Is Man Wise Now?

Psalms 14:1   The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Within the past few days, I have had serious discussions with a “churchman” who describes himself as a “post-theist.” I had to ask for help with that term, because it did not want to leap to any unfounded conclusions about it. Apparently, a post-theist believes that, while God may have been a useful idea at an earlier time in human history, God is now just an out of date idea, a concept that should be discarded altogether by our more “mature” society today. Post-theism rejects the very idea of God as simply irrelevant to modern man. Along with this, from this same “churchman” I learned that he believes that there is no such thing as sin. Further, he tells me that the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross was pointless and completely unnecessary; he says that the Resurrection is the proof of this fact. Oh, and that Jesus death on the Cross had nothing to do with sin. One really amazing statement was this one:

In my view, “sin” is a purely human concept. It has nothing to do with God. Nor does God give as damn (sic) about what we do in bed!

It has been a real education for me!!

Let us consider again the opening quote I gave from Psalm 14, which by the way is repeated almost identically again in Psalm 53:1. Ancient man knew with great certainty that there was a God in heaven; he saw the evidence of this all around him every day. He was aware of creation as an ordered event, demanding a Creator, not the result of an accident. He was aware of his own fallen state, his sin, because the Law of God was written on his heart and later he was given the Ten Commandments. It was clear to ancient man that he was a created being, that he was not the final arbiter of right and wrong, but that he would be eventually held accountable for his deeds in this life. It was even evident to ancient man that this world was not the end, there is in fact life after death, and that how we live this life will determine how we will spend our time in eternity.

Now it is certainly true that not all ancient men had these insights. There have always been men who denied that there was anyone or anything at all greater than themselves. The Lord God who created the heavens and the earth chose to reveal Himself to a particular people whom He called His Chosen People, the Hebrews. Through their history, He has interacted with mankind, and revealed Himself continually through the ages. He sent a steady stream of messengers, the great leaders such as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and all of the prophets to bring his message to the Hebrews. God’s ultimate messenger was His Own Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, sent to bring the message of salvation for all people through His own atoning sacrifice on the Cross followed by the defeat of sin and death in His Resurrection.

Since the time of Jesus Christ, in the Christian West, there has been a huge expansion of knowledge, more than in all preceding time combined. It has been an accelerating expansion, that is, the more knowledge has been gained, the more rapidly it has continued to expand.  This has been true in every are of knowledge that one might wish to consider. In particular, the knowledge of science and the way the world and the universe works has grown profoundly. Questions which ancient man might have never even considered are today considered as standard exam questions in many areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. And yet, we have to ask, “Has man become wise?”

It was in the 17th century that the great Isaac Newton discovered his Laws of Motion and Newton’s Law of Gravitation. He, along with Leibnitz, invented the calculus, a huge leap in mathematics, simply because it was necessary for their work. Newton’s work was built in large part on the work of others including Kepler, Brahe, and Galileo. His results seemed to explain the observed motion of the planets, and many other mechanical phenomena entirely, and were accepted as established Laws of Physics for many, many years. This situation remained until the early 20th century when Einstein showed that Newton’s Laws of Motion are in fact not entirely correct; this came under Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. And yet, Newton’s Laws of motion are sufficiently accurate for most purposes, unless the motion approaches the speed of light. All of the trajectories, orbits, transfers, etc. involved in the US space program have been calculated on the basis of Newtonian mechanics; the theory of relativity is not used at all there. So what have we learned? The older methods of Newtonian mechanics remain useful in almost all cases, while the “correct” relativistic mechanics of Einstein has little application.

In the 19th century, Charles Darwin published his theory of natural selection, the basis of the very popular theory of evolution today. Many are concerned that it appears to contradict the Bible account of creation given in Genesis. More about that in a moment. Consider the theory of evolution itself. It has never, ever, been demonstrated at all, by anyone, to the best of my knowledge. To be sure, viruses do mutate into other, closely related viruses and we discover that our drug therapies are no longer effective. This is not the gross evolution indicated by the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution tells us that birds came from reptiles. Has anyone been able to make that happen, to start with a reptile and through some sort of breeding process produce a bird? I don’t think so. No one has been able to produce a different species from that which they start with. Dogs always produce dogs; cats always produce cats; horses always produce horses, and so forth. The theory of evolution is entirely, utterly without a single demonstrable case. And yet, this is what people demand, shouting and screaming, must be taught as “science?”

