Trinity XII- 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

 For this Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, my attention was drawn to the Epistle from II Corinthians 3. The Apostle emphasizes the true nature of the common Christian ministry that he and other believers share. In II Corinthians 5-6, Paul asserts, "not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." Even the great missionary apostle who had been given great gifts and a strong will knew that he was not self-sufficient. He acknowledged that God was the source of all that was good and truly valuable. Certainly, the same must be true of every faithful Christian. In some sense, depending on our gifts and circumstances, every believer is called to be a minister (or servant) of the Gospel. From the greatest pastors and preachers to the humblest greeters, cleaners, and workers, we are all asked to serve the cause of Christ, and none of us is up to the task on our own. We all have weaknesses which can only be remedied by the grace of God.

This also means that Christian service must be spiritual. While we value the literal meaning of Scripture and Creed, we must not be literalists. While we respect the guidance of divine law, we must not be legalists. In other words, in serving Christ, we must seek to go beyond letter and law. We must be open to the Holy Spirit who makes the Word alive in our lives, and by grace, transforms us. The Spirit makes us truly alive and enables us to share the life-giving message through serving our Lord Jesus Christ. The ways that we do this are varied (a sermon, a kind word, a prayer, a simple unnoticed act, etc.), but through God's grace in Christ, every believer is asked to serve the Gospel.

Trinity XIII- Faith and Love

 On the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, the Epistle from Galatians 3:16-22 and the Gospel from Luke 10:23-37 seem to be talking about very different aspects of religious teaching and experience. The Epistle highlights the importance of faith over the value of specific commands of the Law. The Gospel emphasizes the great commandments of the Law and the importance of loving actions toward God and neighbor. For many believers, the difficulty has been how to fit the two emphases together. Do we start with faith or with love?

In abstraction, love is paramount. God is love, and His dealings with human beings begin with His love. Human beings are called to respond to divine love. Because God first loves us, we are to love Him and our neighbors. This is beautiful, and it sounds simple, but in reality, loving God and our neighbors is not easy. It is complicated by the fact that human nature is fallen and corrupt. On our own, we are sinners who have lost the capacity to love as we should. 

This human condition means that love is not our first step. Our response to divine love must begin with repenting our lack of love followed by faith in God's love revealed in Jesus Christ. Without such faith, we are not really open to love. God's loving grace must first begin to transform us by creating faith in Him. Christian Faith then opens our hearts to love God in return. And as we begin to love God, we also begin to love our neighbors created by God. As Galatians 5:6 indicates, the core of the Christian life is "faith which worketh by love."

Trinity VI- Matthew 5: 20-26

 The Gospel from St. Matthew 5:20-26 addresses the issue of the Old Testament and divine Law. Christ teaches that His work is inseparable from God's revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures. These verses may be viewed as a comment on an earlier verse. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." These words of our Lord proclaim the enduring value of the old covenant. Christ does not destroy the Old Testament; He fulfills it. He fulfills it by obeying it perfectly and by applying it in a deeper way. He emphasizes the principles and attitudes underlying the specific commandments.

Unfortunately, from New Testament times onward, some professing Christians have not respected the true value of the Hebrew covenant. That was true in ancient times and many times since then. Thus, Anglican Article of Religion VII defends the proper value of the Old Testament. The basic point is in these words- "The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man." 

This means that Christians must not dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant. The spiritual and moral implications of the Hebrew covenant are still a guide for Christians.  Law and Gospel are interwoven together in both Testaments. While some cultural and legal details do not apply to Christians, believers must still hear the Old Testament with respect. They should see how it honors God, how it points to Christ, and how it expects believers to be guided by God's moral Law.

We live in an age of relativism and disrespect for rules. Some so-called Christians deliberately reject eternal moral principles, and many do not appreciate the value of the Old Testament. While Christians live in a new covenant of grace, the Hebrew Scriptures are still a foundation. Even Hebrew rites that do not apply to Christians may teach us something about the work of Christ and the life of the believer.

So today's Gospel is a reminder that Christ does not destroy the Law and the Prophets. Christians are not bound by the minute details of Hebrew jurisprudence and ceremonial, and we are not saved by our good works. However, the spiritual and moral principles revealed by God in the Old Testament apply throughout human history. They apply in our time and in our lives. And we must beware lest we despise what God has revealed. The Law should always point us to the Gospel!

Trinity XIII- Three Uses of the Law- Galatians 3:16-22

 Both the Epistle from Galatians 3:16-22 and the Gospel from Luke 10:23-37 discuss the divine Law, and both point out some of its purposes and the problems of fulfillment. So let us spend some time considering the Law and its purposes. Before looking at these issues, we begin with a warning based on Scripture. The Law is good and useful, but the Law cannot save us; only God's grace can save us. 

Basically, the divine Law has three purposes. First, the Law shows us God's holy expectations in order to restrain outward sin. Secondly, the Law points out our sins in order to lead us to repentance and faith. Thirdly, the Law functions as a helpful guide to those with Christian faith.

