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St. James 1:22-27
May 13, 2012
Rogation Sunday (Easter V)

“Doers of the Word”

The Epistle Lesson before us this morning is all about deeds!  Not words… not feelings… not ideas… not opinions… not intentions… but deeds!  D-e-e-d-s!

Be / ye / doers are the first three words of our epistle lesson this morning.  They form a command!  Be ye doers of the word!  It is one thing, as they say, to “talk the talk.”  It is something entirely different to “walk the talk!”  Be ye doers of the word [of God]!

We have all heard the term “mover and shaker” – one who gets things done!  Even moving the “status quo” out of the way for the truth to emerge  We have heard of the “go getter.”  The “spark plug.”  The “trailblazer” who cuts a new path.  We probably all remember Julius Caesar’s famous Latin phrase: veni, vidi, vici – I came. I saw. I conquered.  Be ye doers of the word.

We might do well to remember that when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, it represented a deed!  A daring deed!  An intrepid deed!  An outrageously bold and successful deed!
 
There were many others before Columbus who believed the earth to be round and not flat – the Bible tells us, for example, as early as the Book of Job that the round earth is suspended by nothing – but those who knew this never acted on what they believed!  Columbus did act upon what he knew and believed!  And he is a hero – even today -- among men and women, boys and girls.

And each year on October 12 we celebrate Columbus Day because of his deed! – not because of his theory!  Not because of what “might” have been!

When I was growing up in the 1950s, a common line boys heard almost daily was this: “Don’t just stand there. Do something!” “Chop, chop.  Get to it!” “Let’s go.”  “Let’s move it.” “Time’s a-wastin…”

Well, this is exactly what the Almighty is telling us through dear St. James – brother of our Lord.  We will not live here forever.  So take advantage of the time given to us!  Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.  Hearing the truth is not enough.  Doing the truth – living the truth -- is required.

In His great “manifesto” – the “Sermon on the Mount” – Jesus closed His hillside teaching by saying: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Where are you and I on the scale of action and implementation concerning what the Bible requires of us?  Hearers?  Or doers?  It is an important question!  It is an eternal question.  For we are called to be doers—not hearers only.

George Eliot was one of the great English writers of the 19th century.  But this was just a pen name.  The real author behind the writings was a woman named Marian Evans Cross.  She felt very deeply about human misery – and wrote about it.  But she did next to nothing to help relieve the load which the suffering were carrying.

One of her contemporaries was none other than George MacDonald – Scottish clergyman and novelist – and master writer of children’s literature.  He was the figure who inspired J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis and a host of others in their callings!

He also felt the suffering of his day, but did something about it!  He suffered quite a bit himself, in fact!  He was plagued by serious illnesses.  At one time he could neither speak nor write for a period of three years!  His son died.  His parishioners boycotted him and withheld his salary.  But he helped those around him wherever he saw human need.

On one occasion, he declared: “Nothing makes one feel so strong as a call for help.”  MacDonald heard the calls.  MacDonald answered the calls.

St. James sets four deeds before us on which to work: (1) bridling our tongues; (2) helping the fatherless; (3) watching out for widows; (4) keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.

As we leave the Easter season, let us remember our calling in Christ – to be hearers and doers!  The disciple is not above his master!  It is enough for the disciple to be as his Master.  Life on earth twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last!

Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  This is our calling.  This is our privilege.

This is the Word of the LORD. Amen.

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St. James 1:17-21
Easter IV
May 6, 2012

“Father of Lights”

It has been said that the one constant in life is “change.” And we cannot deny the “changes” we have witnessed during our lifetimes have really been almost unbelievable!

At the top of the list of life-changing developments over the last thirty years would certainly be the internet. Who – thirty years ago – would have imagined sending a message with attachments (photos, videos, 3-dimensional drawings) to the other side of the world through thin glass fibers in just seconds.

Or the breathtaking medical developments we now take for granted… Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)…. Or non-invasive laser surgery and robotic surgery (which go under the term “laparoscopy”)

The “rare earth metals” have come into their own as well. The rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table which because of their incredible geochemical properties are now in unbelievable demand. Why are they is such high demand? Because they are required in the manufacture of many new critical inventions – including high-temperature superconductors... lasers… nuclear batteries… computer chips… portable X-ray machines…

And then just stop and think about mobile phones – and how they have changed the way we live in the 21st century! And their role in the fall of totalitarian regimes through access to information.