Now, does the (impossible to demonstrate) theory of evolution really contradict the Genesis account of the creation of the earth? NO. The Bible is not intended to be a science book, and therefore is not intended to address the question of “how.” The Bible is a book of the history of God and man, and with regard to the creation, it addresses the question of “who.” Specifically, the Bible tells “Who created the heavens and the earth?,” not “How were they created?”  The Bible also makes clear that the process of creation was an orderly process, done in a definite sequence under the control of the Creator, rather than the chaos of a random event. Everything that is of God is orderly (even if we have difficulty at times seeing the order), and that right there excludes anything that is random.

The more man learns, the more he should be able to see and appreciate his Creator. Sadly, mankind in the large is not like that, and many tend to see themselves as becoming “gods.” (Recall that it was the pursuit of knowledge, through the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that caused the downfall of man, according to Genesis.) So it is today that many people, particularly those with only limited and superficial knowledge of science, are inclined to think that science has overthrown God and provides all the answers today. Those who know most about science are often the most religious and the most convinced of the operation of God, probably because they get a better view of Him through their work.

But we are in a precarious situation. The more people come to believe that there is no God, the more irrational, brutal, and tyrannical they become. They think, in their own minds, that they will never have to answer to any One for their evil. This is where we are today. Man has become knowledgeable, but man is most certainly NOT WISE! Knowledge without wisdom is exceedingly dangerous!!

Wisdom from my Dad

This past week, we have witnessed the horrific murder of an honorable member of the British Army on the streets of Woolich, a part of southeast London, as I understand it. He was murdered in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses, by muzlim fanatics, praising their false moon god of Saudi Arabia. It was a most brutal murder, with a knife and a meat cleaver, and the man was decapitated, all as he was walking along the streets near his residence. This is only the most recent of countless outrages perpetrated on the UK and other Western nations by the followers of the seventh century murder, rapist, warlord, and pedophile known as mohammed.

At this point, I want to tell you a story, related to me many years ago by my Dad. Some years before I was born (we are talking about the period between WW I and WW II here), my Dad served as a Scout Master for a troop of Hispanic boys in South Texas. These were really a rowdy bunch of boys, and fist fights during Scout meetings were common. My Dad instituted a policy that anyone involved in a fight would get a whipping. He enforced this policy, but the fights continued.

As Dad studied the situation, he noted that there was one boy, let’s call him Roberto, who was never in the fights, but seemed to enjoy them very much. He watched carefully and realized that Roberto was the instigator of most of the fights. Roberto would say to one of the boys, “Ruben called you a $@#&!! What are you going to do about it?” and perhaps follow up by saying something similar to Ruben. Sure enough, a little later, Ruben would be in a fight with the other boy.

So, Dad revised his policy. Anytime anyone was involved in a fight, they would get a whipping, just as before, but Roberto would also get a whipping, even though he was “not involved.” The fights ended almost immediately.

This brings me back to the muzlim problem. At its root, izlam is a blood-thirsty political system, bent on world domination, and only hiding under the veil of being a religion. Its followers come to Western countries, not to be loyal citizens of their new homelands, but as an invading army. Their intent is conquest. There is no reason whatsoever why they should be treated to the same rights and privileges as the loyal citizens of the country they have invaded. They should be treated as invaders, even though they are not in uniform!

Applying my Dad’s wisdom here, I suggest that whenever there is any sort of muzlim violence, by all means those involved should be quickly and severely punished. But in addition, I suggest that several, perhaps a half-dozen to a dozen troublesome imams and their associated operating base (mosque, muzlim association, or whatever) be shut down. The imams should be imprisoned or deported immediately, and their base organization should be closed permanently.

I know that some will say that this denies them the “right of due process under the law.” I would argue that, as invaders, the are not entitled to due process. The army does not give “due process” to an advancing enemy soldier before shooting him, and this is exactly the same situation. We just need to wake up and see it for what it is!

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Pentecost Epistle

Acts 2:1–11

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Today is Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, and the birthday of the Christian Church. Happy Birthday, Church!! It is the day when the Holy Ghost first came upon the Apostles, placing flames of fire on their heads and causing them to speak in many foreign languages.