1. The first purpose has sometimes been called Civil Use. The general purpose of the Law among all human beings is the restraint of evil. Human societies and individuals have some sense of right and wrong. In diverse cultures and religions, people see that certain actions such as theft and murder are wrong. Even when groups or individuals excuse their own bad behavior, most human beings acknowledge some provisions of the Law. Wherever higher philosophies or monotheism have been influential, people recognize more of the Law. As many Scriptures indicate, the divine Law is implanted in the natural law of creation. In Romans 1:19-20, we read. "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." The Law, in and of itself, cannot change human hearts. It can, however, help to protect the law-abiding from the unjust. The Law promotes a limited measure of justice on this earth until the last judgment is realized. 

2. The second purpose of the Law can be called the Pedagogical Use. This purpose of the Law works somewhat like a mirror. On the one hand, the Law of God reflects and mirrors the perfect righteousness of God. The Law tells us much about who God is, how He acts, and what He expects. On the other hand, the Law shows human sinfulness. This use of the Law is emphasized in Galatians 3. The Law highlights our weakness as fallen beings so that we might seek the grace, forgiveness, and strength found in Christ. It can be said that the law acts as a severe schoolmaster who drives us to Christ. The Law points us toward the Christian faith.

3. The third purpose of the Law might be called the Normative Use. This purpose of the Law is to remind believers what is pleasing to God. As adopted children of God, the Law provides external guidance as we seek to do the will of our heavenly Father. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). We see this deeper moral and spiritual purpose of the Law in Luke 10 where the Good Samaritan shows mercy to a "neighbor." This spiritual and moral guidance might be considered the highest function of the Law among those who have faith in Christ. It helps the people of God to give Him honor and glory in all areas of life.

In conclusion, Christians still owe obedience to the spiritual and moral Law that God reveals in Scripture. We have been freed from the curse of God’s Law. We know that our obedience to the Law cannot save us, but we still have a duty to obey it. Through divine grace, we are given new opportunities to understand and keep the commandments as expressions of love for God and neighbor.

Lent IV- The Prophet That Should Come- John 6:1-14

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Lent is from St. John 6:1-14. These verses form one of the four accounts of the miraculous Feeding of Five Thousand, an event found in all the gospels. These accounts have several themes., but, this time, I would simply focus on one theme that is sometimes neglected.  That theme, especially noticeable in St. John's presentation, is a Messianic theme related to Moses. The passage contains Messianic allusions comparing Jesus with Moses. 

At the beginning of John 6, Jesus goes up on a mountain or hill to teach the people. This is a reminder of Moses who went up on the mount and came down to proclaim God’s Law to the Israelites. Providing food for God’s people in the wilderness is also reminiscent of what Moses did. And at the end of our passage, the people acknowledge Jesus as "that prophet that should come into the world" (John 6:14). In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses predicted that God would raise up a prophet like him and that Israel must listen to that new Moses.

 In the first century, being a new Moses was one of the roles expected from the Messiah, and several New Testament passages see Jesus fulfilling this prophecy. Jesus brings the last great revelation from God the Father. He restates, re-applies, and deepens the divine Law. As the Transfiguration implies, Jesus completes and supersedes Moses and the other prophets. As Hebrews 3:3 says, “For this man [that is, Jesus] was accounted of more glory than Moses….” In other words, Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. He is the new and greater Moses. He brings the ultimate message from the Lord God, and we must listen to Him and heed Him in all that we think, say, and do. 

Being more deliberate in hearing and obeying Jesus as the greatest prophet and Messianic king is one of the great purposes of Lent. During Lent, many Christians focus on devotional preparations and spiritual disciplines. And we do need renewed dedication in these matters. Yet, our Gospel from John 6 reminds us that renewal is not just about our efforts. Lent is about focusing on Jesus. He is the great prophet, priest, and king. He reveals God’s will, and He seeks to save us. So in faith, we must heed Him and accept His guidance.

The Circumcision and the Name of Jesus- 1 January- Luke 2:21; Philippians 2:9

The first of January has been associated with several liturgical observances in the history of the Church. From at least the 800's, the Roman rite commemorated Christ's Circumcision on this eighth day of Christmas. Books of Common Prayer from 1549 through 1928 in the US and 1962 in Canada continued this emphasis. Stressing Christ's circumcision fits in with the reality of the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, was a real Jewish male. He humbled Himself, continued the covenant with Abraham, Moses and David, and came to fulfill all righteousness. 

Another emphasis on this day is the name of Jesus. Some recent Anglican calendars have made this the title of the feast, but one also finds an emphasis on the name in the traditional Epistle and Gospel.  In the Epistle from Philippians 2:9, we read, "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." In St. Luke 2:21 , we read that at the circumcision the child "was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb."  Of course, Jesus (Greek IESOU, Aramaic YESHUA) was a common Jewish name, meaning "The LORD saves." In the case of this holy child, the common name takes on special significance. This child born in Bethlehem is the Lord Himself come to save His people. And Christ's work in the heavenly Father's plan for human salvation is what gives Him a name above every name. What better way for us to begin the New Year than by praising His holy name and giving thanks for the salvation that has come in the Christ Child!