized only in the name of Jesus Christ. This, in our understanding, does not meet the requirements of the historic formula. I was baptized in the Methodist Church, but this is perfectly acceptable in the Anglican tradition, because all three parts of the Trinity were named in my baptism, as shown on my baptismal certificate, which fortunately my mother and then my wife, had kept. Also, this statement reflects Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which he states that there is One Lord, one faith, (and) one baptism (Ephesians 4:5)

We are baptized so that our sins will be forgiven. It says in the first prayer of the baptismal service: We call upon thee for this Child, that he, coming to thy holy Baptism, may receive remission of sin, by spiritual regeneration. This act is continued each week at communion when the Celebrant states: ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins.

Baptism is generally done by the priest, but in extreme circumstances, it may be performed by any Christian.

The next clause states: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: The resurrection of the dead is a fundamental element in the Christian doctrine of man’s final destiny. It is a belief that at the Parousia or Second Coming of Christ, that the departed souls will be restored to a bodily life and the saved will enter into this renewed form upon the life of heaven. (Oxford Dict. . .) The belief is based on the Resurrection of Christ Himself. This is a gift of God, to Christians, and the theologians tell us that this is not due to the inherently immortal nature of man’s soul.

Whether this body will be the same one or a new and spiritual one, is a matter of debate. This clause also reflects Jesus words at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus: Martha saith unto him, I know that he (Lazarus, her brother) shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. ( John 11:24)

The Creed ends with And the Life of the world to come. This clause, as far as I can tell, is about heaven. Trying to find any two theologians or biblical exegetes who agree on the meaning of and the actual state of heaven is nearly impossible. It is, however, generally acceptable to state that heaven is essentially the fulfillment, to a degree impossible on earth, of what is, according to the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Assembly, the ‘chief end of man,’ that is ‘to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.’ (Oxford Dict. . .) The second interpretation of this creedal phrase is that it refers to aeon (ai[long]on) that which is to come, or the kingdom or reign of God, which is in contrast to the present evil age. Or according to the commentary in the Reformation Study Bible, The phrase ‘this time’ with its counterpart ‘the age to come” reflects the teaching of the rabbis about the two-tiered present evil age and the future age of the Messiah. The resurrection of Jesus significantly altered that view. In the period between the resurrection of Jesus and that of all believers, the “two ages” exist side by side. The old is passing away, and the new is present, but not in its fullness. (The Reformation Study Bible, p. 1435) In general, it seems to me, the more you study the Bible to understand the meaning of heaven or the age to come, the less you really comprehend. And that may be the point: Don’t worry about it. Just believe in it.

Let us hope that after four weeks of sermonizing, this Nicene Creed will be more meaningful and more uplifting to all of us. Those who are interested will find all four sermons in the section titled “What have we learned” in our web site “Ohio Anglican.org.”

Nicene Creed

I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:



And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man: And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried: And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father: And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.



And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

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Sermon for July 3, 2011 The Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Today is the third Sermon on the Trinity, using the Nicene Creed as the outline. In the first Sunday we learned about the Father, in the Second Sunday about the Son. Today, we look at the Holy Ghost.

The third part of the Creed begins with And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets:

According to the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, the terms are interchangeable, is the Third Person of the Trinity. This Spirit inspired Biblical writers, makes known the saving work of Jesus Christ, and is God as present in and with the church. The Spirit acts to incorporate all things into the life of the triune God. (p. 131)

The Holy Spirit must be seen as being on an equal plane with the Father and the Son. We are required to baptize using the formula, “(We first give the person’s Christian name, that is the first name, then,) I baptize thee In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” This includes all three parts of the Trinity. A person who has not been baptized by this formula, must be correctly baptized, not re-baptized, before being admitted into the Anglican Fellowship. In some churches, one is baptized only in the name of Jesus Christ. This, in our understanding, does not meet the requirements of the historic formula.

This third part of the Trinity has multiple names: Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, the Comforter and the Helper. Jesus made it very clear that it would be the Comforter who would take His place: John 16:7 tells us  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. If the Holy Ghost were some impersonal force, He would be unable to provide us with as much comfort as did Jesus, when He was on earth.

