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Sermons
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Sermon for Ephiphany 1, 2008 |
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008 |
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Epiphany 1, 2008: Holy Eucharist"And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.. .". (Romans 12.2) In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The picture in this morning's Gospel calls for our undivided attention: a twelve year old boy surrounded by old men - the doctors of the Jewish Law. Not just any boy, but Jesus the Incarnate Son of God. And what is He doing? He is 'wowing' those fathers and grandfathers with His understanding and answers. What do you suppose was so extraordinary about Jesus' understanding and answers? Well, may I suggest that the amazement of those religious leaders did not come only at the amount of knowledge Jesus had, but at the type. Remember, the Christian message - the Good News we have to share - is not about how much a person can understand or memorize. No, the Gospel is all about faith, hope and charity, rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ. And, as St. Paul said, "The greatest of these is charity." Given this, isn't it possible (and even probable) that Jesus turned the temple conversation upside down by pointing to charity as the root and end of all the Jewish Scripture and laws? Afterall, He Himself was present among them as an out-pouring of His Father's mercy and charity to the world. And, His whole reason for coming was to complete the saving action of that Divine charity by taking upon Himself the penalty of our sins, and suffering, and dying... The point is, why would Jesus point them to anything else but Himself, since He was the Incarnation - the enfleshment - of God's charity; and the only Saviour of the world. In summary, maybe it was not just an infinite amount of knowledge that Jesus used to astonish the Jewish doctors (although, being the Son of God, He certainly has the fullness of God's infinite Wisdom); but rather, perhaps it was a specific type. He spoke to them about God's great Love, and its transforming power. He pointed out to them the promises of grace, and called them to the new life; and, oh, how foreign that idea was to them who lived and breathed a religion of laws and superstitions. Don't misunderstand me, it was not that Jesus dismissed the Jewish Law - not at all. In fact, He Himself said, "Do not suppose that I have come to weaken the law or the prophets; I have not come to weaken, but to fulfil. " (St. Matthew 5.17) And, by "fulfil" He meant "to show the deeper meaning". For example, He said, "You have heard that it was said to those who were before you, 'You shall not kill,' and whoever kills is guilty before the court. But I say to you that whoever (even) becomes angry with his brother for no reason is guilty before the court. "(St. Matthew 5.21-22) This is where today's Epistle comes into play. St. Paul urges the Romans not to be conformed to this world, "but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind." "Be changed," he says, "for that is why Jesus came: to free us from the power of sin, so that we may be transformed and fitted for the kingdom of Heaven." Is there anything that is NOT astonishing about that? Let us marvel at this miracle, dear friends: that as those born in sin can be saved by God's grace; that God in Christ has come to lead us out of our deep darkness into the brightness of His Heavenly glory. Now while this message is cause for great rejoicing, so are its implications for our lives. Incredibly - astonishingly -- our hope in this life, and ultimately our salvation, are not based on our performance, but rather on God's Amazing Grace. The reality is, we will never know everything there is to know: in fact as we get older it even seems that we understand less. Our days are punctuated with more questions than answers as we ponder life's mysteries. But that's okay - the necessary thing is nit to understand the Divine Mystery but to faithfully worship and serve Him. Our work is to offer ourselves, our souls and bodies to Christ as the Wisemen did; and, along with the Shepherds, to adore Him. Afterall, He is holy and perfect, and we are full of sin. He is Infinite Love, and we are constantly concerned with Self. He is from everlasting, and we are mere mortals. But all of this runs completely counter to the world's quest for wisdom. Always the world desires control and management, and so it churns out paper and more paper, and continuous legislation. It advocates philosophies and learning systems that will liberate the individual and bring justice. But these attempts always bear a tragic flaw: they overestimate the powers of human effort and ingenuity, and they deny the Lord Almighty "in Whom we all live and move and have our being.”Consequently, these kinds of systems, as well-intentioned as they are, tend to thrive on elitism and fear, excluding all those who cannot make the grade. Beware, then, of the many false systems of the world's so-called wisdom. There is nothing new in them, and they do not offer us transformation or hope. Instead they breed competition and fear. Our great need - the restlessness within us - cannot be settled or cured by human effort, nor by education, nor by legislation. Our condition is the result of a separation between us and God that came after Adam and Eve's sin; and it is perpetuated by our own selfishness. So, the only possibility for peace and transformation - the only possibility for hope - is through the healing grace offered by God through Christ. And this healing grace - this Divine Remedy (propitiation) was delivered to us by Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross. Once again, let us ask ourselves: is there anything unremarkable about that Sacrifice - about that Charity? This morning, we see Jesus sitting in the midst of the doctors: the Lord of Heaven and earth beginning His work of teaching and transforming; His work of lifting up what has been cast down; His work of mercy and charity. Quietly and humbly, He manifests the Wisdom and Glory of God. ... This is a difficult thing to grasp - this Glory of God. It is just too high for us, and too beautiful. But, perhaps we may be helped a little to know that "glory" in one sense means "brightness; radiance; splendor", and that everything in Heaven has this radiance. The radiance of God's Holiness. The radiance of His Infinite Wisdom. The radiance of His Perfect Charity. Incredibly, our Heavenly Father yearns to clothe us in this same radiance - for that reason Jesus came. So let us "present our bodies (as) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God for this is our reasonable service. And let us not be conformed to this world but let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."
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Thursday, 22 November 2007 |
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Saint George's Anglican Church