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“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite episodes of that 1990’s sitcom Seinfeld! is the one entitled “Opposite Day.” It’s the episode where Jerry Seinfeld’s friend, George Costanza, is so fed up with the way his life is going that he decides one day that he is going to do the opposite of what his natural impulses tell him to do in any given situation. George tells Jerry and Elaine, “all of my decisions have been wrong, so, why not try doing the opposite?” George starts by ordering a different kind of meal than what he usually orders at the diner. Things then get interesting when Elaine points out to George that an attractive woman nearby has been looking at him. At first, George says, “So what? I’m unemployed and I live with my parents! Who would be interested in me?” Then he remembers that his own instincts have always been wrong. George decides again to do the opposite: he goes up to the women and introduces himself to her, says, “Hi, I’m George, I’m unemployed and I live with my parents!” And hilariously, the woman responds, “I’m Victoria. Hi!” Reading today’s lesson from St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that the secret to living the good life is the opposite of what the world tells you is the good life. The world says that the good life is found in wealth, happiness, and success. Jesus tells us that the good life is found in knowing God, not in wealth, happiness or success. Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus continuing His public ministry. And as we observed last week, Jesus’ ministry is getting a lot of attention. People come from Judea, Jerusalem and from Tyre and Sidon to hear Jesus teach and be healed of their diseases. And Luke tells us that Jesus healed them all. Then Jesus begins to teach. It’s important to note that Luke tells us that Jesus came down from the mountain and “stood on a level place.” This is reminiscent of what we see in Exodus. In Exodus, Moses goes up Mt. Sinai to talk to God and then come down and talk to the people of Israel. This is what happens when God gives the Ten Commandments. He first gives them to Moses, who then goes back down to the foot of the mountain to share them with the people. But this morning, we see Jesus coming down from the mountain to speak to the people. He does not give them the Ten Commandments, but rather His own updated version called the Beatitudes. What is significant here is that the Ten Commandments were God’s rules for living a righteous life and thus living as a member of God’s covenant community, the people of Israel. The Beatitudes, on the other hand, are Jesus’ description of what the benefits of life in the Kingdom of God include. Principally, this means that those who are Jesus’ followers will be the beneficiaries of the “Great Reversal” that Jesus is bringing about in the world: the first are last, the last first, the proud are being brought low and the humble are being raised up. In this new world, the poor and the outcast are the ones who enjoy the special attention of the Lord and are given a special place in His heart. For the past few weeks, we in Adult Sunday School have been reading and discussing The Didache, an ancient Christian document that was written shortly after the completion of the New Testament. And what we find in The Didache is the contrast between two ways: The Way of Life and the Way of Death. This notion did not originate in The Didache. It comes to us from Jesus Himself and we hear it in His teaching in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus’ Beatitudes—blessed are you who are poor, blessed are you who hunger now, blessed are you who weep now, blessed are you who are hated and excluded and reviled. This is the Way of Life. St. Ambrose says that one who is poor is not greedy, one who weeps is not proud but submissive and tranquil. One who mourns is humble. One who endures persecution has gentleness. In other words, what Jesus is teaching us is that those things that we would rather avoid in this life, being poor, experiencing hunger, mourning, experiencing persecution, all these things can and will bring us closer to God and grow in us His life and love, if we will simply turn to Him for help in all these things. Conversely, the Way of Death is to think oneself rich, to be full of the things of this life, to laugh, and to be spoken well of by others. Why would this be so? It sounds so counterintuitive to us. But how often have we seen in our lives or in the lives of others that complacency that sets in when everything is going well—I’ve got lots of money, lots of friends, and everything seems to be going my way—that we forget about God? We forget about Him and we allow ourselves to think that our blessings are the result of our own hard work and smarts, and that we really don’t need God very much at all. It is a terrible temptation. Last year I had the privilege of listening to Fr. Jerry Kramer talk about the great spiritual awakening that is taking place in the Middle East, in places like Kurdistan and Iran, where the Church is growing by leaps and bounds. One thing that Fr. Kramer told us that really stuck with me was that the Christians there do not pray for an end to the fierce persecution that they experience every day, because if it did, it would mean that they would not experience the power and presence of God that they do now. They understand that as long as the persecution continues, that God’s power and presence will continue to be among them, to help transform the lives and win many souls to Christ. The big message that Jesus is trying to give us here is that the Prosperity Gospel preachers have it backwards. Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is not the ticket to health and wealth. Indeed, becoming a Christian is the means to the Good Life, but health and wealth is not the Good Life. The Good Life is fundamentally to be found in union with God and His Son Jesus Christ and becoming more like Him. There is great joy and fulfillment to be found as we each seek to pursue God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. But it will lead to trouble. Conversely, if we seek a trouble-free life, such a desire will lead us away from God and it will not give us the fulfillment or joy that God promises. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
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“And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.’” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
