The
Presentation of Christ in the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus at the
Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of
Jesus. In the Church of England,
the Presentation of Christ in the Temple is a Principal Feast celebrated either
on 2 February or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February.
The event is described in the
Gospel of Luke (Luke
2:22–40). Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem
forty days (inclusive) after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification
after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience
to the Law of Moses (Leviticus
12, Exodus 13:12-15, etc.). Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary
take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb) (Leviticus 12:8),
sacrificing "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Leviticus
12:1-4 indicates that this event should take place forty days after birth for a
male child, hence the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas.
Upon bringing Jesus into the
temple, they encountered Simeon. The Gospel records Simeon had been promised
"he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:26). Simeon
prayed the prayer that would become known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, which prophesied the
redemption of the world by Jesus:
Lord, now lettest
Thou Thy servant depart in peace; according to Thy word: for mine eyes have
seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: to
be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of Thy people Israel (Luke 2:29-32).
Simeon then prophesied to Mary:
"Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in
Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce
through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35).
The elderly prophetess Anna was
also in the Temple, and offered prayers and praise to God for Jesus, and spoke
to everyone there about Jesus and his role in the redemption of Israel (Luke 2:36-38).
On
Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come
from? The answer is from the
people who uttered them. But, how
did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev
Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson, but
overall mostly from Bryan. He
always has a few great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
St.
Matthew 7:13-14
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and
do not the things which I say?
St.
Luke 6:46
Is
He safe?
“You’ll understand when you see him.”
“But shall we see him?” asked Susan.
“Why, Daughter of Eve, that’s what I brought you here for.
I’m to lead you where you shall meet him,” said Mr. Beaver.
“Is—is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I
tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great
Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a
lion—the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he—quite
safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver;
“if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking,
they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver
tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.
He’s the King, I tell you.”
Jack
Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The meanest room where a few
penitent believers assemble in the name of Jesus is a consecrated and most holy
place in the sight of God. They that worship God in spirit and truth never draw
near to him in vain. Often they go home from such meetings warmed, cheered,
stablished, strengthened, comforted, and refreshed. And what is the secret of
their feelings? They have had with them the great Master of assemblies even
Christ himself.
JC Ryle
19th century
Anglican bishop and author
(Knots Untied,
p. 207)
Free Will or Predestination – From Here to Eternity
Everyone who believes in God at
all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow. But if He
knows I am going to do so-and-so, how can I be free to do otherwise? Well, here
once again, the difficulty comes from thinking that God is progressing along
the Timeline like us: the only difference being that He can see ahead and we
cannot. Well, if that were true, if God foresaw our acts, it would be very hard
to understand how we could be free not to do them. But suppose God is outside
and above the Time-line. In that case, what we call ‘tomorrow’ is visible to
Him in just the same way as what we call ‘today’. All the days are ‘Now’ for
Him. He does not remember you doing things yesterday; He simply sees you doing
them, because, though you have lost yesterday, He has not. He does not
‘foresee’ you doing things tomorrow; He simply sees you doing them: because,
though tomorrow is not yet there for you, it is for Him. You never supposed
that your actions at this moment were any less free because God knows what you
are doing. Well, He knows your tomorrow’s actions in just the same way—because
He is already in tomorrow and can simply watch you. In a sense, He does not
know your action till you have done it: but then the moment at which you have
done it is already ‘Now’ for Him.
Jack Lewis
Mere Christianity
The States can best govern our
home concerns and the general government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore
... never to see all offices transferred to Washington, where, further
withdrawn from the eyes of the people, they may more secretly be bought and
sold at market.
Thomas Jefferson
letter to Judge William
Johnson, 1823
Even at their best the Romans
were evenly matched by the barbarians... and through centuries of peace, they
had grown unused to war. In our time the civilized nations possess munitions of
war far superior to those of the savage tribes; but in ancient days, both sides
fought with swords and spears, and the only advantage of the Romans lay in the
superb discipline of their legions. But that discipline was greatly relaxed in
the times of the later emperors; and the barbarians were physically the
stronger, the bolder, and more apt in warfare. What was worse for the
degenerate Romans, they no longer served in their own armies. The legions were
manned by these very barbarians... Most of the later armies, their generals and
even many emperors themselves came from the barbarian races. No people can long
maintain their liberties who habitually hire foreigners to do their fighting
when fighting is necessary.
