St. Michael and All Angels- 29 September- Revelation 12:7

 On Anglican calendars, 29 September is a date to honor the role of St. Michael and All Angels in the divine plan for salvation. In Scripture and Christian tradition, angels play several roles, one of which is to assist believers in their struggle against evil. In particular, the Archangel Michael is known as the defender of God's people from the attacks of the devil and his evil forces (Daniel 12:1). 

The harsh realities of worldly life are certainly reminders of our need for supernatural assistance from Michael and the great host of holy angels. Each day, Christians struggle with human weakness and temptation, and the daily news brings new reports of natural disasters, diseases, political corruption and violence, crime, and general moral decline.  Some of the bad things are natural consequences of a fallen world, but as Scripture reminds us (Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:7), our struggles are not merely against flesh and blood.  The devil and his evil forces constantly seek to tempt and destroy us. Therefore, we always depend on divine aid through the grace of the crucified and risen Christ applied by the working of the Holy Spirit. And one way that God helps us is through the watchful protection of His angels who assist believers in the battle against evil.

These worldly realities make the Prayer Book collect for St. Michael's Day especially meaningful for believers: 

O everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels always do thee service in heaven, so, by thy appointment, they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Epiphany V- Matthew 13:24-30

 The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany does not occur every year in the traditional BCP calendar, and even this year it is the last Sunday before Pre-Lent begins. The Gospel for this Sunday (Matthew 13:24-30) is the parable of the tares or weeds. Although the Epiphany Season emphasizes the spread of goodness and light, this passage serves as a reminder that the spread of goodness is not always upward and onward. There are also problems and setbacks. While goodness grows, evil also grows beside it. The church in the world is God's field, but all is not as it should be. God's spiritual enemy has scattered bad seeds in the field. 

In the parable of the tares, our Lord reminds us that life in the world, including life in the church on earth, is a mixture. Certainly, the church at all levels needs individual and community discipline. Sometimes, certain obvious sinners should be excluded from the church. Yet, there will always remain problems and corruption in this world, even in the Christian church. Until the final harvest, weeds will keep growing beside the good grain in God's field. As we recognize that reality, we should also seek divine grace to grow in goodness ourselves and to encourage the growth of goodness around us.

Lent I- Matthew 4

The Gospel this Sunday is the familiar story of Christ’s great fast and temptation from St. Mathew 4:1-11. After Jesus’ Baptism, He withdrew to the Judean wilderness for a period of devotion. At the close of His days of prayer and fasting, the Tempter sought to catch him in a moment of weakness. Satan used appealing lures and even tried to confuse matters by quoting Scripture.

Of course, Jesus of Nazareth rejected the temptations of the devil. He knew that it was wrong to serve Satan for any reason. Jesus chose to live on the earth in the ways His heavenly Father wished. He would not turn away from those principles despite attacks or misunderstandings. He would remain steadfast even when it meant rejection by the crowds and death on the Cross. In certain respects, the Temptation of Christ was unique. No one else has ever been so innocent and resisted temptation so completely. He defeated Satan's temptations on our behalf.

Yet, although Christ is unique, in certain respects, His temptations are similar to those of every other human being. So the story of His basic temptations applies to all of us. Temptations are rooted in the needs of human life. All human beings seek some degree of physical or material comfort. All human beings have some natural desire for approval from other people. All of us want some control over our surroundings.

The problem is that these natural needs and desires can draw us away from God and His intentions for human life. So we must be vigilant and disciplined. We must struggle to remain loyal to divine principles in all areas of life.  And we can only remain faithful through the grace and assistance of Jesus Christ each day. Through the Word, Sacrament, and prayer. He can strengthen us in our weaknesses and in our temptations. And although we stumble, He helps the faithful to repent, arise, and keep walking with Him by faith.

Trinity III- Resisting the Adversary- I Peter 5: 5-11

The Epistle for the Third Sunday after Trinity is a famous and striking passage from 1 St. Peter 5:5-11. This short selection from near the end of the letter contains important themes such as grace, humility, faith, confidence, perseverance, suffering, and temptation. In particular, let us notice 1 Peter 5:8-9, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist stedfast in the faith...."

As Christians seek to grow in grace, we should always be aware that we do not merely struggle against natural conditions or only against our personal weaknesses. We are involved in the cosmic struggle between God and evil. We know that God in Christ has triumphed and will return in final victory. In the meantime, earthly struggles continue, and by divine grace, we must resist evil through faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. He is our only real hope and strength in a fallen world and a corrupt age!