The first lesson for the day is:

Acts 2:1-6   1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.  6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

In the previous chapter, the eleven Apostles remaining after the death of Judas Iscariot had just met together to elect a successor to Judas. They chose Matthias to take the place of Judas, and chapter 2 opens with the reading given just above.

It is certainly clear that the coming of the Holy Ghost cause a mighty confusion, a dramatic event with the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, and suddenly each of the Apostles beginning to speak in a foreign language. The great drama of the event is a theophany, the evidence that it is truly the coming of the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Holy Trinity. But at the end of the reading, when the Apostles begin to speak in various foreign languages, is this more evidence of the theophany, or is it something else?

I would suggest to you that this is evidence of the intent that the Gospel is to be carried to all people in their own language, so that they will be able to understand it. When the text says that the foreign visitors to Jerusalem were confounded, it really means simply that they were amazed and surprised at what they were hearing. It does not mean that they were in any way blocked from understanding the message, but rather just the opposite. The message came through to them directly and clearly in their own language.

The motivation for this post happened this morning in the small mission parish where I was worshiping. Since moving to Texas, I have not been saying Sunday Mass on a regular basis, but rather have been sitting in the pew in a congregation in the Diocese of Fort Worth. The congregation is served by a very learned man as Vicar, so I was quite surprised when he read the Gospel lesson (not the lesson above) first in Swedish, then in French, and finally in Spanish, but never in English. Later, in his sermon, he explained that he wanted us to experience something of the chaos (his word) of the events of the coming of the Holy Ghost.

This little congregation is a mixture of white, black, and brown (Hispanic) folks, all English speaking. As luck would have it, I think all of our few native Spanish speakers were not present today, so I seriously doubt that anyone present understood a word of the Gospel lesson as read. I think that the Vicar missed the point of that portion of the First Lesson; we are not to receive the Gospel as chaos and without understanding, but rather, we are to receive it in our own language and with full understanding of the Gospel message.

Be that as it may, this is the day that we remember the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and His continuing work in the world today.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Easter — Christ Is Risen! What Difference Does It Make?

Preached March 31, 2013

Romans 6:9–11

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The long awaited feast of Easter has finally arrived, and we can say with great joy,

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These few words are the central message of Easter, and quite likely are the only words that most will carry away from their Church services this morning. It is indeed the central message of the day, that Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, who was crucified upon the Cross of Calvary for the sins of the world has in fact over come death and has risen from the dead. It is a perfectly amazing fact when stated in isolation, just all by itself, out of any context. How many other examples of people rising from the dead can you cite, rising from the tomb after several days in which it is absolutely certain that they were buried, as we know in the case of Jesus Christ? Recall that Roman soldiers were sent to guard His tomb, because it was feared that His body might be stolen away in order to fake a resurrection story, so we may say with complete certainty, no one tampered with that grave. And yet, Jesus did arise. Getting ahead of our story a bit, we know that He was eventually seen by the disciples and many others during the next forty days.

We have been talking about the simple fact of Jesus’ resurrection, something that has been known for almost 2000 years now. We may well ask the question, What Difference Does It Make? In order to approach this question, let us take as our text for the day, a passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 6:9-11   9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us consider the first verse of the text, 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. Since the beginning of time, death has been the mortal enemy of man. Every man has seen his future ending in death, and this has worried mankind from the beginning. A typical example of this concern is found in Psalms 89:47-48   47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?  48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?  Death is the common expectation and experience of all mankind, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ has not changed that at all. But let us read on, remembering that Jesus was in fact true Man, because of the Incarnation, and verse 9 tells us that, not only has Jesus risen from the dead, but that He will not die again. We all know of cases, particularly in modern times, where a person is declared clinically dead, and yet they are eventually ressucitated and returned to life. In some cases, the resussications occur after relatively long time periods, so that one might be tempted to  say that the person has indeed risen from the dead. But what invariably happens is that, eventually, that person dies a natural death at a later time. This is simply our mortal nature. But verse 9 is telling us that death has no more claim upon Jesus; He will not die again. He has broken the hold of death. Death is defeated by Jesus Christ, a completely new thing!