Dr. Jesse L. Hurlbut
19th and 20th
century American Methodist-Episcopal minister, teacher and author
(The Story of the
Christian Church, p. 73)
They who voluntarily put
themselves under the power of a tyrant deserve whatever fate they receive.
Aesop
6th century
BC Greek philosopher and author
Propers
The Propers for today are found
on Page 231-233, with the Collect first:
The
Presentation of Christ in the Temple, commonly called
The
Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. [February 2.]
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY and everliving God, we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that, as
thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our
flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fourth
Sunday after Epiphany.
The Collect.
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GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and
great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always
stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in
all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Dru Arnold read the reading for the Epistle which
came from the Book of Malachi, the Third Chapter, beginning at the First Verse:
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EHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way
before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even
the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith
the LORD of hosts. But who may abide
the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a
refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as
gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of
Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will
come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers,
and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that
oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn
aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hap Arnold read the Holy Gospel which came from
the Second Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke, beginning at the
Twenty-Second Verse:
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ND when the days of her purification according to the law of
Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the
Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the
womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to
that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young
pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and
the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and
the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost,
that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came
by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and
blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
accord-ing to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and
the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those
things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary
his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in
Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall
pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven
years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four
years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and
prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto
the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they
returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold Time and
Action
Today’s sermon brought the
Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords
above.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… as thy
only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our
flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts …
In the Collect, we are
asking God to look at us in our Judgment Day as He looked at His Son that day
in the temple. We cannot be
perfect, nor can we have truly pure and clean hearts, for we are imperfect
creatures with free will. But,
through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, we can be accounted as such. That day in the temple, Jesus was
presented to God, with a pure and clean heart. We need Him to make us accounted so.
We need Him to be our
link between Heaven and Earth, for without Him, we cannot ascend to Heaven, but
with Him we can. The purification was the beginning of His presentation to God
as a clean and acceptable sacrifice, and the cross was the carrying out of His
sacrifice to God, which cleaned our slate. This was the beginning of His plan
to free us from the servitude of sin.
Likewise in the Collect
for the Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany, we ask God for His Help,
acknowledging our imperfection:
… by reason of the
frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength
and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all
temptations …
This is why He sent the
Holy Ghost to be our inspiration, comfort, strength, understanding. With Him all things are
possible, without Him, we fail. While Christ is not physically present on this
Earth, He is spiritually, through the Holy Ghost, He is still giving us
guidance on how to conduct ourselves and if we will listen to Him, we will find
that we will be a lot happier following his advice.
The prophet Malachi
reminds us that Jesus was sent to fulfill the Law, not to continue it; to call
men to perfection, not to hide them from it. Jesus was sent to call men to God’s standard[1],
not to give them ways to seem like they were following Him. Malachi goes on to tell us what God expects
from us. We are to be His
followers, but also His Hands, to act on His behalf. Therefore, we are as representatives of God on Earth, we
must conduct ourselves as such then.
To be honest in our dealings with men, to take positive action to help
those who cannot help themselves, to be a friend of all in need, to help those
who need help. This does not mean
encouraging slothfulness, but rather encouraging industriousness. This is what God wants for us, to work
hard to the best of our ability, to help our fellow people in need, and to love
our neighbor as ourselves and to love Him. That is what He wants for us, and if
we follow Him and do these things, we will find that it actually makes our
lives easier and happier than if we did what we want.
We must overcome our
natural temptation to listen to ourselves, but we must turn to the Holy Ghost
and listen to Him. He will give us all the solutions we need to get out of
whatever adversity we are in, if we will but listen to Him.
In the Gospel, we learn
of Jesus’ presentation in the temple, pure and clean before God, as we will be
accounted through Him. The
presentation was to bring the new child to the Lord in thanksgiving for a safe
childbirth, no small thing, in particular for a first born. All the more reason for thanksgiving
and the dedication of the firstborn to the Lord. Imagine the joy that was in his heart to see the Lord’s
Christ when you hear Simeon’s words that are found in our Evening Prayer service
on Page 28 of the Book of Common Prayer:
Nunc
dimittis. St.