One of the most significant things we can observe from today’s Gospel lesson is that Jesus is so much more than a miracle worker. Yes, He can turn water into wine, and He can cause fishermen to have a huge catch of fish even under poor conditions. What we can observe from today’s passage is that Jesus is very skilled in transforming lives. He knows people, and He knows how to grow them up and to turn them from ordinary people doing everyday things into extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. St. Luke’s account begins with Jesus engaging in His public ministry. It started with His teaching at the synagogue in Nazareth, and then Jesus went to other synagogues to preach. But Jesus’ teaching ministry is not limited to the synagogue. Jesus is also preaching in public places. Here we see that Jesus has drawn such a large crowd that people cannot see or hear Him. Thus, Jesus decides to get into a boat and go out onto the lake. This will help Him be both seen and heard. And Jesus chooses Simon’s boat to go out in. Now Luke introduces Simon to us here, but we know from St. John’s Gospel that Simon has already met Jesus, back when Andrew introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. When Jesus is finished speaking to the crowd, He turns to Simon and tells him to put out his nets for a catch. Simon, the experienced fisherman, tells Jesus that they had already done some fishing during the night, when fishing conditions are ideal, but caught nothing. Nevertheless, Simon follows Jesus’ command and puts out the nets for a catch. Simon’s transformation from fisherman into Jesus’ disciple has begun. Jesus begins the process by inviting Simon to do something that seems impossible in the natural—to try to fish in the middle of the day at a place where they had already been unsuccessful when fishing conditions were better. Simon’s faith and trust in Jesus is rewarded. A miracle happens! Simon and others caught so many fish that the nets were starting to break, and they had to call for help from the other boats to bring in the catch. Simon knows what is going on. Clearly, it is not because of his skill as a fisherman that they caught so many fish. He already knew that conditions were not good for fishing. Furthermore, he also remembered that they had caught nothing the night before when conditions were right. Simon knows that this is a miraculous catch, that God is present. And Simon realizes that Jesus is no mere man, but that He is God. Filled with this realization, Simon is moved to fall at Jesus’ feet, and exclaim to Him, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” At this moment, Simon is overwhelmed with thoughts of his own unworthiness. He knows that he is a sinner in the presence of the Son of God. This is a sign that Simon is ready to follow Jesus and be transformed. Jesus, knowing Simon’s heart and the hearts of the other men present: James and John, who were Simon’s fishing partners, invites them all to go deeper with Him. Jesus says to Simon, “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.” With these words, Jesus is telling Simon (and James and John as well) that life that they have known it is over. Jesus is going to take them and transform them is something much more than they ever thought they could be. Here we see Jesus at work: First He teaches. And He invites others to participate in the work with Him. He does this by inviting Simon to take Him out on the lake in Simon’s boat. Jesus then follows up His teaching with a sign or a miracle—the big catch of fish. This is facilitated by Simon’s trust and faith in Jesus by simply obeying Jesus’ command to put out the nets for a catch. Simon’s obedience facilitated Jesus performing a miracle. And when Simon sees the miracle, he is cut to the heart. He knows that he is an unworthy sinner. There is no pretense or guile. No assertion of his own spiritual bona fides. Simon, as he is confronted with the reality of the presence of God, simply surrenders and acknowledges his own wretchedness. Now Jesus has Simon’s full attention. And Jesus says to Simon, in effect. Don’t worry about your sinfulness, Simon, because I am going to transform you into something wonderful. I am going to make you into my partner in building the Kingdom of God, and I am going to use you to bring others into relationship with Me. Where are you in your relationship with Jesus? If you’re here, it means you have at least been introduced to Him. Maybe He’s asked you to do something for Him, something straightforward, but not too difficult, like giving Him a ride on your boat so that He can speak to the crowd from the lake. He’s invited you in and you’re watching Him at work. But then Jesus asks you to do something that doesn’t seem to make any sense to you. It doesn’t sound like something that is possible for you to accomplish. How have you responded? If you did what He asked, what happened? A miracle? What was the impact on you? Simon had his first breakthrough with Jesus because he was willing to surrender and trust Him. And it was then Simon realized who Jesus was. This realization broke him, broke down all his pride and self-sufficiency. Now he is ready to be clay in the hands of the master potter. Now we know that while Simon has his first breakthrough here, we know that he will face more challenges ahead. But we also know that Jesus will not give up on him, that Jesus will always be praying for Simon, and working in his heart to grow him up into one of the heroes of the faith. For you and me, it comes down to two things: First, do we trust Jesus enough to do what He asks us to do? And second, when we come to the realization of our own sinfulness, does that knowledge cause us to despair or to go deeper with Jesus? One of the most encouraging things about this story is not simply that Jesus has the power to do the impossible, but that He wants to use people who are broken sinners to partner with Him in His work of building the Kingdom and bringing salvation to the lost. What Jesus did for Simon and James and John is what He wants to do for each of us. He wants to turn us into men and women who are “catchers of men.” Jesus wants to help us increase our faith, trust Him, and surrender ourselves to Him so that He can heal and deliver us from our sin and transform each of us into His instruments for the salvation of the world. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Happy Feast Day everyone! Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and of the Purification of St. Mary the Virgin. This day marks the fortieth day since Jesus’ birth. Traditionally, it was regarded as the official end of the Christmas season. This feast day was first observed by Christians in Jerusalem in the middle of the fourth century. In the sixth century, the Roman Emperor Justinian ordered that it be celebrated as a thanksgiving for the end of a plague, and since that time it has been observed by Christians in both the East and West. The Roman Catholic Church formally designated this day as a Feast of the Lord in 1960. The importance of this day is that it marks Jesus’ first entrance into the Temple, and it is a reminder to us of Mary’s role in God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is significant in that Mary and Joseph were obedient to the Law of Moses which required that they present their first-born child in the Temple and offer sacrifice, and that Mary undergo the rites of purification for a woman who has given birth. Have you ever wondered why the Law of Moses required that the parents of their first-born son bring that child to the Temple and offer a sacrifice? What is this all about? The fundamental principle at work here is the understanding that every first-born son belongs to the Lord, animal and child alike. This harkens back to the Passover, when God spared the first-born sons of Israel when He sent the Angel of Death to slay the first-born sons of Egypt. Second, prior to the Exodus and the giving