This is important. It says that, despite the experience of all of mankind, death is not invincible. It can be defeated, and Jesus Christ is the one who can defeat death! This is a first, and it has never been repeated by any other man, for obvious reasons: Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and there is none other like Him! If we want to have any hope of a life beyond this life, we must look to Jesus as the only One who has shown the way.

Moving on to verse 10, we see 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  In His death, Jesus took all of our sins upon Himself, so that He who was without sin, became filled with sin, to bear the full weight of the sins of the world upon the Cross. This is very hard for us to imagine, but only in this way could Jesus truly take our sins upon Himself. In rising from the dead, however, Jesus has shaken off all of those sins, and is once again the pure, spotless Son of God so that He can live, both in this world and in heaven above to the glory of God the Father. In defeating death, He breaks all the bondage of sin. He is able to do this for Himself, and in like manner, He is able to do this for us. This is critically important, because it means that the sins that still hold us at our death can and will be broken by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, to the glory of His Father in heaven.

Finally, in verse 11, St. Paul turns his attention to what he wants his readers to remember  about all of this:  11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just as the resurrected Christ was free from sin, so likewise, we his followers should turn away from sin in every  form. We are specifically called upon to lead chaste lives, to keep ourselves pure and unspotted from the world, and to imitate Jesus in our lives. As Jesus lives in heaven to glorify His Father, so we living in this world should live our lives to glorify God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in every aspect of our lives.

Now, it is quite obvious that there are many in our modern world who ignore the significance of the Resurrection in their daily lives. Some do so by conscious decision that they think this whole “Jesus business” is simply for the weak and feeble minded. These are the militant atheists; they are often loudly outspoken. People such as Richard Dawkins come immediately to mind. There is a much larger number of people who simply ignore the Resurrection and its consequences by virtue of having never given it much serious thought. Our public education system today encourages this approach, often by suggesting that relgion ought to be a “very private matter,” something not to be discussed in polite company. The fact that this sort of thinking has been allowed to come to dominate our society is a failure of the Christian Church. Our Great Commission is to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations, and this cannot possibly be done if the Gospel must be considered  “a very private matter.” This line of thinking, often called Political Correctness, is actually a form of Marxism, and it is designed to suppress all religious faith. We must be prepared to ignore PC, and preach the Gospel fearlessly, just as Jesus Christ did during His public ministry (can you imagine Jesus shrinking away, for fear of offending the Pharisees? It is to laugh!). No, we must be dead to sin, but alive in Christ Jesus, and ready to pursue the Gospel without fear! If we do anything less, we are not truly alive in Christ!

Today we rejoice in the Resurrection of our Risen Lord, recognizing that without the Resurrection, there would be no Christianity. It is the Resurrection that is the proof of the pudding! This is the day that Jesus finally and conclusively proved beyond all doubt that He was indeed the Son of God, the long awaited Messiah of the Jews, and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. If He had failed to return, Christianity would have withered and died like so many other religions have along the way. But it has not. It has become the religion that has changed countless lives over the last two millinia, has driven the development of European culture and all of the accompanying developments in art, literature, science, medicine, mathematics, etc. None of this would have happened without the Christian faith and the understanding of God that it has given to mankind. None of that is of the slightest consequence except as it contributes to the salvation of souls and the greater glory of God who sent His only Son to be our Saviour.

Let us pray the Collect for Easter Day:

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we  may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Do They Understand What (Theological) Love Is?

One of the most hotly debated topics in America today is how Christians should deal with homosexuality. For generations, the Church has taken a clear moral stance to the effect that homosexuality is wrong, clearly condemned in Holy Scripture, and that there really was not much more to be said about it. In recent years, the multifaceted homosexual community, GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgendered) as they are known, have continued to press for acceptance of their chosen manners of life as natural, normal, and fully acceptable. The subtext of their clamor is to the effect that their perversions are even praiseworthy, and should be recognized as such. They use catchy little slogans such as, “God does not make any mistakes,” implying that their manner of life is God-given and therefore God sanctioned. There seems to be very little evidence to support the idea that these are mistakes of nature in most cases, but rather they are choices made by people looking for adventure and excitement. These are people who see their bodies as their own to be used for their own purposes, not as gifts from God, their Creator, to be used for His glory.

