August 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation: Matthew 19:16-26

...  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 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation

The Gospel

Matthew 19:16-26 King James Version, Edited and Paraphrased

Behold, one came and said to [Jesus], Teacher[1], “What good shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”  [Jesus] said to him, “Why do you ask me about goodness?  One is the good: [2] now, if you wish enter into the life, heed the commandments.”  He said unto him, “Which?”  Jesus said, “You shall not murder.  You shall not commit adultery.  You shall not steal.  You shall not bear false witness.  Honor your father and your mother.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  The young man said to Him, “I have kept watch over all of these things.  What do I lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, depart, sell what you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow Me.”  When the young man heard the Word, he went away grieving: for he had many possessions.

Then said Jesus to his disciples, “In all reality I say to you that a rich man shall enter the kingdom of heaven with difficulty.”  Again I say to you, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle[3], than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

When his disciples heard it, they were violently agitated[4], saying, “Then who is able to be saved?”

Jesus looking on them said, “With men this is impossible; yet, with God, all things are possible.

The Homily

Denial must be a river in Egypt.  We must not have been listening last Sunday for the reading of the parable of the Unjust Steward in Matthew 18:23-35.  Invariably, I have heard this preached as an exceptional requirement, tailored only for this young man.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.[5]

To be sure, this passage has been pressed to excess.  People have sold everything to wait for the kingdom of God to arrive.  Some of these were devastated, when what they expected failed to come to pass.  However, that which we expect, is not what God said would happen.

There is far too much emphasis on the expectation of the kingdom of God to come.  The fact that the Holy Ghost came on the Day of Pentecost in 33 AD, and established the kingdom of God among us, with great power and Glory is conveniently ignored.  This is The Church, the tongues of fire signifying that the Sh^əkinah is within us, through the baptism of the Holy Ghost: for Jesus promised that we would be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire: the fire also signifying the nature of the tribulation that all Christians will suffer.

The young man is not told to sell all that he has, and wait for the kingdom to come.  The young man is commanded to sell all that he has, give it to the poor, and follow Jesus.  The disciple of Christ cannot enter heaven clinging to riches.  Such disciples must forsake their place of leadership, to join the ranks of the poor.  This young man who has never worked a day in his life, may have to work as a day laborer, with other men and women, toiling for the minimum wage of that day.[6]  He will not be allowed to sit on his laurels, but will find it necessary to follow Jesus, thus learning the painful lesson of trusting God for manna, one day at a time.

The point of the passage is that no one can love both God and mammon.[7]  Many things are an obstacle to following Christ, and must be abandoned in order to grasp the greater priority of following Him.

A young person may be gifted for engineering, law, medicine, or other lucrative pursuit only to discover that the service of Christ requires him or her to work exclusively among the poor, pro bono, as dependent on God for daily sustenance and direction as any other poor person.

The pages of Church history are littered with the testimonies of people from backgrounds of enormous wealth, who forsook all: built churches, hospitals, monasteries, and schools.  Finally they continued by laboring in these institutions with little or no financial reward: nothing beyond food, clothing, and shelter.  These took up lives of sacrifice, service, sharing, and suffering, instead of lives of power, prominence, and wealth.  They denied all, to follow Him.

To all such Christ promises that He will provide for their needs in such a way that they will become doers of God’s will.

The only call of Christ is to follow Him.  Since Christ’s life is a life of sacrifice, service, sharing, and suffering; the only possible way to follow Him is in a life of sacrifice, service, sharing, and suffering.  Those who seek another path are no disciples at all.  All Christians are called to vows of poverty, not to live in palaces owned by churches and kings, but to be really poor, poor in spirit.  This is the only way.[8]

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[1] Many manuscripts have Good Teacher.  Since this is at least as old as Justin Martyr (100-165) and Irenaeus (d. 202) it may be the original.  It provides a shred of evidence that the Byzantine text preserves the original.  If it is an interpretive comment from Justin and Irenaeus it shows from the earliest times that this discussion is not really about goodness in the abstract.  The main point may lie beneath the surface, but the main point remains that Jesus is the Good One, about Whom we read.  It may merely be the subtlety of the point that requires further interpretation for unlearned hearers.  On the other hand, it could very well be the original.

