Trinity V- Luke 5: 1-11

The Gospel for this Sunday is Luke's account of the call of some of the apostles (Luke 5:1-11). It shows that the Galilean fishermen had a poor night of fishing and that Jesus guided them to a great catch. The example of Simon Peter is emphasized. As in several gospel episodes, Peter is very emotional. He is amazed and frightened because of Jesus' powerful miracle. Peter wants to run away, but Jesus uses this encounter to call Peter and others to follow Him. The great catch of fish becomes symbolic of the call to catch people for the kingdom of God. It becomes a moment of choice, a call for commitment, a challenge to have faith..

The miraculous catch of fish still applies to potential followers of Jesus. It shows us that Jesus Christ is the holy Lord of creation who still works in amazing and surprising ways. The miracle is a call for us to be disciples, and it points to Jesus' ministry of gathering people for the kingdom of God. Like Peter and the other fishermen, we have a vocation. We are called to follow Jesus in all things and to share in His mission of seeking people for God's kingdom. The specifics vary according to our personal gifts and circumstances, but all are asked to contribute to Christ's mission. We are asked to accept Christ's call and have faith in His redemptive mission for us and for others.

Anglicans and The Augsburg Confession of 1530

At best, many Anglicans are only vaguely aware of the Augsburg Confession. Yet, the principles of this Lutheran Confession are embedded in the Anglican tradition. On 25 June 1530, German Lutheran princes, civic leaders, and theologians presented their confession of the Evangelical faith to Emperor Charles V and to the Diet convened at Augsburg. (This year marks the 494th anniversary of that momentous event.) The Augsburg Confession is a clear and relatively concise statement of the theological principles of the conservative Reformation. Among other points, it demonstrates respect for church tradition while also affirming basic Reformation views on Scriptural authority, justification by faith, the nature of the Church, and the importance of the two Gospel Sacraments. Although certainly reflective of its historical context in Germany, the Augsburg Confession has abiding importance as a Christian affirmation.

Both directly and indirectly, the Augsburg Confession has influenced many other formularies. Christians as diverse as John Calvin and Pope Benedict XVI have expressed admiration for its broad Christian principles. Thomas Cranmer and other English reformers were under its direct influence. From the first Book of Common Prayer onward, traditional Anglican liturgies have reflected its principles. The Thirty-Nine Articles reflect attempts to adapt the Augsburg Confession to the English ecclesiastical, cultural, and political situation. The general content and even the exact wording of numerous Anglican Articles reflect familiarity with the Augsburg Confession and other Lutheran works.

So, Anglicans would do well to be more aware of and appreciative of the Augsburg Confession. It is not an official Anglican standard, but it has been influential on Anglican history and doctrine. Its Scriptural principles have perennial value for Anglicans and all Christians!

Trinity IV- Luke 6:37

This Sunday's Gospel from St. Luke 6 is from the Sermon on the Plain, a section similar to the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. The selection contains many significant sayings of our Lord. One of them is very famous- “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37).

These apparently simple words of Scripture have not always been easy to understand or to apply. On the one hand, we recognize that human beings often misjudge others.  We jump to false conclusions in many cases. We can be harsh about others when we are guilty of similar or worse thoughts, words, or deeds. And even the best human judgments about another person are limited and fall short in some respects. So we must not presume to be totally righteous. We need to keep humble and open minds about other people and their standing before God.

On the other hand, in practical terms, we know that no human being could survive in daily life without making certain judgments about health and safety. And even in moral and spiritual matters, people must make some daily judgments. Both individuals and societies have to make decisions to protect themselves from unwise and bad behaviors. This reality is recognized by Jesus Himself in another passage. In John 7:24, He says, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” 

Thus, our verse about not judging should be understood wisely and sensibly. Christians must not judge hastily or unfairly. We must not judge harshly or unmercifully. And we must not presume that even our best human judgments always live up to divine standards. However, we must value divine law and promote high moral and spiritual standards. We must humbly ask divine help to follow righteousness ourselves and encourage others to do so as well. We seek to be merciful, fair, and reasonable in our opinions about human beings and their behaviors. And we try to treat others as we wish to be treated.

Trinity III- Luke 15:1-10

 The Gospel from St. Luke 15:1- 10 contains two brief but well-known two brief parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin.  The parables illustrate the importance and power of divine grace. Human beings tend to be very concerned about what they lose. Thus, a shepherd who loses one sheep out of a hundred and a housewife who loses one coin out of ten will make great efforts to recover what has been lost. And when they do recover the lost item, they rejoice greatly. Christ's parables present the divine attitude toward sinners as being similar to people who find lost items. Our heavenly Lord is concerned over the loss of any soul, no matter how insignificant that person might seem to the world. He keeps searching for the lost, and He and all of heaven rejoice over every soul recovered.

These parables apply to us. We all belong to God, but at various times in different ways, we get lost and God seeks to find us. Each of us has great value to God, and He seeks us out. He offers us His amazing grace in Word and Sacrament; He takes the initiative even when we are unaware. If we have already been found by Him, we should be grateful to Him and live accordingly. If we are still wandering like lost sheep, we should be aware of God's desire to find us and accept His mercy. In either case, human beings should be more aware of and more appreciative of divine mercy and grace.

Anglicans as Reformed

Many Anglicans say that Anglicanism is "reformed"  Christianity. That is an interesting description, and over the centuries, Anglicans with diverse views might accept it. Almost all Anglicans have been "reformed" in a general way. They have emphasized Scriptural authority, have accepted vernacular liturgy, and have had married clergy. They have also rejected papal infallibility and direct papal jurisdiction. Nevertheless, many Anglicans have acknowledged that they are reformed in some sense without being very clear about what being reformed means. 

So, how should contemporary Anglicans view being "reformed"? Anglicans need to understand being reformed in light of their heritage. Like most Anglicans since the Elizabethan settlement (roughly 1559-1571), contemporary Anglicans should acknowledge the value and the positive insights of the Reformation. While Anglicans value ancient catholic tradition, they reject Roman authority and emphasize Scriptural authority. In a practical Anglo-Saxon way, Anglicans acknowledge the Reformation "solas": sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide.

Trinity II- Luke 14: 16-24

 The Epistle and Gospel lessons for this week bring up the theme of excuses. In daily life, human beings hear or give excuses on all sorts of subjects. We seem to live in an age of excuses. People make all sorts of excuses, great and small. We always seem to find extenuating circumstances for every major or minor failing.

Such human behavior has been around since the Garden of Eden, and we certainly see it in our Gospel from St. Luke 14:16ff. Using the comparison of an ordinary feast, our Lord Jesus Christ points to God's gracious invitation and the human tendency to make excuses. Although insulting to divine grace, such excuses really harm the one making the excuse, not the divine host. God asks for our fellowship but we make excuses, and so we deprive ourselves of His blessings. He can always find other guests who will be grateful.

Each day and each week, God invites us to spend time with Him. He asks us to read His Word and pray, publicly and privately. He offers to feed us in the Lord's Supper. And He hopes that we will accept His hospitality and fellowship with other guests. So we should avoid hesitations or excuses. Except when hindered by events beyond our control, we should accept God's invitation to prayer, worship, and fellowship. Rather than looking for excuses, let us accept the grace that God offers and respond in gratitude.