Lent III- For Him or Against Him? Luke 9:50; Luke 11:23

The Gospel for the Third Sunday in Lent is from Luke 11:14-28 and contains a variety of sayings. A striking verse is Luke 11: 23a "He that is not with me is against me." Taken in isolation, this saying may seem to contradict an earlier saying from Luke 9:50b "for he that is not against us is for us." Of course, orthodox Christians do not think that Christ really contradicts Himself. He is truth personified. So we look at the Scriptural context to understand the two sayings.

In Luke 9, the context is about "unofficial" disciples. Someone who is not part of the band of disciples is doing good things in Jesus' name. Although John and the other apostles are zealous to protect Christ's reputation, the Master warns them not to go too far. Anyone who is really trying to follow Jesus and bring healing in His name is not an enemy.

In Luke 11, the context is very different. Opposition to the person and ministry of Jesus is becoming more intense. Some in the crowds have doubts, some blasphemously accuse Him of being in league with the devil, and some cynically and hypocritically want to test Him and show Him up. In such circumstances, neutrality and mild admiration are no longer options. In this context, people face a radical choice: one is either for Jesus Christ or against Him.

We can see these two sayings of our Lord within the development of Jesus' earthly ministry. In the earlier days of His work, the lines between support or opposition tended to be more fluid. However, as evil forces and people became more determined to destroy Jesus Christ, the choices became more drastic.

The same sort of development continues to take place in our time. Sometimes, there are sincere followers of Jesus who may not have the best instruction or credentials. Such people may still serve Christ and not be against Him. On the other hand, we are surrounded by a "post-Christian" culture where opposition to Christ has taken on a new fury. In such a context, we must make clear spiritual and moral choices in order to be for Jesus Christ. Let us pray for grace and wisdom to distinguish such contexts and make good choices! Guided by His Word and His Spirit, may we always be for Him!

Lent I- Temptations of the Flesh, the World, and the Devil- Matthew 4

The Gospel for the First Sunday in Lent is from St. Matthew 4:1-11, the story of Christ's Temptation. There are several ways to approach our Lord's Temptation, but one way to see this Gospel is in terms of the three temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil. Of course, the devil is at work in all the temptations to sin, but the directness of evil varies. 

Christ's first temptation to turn stones into bread is primarily a temptation of the flesh. That is, this temptation appeals to the natural physical needs of the earthly condition. Our Lord resists this first level of temptation, but many times, human beings are overwhelmed by such basic temptations. The second temptation is to impress people by jumping from the Temple. This is a temptation of the world. Again our Lord rejects evil, but many human beings do not resist the temptations for human admiration or approval. The third temptation is more directly about serving the devil in order to accomplish high goals. In other words, this third level of temptation involves using evil means for apparently good goals. Christ is not misled. He refuses to cooperate with evil, but human beings often do not share His resolve.

Our Lord's Temptation and triumph over evil applies to His followers in two respects. First, Jesus shares our human condition and provides us with a holy example for resisting the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil. He trusts His heavenly Father and relies on the commands and promises of the divine Word. We should do likewise. Secondly, Jesus Christ is more than an example. He has resisted evil for the sake of those who have faith in Him. He has overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil for us. Besides being an example, He offers us His grace in Word and Sacrament. Despite our weakness, through His grace, we can grow in our resistance to temptations. During this season of Lent, may His grace increase our awareness and improve our discipline in resisting temptation!

Third Sunday after Trinity- I Peter 5:5-11

This week, my attention has been drawn to the Epistle for the Third Sunday after Trinity: 1 St. Peter 5:5-11. In this passage, believers are urged to be humble. As surprising as it may be to some people, humility is the best way to withstand evil. In particular, the passage warns against the devil. Many modern people doubt the existence of the devil while some others have an exaggerated view of his presence and power. Even many professing Christians lack a sound biblical understanding of evil.

Of course, the New Testament, as shown by today's epistle from I Peter, takes the devil or Satan very seriously, and Christians are called upon to resist his influence. Pride is Satan's great flaw, and pride puts human beings in a vulnerable spiritual position. Humility, on the other hand, means that we are less likely to pursue evil. Humility is a recognition of our proper place in the universe and an acknowledgement of our dependence upon what God has done for us in Christ. We do not depend upon our own feeble efforts to defeat evil; we depend upon divine grace. Through grace, believers pass through the sufferings and afflictions of this world, and we look in faith and hope to our eternal future with Christ.