of the Law, there was the law of primogeniture, meaning that the first-born son serving as the family priest as well as having the right of inheritance. According to the Law of Moses, God designated an entire tribe to be priests, the tribe of Levi. Therefore, the first-born son must be “ransomed” from the demands of the priesthood. St. Luke tells us that while the Law called for the sacrifice of lamb for the occasion, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons could also be offered for the sacrifice if one had only modest means. Mary and Joseph were of modest means and could not offer a lamb, but as we know from the Gospels, the baby Jesus is Himself the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This baby Jesus would become both King and Priest of the entire human race. Now Mary and Joseph are not unique in the Scriptures of offering their first-born to the Lord. All the way back in Genesis, we read that after Abraham and Sarah were blessed by a son in their old age, Abraham was asked by God to offer his first-born son Isaac to God. Then in 1 Samuel, we read about how Hannah prayed to God for a son, having been barren for many years. When God answered her prayers for a son, Hannah then dedicated her son Samuel to the service of the Lord, and he became one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. Then in the New Testament we read about Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest, and he and his wife Elizabeth were too old to have a child. Yet, God tells Zechariah that his wife will have a son, who will be the great prophet John the Baptist. Amid all these great stories of God’s miraculous work, God asks for sacrifice. Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar. Hannah gives up her son to serve in the tabernacle. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son John the Baptist goes out into the wilderness to proclaim Christ and then is beheaded in prison. And Mary’s son Jesus Himself goes to the Cross and though without sin, dies a painful and shameful death on behalf of a sinful human race. Mary and Joseph offer their sacrifice in the Temple to fulfill the Law’s requirements, but Mary’s sacrifice isn’t completed. Remember Simeon says to Mary, “Behold this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon tells Mary that the Son of God’s work of salvation will be costly not just to Him, but to Mary, as she would see her son Jesus rejected and misunderstood, and then unjustly condemned and sent to the Cross to die. Today, we as followers of Jesus Christ no longer need to follow the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant. There is no longer any Temple. There are no more animal sacrifices. Yet the notion of sacrifice is not obsolete. On the contrary, as followers of Jesus Christ, we still believe in sacrifice. We believe in sacrifice because we wish to participate in Christ’s sacrifice for each of us. Each time we participate in the Eucharist, in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood we don’t simply remember (that is, have a memory picture in our mind) of what Christ’s accomplished for us on the Cross, but we remember (make present here and now) Christ’s sacrifice and we participate in in it with Him. As we pray together in the Eucharistic Prayer from the traditional rite: “And here we offer and present unto Thee, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto Thee…” To be a Christian is to live one’s life as a living sacrifice to God. On this Feast of the Presentation, we honor Mary the Mother of God for her obedience and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the salvation of the human race. And we offer to God once again our own lives as the living sacrifice, so that He may use each of us for His honor and glory, for the building His Kingdom, and for the salvation of the world. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit “[Jesus said] ‘But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be, then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. One of the ongoing themes we find in the Scriptures is the theme of the coming “Day of the Lord.” It’s an expression used for the end-times, one that refers to that great Day when the Lord comes to destroy evil, vindicate His people, and establish His Kingdom and rule “on earth as it is in heaven” as the Lord’s Prayer says. You will find it throughout the Old Testament, in the writings of the Prophets, and in the New Testament, starting with John the Baptist in the Gospels and continuing through the Book of Revelation. Today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark reminds us that Jesus is the most prominent of all those who point to this great Day of the Lord. The 13th Chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel is noteworthy because it contains Jesus’ sayings about the future. In Mark 13 you will find five different strands of Jesus’ predictions about the future: 1) Prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem, 2) Warning of persecution to come, 3) Warnings of the dangers of the Last Days, 4) Warnings of the Second Coming, and 5) Warnings of the necessity of being on the watch. The immediate context of today’s Gospel lesson is Jesus predicting the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem. Jesus has been telling the disciples about the coming destruction of the Temple and the persecution that that will take place. And Jesus warns them that they will be arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned. He encourages them not to worry about what to say or do when the day comes, but to rely on the Holy Spirit to show them what to do and say. It will be a difficult time, as even family members will betray family members to the authorities, and Christ’s followers will be despised by all. Then in verse 14, Jesus says, “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” What is Jesus talking about? Jesus is borrowing the language from Daniel 12:11 which says, “The abomination that makes desolate is set up.” (Which is from today’s Old Testament lesson.) Jesus is talking about a great sacrilege, when the Temple itself is profaned in the most egregious way. Jesus’ use of Daniel’s phrase “abomination of desolation” serves as a stark reminder to His listeners of their recent history. The expression reminds them of what happened during the reign of the Seleucid King Antiochus Epiphanes, described in 1 Maccabees 1:54-56, which says, “Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of Judah and offered incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire.” History tells us that King Antiochus offered swine’s flesh on the great altar and erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple and ordered the Jews to worship it. But remember that is Jesus is talking about the future, about things which are to come. And we know from history that the Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to build a statue of himself and have it erected in the Temple around 40 AD. But this never happened, as Caligula was assassinated before his orders could be carried. We do know from history that during the Jewish revolt in 70 AD the Romans came and destroyed the Temple and the city, carrying off most of the Temple