Luke ii. 29
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ORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, * according
to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen
* thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared
* before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten
the Gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Simeon goes on to foretell the
effect Jesus will have on Israel and those who live there, both good and
bad. He tells Mary of the pain she
will bear at the loss of her son, though in time she will understand. And she
did understand it as Jesus carried out the ultimate sacrifice upon the Cross,
she finally knew what Simeon meant in his words to her.
The prophetess Anna also near the
end of her time here on earth likewise tells the parents of things to
come. Imagine how difficult it was
for them to understand all this, yet it would in their minds as time went on.
After the presentation, the
family went back home to Galilee, and Jesus grew strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace
of God was upon him. This is what
we must all strive for in our hearts, souls minds and bodies. We must strive to
grow in spirit and be filled with that Holy Wisdom.
We must look to God for the strength and guidance we
need to follow Him. We must
welcome the Holy Ghost into our hearts to have the courage to follow Him.
Be of God Live of God Act of God
Bishop Ogles’
Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get
copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.
Today is one of those Sundays.
Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will
give you a lot to consider in your heart.
Sermon Notes
Fourth Sunday
after The Epiphany
2 February
2014, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)
The
Presentation of Christ in the Temple, commonly called
The
Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. [February 2.]
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY and everliving God, we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that, as
thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our
flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fourth
Sunday after Epiphany.
The Collect.
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GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and
great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always
stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in
all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Epistle
Romans xiii. 1
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ET every soul be
subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers
that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth
the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves
condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt
have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if
thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain:
for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth
evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all
their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom
fear; honour to whom honour.
The Holy Gospel
Matthew
8:1-13
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hen he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed
him.2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if
thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched
him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And
immediately his leprosy was cleansed.4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the
priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.5 And
when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion,
beseeching him,6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the
palsy, grievously tormented.7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.8 The centurion answered
and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but
speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.9 For I am a man under
authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth;
and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth
it. 10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith,
no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto
you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.13 And
Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as
thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed
in the selfsame hour.
Two separate
kinds of physical afflictions are addressed here (leprosy and the palsy), and
two different expressions of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ has just delivered
the most comprehensive and beautifully meaningful sermon in all of recorded
time. He has spoken from the mountain top the pure Words of righteousness, but
now He descends to the level at which most of His people live and labor,
rejoice and suffer, are pained and comforted. Like every word of Scripture,
these verses, too, show us yet another marvelous aspect of the nature of Christ
and His magnanimity.
“When
he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.” Christ most often resorted to the mountain
to both pray and teach. Prayer is always addressed to Heaven. Teaching of the
Gospel is also performed from a higher perspective than the common speech. But
after our prayers and preaching, we must always descend to the common problems
of life and learn to await God’s answer to our prayers and apply the preaching
of the Gospel to the practical and routine circumstances of everyday life. The
air on the mountaintop may be clear and pristine, but when we go down to the
valleys, we encounter the unpleasant odors of human failure and hurt.
“And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean.” Please note the manner in which the leper
approaches Christ. The leper CAME to where Christ was. We cannot bring Christ
DOWN to our place of sin and debauchery – we must rise up and go to Him for our
salvation and needs. Secondly, we cannot approach Christ with impudence
and irreverence – we must first worship Him in our prayers before stating our
petitions. The leper came and WORSHIPPED Jesus! This is represented by the
‘Hallowed be thy Name’ phrase in the Lord’s Prayer.
“Lord,
if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” The leper does not
overtly ask anything of Christ but presumes upon His know compassion and grace.
It was widely known of Christ that He willed all who came to Him to be made
whole. The leper simply states the obvious fact and, in his statement, the
leper anticipates the answer. “Lord, if thou wilt…not truly IF,
for Christ DID always will that lepers be made clean thereby unraveling
the dirty works of Satan to harm and to hurt. “…….thou canst make me
clean!” This is a simple statement of fact. There was no doubt in the
mind of the leper that, if Christ willed, He could make the leper clean; but
there was also no doubt in the leper’s mind that Jesus did, indeed, will that
he be made clean. This is the essence of faith and hope.