What then does the Holy Ghost do? There are many Biblical answers to that question: The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit comforts, teaches, speaks, makes decisions, grieves over sin, overrules human actions, searches the deep things of God and knows the thoughts of God, determines the distribution of spiritual gifts, interprets and brings human prayer before the throne of the Father, assures believers of their adoption, and, bears witness to and glorifies Christ. (ESV, 2520) Not a bad resume. In addition this Spirit has been described as being eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and holy. Some pretty powerful attributes.

The Spirit has been around since the beginning. In Genesis 1:2, it is the Spirit that is hovering over the face of the waters. It has been said that the Father wills, the Son accomplishes and the Spirit applies the work of the Son. Or to put it a different way: The uniform pattern of Scripture is that the Father plans, directs, and sends; the Son is sent by the Father and is subject to the Father's authority and obedient to the Father's will; and both Father and Son direct and send the Spirit, who carries out the will of both. (ESV, p. 2514)

The Spirit was key to the human life of Jesus: The angel told Mary, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. . .(Luke 1:35) The Spirit, descending like a dove (Matt 3:16) anointed Jesus for His public ministry at His baptism. It empowered Jesus for His earthly ministry (Luke 4:14) And it was the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 8:11)

The Book of the Bible called The Acts of the Apostles, should, to many, be called The Acts of the Holy Spirit, as it is the Holy Spirit that is the focal point of that work. (ESV, 2521)

We must never forget those words that tell us what the Spirit actually produces: . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, (and) temperance (Galatians 5:22)

In the service of baptism, we say “. . .Give thy Holy Spirit to this child, that he may be born again, And be made an heir of everlasting salvation.”

At confirmation, the Bishop says: DEFEND, O Lord, this thy Child with thy heavenly grace; that he may continue thine for ever; and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting kingdom. And at the consecration of a Bishop, the final prayer says endue him (the new Bishop) with thy Holy Spirit, that he, preaching thy Word, may . . . be earnest to reprove, beseech, and rebuke, with all patience and doctrine. (BCP)

And anyone who has been touched by the Spirit . . . knows it.

The Holy Ghost, the Creed says proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is one of those great theological debates that usually does not interest 21st century Anglicans. The Church of the West contends that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Church in the East contends that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father. Shall we leave this debate to professional theologians?

The Creed continues stating that the Holy Spirit, with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Liturgically, we tend primarily to worship and glorify the Father and the Son, but we do, during the Mass, use the term “Holy Spirit” twice and “Holy Ghost” thirteen times, although five of those are in the proper prefaces. This contrasts to the term “Father” which is used 35 times and “Son” which is used 36 times.

Next week we will look at the final sentences of the Nicene Creed which deal with the Church, Baptism, Resurrection, and the Life of the World to come.

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Sermon for June 26, 2011 The First Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Last week was Trinity Sunday, and I gave the first part of a sermon on the Trinity, using the Nicene Creed as the basis for the sermon.

We learned that a creed is a yardstick for belief; discussed the words “one” and “persons” in the creed; we saw the graphic relationship between the three persons of the Trinity, and learned that God made all things physical and spiritual.

We learned why Jesus is addressed as Lord, why He is considered to be “only-begotten;” that He existed before creation; and that all things were made by Him.

I ended by saying that I hoped to be able to address, this week, the topic of who really made all things: God or Jesus, when both claims are made in this creed. So, I will begin with that:

The theologians tells us that there is not a conflict between the two “making” statements in the creed, because the Father . . . created . . . through the Son: (ESV 2514) So they were both involved in the Creation. While the King James Bible tells us in John 1:3 All things were made by (Jesus); and without him was not any thing made that was made. In the English Standard Version we are told All things were made through (Jesus), and without him was not any thing made that was made. Another way to understand the creation is found in 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Both the Father and the Son were involved in the act of creation, so there is no conflict between the first two parts of the Nicene Creed.

The part of the creed telling us that for us and for our salvation, (Jesus) came down from heaven . . . is straightforward: Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins. But then, a technical term is used: And (Jesus) was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man. The verb incarnate and the noun incarnation come from Latin words meaning “in the flesh.” The concept behind incarnation is that the second person of the Trinity, became a human being and “assumed flesh” in Jesus of Nazareth.