While there can be no doubt that homosexuality has existed for ages, there can also be no doubt that the rulers and leaders of the nations have recognized that this was an unnatural way of live, contrary to the will of God, and counter productive to their respective nations. For this reason, homosexuality has always been generally suppressed, that is, until recently. Now our leaders have lost their sense of moral direction, and they are willing to listen to, and be persuaded by, any foolish group that makes enough of a clamor. The LGBT group have been fairly effective in marketing their ideas, and we find all manner of civic leaders now speaking out in their favor, people who a generation earlier would not even have considered doing so. A case in point is a prominent member of Congress, well known for his opposition to gay marriage, who has just recently announced his support for gay marriage now that his own son has announced to the world that he, the son, is gay.

Some of these leaders who are coming out in support of the LGBT life style are saying things such as, “We are New Testament Christians; we are not bound by the Old Testament.” In saying this, they think that they escape from passages such as Leviticus 20:13   If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them, and other similar passages. What they are missing completely are these words of Jesus Christ: Matthew 5:17-18   17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. It is rank foolishness for us today to think that we can call ourselves “New Testament Christians,” and thereby live in total ignorance of the Old Testament. Jesus Himself followed the Mosaic Law, and we are in no way at all above our Master!

But then they argue, Jesus did not condemn anyone, He only preached love. Well that is immediately false on its face. There are many examples of Jesus’ condemnation, but one will suffice: Matthew 23:27   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. And yet, unknowingly, they are correct; even here, Jesus is preaching love, Theological Love. At this, you may say, and just what is this Theological Love? For you to love another person, in the theological sense, does not even require that you be acquainted with that person, strange though that may sound. It requires only that you seek and desire what is best for that person, in particular, that which draws that other person closer to God. Now that does not sound at all like the popular conception of love, sometimes described as luuurrvveeee, but this is real LOVE. This is the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13, that chapter that is so popular for use at weddings, and has nothing at all to do with romantic love!

Now, what does the matter of Theological Love have to do with the LGBT push for social acceptance and acclaim? Just this. Anyone who supports this movement to recognize and approve this lifestyle, thinking that this is an act of love, is in fact committing an act of eternal evil against these confused and sinful people. It is condoning and approving their sin, rather than helping them to move away from it. The so-call “condemnation” by the Church in previous generations has been a call to repentance, a call to turn away from sin and return to righteous living. And so the Church must continue to say to the LBGT people, “No, that life is the road to death, both physical and spiritual death. It does not bring you closer to God. Repent, and come to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Who forgives all repentant sinners.”

This is the only way to speak to them in LOVE.

The Face of Evil

I saw the face of a demon last night, and it was not pretty. Actually, it was very ugly and quite frightening. It happened in the Church parking lot, following Maundy Thursday services, which makes it perhaps all the more unexpected.

Background

Since my last previous post, my wife and I have moved across country, and are now living in Fort Worth, Texas. We have joined St. Timothy’s parish in Bishop Iker’s Episcopal Diocese, and I am simply worshipping as a ordinary man in the pew on Sundays. Only once have I taken any official part in the service. I filled in for the Vicar one evening at Benediction, blessing the people with the Blessed Sacrament at the appointed time. Otherwise, I am one of several priests who worship in the parish without taking a leadership role in the liturgy.

During Lent, the parish has been having a series of Friday evening suppers, followed by Stations of the Cross, a meditation with slides of Jerusalem, Benediction, and Unction each week. We have attended each Friday since our arrival about the third week of Lent.

The Event

Several weeks ago, I noticed at these Friday evening gatherings, a fairly tall, very forward, brassy, blond who intruded herself into the worship portion of the evening by taking photographs. She was always very stylishly dressed, and had long peroxide blond hair! She looked like a Revlon commercial. She would walk up to the front pew, stand and walk back and forth across the width of the pew taking pictures, taking her time and framing them to her satisfaction. She was oblivious of the rest of the congregation. It was a performance for her benefit, evidently.

Last night, of course, was Maundy Thursday, and following the washing of feet there was a High Mass. I spent much of the time on the kneeler in front of me, with my feet extending under the pew behind be. When the service began, there was an elderly woman sitting behind be, and that was all. Early in the service, she was joined by a little girl. I began to be aware of someone kicking my feet. I tried to ignore it, to write it off as an accident. When it continued, I turned around to find the little girl standing there, so I knew what the problem was. I gave her a disapproving look, and went back to the Mass.