Before
proceeding further, let’s go back and review the nature of leprosy in its
similitude to sin:
1.
Sin,
like leprosy, renders its victim helpless of improving his condition. It will
inevitably lead to final death.
2.
Sin,
like leprosy, separates one from the pure and clean. The sinner is unfit for
heaven and the society of pure and holy company.
3.
Sin,
like leprosy, is infectious by intimate contact. The people with whom we
associate have critical impact on our hope of righteousness.
4.
Sin is
constitutional. The outward expressions and manifestations are but the effects
of a disease which permeates the whole system.
5.
The
tendency to sin, like the tendency to leprosy, is hereditary. Our Federal head,
the Common father in Adam, contracted this disease through disobedience in the
Garden. His propensity to sin has become a part of our human condition through
inheritance.
6.
Sin,
like leprosy, is deceitful in its working. It may not be visibly represented in
the beautiful child of leprous parents, but as time advances, the beautiful
child will slowly begin to incur the signs and debilities of the disease.
7.
Sin,
like leprosy, knows not geographic barriers.
8.
Leprosy,
at the time of Christ, was incurable by man. So is sin today.
9.
Sin,
like leprosy, does not bring immediate pain and death. The moment Adam tasted
the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he immediately BEGAN
to die. In fact, his fate was sealed at that point. (Suggestive
Illustrations of the Gospel, Peloubet, 1894)
The leper is
characterized by deformity and a sickening odor. His features are possessed of
open sores and rotting flesh. Most of us would be repelled at the very sight of
a leper.
This will
make the following action of Christ even more amazing and noteworthy:
“And Jesus put forth his
hand, and touched him.” This seems a simple act at first reading,
but, Reader, please remember that no healthy human being has touched this poor,
wretched leper in a great deal of time since he first contracted leprosy. Many
of them suffer as much from a despondency of love as from the adverse physical
effects of the disease. How pitiful they are and lonely! But Jesus was the first
and only man present who would deign to TOUCH this leper. Any touch at
all for the leper would seem a compassionate caress. Jesus touched him!
He will touch us as well if we go forth to Him. And then, “I will; be thou clean.” Immediately the powers of heaven began to
pulse through the lepers veins vanquishing every sign and vestige of leprosy.
How long did the healing take? Does the word ‘immediately’ suggest an answer? “And
immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” The healing occurred,
not in graduated steps or interludes of minutes, but, rather, IMMEDIATELY!
“And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the
priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”
Though we may be healed in the sight of God and forgiven our sins, there yet
remains a responsibility on our part to make our healing known to those with
whom we associate along life’s road. So we also comply with all provisions of
law in making that healing known. In counseling the leper to “tell no man” Jesus demonstrates the
impossibility of maintaining such a marvelous grace private. Imagine the
reaction of family and friends when they see their loved one has been restored.
Have you been silent about the forgiveness and healing you have been granted by
Christ at your salvation?
“And when Jesus was entered
into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And
saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.”
Now comes to Jesus a Gentile in the profession of arms, and one of some
authority, being a Centurion. Being a Captain of War, this man was accustomed
to respect and a proud countenance. But the heart of this Centurion betrays a
loving and loyal heart beneath a perhaps warlike appearance. This Centurion is
willing to subdue his pride and forego his standing to come begging before
Christ – not for himself even – but for his servant. This suggests a noble and
compassionate soul whose character seems at contrast to his profession and
calling. Jesus did not distinguish between races and social standings among
men.
“And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” There were many demands put on Jesus’ time,
but He always found time to respond to a need. Without hesitation, Christ
immediately responded that he would go to where the servant was and heal him.
“The
centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come
under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be
healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I
say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh;
and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth.” This is one of the
greatest statements of faith in all of the Holy Bible! The Centurion realizes
that the authority and power of Christ is knows no geographic limitations. He
does not limit the power of Christ to heal by the physical presence of the
Lord. If Christ will only speak the word, the Centurion knows that will
suffice.