furnishings, which have been lost to history. We also know that thousands fled the city and thousands more were slaughtered by the Romans. Furthermore, the Christian historian Eusebius wrote that the Christian community in Jerusalem escaped before the war as a response to a prophecy given from the Lord, and that the destruction of both the city and Temple was seen as God’s judgement upon those who had rejected Christ. Jesus’ words can be understood both as a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, but also foretelling future events which have not yet occurred. Therefore, we must heed Jesus’ words and be on our guard. It is obvious to all of us who have been paying attention to the events of the past 50 years that there has been a dramatic rise in hostility to Christianity around the world. There are more Christians being martyred today than in any time in the Church’s history. Additionally, we also see that many of the established historical churches have become spiritually corrupt at the highest levels—the Archbishop of Canterbury has just resigned for failing to deal with a sex abuse scandal that had been going on for years. And Pope Francis has said many things that contradict Catholic teaching and has promoted people in the Church who are also hostile to that teaching. While the recent election results in our country give us hope that religious freedom will be protected in the short term, we must not be too distracted by current events and keep our spiritual discernment sharp. The worse things get, the more we as followers of Jesus Christ need to stay close to Him and be diligent in our discipleship. In verse 22, Jesus says, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.” Jesus is warning us that there will be someone who will arise who will be an Antichrist. He will be the Abomination of Desolation. He will perform signs and wonders, and there will be those who will believe that he is Jesus who has returned. But signs and wonders alone aren’t proof of his Messiahship. Rather, the faithful proclamation of the Word of God will be the deciding factor. Therefore, Popes and Archbishops and prominent pastors who are famous and popular but are not preaching the Word of God are not to be trusted. We must remain true to the Word of God. We must trust that no matter how difficult things become, Christ is in control of history. We will be entering the season of Advent in just a couple of weeks. As we reflect on Jesus’ warnings about the future, we are not to be distracted by current events, nor allow ourselves to caught up in the commercializing of Christmas. Let us keep our eyes fixed in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and put our complete faith and trust in Him. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “And [Jesus] called His disciples to Him and said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more that all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Did you notice that one of the main characters in our Old Testament and Gospel readings this morning was a widow? Back in Bible times, widows were among the most vulnerable groups in society, along with orphans. Why? Because widows, like orphans, did not, in many cases, have anyone to care for them. In that society, a woman was not allowed to own property. A woman was first under the care of her father, and when she got married, she was then supported by her husband. When her husband died, it was the responsibility of her sons to care for her. But there were some widows who had no one to care for them when their husbands died, and there was no social safety net back in those days. So, to be a widow was to be someone in a very difficult place, enduring not only the loss of a husband, but also the protection and provision of family. Our Scripture lessons today demonstrate that God pays special attention to the weak and vulnerable, especially widows, and that He goes out of His way to extend His love and grace to them. In our Old Testament lesson from 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah encounters Zerephath, a widow from Sidon, who is poor and has nothing. Elijah goes there by the Lord’s command and asks her for a drink of water and some food to eat. At first, Zerephath is incredulous, as she has only a little food left, barely enough for one last meal for herself and her son. But Elijah encourages her to extend this hospitality to her, assuring her that the Lord will provide for her and for her son. And the Lord does for Zerephath was Elijah says He will do, miraculously enabling the flour and the oil last until the famine ends. He is an example of the Lord generously providing for a poor widow who gives the last of her food to feed the man of God. Then fast forward to today’s Gospel lesson, and we read about the widow at the offering box in the Temple. St. Mark tells us that she puts two small copper coins into the offering box. It was a tiny amount, only a fraction of a cent. Yet Mark tells us that Jesus singles out her gift for special praise, even though it was by far the smallest. Jesus praises her gift because she gave all that she had. Others gave out of their abundance. Both stories illustrate the spiritual nature of giving. That is, true giving comes from a heart that is filled with faith. It’s a response to what God has already done and confidence in what He will do. Zerephath didn’t know what God would do, but she trusted God enough to give Elijah the last of what she had. And God came through for her in a big way. On the other hand, we don’t know the story of the widow in the Temple who gave the two small copper coins. But we do know that she also trusted God enough to give away the last of what she had as a sign of her love and gratitude to God. There was a recklessness in the generosity of these two widows. Common sense dictated that if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from you don’t give away what little resources you have left. Common sense dictated that if you’re a poor widow, you’re in no position to be giving out charity. But these widows did just that. The heart of this kind of reckless generosity is the response of a grateful heart to God’s grace and mercy. Do you remember the story of how Lazarus’s sister Mary poured a very expensive bottle of ointment on Jesus’ feet and then wiped His feet with her hair? Judas Iscariot was offended, as he thought it was a waste. The ointment could have been sold for a lot of money. But Jesus praises Mary, because she did it with a heart of such love and gratitude for what God had done for her that she wanted to demonstrate her love and gratitude in a reckless way. In the same way, Zaccheus, the tax collector, was so honored to host Jesus in his home that he repented of his past corruption and gave back four-fold to all those whom he had defrauded. Reckless generosity! St. Luke’s version of the story of Mary’s gift of expensive perfume does not mention her by name but informs us that she had a notorious reputation as a sinner. Her gift to Jesus was in response to the love and forgiveness that Jesus had shown to her. Jesus explains “her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” All of us here today are the recipients of God’s grace, love and mercy. What is our response to that great gift? Is our response one of overflowing love, gratitude, and joy? A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is so beloved by all of us because it is such a powerful and wonderful story about a man who is confronted with his own wretchedness and transformed by God’s love and grace. Ebenezer Scrooge turns from the epitome of an ungrateful and harsh miser to a loving and recklessly generous man. That reckless generosity is not only a response to the love and grace that he received, but also a source of great joy and satisfaction too. