Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity 2019

The Scripture readings today are rich and meaningful but the collect for the day is what really grabbed my attention. It says: O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The core of this short prayer goes back to a fifth-century Roman service book, and it was slightly modified in 1662. This collect clearly points out our human dependence upon God in all things. We can't begin to please God unless He first assists us by His grace. To please God, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father and the Son must both direct, guide, and rule in our inner being. We tend to forget this point and focus on our human efforts. Of course, human effort and responsibility are important, but God is always both the beginning and the end of the whole process of justification, sanctification, and redemption!

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Today, let us spend time reflecting upon the second section of our Gospel, St. Matthew 22:41-46. Here we have a brief dialogue about the Messiah or Christ. Jesus asks the Pharisees, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?”  In other words, Jesus asks, “What are your opinions about the Messiah and his basic character?” The Pharisees had some definite opinions about the Messiah, and they thought that they understood God’s redemption better than anyone. So they quickly replied that the Messiah was “the son of David.” The Pharisees expected the Messiah to be a natural descendant of David, Israel’s greatest king. They expected him to have many of the same human characteristics as King David. They expected the Messiah to be a valiant warrior, a mighty ruler of men, and an obedient servant of God. They looked for him to come and restore freedom, honor and prosperity to the Jewish people.

Notice that our Lord did not reject all these common hopes about the Messiah. For example, in other passages, He does not reject the title “son of David.” Jesus possesses the best human qualities of David. He is a great warrior, ruler and servant of God, but He fulfills these qualities in spiritual rather than worldly ways. Yet, although our Lord Jesus does not reject some human aspects of the Messiah, He does shift the focus by asking a troublesome question. He asks how the Pharisees how their humanistic expectations can be reconciled with a Davidic Psalm about the Messiah.

In Matthew 22: 44, Jesus cites Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Then in the next verse, the Master confronts the Pharisees with the dilemma, “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” In other words, how could the Messiah be both King David’s heir and his Lord?

Of course, the Pharisees do not have an answer. Their theological presuppositions do not allow them to admit the obvious implication. The implied answer is that the Messiah has two natures. He is both the human descendant of David and the divine Son of God. And the Pharisees will not go there.

This dialogue between Christ and the Pharisees is important for two reasons. First, it makes a general point of doctrine. In St. Matthew, sometimes called the most Jewish of the Gospels, we see the high claims which Jesus the Christ makes for Himself.  In a subtle way, this passage speaks of the mystery of the Incarnation as highly as some of the more obvious passages in the writings of St. John and St. Paul.

The Messiah, the Christ, God’s anointed Redeemer, is both human and divine. His identity can only be explained by His having two natures. Only a man could fully identify with the human condition; only God could be holy enough and powerful enough to overcome sin and death. And Jesus does all this and more. That is the central Christian affirmation.

Secondly, besides such general doctrinal importance, the dialogue from Matthew 22 has a more personal importance for each reader or hearer. Each of us must face the same question which our Lord asked the Pharisees. What does each of us think of Christ? Whose son is He? What role does He fulfill, not just in general, but in our own lives?

As far as we are concerned, is Jesus of Nazareth merely the son of David? Is He just an admirable human leader of some sort? That is all He is for many modern people, including many who attend church. Even many who recite the Creeds never really think of Him as the living Lord at the right hand of the Father. For many, He is just another hero among many heroes. For many people, Jesus is merely a historical or even mythical figure who is part of a cultural heritage.

However, according to Scripture and universal or catholic Christian teaching, Jesus the Christ is much more than a great human hero. He is the One before whom kings, even David, must bow. He is the One whom even the greatest heroes and saints must acknowledge as Lord. Indeed, Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, is Lord of lords. He is mightier, wiser and holier than all other leaders. He is far more than merely the founder of a kingdom, civilization, philosophy or religion. Of course, on the human side, He is all those things and more. But He is not merely human. He is also divine, and He shares His heavenly Father’s Lordship, His universal dominion.

Thus, each human being, each of us, needs to face and answer the question which Jesus Christ proposed to the Pharisees. If we are to be Christians, we must acknowledge the mystery of faith which the question implies. We must affirm the mystery of Christ’s two natures. We must begin to accept and appreciate the unique significance of His character and His work. As a human being, Jesus is many things to us; He is a teacher, encourager, example, friend and more. But as God the Son, He is also our eternal Saviour. He is the One who defeats the world, the fallen sinful flesh and the devil. He is the only One who redeems us and offers us eternal life in His presence along with that of the Father and of the Holy Spirit.

Trinity XVII- Ephesians 4- Unity of the Spirit

Today's traditional epistle reminds us of the true basis for unity among Christians. We have many differences in nature, culture, and personal preferences, but certain things are necessary. In Ephesians 4: 2-6. St. Paul exhorts Christian believers to seek "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Christians must walk a fine line between the dangers of doctrinal weakness and intolerance. Not every religious option is acceptable. Even some things that are tolerable are not necessarily edifying. So we must stand up for our convictions. On the other hand, we must be careful about the ways that we assert our convictions. Even in disagreement, we must try to remain kind and charitable. And we should also seek common ground based on the matters that Paul mentions. There is one body- one universal church of Jesus Christ, and one Holy Spirit at work calling all believers to a common hope in redemption. There is one Lord, that is Jesus Christ, God the Son, who suffered, died, and rose to save us. There is one faith, which is both belief in and trust in the Lord Jesus. There is one baptism, the sacrament of entry into the body of Christ through water administered in the name of God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the ultimate unity is in one God and Father who reigns over all.

Different Christian individuals and groups have distinct preferences and practices. Some of those differences are important, and some are not important. Some of those things may be more or less edifying for specific people, and there is room for compromise on some non-essential points of theology or practice. However, on the basics mentioned in Ephesians 4, Christians need to strive for mutual understanding and spiritual unity.