[2] Or, another reading in the next clause, also supported by Irenaeus (d. 202), may be the true original; “Why do you me call good?  No one is good except One, Who is, God;” clarifies the matter somewhat: yet, what other conclusion could be drawn.  To the Jew, God is the only One Who is truly good.  The inquirer has just called Jesus good.  Either that is unvarnished flattery, therefore an evil lie; or it is the truth, which makes Jesus, God.  The inquirer is forced to think about what he is asking.  Only two conclusions are really possible in either reading of the text.  Both readings lead to the same conclusion: either Jesus is God, or Jesus is evil.  Jesus cannot simply be a good man, not to a Jew.  The clarification is necessary for those unfamiliar with Judaism; therefore it is useful for pulpit reading; yet, because of its age, may be the original text.  Here is another shred of evidence that the Byzantine text preserves the original.

[3] It is remotely possible that the eye of a needle is a personnel door set within or beside larger main gates to allow individuals access to the city after the main gates were shut at night.  A camel would have to be unloaded and walk on its knees to get through such a small door.  It is also very remotely possible that the word camel was mistaken for rope.  There is a paucity of evidence for such obfuscations and they merely detract from the force of the point.

[4] The disciples were as upset with this teaching, or even more upset than the young man was.  What upset them so much was that they understood perfectly well how this applied to them.  They were upset, not because they got it wrong, but because they got it right.  We do great disservice to the Word of God when we explain its fundamental meaning away.  This common requirement for all disciples requires Divine assistance to achieve.

[5] Another dodge of the truth is to proclaim that this is the teaching of pure Law and is distinct from the Gospel.  Yet another dodge of the truth is the teaching that this is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which belongs to a different dispensation than the Gospel of Grace.  Many wish to see grace without requirements.  However, covenant grace always has requirements.  Some wish to apply this exclusively to professional episkopoi (elders), presbyteroi (presbyters), and diakonoi (deacons and deaconesses).  This passage teaches profound principles for all disciples of Christ, including all the laity.

[6] It seems that a day’s wages in the first century was sufficient to sustain a man and his family.  Today’s minimum wage won’t even sustain the worker, let alone a family.

[7] Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13

[8] 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.

August 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation: Hebrews 9:1-7

...  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 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation

The Epistle

Hebrews 9:1-7 King James Version, Edited and Paraphrased

The first covenant also had ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary: for there the first tabernacle [room] was made; in which were the candlestick, and the table, with its showbread; which is called Holy.  Behind a second veil, the [second] tabernacle [room]; which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer[1]; [which] also [housed] the ark of the covenant, covered all over with gold leaf, in which was the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.  Over [the ark] the cherubim of glory shadowed the mercy seat; which we cannot now describe clearly.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle [room], accomplishing the service of God.  But into the second [room] the high priest went alone once a year, with blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.[2]

The Homily

This is a case of translation leading nowhere, versus the translation that is now here.  Where the emphasis is placed makes all the difference in the world.  Again, translation hangs on a single word, this time it is the word “alone”.

Does this sentence say that “only the high priest goes, and only once a year?  If that is the case, then we can easily prove a contradiction in Scripture: for it is easy to show that whenever Yahweh decided to move the camp in the wilderness, that Levites necessarily entered the Holiest to pick up the ark and carry it off, and put it back inside whenever a new encampment was made.  Likewise, other Levites entered, disassembled, and carried off each part of the tabernacle in a particular order, reassembling it in the reverse order in the new camp.  Even before they entered the holy land, Moses gave instruction that the original Torah would be laid up inside the Holiest, next to the ark.

After they entered the holy land they brought the ark out of the Holiest so that Yahweh could lead them into battle, which is how it ended up in the hands of the Philistines.  Evidently, Yahweh was fed up with Israelite unbelief and decided to teach the Israelites a lesson by going on vacation.

However, even before that, it appears that Samuel, as a youth, slept in the Holiest under Yahweh’s protection.  Later the ark was brought out to follow David as he fled from Absalom.

Moreover, the congregation needed to hear the Word of God; the king had a copy; eventually, other copies were made for synagogue and other use.  If the king’s copy were damaged, how could it be repaired, unless scribes went into the Holiest to ensure that the copy was correct?

If this is not evidence enough, Hebrews shows that the golden censer is located inside the Holiest.  How did it get inside the Holiest, when Torah says that it’s outside of the Holiest?  Scripture didn’t err, did it?  An obvious solution is that the priests had to move the golden censer inside the Holiest to cense the ark.  But wait, they censed the ark twice a day at the morning and evening sacrifice.