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “And Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabbi, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C. S. Lewis once observed, “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.” Lewis’ observation reminds me of that old 1970s show “Fantasy Island.” It was a very popular show about a special place where people of means could pay to have their fantasy made reality. Mr. Rourke was the very suave host on the island, assisted by his faithful lieutenant, Tatoo. Each week would feature guests who would come to Fantasy Island to have their fantasy come true. What made the show popular and compelling was that famous actors would appear on the show each week. And the fantasies would be very familiar—what if you got to be with a lover from your past, what if you became rich and famous, a star athlete, or something else? Many times, the fantasies were wonderful and a lot of fun. Sometimes the fantasies helped the characters recognize things about themselves that they didn’t know before, an occasion for personal growth and maturity. And other times the fantasies would involve painful personal lessons. As intriguing as the possibilities presented by the show Fantasy Island were, the opportunity presented to Bartimaeus in today’s Gospel is more compelling. Here we have an occasion where Jesus comes face to face with a man in need, and what happens when a desperate man responds with courage and faith. Jesus and his disciples are passing through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem. And as it is usually the case, Jesus’ presence draws a crowd. St. Mark tells us that a blind man, Bartimaeus, is also present. What is noteworthy is that Mark not only tells us the name of the blind man, which is unusual, but also the name of his father, Timaeus. St. Matthew says there are two men, but gives no names, while St. Luke gives a similar account to Mark’s but leaves out the name. St. Augustine suggests that the reason Mark does this is because Bartimaeus comes from a prominent family, and his blindness has caused a dramatic drop in his fortunes. Bartimaeus is now a blind street beggar. When Bartimaeus hears that it is Jesus passing by, he cries out at the top of his lungs, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The title “Son of David” is a messianic one, revealing that Bartimaeus believes that Jesus is no mere rabbi or holy man, but the Messiah. And it is that faith that causes him to cry out even louder when the townspeople rebuke him for making a nuisance of himself. Bartimaeus, like the woman with the issue of blood, like the Syrophoenician mother, like the Roman centurion, is persistent and determined to get what he needs from Jesus, despite opposition, despite his fears. And Jesus, who always sees those that others do not see, who has compassion on the lowly and needy, sees and hears the cry of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Jesus tells some bystanders, “Call him.” And some of the bystanders, who just a few moments ago were telling Bartimaeus to go away, now tell him, “Take heart. Get up, He is calling you.” So Bartimaeus gets up and goes to Jesus. Jesus then asks him a simple, yet profound question: “What do you want me to do for you?” Even though Jesus is the one in control of the situation, even though Jesus knows the Bartimaeus’ heart and need even better than Bartimaeus does, He invites Bartimaeus to ask for what he wants. It is a reminder that Jesus wants a relationship with us. He wants us not to simply be passive recipients or bystanders with Him, but active participants. Jesus invites us to ask, and He wants us to exercise our wills. He wants us to hear Him and respond to Him. Remember what Jesus said to the crippled man at the Pool of Siloam? “Do you want to be healed?” Bartimaeus’ request is straightforward and from the heart: “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” Certainly, it was a request for a restoration of his physical sight, but it was also a plea for spiritual sight too. Bartimaeus the blind man, because of the crucible of his lowly condition, now understood something he did not know in his earlier life. He understood his need for God. He understood that he was spiritually blind and wanted to see clearly, as he had the faith to believe that Jesus the Messiah could give that to him too. Back in the Old Testament, when Solomon became king, the Lord came to him and invited him to ask of the Lord whatever he wanted. And Solomon asked not for riches or power, or the defeat of his enemies, but for wisdom, that he might rule God’s people well. God was very pleased by Solomon’s request, so he not only granted Solomon wisdom, but all those other things he didn’t ask for, but wanted. In the same way, Jesus was pleased with Bartimaeus’ request, and so he gave him not only his eyesight, but spiritual sight as well. He rewards Bartimaeus’ faith in Him, which contrasts with the lack of faith from Jesus’ own disciples. If Jesus was standing in right in front of you, and He asked you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” What would you ask for? The answer we would give would reveal a great deal about the state of our hearts. Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus shows us three things about our relationship with God: First, we need to be persistent. Second, we need to respond immediately when Jesus calls us. Third, our requests to Him need to be specific and concrete, the result of self-examination. We need to be desperately definite in our asking. Finally, we need to have faith in who Jesus is and what He can and will do. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem, “Blind Bartimaeus” and the final verses say this: “Ye that have eyes, yet cannot see, in darkness and in misery, recall those mighty voices three, (In Greek) “Jesus have mercy on me” “Take heart, get up, He is calling you” and “Your faith has made you well.