This happened several times, more kicks, followed by a look of disapproval each time. Finally, in the middle of the Agnus Dei, I turned to the little girl and said, “Stop kicking my feet. That is extremely rude. Shame.” She burst into tears, the older woman holding her looked somewhat shaken up, and the brassy blond came rushing up. Mind you, all this in the middle of the Agnus Dei!! She said, “What’s going on?” but she did not wait to find out, she simply hustled the little girl away. We were able to return to the Mass in what was left of the peace.

Following the Mass, I saw the blond woman on the side walk outside the Church, by the parking lot. I waited until she came near and then I stepped toward her. I wanted to let her know exactly what had happened. I told her that her little girl was kicking my feet during Mass. She blazed out at me, “He is a little boy!” Well, he certainly looked like a girl to me, with a bushy hair-do, and girlish clothing, to which I said, “Whatever,” which probably was not a good response, it was just what came naturally. It made her blood boil! I went on to tell her that her child’s behavior was not acceptable and must change. She hissed at me, “You dared him.” That is completely nuts, but whatever. At that point, I added, “And I have a few words for you as well. Do you have any idea how distracting it is when you are dashing about taking pictures at the front of the nave? Most of us are here to worship God Almighty!”

That is when I saw the face of evil. She was under the control of a demon, and I had called him out. Her face contorted, became almost the face of a monkey. That evil face snarled, “I’ll keep that in mind,” to which I replied, “Please do.” Then we parted. But that face is stuck in my memory; I had called out a demon who did not want to be seen, and he was ugly as sin.

Quinquagesima — Charity

Preached February 10, 2013

1 Corinthians 13:1–13
St. Luke 18:31–43

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Today we come to the last Sunday of Pre-Lent, Quinquagesima, meaning fifty days. It is actually forty nine days before Easter, when Sundays are included in the count. In the middle of the coming week, we will come to Ash Wednesday which officially begins Lent, we often hear described as “forty days before Easter.” How can this great arithmetic error be reconciled? The answer lies in the fact that, in counting the days of Lent, we do not count the Sundays, because every Sunday is a re-creation of Easter. When we drop out the six Sundays in Lent, including Palm Sunday, and the first part of the current week, we come up with the forty days of Lent. Perhaps it is because Ash Wednesday will be so soon upon us that the Church has only asked us to reflect on a single crowning virtue for the few days that remain before the beginning of Lent itself, the virtue of Charity, also known as Love.

A short while ago, you heard the Epistle lesson for the day read from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. What we have read as “charity” is often given in other translations as “love,” and it is probably for this reason that this is a favorite passage of Scripture to be read at weddings. It speaks of “sounding brass” and “tinkling cymbals” Doesn’t that bring forth images of wedding bells? It says, Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth, etc. That sounds about like the minister’s charge to a couple being married, does it not? And yet, that is not really what this passage is about at all, and in thus reading it, we miss the point entirely. We need to understand Love as a theological virtue.

There are always two sides to human Love. On the one side, there is our selfish desire to possess and enjoy the other person. On the other side, there is the selfless desire for the good and happiness of the other person. It is impossible to eliminate either of these from human love.

The object of Love as a theological virtue is God. We love God because He is the sum of all perfection, He is supremely lovable in and for Himself alone. It is in Him that we find our eternal life, our true peace and happiness. This is the selfish side of our love for God. The selfless side of our love for God is found in our desire to serve Him, to place His will foremost in our lives. There are three specific aspects to this: (1) it means rejoicing in the goodness of God, (2) it means constantly seeking to give glory to God, and (3) it means zealously promoting the Kingdom of God here on earth.

When we speak of loving God in this way, some will wonder how God responds. Is there an intensity of emotional response? There may be, or there may not be. An intense emotional response is a gift which the Holy Spirit bestows on some and not on others. The lack of this response is not a personal failure or cause for despair; we cannot command the Holy Spirit. What is required of us in this life is that we continue steadfastly to put God first before all else. We will get our due in Heaven if not before. The theological virtue of love is not an emotion nearly so much as it is an act of the will to place God first.

