Monday, August 25, 2014

August 24, 2014 Sunday Sermon, National Destruction


...  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

August 24, 2014 Sunday Sermon, National Destruction

The Gospel

Matthew 18:23-35 a personal translation

Because of this[1] the kingdom of heaven was compared to a human king, who wanted to review accounts[2] with his stewards.  So starting to review, a debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him.[3]  Since he was [unable] to pay,[4] his lord ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had, to make payment.

Thus the steward, falling down, prostrated[5] before him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.  So, being moved with compassion, that steward’s lord freed him, and forgave him the loan.[6]

Now, immediately coming out, that steward found one of his fellow stewards who owed him an hundred denarii,[7] and seizing him, strangled [him],[8] saying, Pay me what you owe.[9]  Thus his fellow steward, falling down at his feet, begged him, saying, have patience with me, and I will repay everything to you.  Now he refused, but as he was leaving,[10] threw him into prison, until he could pay the debt.

Well, his fellow stewards, seeing what was taking place, were vehemently grieved,[11] and coming, explained to their lord everything[12] that had taken place.

Then, summoning [him], his lord said, you wicked steward,[13] I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.  Shouldn’t you also have showed your fellow steward mercy, as I also showed you mercy?

And being furious, his lord delivered him to the tormentors, until he could repay the whole debt.[14]  Thus, My heavenly Father shall do to you, as well; unless you each forgive your brothers’ trespasses from your hearts.[15]

The Homily

For this very reason our nation is being condemned and destroyed by God.

Are you concerned about a lack of good jobs?  Look no further.  Are you concerned about national security?  Look no further.  Are you concerned about any other major social issue?  Look no further.

God has destroyed and ground into powder every civilization and nation that has raised itself in defiance of Him, since the foundation of the world.  Ancient, Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Assyria, Greece, and Rome are all so much dust on the pages of history.  Nazi Germany and many other corrupted empires are nothing more than vapors in the wind: long forgotten cloudy memories, of their many past defiances of God.

The United States is no different than other historic nations.  As they were destroyed, so we shall be destroyed, if we continue on our cruel, oppressive, sinful path.

No nation can long survive, which builds its culture and economy on debt, lending, and usury.  God forbids all such slavery.

Have you labored long and hard, earning your bread by sweat and toil?  You may keep what you have; it is God’s gift to you.

Have you filled your coffers by lending and usury?  This is robbery and theft on a grand scale.  You must give back every penny you stole from the poor, and never lend or charge usury again.  Rather, you must learn to give, expecting nothing in return.  If refuse to do this, you will be destroyed, together with those around you, your dependents.

The word debt, in the Bible, refers to any serious breach of The Ten Commandments.  Lending and usury are forms of murder.  There are other such breaches: none are tolerable.

The word trespasses, in the Bible, refers to relatively minor offenses.  These must be forgiven as well.  This does not give us the right to nurse every injured feeling, or hurt.  Trespasses must be kept in line with Bible guidelines.  Nevertheless, we must forgive everything: for this very reason we cry out, “Lord have mercy!”

If we fail to forgive both debts and trespasses, we will bring down the maximum weight of our own debts on our heads.  Should we fail to be obedient to such supernatural forgiveness, we will find ourselves hopelessly in debt to God.

For this very reason our nation is being condemned and destroyed by God.[16]




[1] Because Peter has just asked Jesus how often he must forgive.  The astounding answer is, always: we must always forgive.  We have no choice in this matter.  God Himself demands the obedience of our forgiveness.  In the broader context this is the conclusion, the punch line for the fourth section of Matthew (13:53-18:35), and as such sharpens the major theme of Matthew, which is the absolute necessity of forgiveness.  We must not think that such forgiveness is humanly possible.  No.  No.  A thousand times, no.  Such forgiveness can only be accomplished with Divine help.  For this cause Jesus died, and the Holy Ghost came: so that we might learn to forgive.
[2] Review accounts is a bit periphrastic for, “take up words or records,” but in the context there can be little doubt about the meaning, for the ensuing actions vividly explain everything.  So take up words either means a review of the financial records, with a view to correcting high risk or failing ventures; or else it means a review of the financial records, with a view to closing all of the accounts.  We only need to know that he intends to close one.
[3] During the review a serious discrepancy is discovered.  We are not told what it is; but one calculation made in 1990 estimates the value at $3.84 billion.  My calculation using 2012 silver values is around $20 billion.  The 500% increase, between 1990 and 2012, is mostly due to inflation.  $20 billion is larger than the bailout of Chrysler Corporation in 1980.  $20 billion is not the size of the total account, but only the size of the shortfall, or net loss.
[4] The expression, “not having to pay,” certainly communicates inability.  No wonder; what kind of a business would not be bankrupted by this kind of a loss.  The amount is so large that it staggers the imagination; which is the intent of the magnitude.  Most businesses could at least sell off capital to get close to net zero.  But $20 billion in the red is unimaginable; it may as well be infinite.  It represents the true magnitude of our sins, which are infinite.
[5] He fell on his knees and face on the ground in the standard position of prostration as demonstrated by Jehu, the King of Israel, on the “Black Obelisk” of Shalmaneser III (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=black+obelisk+ of+shalmaneser& view
=detail&id=3A01D0995D88EC688875D7B9B237D25E3558EE34&first=0).
[6] The contrast between the king and his unforgiving steward is remarkable.  Ultimately, the king is not concerned with his money or his rank, he quickly writes off this huge debt.  The unforgiving steward, however, is all about money and rank: for, shark like, he quickly rises to defend both, with utmost cruelty and with murderous intent.
[7] The shortfall is roughly $13.351 thousand, less than the price of a new car in 2012.  The ratio for the contrast between $20 billion and $13.351 thousand is 1.5 million to 1.  This ratio does not fluctuate with the value of silver.
[8] The contrast between performing a prostration willingly, and falling down fainting from a beating; adds vividness to an already amazingly cruel story.  But this is how God sees us.
[9] This is an extreme example of extortion.  This individual has many of the characteristics of a criminal loan shark or loan shark enforcer.
[10] He is going right back out to continue his cruel and ugly business with other victims.
[11] Words scarcely suffice to describe the shock and violence of their emotional reaction.
[12] They reported in glowing detail.  No detail was spared.  No stone was left unturned.
[13] It may be difficult to define unforgivable sin, but this parable, closing the fourth section of Matthew, pictures it.  It is unforgivable to receive mercy, and fail to extend it to others.  It is unforgivable to receive forgiveness, and not forgive.  Everything must be forgiven: every debt, grudge, offense, sin, slight, transgression, trespass.  There is one exception, and that belongs to God.  The person who does not forgive, who shows no mercy, who sets traps to cause others to sin; this person receives what he dishes out: he cannot be forgiven.  But, that is God’s decision to make, not ours.
[14] It is impossible that this debt could ever be paid.  This is banishment from the presence and glory of God and into an eternal Gehenna of Hell’s fire, with wailing and gnashing of teeth. (See verses 8-9).  The only way out is to forgive all subordinate debt, and cast one’s self on the mercy of the Divine Court of Justice, which functions on mercy as its principal rule.
[15] The ultimate conclusion is that forgiveness and mercy are not options, they are Laws of the Kingdom, as is love.  This concludes Matthew’s fourth discourse of Jesus.  However, the lesson is so important that it is repeated in chapter 25, at the end of the fifth discourse.  Tangencies with the Lord’s Prayer are also clear.
[16] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

No comments:

Post a Comment