“When
Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith,
no, not in Israel.” It
is a smear on the reputation of the church that many greater acts of faith
occur outside its walls than INSIDE those stone walls. The Centurion, who lacked
the advantage of any prior knowledge of the law and prophets, demonstrated
greater faith than those who did have that advantage.
“And I
say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Christ here bears out an important truth.
The accident of birth is not a bar to enjoyment of the blessings of Israel. Men
and women shall come from the four corners of the earth and shall enjoy the
privileges of a Godly heritage. This was spoken to the comfort of the Centurion
as well as for our own.
“And
Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as
thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed
in the selfsame hour.” It was no small miracle to heal a man who may
have been miles away by a simple utterance – but Christ did so. The servant,
miles away, was instantly healed. This exemplifies the principle that we ought
to pray for those we love. The Centurion was not afraid to ask Christ for
so great a favor. The story reminds me of a king of Lyda who surrender to
the great King Cyrus, when besieged, to save his city from certain
destruction. When King Cyrus asked the deposed king what favor he would like in
return for his surrender, the king responded, “Ten thousand talents of silver!”
A courtier of King Cyrus rebuked the deposed king for being so presumptuous in
asking such a large gift, but King Cyrus scolded his courtier and said, “If I
am as great a King as this fellow’s request suggests, then he has had the
boldness to express his high regard for my greatness by asking a gift
commiserate to it!” Is anything too great for God?
Bishop
Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant
speaker. He is able to take
biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me. Oft he provides the text of his sermons
and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:
The
Presentation of Christ
Malachi 3:1- , Luke 2:22- 40
The Presentation of Christ
February 2, 2014
Several things have combined to make this
a significant day. First, it is Sunday, the Lord’s day, the day set aside
for worshiping God with His people in the Church. Every Lord’s Day is a
significant day. Second, we are exactly halfway through winter, and that
is particularly good news because of the cold weather we have been having.
We’re already seeing more daylight, and that’s good news too. Third, it is
exactly forty days after Christmas. Forty days after His birth, Joseph
and Mary took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to do for Him according to the
custom of the law and dedicate Him to God.
There is an obvious question that is
raised here. Since Jesus is God, why does He have to be dedicated to
God? The answer is that Jesus lived by His own rules. He never
exempted Himself from anything He requires of us. Every law of God was
kept by Him from the great moral commandments to the smallest minutiae of the
ceremonial law. He kept them all and He kept them perfectly. If
there had been a failure in Him, even in the tiniest detail of the ceremonial
law, He could not have been the perfect Lamb of God and sacrifice for our
sin. He would have been a sinner Himself. But He never
sinned. He kept both the letter and the spirit of the Law, the whole law
of God. He did it living just the way you and I have to live, by
faith. He had to face every human struggle and temptation we face, and He
had to do it without sin. He had to be perfect. I once heard a
character in a TV show seemingly discredit the life and death of Christ.
He said something like this: so what if Jesus died on the cross, He was God and
He knew He was going to rise again, so what’s the big deal about it?
Well, here’s the big deal; Jesus had to trust in the Father by faith just like
you and I do. He had to accept on faith that He would rise from the dead,
just like you and I have to do. He had to accept on faith that His death
was God’s will and plan for Him. He had to live by faith in every aspect
of life and belief, just like you and I have to do. He had no insider
information, no special exemptions, no free pass on life. He had to do it
all just like us, or it would have been a sham. And He had to do it
without sin. So here we see Him being presented in the Temple, according
to the Law. He’s keeping the law.
Something else is happening in this
presentation. As Mary and Joseph are climbing the steps to the Temple a
man and a woman stop them and want to see the baby. As every mother
knows, it is not unusual for people to want to see babies, but there was
something very unusual in the words of these two people.
The first mentioned is Simeon. He was en
elderly man, and like most Jews, he wanted to live long enough to see the
Messiah. And, for some reason, God granted him that wish. Why?
