Advent I/St. Andrew the Apostle- Matthew 21

This Sunday, November 30, is both the Feast of St. Andrew and the First Sunday in Advent. Andrew first brought his brother Simon Peter to see Jesus, and they began to follow Him together. Advent I begins a new church year and the season of preparation for Christmas. Since the fourth century, Advent, a word derived from the Latin word "coming," has been a time to emphasize the theme of Christ's coming into the world.

At first glance, the Gospel selection from Matthew 21:1-13, a Palm Sunday reading, may seem strange. Yet,  when read at this time of the church year, the account is primarily a reminder of the varied ways that Jesus Christ comes into human lives. Christ, the Messianic King, came into the world long ago. He keeps coming to us through the work of the Holy Spirit in Word, Sacrament, and prayer, and Christ will come again to conclude earthly history on the last day. 

As Matthew 21 shows, Jesus comes humbly and peaceably as our rightful ruler who does not have to prove Himself. Yet, even when He comes in this simple and peaceful way, He automatically brings rebuke and judgment upon human corruption. Such human corruption perverted the purposes of the Jerusalem Temple and still corrupts the Church in this world. So, as our Lord purified the Temple, so also He must purify His Church repeatedly. Both the institution and individual Christians need to be cleansed and renewed. As we begin our Advent preparations for the great Christmas festival, let us also examine our souls. Only through spiritual self-examination, repentance, and renewal in faith can we truly develop an appreciation for the good news that Christ's coming brings.

Sunday next before Advent- Jeremiah 23:5-8; John 6:14- Endings and Beginnings

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year, and there have been various ways of dealing with it. Sometimes it has not received special attention. Since the 1970s, some modern calendars have inserted new observances such as the feast of Christ the King. Certainly, we should always be aware that Christ is our King, but the 1928 Book of Common Prayer followed a different approach to include this theme. The 1928 revisers looked back to the Sarum tradition for the name of the day and for the collect and lessons.  

The collect and epistle point to the need for a new beginning. In the liturgical epistle, which is actually a selection from the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 23:5-8 looks to the day when the Lord God will raise up a Branch from the Davidic line. This new king will lead His people in justice and righteousness. His acts of redemption will overshadow the Exodus from Egypt, God's great act of redemption from the past.

The Gospel also points to a new beginning and makes a similar point. The crowd is impressed by the miracle of the loaves and fish. Despite their lack of true appreciation, in John 6:14, they call Jesus "that prophet who should come into the world." They are referring to Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. In his prediction, Moses implied that a new prophet, like Moses but greater, would come to speak more directly from God. Christians see this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus (see Hebrews 3:1-6).

As long as this world endures, human beings will always undergo endings and new beginnings. Christ is our King and the greatest Prophet. He is also our great high Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15). In all our beginnings and endings, especially in spiritual, devotional, and moral matters, we depend on Him to lead us into greater righteousness. We need His grace to renew us through all the changing times and circumstances of life.

Trinity XXII- Matthew 18:21-35- Forgiveness

The Gospel for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity is from Matthew 18:21-35. This passage consists of two sections on forgiveness. In the first brief part (18:21-22), St. Peter wants to know the limits of his responsibility to forgive. According to one Jewish tradition, forgiving someone three times was sufficient. So when Peter suggests that forgiving seven times might be enough, he is being generous. Jesus, however, tells Peter that it should be "seventy times seven." Of course, keeping a mental count of 490 incidents would be impractical and unlikely. Thus, in other words, our Lord is telling Peter and us that we are not to keep count of how often we forgive. We should be gracious as God is gracious.

The second part of today's Gospel (St. Matthew 18:23-35) has been called the parable of the unjust or unmerciful servant. In this parable, a servant owes his king an enormous debt, a billionaire's debt. He and his family are about to be sold into slavery. The man begs for an extended payment plan, and the king writes off the whole debt. Rather than being humble, grateful, and kind, the servant goes out and ruthlessly tries to get every penny from a fellow servant who owes him a comparatively minuscule debt. When the king hears of this lack of mercy, he revokes his previous decision and punishes the unjust servant to the full extent of the law. Then our Lord adds the key conclusion in Matthew 18:35, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every man his brother their trespasses."

All the debts that we human beings owe each other are minuscule in comparison to what we owe our heavenly King. We can never repay God for what He has given us and forgiven us. Our trespasses are enormous offences against divine goodness, and we are completely dependent upon divine mercy. So we too must show mercy by forgiving others. As we pray repeatedly, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Trinity XXI- John 4:46-54

 The Gospel for the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity is from John 4:46-54 and is the second Galilean miracle in St. John's account. A "nobleman" or "official" wants Jesus to come and heal his critically ill son. Our Lord does not agree to come. Instead, He comments on the popular desire for outward signs and assures the man that his son will live. 

This account serves as an important comment on God's healing power at work in Jesus Christ. All too often, the human mind likes to say that God always works in certain ways. Of course, certain divine characteristics remain constant. God is always loving, holy, powerful, and merciful. Yet, God's redeeming and healing power and grace work through Jesus Christ in a variety of ways. Sometimes, Jesus heals a person in His immediate presence; sometimes, He heals a person at some distance. Jesus may or may not have a conversation with the person. On occasion, Jesus utters a declaration of forgiveness of sin. He may touch the person who is healed, or, as in this story, there may be a simple word from Jesus indicating that the prayer is answered. This variety of approaches is a reminder that God in Christ can use diverse means to express His power and grace. Thus, we need a faith that trusts in Christ to work in the way He chooses for our healing and redemption!

All Saints Sunday- Revelation 7:9-17, Hebrews 12:1, Jude 3

 Around All Saints Day, many Christians make references to departed saints. Some Christians stress invoking the prayers of the faithful departed. Other Christians fear that any observance of the day may be dangerous. Still others may mention the day as a generic memorial day for those who have died. 

However, traditional Anglicans have sought a more balanced or moderate approach. We maintain teachings that we consider agreeable to the Holy Scriptures and consistent with the best teachings of the ancient church. We reject the medieval overemphasis on the role of past saints, while respecting their examples and recognizing a spiritual communion among all those who are faithful to Christ. As Revelation 7:9-17 illustrates, true believers from all groups and times praise God as those still on earth do daily and weekly. As Hebrews 12:1 reminds us, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and as Jude 3 exhorts us, we should keep contending for the faith once delivered to the saints.

Prayer Book Calendars have retained many days honoring saints. The faith and examples of the saints should be honored and followed. Although the medieval cult of saints sometimes went in extreme or semi-idolatrous tangents, respect for the heritage of the saints has been a basic part of orthodox Christianity.

In conclusion, let us remember and honor the saintly Christians who have gone before us and handed down the biblical faith. However, let us be careful in our enthusiasm lest we exaggerate their importance and detract from Christ's role as our unique Mediator!