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “[Jesus said], But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In the movie, “A Man for All Seasons” John Hurt plays Richard Rich, an ambitious young man who comes to Sir Thomas More seeking a political appointment. More refuses him, instead offering him a job as a teacher. Later, when Thomas More gets in political trouble with King Henry, the King’s associate, Thomas Cromwell, offers Richard Rich the political appointment he covets if he provides any damaging information about More. Soon after, Richard Rich betrays More to King Henry’s men and is eventually named Attorney General for Wales. Ultimately, Thomas More is executed for refusing to endorse both Parliament’s declaration making King Henry the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the King’s marriage to Anne Boleyn. At the epilogue of the film, the narrator mentions the untimely deaths of the major figures of this episode, apart of Richard Rich, who he says, “Became Chancellor of England, and died in his bed.” One of the reasons why we are so disgusted with our politics and so mistrustful of politicians is because we see so few Thomas Mores, who are ready to sacrifice all for the sake of principle, and are instead governed by thousands of Richard Richs, who have no principle at all, except for a desire for position and power, and the prestige and honor that go with it. This desire for position and prestige, to be a part of the “Inner Ring” as C. S. Lewis called it, was a temptation even faced by Jesus’ disciples. In today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark, we see this ambition among the disciples break out into the open. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, or as Jesus called them, “the sons of thunder” approach Jesus and ask him on the spot if He will place them on His right hand and on His left. It was a bold request. Essentially, what James and John were asking Jesus for was to be promoted from the Twelve to be the top two. After all, it was well understood in those days that if you sat on the right hand or the left hand of the ruler, that meant you were one of the ruler’s closest advisors, and your power was great, second only to the ruler himself. Jesus’ replay to this audacious request is to say, “You don’t know what you’re asking.” Here again, as we have seen so many times in the Gospels, Jesus rejects the premise of the question. James and John are asking the question based on a false understanding of who the Messiah is. James and John believe, like many of the disciples, that the Messiah is to be a King like King David—a great military and political ruler who will drive out the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. And when Jesus establishes His Kingdom, they want to be senior members of His new government. They want to be a part of the new ruling elite. Like Richard Rich, they want an appointment at the royal court. Those of us who have been watching the current season of The Chosen on Wednesday evenings have noticed that the series speculates that James and John decided to make this request to Jesus as a result of Jesus’ declaration to Simon that, because of Simon’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Simon is now called “Peter” the Rock upon which Jesus will build His Church. And James and John are put off by what appears to be Jesus’ elevation of Simon to a special status. Meanwhile, when James and John’s mother hears about what happened, she admonishes them for not standing up and asking Jesus for what they want. This draws upon Matthew’s treatment of this incident, where his account states that it is James and John’s mother who makes the request of Jesus, thus suggesting that it is her ambition for them, not that of James and John. Nevertheless, James and John’s request is very misguided and reveals that the ambition and rivalry among the disciples is rooted in a profound misunderstanding of Jesus’ ministry and their place as followers of Jesus. Jesus explains this when He asks them, “Are you prepared to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” What Jesus is pointing out to them is that if they are going to reign with Him, then they must be prepared to endure and do the things that Jesus does. To “drink the cup” is an expression of enduring suffering and pain. To “be baptized” means to be fully immersed in something. Jesus is saying in effect, “If you want to stand with me, you must be prepared to suffer and die with Me.” James and John bravely respond that they can drink the cup and be baptized in this. Yet, Jesus then tells them that He has no authority to grant their request, that only the Father can and will determine such positions of honor. James and John’s request sparks anger and resentment among the other disciples, who perceive it to be an effort to gain status, and they are jealous of it. All this is clear evidence that they do not understand yet Jesus’ call to discipleship. Jesus then explains it to them. He tells them that the call to follow Him is not a call to lordship, but a call to humble service. Jesus says, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Once again, Jesus redefines the ministry of the Messiah and the meaning of true leadership and discipleship. It’s not about status. It’s about serving. Jesus is a King who has come to liberate and to rule. But He will not do it through armies and conquest. He will do it as the Servant King, who rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a great horse or chariot. Although He is Lord, He will wash His disciples’ feet. And He will conquer by going to the Cross and dying a painful and shameful death for the salvation of the world. As Jesus laid down His life for us, He bids us to follow Him by laying down our life and taking up our Cross. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “Follow the money” is a famous line from the movie “All the President’s Men” about the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s. It was by following the money that the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to discover who was involved in the Watergate scandal and why. In politics, the expression means that if you want to know who is corrupt, look and see who is getting money and from whom. The expression “follow the money” is also very helpful when reflecting the state of our personal life. If you want to understand what your priorities are, look at your monthly expenses. In today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark, we read about Jesus’ famous encounter with the rich young man. It’s a lesson in not simply the seductive effect of wealth on our soul and spirit, it is really a lesson on how idolatry can prevent us from growing in our life in God. The encounter begins when the rich young man approaches Jesus and asks Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a big and important question! And Jesus takes it seriously. But Jesus’ response to the man’s question is to go deeper. Jesus doesn’t settle for the standard answer to the man’s question. Throughout the encounter, Jesus is examining the man’s heart and mind, inviting him to go deeper in his understanding and commitment. Initially, Jesus seems to be put off by the man’s question. He refuses to accept being addressed “Good teacher” as if he was rejecting any attempt at flattery. Jesus emphasizes that all earthly teachers a flawed and sinful, and that only God Himself is the truly good and holy teacher. Nevertheless, as the readers we know that since Jesus is the Son of God, then He is, in fact, good, and worthy to instruct the man on this subject or anything else pertaining to the spiritual life. Then Jesus takes the man through the Commandments. It’s a set up by Jesus. He knows that this is what the young man is expecting. And the young man eagerly replies that he has kept all of these from his youth. He’s proud of himself, as if to say, “look how good I’m doing!” Then Jesus takes the man where Jesus wants him to go. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Once again, we see that Jesus is not interested in mere external obedience. The young man had become very diligent in keeping the set of rules and commandments that God had laid out. Yet, something is still missing. The rich young man has not given all of himself to God. Rather, he prides himself on the progress he has made so far. And he has come to Jesus looking for affirmation and support. But Jesus tells him that while he’s doing pretty good, if he’s serious about going all the way with God he must take the next step. For the rich young man, that means selling all of his possessions. You see, he’s rich. And his wealth is a source of security and pride. He doesn’t need to depend on anyone. Not even God. And if the man has his wealth and possessions, he’s still in control. Or at least the illusion of it. He’s not ready to give that up. But if he’s serious about following God, he needs to. What is idolatry? Is it simply worshipping a man-made object? Or is it something deeper? What Jesus is telling us this morning is that idolatry is anything that we put in place of God. It is anything that we depend on for our safety and security outside of God. In an affluent society such as ours, money and possession are an idol for many. We put our security in that. We say, if I have my resources, then I’m okay, I can make it. On the other hand, it may not be money. It may be our looks, or our reputation. It may be our health. Or it may be our professional talents. And Jesus’ invitation to the rich young man is simply, “let go of that which you put your security and well-being. And live completely dependent upon Me.” That was the point where the rich young man needed to let go and really put his faith and trust in God. For you and me, it may be something else. Whatever you find to be the most difficult thing to let go of and give to God, it is on that point which you must yield, if you are going to reach that place of Christian maturity and joy that God wants you to have. Otherwise, you are trying to follow God in your own strength. For many of us, we know that there are certain parts of our life that we’re not ready to yield over to God. So we try to bargain with God: “I will do this and this for you, God, if you will just let me do this or keep this.” But He keeps bringing us back to that one place. And He says to us, “if you’re serious about following Me, you need to let go.” C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew those jobs needed doing and so you’re not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” God isn’t interested in turning us into good people. Rather, He is looking to kill the old self, and resurrect us into new people who are like Him, so that we may share in His work and in His life. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “[Jesus said], Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to one wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Marriage and family life are in a state of crisis in this country and throughout the developed world. Today, in the United States, more than 50% of all marriages end in divorce. 40% of all children are born outside of marriage. 60% of men ages 18 to 30 are unmarried. And the birthrate in the United States in 2021 was 1.66, with 2.00 being the replacement rate. We now live in a society where only a minority of households are married couples with children. Furthermore, there is an increasing unwillingness on the part of young people to get married or to even date. Many men are arguing that marriage, as it exists in the developed world today, is no longer a good investment for men, as no-fault divorce laws make it easy for couples to get divorced, with men bearing most of the financial costs while losing custody of their children. The bottom line is that marriage today is not seen as a holy sacrament established by God for the development of the family and the protection of children, it is seen as a vehicle for personal fulfillment only. Sadly, ungodly and selfish views about marriage are not a modern problem. As today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark illustrates, ungodly views about marriage and relationships were common back in Jesus’ day. Today’s Gospel reading begins with yet another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, this time over the issue of divorce. And, as usual, the Pharisees set up the confrontation in the hopes of getting Jesus to say something heretical, so that they would have a basis for making the charge against Him. It begins with a seemingly innocuous question, “It is lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” In response, Jesus refers them back to the Law of Moses, asking, “What did Moses command you?” They reply that Moses allowed a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce. Jesus then tells the Pharisees that Moses’ commandment regarding divorce was not a strict provision making divorce a positive good and a right, but rather a concession to sinners who had put themselves in a bad situation. In those days, men had most of the rights in society. Only men had the right to divorce their wives. In Jesus’ time, there was a debate between the Shammai school, which argued that a man could only divorce his wife on the grounds of sexual immorality, while the Hillel school argued that a man could divorce his wife on any grounds. Rather than get caught up in this debate, Jesus tells them that God’s plan for marriage is much deeper and permanent than what they were asserting. God’s plan for marriage is rooted in creation, when God created humanity male and female in the Garden. Jesus tells them, “But from the beginning, of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Jesus is telling his hearers is that marriage is a holy covenant established by God in creation. God created us male and female to complement and care for one another, and to provide companionship. God established marriage as the fundamental building block of society, the vehicle by which men and women could love each other and raise children together. While marriage can be and ought to be personally fulfilling, it is better understood as a school for discipleship, the place where we as individuals learn to love and care for others and serve God and give glory to Him. Thus, Jesus declares that, in God’s eyes, there is no theology of divorce. Marriage is a permanent union between one man and one woman for life. That’s why Jesus says that those who divorce and remarry are guilty of the sin of adultery. It is a radical claim, even offensive to us in this era of divorce and remarriage. But it reflects Biblical teaching which declares that marriage is a solemn union made by God for a man and woman for life. The fact that that Moses established regulations concerning divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 does not alter this basic understanding. Again, Moses established the regulations in recognition of human sinfulness. Sadly, we have lost this understanding of marriage as a holy, lifelong union between a man and a woman. We have lost the idea of marriage as a covenant, thinking of it today as a vehicle for personal fulfillment. As a result, we have serial marriage and divorce. Children bear the brunt of this chaos, and it is reflected in lower academic achievement in school, increased depression and anxiety, and in sometimes violent behavior. And adults pay the price too, with significant increases in loneliness and addiction. So what must we do? Let us recommit ourselves to the Biblical understanding of marriage as a lifelong covenant. Let us repent of our selfishness and our superficiality. We must make our marriages our number one priority and dedicate ourselves to making them strong. Divorce must be a last resort, rather than a first resort. And we must always keep God at the center of our marriages. Married couples need to make it a priority to worship together, pray together, and serve God together. Since we all live in the wake of the sexual revolution, none of us can claim any moral standing in the eyes of God. Rather, we must repent of our past sexual sins and turn to God. As it says in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “a threefold cord is not easily broken.