Septuagesima C ESCAPING PRISON Luke 6:27-38
READINGS FROM SCRIPTURE
Genesis 45:3-11, 21-28
Psalm 37:(1-2), 3-9, (10-17) BCP 384
I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
The Reading from Genesis tells about Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, when he was quite old journeyed with his family from Palestine to settle in Egypt. A famine had struck the land promised to Abraham and his family. This forced the Bedouin people to take their flocks and families to settle near the Nile River.
Even though Jacob’s son Joseph rose to power in Egypt, Jacob’s family was not assimilated into the culture of Egypt – they remained a distinct people.
Egypt was a highly structured society. Pharoah, he priest king maintained order through a sort of reign of terror – by maintaining a tradition of appeasing a pantheon of gods that had to be obeyed else nature would fail. Pharoah and his priests ruled the land with detailed instructions as to how the people should conduct themselves. One generation was very like another. By birth, a persons life was predetermined. The children of Abraham did not fear the gods of Egypt and refused to give up their mental freedom though eventually they were reduced to servitude.
This story tells how Israel’s Children went down to Egypt. It became the beginning of the family’s national story. Christians more than a 1000 years later, made it their story.
We say they “went down to Egypt.” That descent into servitude of God’s free people is a sort of death, a descent into a grave. Four hundred years later they experience a resurrection as Moses leads them out of Egypt. They wandered 40 years in the wilderness before entering the promised land.
Christians adapted Israel’s story, retelling it everyday in the Church year.
When we in English, try to make sense of our centuries old traditions surrounding the Lent-Easter Cycle, our words get in the way of the concepts. Many of the words have lost meaning.
For example Lent. The word comes from a very old English word that simply meant spring. It comes from the ancient Pagan past of English people and has nothing to do with Jewish or Christian tradition. If you were to go to Europe and speak to a native of any country there who knows no English, they would not understand the word Lent
By usage, we who speak English identify Lent with the Church Calendar of 40 days prior to Holy Saturday. Lent is the period (or season) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (forty days). As we get into the season, we will explore the readings and the meanings of the season. The liturgical color for the season is purple, a sign of sorrow for sin and repentance.
Septuagesima is the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Lent. In liturgical literature the name "Septuagesima" occurs for the first time in the Gelasian Sacramentary a Latin liturgy that dates from the 7th century.
Why the day (or the week, or the period) has the name Septuagesima, and the next Sunday Sexagesima, etc., is a matter of dispute among writers. It is certainly not the seventieth day before Easter.
So the meaning of the words Septuagesima and Lent have been lost to us. The practices, however are clear having been preserved in traditional acts and writings. When we don’t know the specific meaning of a word in a context, like Septuagesima, some bright guy will make up a meaning. The keeper of the liturgical books, Amularius, said,”Amularius, "De eccl. Off." , I, I, would make the Septuagesima mystically represent the Babylonian Captivity of seventy years.” Amularius didn’t know, centuries ago why this Sunday is called Septuagesima. So he made up an allegorical meaning. It means we are enslaved in heathen Babylon.
O.K. Amularius, that works. Then the pre-Lenten 3 weeks are a period of preparation for the Great Lenten Season, a Penitential Season, a time to be sorry for sins and to make confession.
As we say good bye to the Lights of Christmas and the visits of shepherds, angels and wise men to the Holy Child we begin to look at the meaning of the call to repentance made by John the Baptist and Jesus. Last week we read from Luke how at the outset of his ministry, Jesus went to the Synagogue and announced that the Kingdom of God had come, that Messiah was in the midst.
In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches some of what it means to be a disciple. We should way these words as we enter the Season of Lent.
Jesus said, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
. . . But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
This will give you a text to reflect on as you go through the next three weeks. It is very difficult to keep peace in a family, in a small church and in a neighborhood. Our culture has taught us to think big – to expand our borders and experience and for the most part that is likely a good thing. But think of it .. .while we are trying as a country to secure the border on the other side of the world, we aren’t doing a very good job of securing the borders near at hand.
That is a parable of our everyday life. Just how good are we at mending fences with our neighbors, with those near at hand?
On the Website you will find a complete Catechism. Under the section entitled catechism, there is a section on sacraments and under that you will find an extensive amount of teaching on repentance, confession and forgiveness of sins. There is no reason for a Christian to carry a load of guilt for misspeaking or misbehavior.
Jesus Christ gave to those who became the leaders of the Church these words:
“Whoever hears you, hears me.”
He also said, “Whosoever sins you forgive, they are forgiven.”
He taught us to pray "Our Father. . .forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
The author of the Epistle of James, some thought to be James the brother of the Lord said,“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Jesus also said, "If you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive you of your trespasses.
James said, "take note of this dear brothers,
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring out the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19ff) That is a good Pre Lenten message for all of us – we become so convinced that we are right and the authority on everything, we find it hard to listen to another person – we become angry and deceive ourselves.
James goes on to say, “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it –he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James follows carefully the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitutdes. He says that faith without the works that Jesus instructed us to do is dead. He repeats the words in today’s Gospel, calling it the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself” this is the law to govern all human relationships. He further tells us to
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.” James 2:12-13.
James warns teachers, persons such as I am. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. . . .he especially wars us to be careful of what we say. “With the tonge we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing, My brothers, this should not be.”
That is why every minister who goes to the altar of God in this Church says the Confiteor. I need forgiveness, everyone of us needs to confess and hear the words of forgiveness. We are not fit, not ready to approach the altar with praise to God if we are burdened with unforgiven sins.
James ends his letter with these words, again appropriate to Pre-Lent and Lent to guide our thoughts.
Is any one of you trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayeroffered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Confession of sins is being neglected in all Christian communities, at least in the Western countries. Pope Benedict wrote and spoke of this in recent years. The Reformers in England caved in to the Radical anti-Catholics with compromising language in one of the 39 Articles
That some have interpreted to mean that anointing, confession and absolution, ordination to ministry and mariage aren’t real sacraments. The result is evident in the culture around us.
I have written extensive articles on these subjects on the Website.
The Church today like ancient Israel is captive in a New Egypt or a New Babylon. Individually we are captive to our own ego, our own idols, sinfulness and separation from God. We go about unforgiven, uneasy and soul sick because we do not ask for forgiveness and healing. We think we know better than Jesus and the apostles in regard to the law of love and the laws of holiness and the laws of forgiveness. Let us go to the altar of God in true repentance and make our humble confession to almighty God in order to receive healing from his gracious hand.
Charles R. Scott
Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican
Indianapolis, Indiana
http://www.goodshepherdindy.org