Love of God is a judgement of value much more than it is a matter of intensity of feeling. People may easily be confused because they feel a much more intense love for a friend or family member than they do for God. But that is not what loving God is about. To love God is to prefer Him above everything else, and consequently to avoid those things that offend Him while to seeking those things that please Him. Intensity of feeling arises much more from physical proximity than it does from actual value, so we tend to have much stronger feelings about those that are physically close to us than those that are remote, and God is in many ways completely remote even while remaining personal. Thus we can say of a child that we would prefer that he had some Godly quality rather than great wealth.

We are all familiar with the command that we must love our neighbor as our selves. While at first blush that sounds simple enough, all of us who have lived a while are aware of how complicated that gets at times. Unfortunate as it sounds, we know that we have to prioritize in some manner, we have to make some sort of choices at times. How do we do this?

The first thing we have to keep in mind is that the highest priority of Love is God. We should not do anything to help the need of another person that requires us to do something displeasing to God. To do that cannot be in the best interest of either the other person or ourselves. Notice carefully what I just said; you cannot possibly help another person by doing something displeasing to God. Thus you cannot steal to give money to someone in need, and so forth. It is all displeasing to God.

Secondly, and seemingly paradoxically, we have to love ourselves more than our neighbors. Since God is the primary object of love, we must not sin and thus  offend God in order to benefit our neighbor. The only basis we have for helping our neighbor is that he too is made in the image of God and thus shares with us in God’s love. We cannot exclude ourselves from that love in order to help the other. To do that is to deny our own true love of God. This goes back to the previous idea; you cannot do evil to help someone else. It is an offense to God.

Thirdly, we are not to sacrifice our neighbor’s spiritual welfare for our own material well being. Thus if we see our neighbor in spiritual peril, we are obligated to intervene, even though it may cost us, either materially or perhaps personal injury. As an example, during time of war or natural disaster, a minister must not leave his people but rather must stay and minister to them despite the personal risks involved. This is not a far fetched example at all; there have been just such cases in civil disasters where ministers have deserted their people to their shame.

Let us turn specifically to the matter of almsgiving. There are many requests for assistance these days, more than any of us are able to fully respond to. What principles should govern our actions in this area of life? Briefly, there are three:
(1) First, spiritual needs have the highest claim on our giving before other matters;
(2) Those more nearly connected to us have a higher claim than those more remote;
(3) Almsgiving is only a duty to meet real human needs.

Considering the first item, a Christian is bound to pay particular attention to requests to support the work of the Church. Requests to support overseas missions, church planting, youth outreach, support for poor parishes, schools, colleges, and seminaries all must be given the most serious consideration. The spiritual ministry of the Church throughout the world is more important than attending to the material needs of people. This is not a popular idea these days, but it remains true. Many agencies exist to relieve their material wants, but only the Church exists to provide the word of God to them. No one but Christians will support the Church, so it is absolutely vital that this be a priority.

It is the duty of Christians to love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17). Thus our support should go particularly to fellow members of the Body of Christ. This accords with the second principle, that those more closely connected to us have a higher claim. By this principle, of course, our immediate family has the highest claim, followed by friends and associates. Similarly, the poor of our own society have a greater claim on our charity, not our tax dollars but our charity, than do the poor of the rest of the world.

We may very well receive solicitations to support things such as the building of a new sports stadium, a new library, a performing arts center, or similar facility. While there is nothing evil about any of these projects in and of themselves, we should not view them as Christian Charity. They do not rise to the level of meeting a need, only a desire. Such giving may win you esteem as a great civic benefactor, but it is not Christian Charity.

Now, let us return to St. Paul, with slightly modified words:

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not the love of God, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not the love of God, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not the love of God, it profiteth me nothing. 4 The love of God suffereth long, and is kind; the love of God envieth not; the love of God vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 The love of God never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, and the love of God, these three; but the greatest of these is the love of God.

With this understanding of charity, let us pray again the Collect for the day which is derived from this Scripture passage:

 O Lord, who hast taught us that all our doings without thee are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

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Just a note to say that I will not be posting anything for a while. I am moving across country, from Iowa to Texas, in the next several weeks. So for the short term, I will be away from posting anything here, although I expect to be back in a few weeks, after we get settled again. Please come back to see me later in Lent.

Father D+