All of this proves without any doubt that the ark did a lot of traveling, and that priests and Levites were in and out of the Holiest all the time as their daily duties required.  Any translation that forces us to see a contradiction in Scripture must be incorrect.

On the other hand, if the sentence says that the high priest went into the Holiest by himself on the Day of Atonement, with the blood of the covenant in order to sprinkle it, and purify it for another year, so that others could freely enter without personal danger to their lives, that would be a different matter, wouldn’t it?  This is exactly what it means when it says, “the high priest went alone once a year, with blood….”  On the Day of Atonement it was necessary for him to come with blood.  He entered many other times without blood.

We expect that many of the prophets also spent time in the Holiest.  On top of that, the Psalms indicate that David spent much time there.

The meaning of this is that Jesus entered the Holiest with His own blood, the blood of sprinkling of the new covenant, and having made it holy for all time, opens the way for us to come freely to the heavenly mercy seat in prayer.

All this because some are too stubborn to admit that the word translated only, has the more usual meaning of alone.  These would rather create a contradiction in their own minds, and rip the Scripture to shreds than think about what the rest of Scripture has to say on the matter.[3]

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[1] Evidently the golden censer was a portable device.  It was employed in both the evening and the morning sacrifices to present the incense, which is our prayers in a pleasing aroma to God.  If the golden censer is inside the veil, it requires the high priest or his representative to enter within the veil at least twice a day, every day.  Since the golden censer was carried on poles, this requires that the serving priest have at least one assistant, or more probably two assistants to help with the presentation of incense: this places at least two people inside the Holiest at least twice daily.  The morning and the evening prayers are to continue, uninterrupted throughout eternity.  The failure to maintain regular daily services of Orthros (Matins) and Vespers in our churches is a great loss.  God is the author of time.

[2] Paul describes the special activities of the Day of Atonement, not the ordinary everyday activities of priests.  In the argument of Hebrews, Paul is demonstrating and proving that Jesus in our better and greater High Priest; Who brings us the heavenly and true Day of Atonement; Who eliminates the need for the second veil; and Who brings us into the welcoming Presence of God in prayer.  This Presence, the Sh^əkinah is now so powerfully present that They, the Consubstantial and Undivided Trinity now indwell our very hearts.  It is a colossal lie to say, or even suggest that the Day of Atonement obviates all the other activities and iconography of the tabernacle: such is certainly not Paul’s intent.

[3] 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.

August 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation: Matthew 28:16-20

...  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 31, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Interpretation

The Orthros (Matins) Gospel

Matthew 28:16-20 King James Version, Edited and Paraphrased

Then the eleven disciples returned to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  When they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted.  Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,

“All authority[1] is given to me in heaven and in earth.  Going[2] therefore, disciple[3] all nations[4], baptizing[5] them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching⁵ them to heed all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.  Amen.”

The Homily

Scripture suffers in translation into English, or into any other language for that matter.  Sometimes Scripture suffers at the hands of the translator.  In this text from Matthew 28, we wish to direct our attention to the little word “Go.”  This most common rendering of the Greek word has caused as much heartbreak and wasted effort as any other word that comes to mind.

This word looks like an imperative, and so “Go” we must, and “Go” we shall, regardless of the cost or of our lack of gifts and abilities necessary for success.  So we “Go” and we crash, never considering that there may be a very good Scripture reason for our failure: perhaps we were never to “Go” in the first place.

When we investigate we discover that “Go” is not even an imperative at all.  We discover that “Go” is not even a verb; rather it is a hybrid of a verb, a combination adjective-verb or verbal-adjective; it is a participle: just like the other two participles in this same sentence.

If baptizing must be baptizing, and teaching must be teaching, then “Go” must be going.  This means that “Go” is not an imperative, it is not even the main verb.  The main verb is “disciple”; or, if you prefer, “make disciples”, and it is an imperative.

Whenever we find a participle before the main verb, it is usually setting the stage for the main verb; in other words, it is a participle of attendant circumstances.  This particular word could mean either coming or going, it has no specific sense of direction.  While you are coming and going about your daily tasks, make disciples.  While you are at work make disciples.  While you are shopping make disciples.  While you are relaxing with your family make disciples.  While you are in church make disciples.  Wherever you may happen to be, make disciples.