Verse 25 says he was just and devout and waiting for the Messiah, called here,
“the consolation of Israel.” But I’m sure there were others just as just,
just as devout, and having the same strength of desire to see the
Messiah. What made Simeon different? I don’t know. The ways
of God are not always clear to us. He raises up some people, and casts
down others. He chose the Jews to be His Old Testament Israel, and He
passed over many other peoples, and only He knows why. He has mercy on
whom He will, and He hardens whom He will, and nobody knows why but Him.
All we know is that He works all things according to the counsel of His own
will, not ours. And that He works all things for His own glory and our
good. And in all the events and ambiguities and questions of life, we
have two choices; pout, or trust. I suggest trust.
According to the counsel of God’s own
will, for His own glory, and in keeping with His promise that “all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called, according
to His purpose” (Rom 8:28), God allowed Simeon to see the Messiah,
and the Holy Spirit of God opened Simeon’s mouth to speak those beloved words
we sing so often in Evening Prayer, the words we call the Nunc dimittis,
“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart
in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which
thou hast prepared before the face of all people; to be a light to lighten the
Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.”
There is something special in these words,
so special it is hard to say them without being moved emotionally, because of
the great faith that is in them, and because of the great truth that is in
them. The faith speaks for itself. It says, “God, you have allowed
me to see the Messiah. Now I know that the Consolation of Israel has
arrived. I know the era of promise has begun. Knowing this, I can
die in peace.” I think a man could get a sermon out of that.
Haven’t we seen the Messiah? Haven’t we seen Him by faith? Haven’t
we met Him is the Scriptures, heard Him speak, walked with Him by the Sea of
Galilee, listened to His prayer in Gethsemane, and watched Him rise from the
tomb and ascend into Heaven? And having “seen” Him, we can live in faith,
or die in peace, which ever the Lord has for us. We have seen the
Saviour. Let the words of Scripture work that faith in you. Do not
read them only for doctrine and correction and reproof. Do read the
Scriptures for such things, but don’t stop there, read them for faith, that
through them Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.
There is great truth in Simeon’s words,
too. There is an inseparable unity between faith and truth. This
unity is such that faith with out doctrine is dead, and, doctrine without faith
is dead. And the truth, the doctrine in Simeon’s words is; “this is the
Messiah. This baby being taken into the Temple in His mother’s arms is
none other than the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us.” How amazing.
Thirty years before the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God:” before the
Father said from Heaven, “This is My beloved in Son in whom I am well pleased:”
before Jesus turned the water into wine or healed the sick or raised the dead,
or preached His first sermon or did any of the things that publicly identified
Him as the Messiah, Simeon announced Him on the steps of the Temple.
“Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”
--
+Dennis
Campbell
Bishop,
Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector,
Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan,
Virginia
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday
Sermon
We are fortunate to
have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you
want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the
truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I
commend it to your careful reading.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
In our gospel lesson (St. Matthew 8:5-13), our Lord met a centurion who
had sought him out that he might heal his servant. Our Lord was willing to go
and lay hands on the man, but the centurion’s response was Lord, I am not
worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my
servant shall be healed. The soldier’s faith was such that our Lord extolled
him before his disciples saying, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so
great faith, no, not in Israel... Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it
done unto thee. Then the apostle added, And his servant was healed in the
selfsame hour.
Throughout the Scriptures, we are supplied examples of the healing
power of God. Some were for signs and wonders that instilled faith, while
others demonstrated the power of our Lord over all things in the creation. In
every instance of their use, they revealed the great love and compassion of God
for his people. The blind were made to see, the lame walked, the lepers were
cleansed and the dead raised. Jesus Christ was more than just a rabbi, or a
Pharisee. He was more than just a prophet carrying the words of God. He is the
Son of God: the second person of the Trinity and the author and finisher of our
faith. When the centurion came to him, he fully expected his servant to be
healed. He must have known in his heart that Jesus was the Christ, or at least
a man preferred of God, fully possessing the power to grant such a marvelous
request. He addressed him as Lord and would not have him come to his dwelling,
but merely said speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Think, for a moment, about the phrase: speak the word only. This man,
who was a Roman officer, was willing to accept the word of healing from a
person whom he had never met before and who was grounded in a lifestyle and
culture which was literally worlds apart from his own. What a perfect example
of faith in operation, and without a doubt, God had inspired him to come to our
Lord. While the centurion came for the sake of his servant, there was another
purpose that God had in mind and that was the humbling those who followed our
Lord. It is kind of like the bucking up we used to receive in the service when
we needed to be reminded of those things which our leaders thought were
important and which we were not doing very well, if at all. Our Lord’s earthly
ministry revealed in so many ways the power which he possessed. As the creeds
communicate, Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God.