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “And [Jesus]sat down and called the twelve. And He said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is an election year, and our election season has been full of controversy and conflict. At the heart of this conflict is a profound distrust of our government and of our institutions, including schools, businesses, and churches. And the heart of this mistrust is the increasing belief that these institutions are no longer serving the people they were created to serve but have become self-serving and unaccountable entities whose policies seem to benefit only those running the institution. Let me cite some examples: First, the Covid pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and mandates, including mask and vaccine mandates. There was a notable lack of transparency about the scientific data supporting these policies. Now, four years later, it has been revealed that there was little or no scientific data supporting lockdowns, mask mandates, or social distancing. Furthermore, the Covid vaccine that was given to millions of people was proven to be ineffective in many cases and led to harmful side effects in many others. None of these events has resulted in greater humility or transparency on the part of public health officials. Second, the American Big Three automakers are facing dealership revolts over the fact that the automakers embraced government mandates regarding EV’s and spent billions to make EVs that the public won’t buy. The dealers are stuck with inventory they cannot sell, while prices for internal combustion engine cars are driven higher by inflation and scarcity. While the leadership of these companies are starting to retreat on their commitment to EVs, executives continue to make huge salaries even as their companies lose money. Third, the leaders of many churches meekly submitted to government mandates to close their churches during the Covid pandemic. Only a few church leaders ever spoke out against government dictates to close churches. Many leaders, particularly in the Episcopal Church, imposed strict bans on church services, thus depriving their own people access to the Sacraments and to public worship. When you look at human history, you will discover that self-serving bad leadership is not unusual, it is commonplace. It was the norm during the time of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah after David and Solomon, with a few notable exceptions. And it was certainly true in Jesus’ time. And it is with this backdrop in mind that we discover that Jesus’ commandments regarding true leadership are both startling and inspiring. We discover that Jesus’ teaching about leadership is rooted in His way of exercising His ministry as the Messiah. Today’s passage from St. Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ foretelling of His coming death and resurrection. Jesus tells them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.” This statement is both painful and controversial to the disciples, because they expect Jesus to be a King David style Messiah, who will drive out the Romans and re-establish the Davidic monarchy. They expect that they will be a part of this new ruling elite. But Jesus’ statements underscore the fact that His Kingdom will be established not by war and conquest, but through the Cross. Jesus intends to be the suffering servant described in Isaiah 53. This truth is underscored later, when Jesus overhears the disciples arguing about who is the greatest among them. Many of us who have been watching The Chosen video series have noted that when Jesus responds to Simon’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus declares that Simon is now Peter the rock, and that Peter will be the leader of the disciples with the authority to act in Jesus’ name. This stirs up feelings of jealousy and rivalry among the disciples, who want to make a case for their own contributions to “the cause.” Jesus intervenes and gathers the disciples together to redirect them. He tells them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” This statement is a radical departure from what was the traditional method of leadership. In those days, as well as today, to be the leader was to be “large and in charge.” The leader was the boss, and you had to do what the leader said. The leader got special privileges, and he could act arbitrarily if he wanted to. The disciples witness this firsthand with the behavior of their Roman overlords and their local puppet rulers like King Herod. They even see it in the behavior of local tax collectors and the Jewish religious establishment. But Jesus turns their understanding and experience of leadership on its head. According to Jesus, being the leader does not make you “large and in charge.” Rather, the leader is the one who is “last of all and servant of all.” Jesus says that true leaders are the ones who serve others and put their needs first. True leaders are ones who put the needs of the institution, the customer and the public first, even children, who were usually overlooked in ancient times. Jesus demonstrates His own commitment by His life and ministry. He is constantly at work: healing, teaching, and serving. He washes the disciples’ feet. Then Jesus goes to the Cross and dies a painful and shameful death for the salvation of humanity. Jesus is the true Servant-King. His Kingship and His commandments are all rooted in obedience to His Father’s will and His love for all of us. Jesus is more than simply “large and in-charge.” For Jesus is, as it says in Luke 6:35, “kind to the ungrateful and evil.” In this way, then, Jesus defines leadership as discipleship. To lead means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to learn His ways. To lead means to embrace humility and accept responsibility. When I think about those who have been great leaders, they have all embraced these aspects of Jesus’ teaching: They put the needs of the organization and those around them first. They will do what they expect others to do. They are “the last of all and the servant of all.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. |
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