Participles after the main verb, usually give us more detailed instructions on how the task is to be accomplished: by baptizing and teaching.  Nowadays it is very popular to talk about the invisible spiritual union of all believers; to say things like, I can have a better devotion on the golf course or camping in the woods.  However, these eleven men have just taken Jesus three-year or longer crash course in disciple making.  It stated with the command, “Follow Me.”  It involved a lot of work among crowds, the sick, the unbelieving, and even deadly enemies; all of which was highly visible, even notorious; and as Peter would discover, very difficult to hide (wake up and smell the rooster crowing).  Now Jesus commands the eleven to reproduce after their own kind.[6]  Disciples are as much made as they are born, by baptizing and teaching, which are all highly conspicuous public activities.  There ain’t no such thing as an invisible church.  Churches stick out like healthy thumbs in the middle of dying society that doesn’t even realize it is fatally wounded.  Churches stick out like whole people in an Ebola colony.  It’s simply impossible to hide the light of a good candle, or the taste of good salt.

“Go” takes the emphasis away from “disciple” and selfishly corners this emphasis for itself.  For this reason we are spinning our wheels trying to “Go” when we should be putting our effort into making disciples.  This, however, is very hard for us: because it means that we have to face our spouses, parents, children, and neighbor.  I find this task to be very difficult, and I’m ashamed to confess, I’m not very good at it.

Well, doesn’t anybody need to go?  Yes, Acts 1:8 makes it very clear that they will go: but they will go in God’s timing, power and plan.

“But you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost comes upon you: and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, in Samaria, and to every last part of the earth.”

That being said, when we look at who and how they went we find that only a few actually went much of anywhere: Paul with his traveling companions, Peter, Philip (Acts 8:5-13; 26-40), and a handful of others.  It looks as if most of the eleven died in Jerusalem.  When they finally left Jerusalem it was because, as Stephen discovered, persecution arose (Acts 11:19).  This is exactly as Jesus promised it would be (Matthew 10:11-14, 23).  The Gospel spread because of persecution, martyrdom, and the power of the Holy Ghost.  Yes, Paul went, but the Holy Ghost went before him, leading the way.

When you figure out how to go to your neighbor, perhaps you will remember me, and help me be a better man.  In the meanwhile, remember that your best work is in the hood; unless you are being persecuted there: then, maybe it’s time to knock the dust off your feet and move on.[7]

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[1] Jesus brings authority to the table: this is all the authority we need to swing into action.  The Holy Ghost brings power to the table: not for speaking in tongues, not for accruing wealth, only for making disciples.

[2] This word is a participle; yet, it is nearly always translated “Go”, which is both misleading and destructive.  The imperative “Go” simply does not exist.  We need to look to Acts to discover what “going” entails.  In Acts we discover that the vast majority of Christians don’t go anywhere: they live quite ordinary lives.  The Gospel advances on the lives of ordinary folks like the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40); like Dorcas, who sewed little coats (Acts 9:36-42); and like Cornelius, the pagan centurion who believed (Acts 10:1-48).  If all we see in Acts is the flamboyant life of Peter or Paul, we will miss the whole message of Acts.  Few are called to follow Jesus in an apostolic lifestyle.  Most are called to follow Jesus in an ordinary lifestyle: a lifestyle of self-sacrifice and service to one’s fellow man.  Scarcely more than a dozen or two went on missionary journeys.  Millions from every other walk of life served within a few steps of their own front door.  Millions never wandered more than a handful of miles from home.  All abandoned everything to follow Jesus.

[3] Here is the main verb.  Here is the Gospel imperative.  Here is what must be done.  How many churches and individuals have lost sight of the goal: make disciples?  How many envy great evangelists and missionaries: yet fail to make disciples at home?  How many organizations have mounted great programs, filled with zeal: yet failed to make disciples where they stand?  How many have undertaken to make disciples: yet fallen short of their goal, because they got caught up in a program?

[4] Shall we make disciple in all the foreign nations: yet neglect the local nation?  It is commonly said that these around us do not deserve to hear the Gospel a second time, they have already heard it once.  Yet, I tell you that the Gospel must be preached repeatedly until hearts are broken and people are made disciples.  People must become lifelong learners of the Bible and lifelong followers of Jesus: this is The Church, and nothing less will suffice.

[5] Disciples are made by the externally visible actions of the baptizing and the teaching of heeding or of guarding, of holding in precious loving obedience all the things of Christ.  Nothing else matters to the Christian.

[6] Soon these eleven, together with some friends would write four detailed instruction manuals about how the disciples learned the discipling task and how to pass it on.  We know these manuals as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

[7] 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.