It seems appropriate, if not totally relevant, to address at this time the issue of those called the “brothers and sisters” of Jesus. In Matthew, the 13th Chapter, we read, 54 And when he was come into his own country, (Jesus) taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, (joh’siz) and Simon, and Judas? 56a And his sisters, are they not all with us? If you were to look in a Roman Catholic Study Bible, like this Navarre Bible, you would find the word brethern, in this passage and the commentators statement that in ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and other languages (there were) no special words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern languages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe were “brethern.”

In the particular case (mentioned) , we should bear in mind that Jesus had different kinds of relatives, in two groups - some on his mother’s side and others on St. Joseph’s. (Again,) Matthew 13: 55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (“his brethern”) and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ sisters, (as in Mark 6:3). But, in Matthew 27:56, we are told that the James and Joseph were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of St. Joseph. (Navarre, p. 129)

The Navarre commentary ends with this statement: The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term; it is dogma that Mary was ever-Virgin.

This, however, is Roman Catholic dogma, and is certainly not required of Anglicans, although it is held as truth by many Anglicans.

Jesus was, as John tells us, the “Word made flesh” (John 1:14). This doctrine holds that Jesus was one divine person with both a divine and a human nature. And this man Jesus was not procreated by Joseph, the fiance, but by the Holy Ghost. (Westminster Dict of Theol. Terms)

Following His ministry, Jesus was, the creed tells us, crucified for us under Pontius Pilate. Why was He crucified? Because a price must be paid for sins to be forgiven. In Jesus day, one made a sacrifice of an animal at the Temple in Jerusalem, to wipe away sins. Jesus’ sacrifice of himself . . . paid the price for the sins of mankind. Each week the celebrant reads the Comfortable Words: If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins. (1 St. John ii. 1, 2.) Propitiation is the appeasing of the wrath of the Deity, by prayer or sacrifice, when a sin or offense has been committed against Him . . . the death of Christ is “propitiatory,” that it, it is effective in restoring the relationship between God and man, which has been damaged by sin. (Oxford Dict of the Christian Church)

The creed continues: He suffered and was buried: And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father . . . We remember his suffering and burial on Good Friday. We celebrate his rising again on Easter Morning, His ascension on Ascension Day, and He sits at the right hand of the Father because that is the place of honor for the Son of the King. As St. Mark tells us in the 24th chapter: Again the high priest asked (Jesus), and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed (that is of God)? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

What does Jesus do as he sits at the right hand of the father? We are told that he is actively interceding (for us), reigning over his kingdom, (and) awaiting his second coming . . . Jesus “sits” to portray the sufficiency of his saving work on earth; he continues a vital, active ministry as he reigns over all creation. (ESV Study Bible, p. 2526) This should be a source of comfort to us because it guarantees that His ministry continues and that one day, all will acknowledge Him.

This second part of the creed concludes with this statement: And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. But why? Why is Jesus coming back or coming again? Theologians tell us that The return of Jesus Christ is the central hope of the New Testament. It will be sudden, personal, bodily and visible to the whole world. He will come again to reign in power as the King of kings for all eternity. (ESV Study Bible, p. 2533) When this will take place we do not know, and those who claim to know the date are fooling themselves. In fact, according to a recent article in the Times of London, There have been 183 false predictions of the end of the world since the Roman Empire collapsed and these are multiplying with new technology and a global climate of fear. . .(Pew forum, June 23, 2011)

As good as life in this world may be at times, it can never compare to the ultimate liberation from sin and the unhindered fellowship with Christ that his return will bring. (ESV Study Bible, p. 2533) The solution to the present suffering on earth is found in the hope of Christ’s return. As we are told in the first letter to the Thessalonians, 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Once more: And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead. We are fortunate in that when Jesus comes to judge us, both the living and the dead, he will know what our life is like, for, as the writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us, 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 ESV)

Next week we will finish the sermon on the Trinity, by studying the Holy Ghost. In the meantime, let us remember the words from the letter to the Hebrews:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15 ESV)

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Sermon for June 19, 2011 Trinity Sunday

Today is titled Trinity Sunday. The Trinity being God in Three Persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Two years ago today, I spoke on this topic of The Trinity, using the Apostles Creed as the organizing structure. This year, I will use the Nicene Creed.

