Trinity VII- Romans 6:19-23

The Gospel for this Sunday is from Mark 8:1-9, an account of the miraculous feeding of the four thousand. Christ's miraculous feedings can always remind us of His power and of the human need for both physical and spiritual nourishment. This time, however, I decided to focus on the traditional Epistle from Romans 6:19-23.

This selection continues the theme of Christian freedom that was emphasized in last Sunday's Epistle. Through Baptism, we have been united with Jesus Christ. We have died and risen with Him. Although fallen human beings are mired in uncleanness and sin, through the work and grace of our Lord, we have been given new life. By grace, we can now become "servants to righteousness" (Romans 6:19). Sin remains as long as we are in this world, but it no longer has to reign in the lives of believers. As Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."   

Because of Christ, there is the hope of deliverance from slavery to sin. This deliverance, rooted in divine grace, begins in this world as we are united with Christ through repentance, baptismal grace, and faith. We are freed from the domination of sin and given the grace to bear the fruits of holiness. We remain weak and imperfect sinners in this world, but we can start to change and produce good fruit. This is a gift of God, and it points us toward another gift of God- eternal life through Christ. Eternal life is life lived in fellowship with God through the grace of His Son. Eternal life begins in this world with a faithful response to grace, and it reaches its fullness in the world to come.

Trinity XXII- Matthew 18: 21-35

The Collect for the Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity reads:

Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This collect dates from at least the eighth century but may be older. It has basic themes that tie together the lessons. It views the Church as a household or extended family under the guidance and protection of God the heavenly Father. He is the source of all goodness and godliness who alone can help His human children to do good.

The Epistle is from Philippians 1:3-11. These are personal comments, wishes, and prayers from the Apostle Paul for the Philippian Christians. He anticipates that their continuing faithfulness will lead to good fruits and the praise of God.

The Gospel is from St. Matthew 18:21-35, an important discussion of forgiveness. The selection begins with a question from Peter about the limits of forgiveness. Our Lord replies indicating that forgiveness must not be viewed as a finite numbers game. He illustrates His point with the Parable of the Cruel or Unmerciful Servant. Christ concludes in Matthew 18:35 with a general statement about forgiving trespasses which reminds us of the petition in the Lord's Prayer.

Trinity XIV- Faith and Action- Galatians 5:16-24 Luke 17: 11-19

In differing ways the Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, the Epistle from Galatians 5:16-24, and the Gospel from St. Luke 17:11-19 all highlight the connection between divine grace and human faith and works. In our corrupted condition, we human beings constantly seem to lose our spiritual and moral balance, We tend to forget that everything in our lives depends on the primacy of God's grace. And in considering the human response to divine grace, we tend to focus exclusively either on faith or on works. 

Living faith in Jesus Christ needs to be our first response to grace. Living faith is both a list of beliefs and an attitude of trust. It is also an openness to letting divine grace work. But although faith is our first response to grace, it does not remain alone. True faith bears fruit. It brings hope and love, and faith, hope, and love are expressed through deeds. We renounce and avoid evil actions, and we pursue good actions. For Christians, this process is never complete as long as we are in this world. We often fail, but we repent, seek further grace, renew our faith, and continue to respond with good works,