And what did the Roman officer do? He left our Lord’s presence and
returned to his home to find his servant healed. When our Lord said, Go thy
way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee, he gave the centurion
a command as well as comfort. The man believed. He trusted that what our Lord
had spoken would be done. Going on his way and without the physical presence of
Christ meant that he walked in faith. That is what we are expected to do every
day. Obedience to God is the duty of every born-again Christian. St. Paul
reminded us in our epistle lesson today that we should be subject unto the
higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. (Excluding the issue of human government) we should remember
that the highest power is that of God. He is the Creator, the Sustainer and
Deliverer of all that is both visible and invisible. The first commandment
states, I am the Lord thy God... Thou shalt have no other gods before me
(Exodus 20: 2). As I have said in other places, you cannot expect a blessing if
you are not willing to be obedient to God’s word written. We can petition God
all day long, but if we are rebellious— if we are resistant to his commands—
then he will not honor our requests. The centurion was agreeable to our Lord’s
will. He believed and trusted. His faith was reinforced when he returned home
to find that his servant was made well the very hour he was talking with the
Lord.
Though it is not said whether the centurion ever became a Christian, it
is fair to believe that based upon his testimony, he became one much as his
later counterpart, Cornelius became a believer and was baptized, receiving the
Holy Ghost (Acts 10:1-48).
St. Paul advised the Corinthian church (I Corinthians 11:23-34), But
let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that
cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation
to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should
not be judged. Self judgment is an act of examining oneself to see just how
obedient or disobedient one is or has been from one given time period to
another. God will allow us to be troubled as part of his chastening of us.
Chastening is his way of shaking us out of our rebellion and bringing us back
under his divine regime. The apostle penned a more definitive support in
Hebrews 12:6-13 when he said, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth... Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby... We cannot be
healed before we acknowledge that what we were doing beforehand was sin.
Unconfessed sin, therefore, must be removed. In the Book of Joshua (7:1-26),
the LORD would not go into battle with the Israelites because one them (only
one) had not complied with his command that nothing be taken from the city of
Jericho. A man named Achan had taken gold and silver from the city, which
contents were to go into the treasury of the LORD. Until he was found out and
his punishment carried out, God would not help the Israelites. That is how
serious God is about obedience.
Many carnal Christians love to tell of God’s love and will look at this
account in our gospel lesson emphasizing only that particular point. They
flinch when they read the Old Testament accounts such as those in Joshua and in
the Pentateuch because they erroneously believe that those messages carry too
much judgment and not enough mercy. They fail to realize that the very God who
demanded the deaths of prodigals and witches, adulterers and thieves is the
same God who is described in I St. John 4:8 as being love. Yes, God is love.
And God loves his own. But that does not mean that God loves sin and will
overlook the unconfessed transgressions that a sizable number of Christians
carry around with them. Are we not to confess our sins and be done with them?
Are we not commanded to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind
and strength? If we truly love God, then we will be as obedient as that
centurion who came in faith and had his faith reassured.
Therefore rid yourselves of whatever sins you have not confessed unto
God in Christ’s name. Seek his perfect will for you. Ask him to fill you with
his most holy Spirit and to heal you of all that ails you in the name of his
beloved Son. To paraphrase a current mantra: “Have obedience to God in Christ,
Receive his blessings. Have no obedience to God in Christ, receive no
blessings.” It is that simple.
Let us pray,
|
F
|
ather, pour upon us thy most blessed Spirit; that
we being so filled will adhere to thy word written and then go on to do those
things which thou hast called on us to perform in thy service; for this we ask
in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
[1]
By standard, one can
mean God’s flag or side, or one could mean the level expected; here we mean
both!
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