The purpose of a creed is to act as a yardstick of correct belief. The creeds of Christianity have been drawn up at times of conflict about doctrine: acceptance or rejection of a creed served to distinguish believers and deniers of a particular doctrine or set of doctrines. The English word “creed” is from a Greek word that means half of a broken object which, when placed together with the other half, verified the bearer's identity. (Wikipedia, Nicene Creed)

As a general rule, Anglicans use the Nicene Creed during the Mass and the Apostles Creed during the offices of Morning or Evening Prayer, but either one is acceptable for either service.

The Nicene Creed was developed, according to Dr. Shepherd, to exclude from the Church the heresy of Arius, who denied the eternity of God the Son and His full divinity as ‘of the same substance’ with the Father. Also, Dr. Shepherd notes that in the Eastern Church, the creed begins with “We Believe,” but in the West, we say ‘I believe.’ And in the West, the phrase ‘and the Son’ was added to the clause concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father. (MH Shepherd, OxAmPBCommentary)

Because it is based on the Trinity, the Nicene Creed has three parts: One on God the Father; The second on Jesus Christ, the Son; and the third on the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

The part about God is clearly the shortest, consisting of only 20 words: I BELIEVE in one God . . . the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible. . .

The simple three letter word, “one” is perhaps the most important descriptive word, yet is some ways the most confusing. There is just one God, but He is in three persons, not three people, but three persons. It is persons, because that technical term, refers to the three-ness within the Godhead, and the plural of the original Greek word, becomes in English, “persons.” In his commentary on the Athanasian Creed, one of the other great creeds of the western church, the Rev. Paul Sterne tells us that the Trinity is the first of the two great theological paradoxes that Christians are taught to hold: that God is perfectly one and also perfectly three.  Each Person is not one-third of God, or simply a mode of existence that God puts on as a mask;  but rather, God is the Father, God is the the Son, and God is the the Holy Spirit. (Quicunque vult,  Commonly called The Creed of St. Athanasius, pbsusa.org )

The editors of the ESV Study Bible tell us, There is nothing more fundamental to Biblical theology than monotheism (the biblical belief that there is one and only one God): Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deut. 6:4) This verse, known as the Shema, in Hebrew (from the opening verb of the verse, meaning “hear” or listen”), is one of the most familiar and foundational verses in the Old Testament. God rejects polytheism (belief in many gods) and demands exclusive devotion, as it is written in Isaiah 45:5: I am the lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God . . . The New Testament affirms the deity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit . . ., but does not waiver from OT monotheism. In Mark 12:29 Jesus quotes the Shema in a debate with the Jewish leaders, and Paul continues, in 1Tim 2:5, to teach that there is one God while recognizing Jesus as the divine-human Mediator between God and man. (ESV, p. 2513).

 Because there is only one God, he alone should be the ultimate object of a believer’s affection. The Great Commandment that follows the Shema, is the obvious outcome of monotheism: Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut. 6:5) God deserves our wholehearted love because nothing compares with him. (ESV, p. 2513).

The final phrase of the first part of the Creed, that God is the maker of “all things visible and invisible” refers to the physical world: things visible; and the spiritual world: things invisible. The point being made is that God created these things. They did not just come into being of their own volition, or by chance.

The second part of the creed is the longest and is about Jesus. It begins And (I believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. . . The word for Lord in Greek is properly an adjective, meaning one having power and authority, and is translated variously as “Lord”, “Master,” “owner,’ or “Sir.” In this context in the Creed, it is probably used as a title of respect. It was used repeatedly by both by the people, and by the Disciples, when speaking of and to Jesus.

‘Only-begotten’ as in the only-begotten Son of God, can be rendered as "Single of its kind." Jesus is the only Son of God . . . in the sense in which he himself has no brothers or sisters. He is the Son of God, in a very different sense, from that, in which we are made, by him, children of God. God's people are adopted "sons, daughters or children of God:" little “s” sons, little “d” daughters, or little “c” children. Jesus, however, is the only Son, capital “S, ” of God. Jesus’ Sonship is indicative of His deity. (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, pgs. 417, 418) He is God.

Jesus was Begotten of his Father before all worlds. . . Jesus was, before creation. Many Anglican churches end the Mass with the first words of the Apostle John:   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1) “Word” in this case is a title for Jesus. He is eternal, pre-existent, and is the incarnate Word.

Does not that statement that All things were made by him ( by Jesus), conflict with the first paragraph of the Creed in which we are told that God was the maker of all things. Hopefully, by next Sunday, I will be able to resolve that seeming contradiction.