All this has led fallen man into thinking the inevitable “fallen thought” -- just how “self-sufficient” he really is! And so many in our day have concluded that God is no longer necessary! If He is, they say, He needs a “makeover”… He needs to be updated… He needs to be more in line “with the times”… He needs to be more in “synch” with man’s ideas about Him. Less demands… more benefits…

Theologians and mainline denominations have not missed this point… and have, indeed, played directly to it. God is not longer, for them, a Law-Giver or a Judge, they say, but has become an enabler – a facilitator -- to help man reach his goals and to attain his aspirations. For them, heaven and hell are no longer literal places but relics from the past which have finally given way to what has been termed “the evolution of God.”

And the consequences are in rapid development as we speak. This last week a letter came in the mail addressed to St. Paul’s Anglican Church to the attention of – and I quote – the Director of Entertainment! The Director of Entertainment! Enough said. No more need be added. No more can be added!

We here as St. Paul’s Anglican Church might feel a little awkward and a little out of place in such a world in our attempt to fulfill our role in Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church! And those who in chameleon-fashion have taken on the colors and hues of this world will certainly not be happy with the end-product that comes to all who build their houses in the sand!

But my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are standing on “solid rock” in what we do. Listen to how God describes Himself in this morning’s Epistle Lesson. He has referred to Himself in many ways and through many titles, but none quite so unique -- strange -- as what we read together this morning… the Father of Lights! The Father of lights. What does it mean?

He utilizes two remarkable technical terms…

The first Greek term, παραλλαγη refers to the daily variation in the length of daylight hours and nighttime hours. In the winter, daylight hours form a smaller portion of the day. And in the summer, as we all know, daylight hours form a greater portion of the day. As one season blends into another, the variation continues without end. St. James tells us that there is no such variation with God! As we read in the Book of Hebrews – God is the same yesterday, and today, and forever!
The second term, τροπης refers to the waxing and waning in the brilliance of the moon – what we term “phases” of the moon. The moon never stays at the same level of brilliance two days in a row, because its phase is constantly changing. St. James tells us that with God there is no “shadow of turning” – no unpredictable phases with the Almighty!

The “gods” of the Greek and Roman pantheons were but deified men. They were totally and ruthlessly capricious and unpredictable and misleading in their dealings with their subjects. They loved to play deceptive tricks on them and watch them struggle in their weakness. Let us be most grateful that we serve the “Father of Lights” with Whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning!
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Even the greatest manifestations of God’s created order do change – but He, their Author, never changes in the least! We are reminded that He remains the same day to day and season to season – entirely reliable, completely immovable, wonderfully predictable, and totally dependable. He is the foundation of life itself. And the perfect order of His incredible world is what allows scientists to explore and inventors to produce!

Therefore let us not “cut and run.” Let us rather hold the course. Let us stay the course! Let us serve the Father of Lights with Whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

The world may, indeed, change – but we can be thankful our Heavenly Father changes not!

This is the Word of the Lord. Amen.

I Peter 2:11-17
Easter III
April 29, 2012

“Honesty”

Many centuries ago – approximately 350 years before our Lord walked this earth – a Greek Cynic named Diogenes walked through the streets of Athens with a lantern held high in his hand… And as he approached people with its light shining upon their faces, they would ask him, “What are you doing?” His reply was always the same: “I am looking for an honest man!”

And well did he ask this question, for honest men, then as now, were rare, indeed. Honest men… honest women… honest children… honest young people… honest workers… honest employees… honest students… honest citizens… honest leaders… have been all too uncommon and scarce throughout the ages!

I believe it was Martin Luther, the German Reformer, who once stated that an honest judge is as rare as a black swan. This is certainly understood by those who see the “judicial activism” of our own day!

Are honest individuals really so rare upon God’s earth?

That is certainly the impression one receives by reading the newspapers. Daily headlines announce for all the world to behold… the names and faces of those who leave soiled marks upon the pages of history…

• Those who run for public office -- all too often saying whatever they believe the public wants them say in order to obtain their vote…
• Psychopaths, doing whatever is required – right or wrong – to grasp the levers of power of their day…
• Government leaders who swear to uphold the Constitution, but then proceed to ignore it at every turn…

It was Samuel Clemens (known more commonly to us as Mark Twain) who once quipped: Of all the creatures that walk this earth, only one tells lies – and that is man!

Then there are those who are dishonest in the relationships of life – husbands and wives… parents and children… brothers and sisters…

And I am sad to say there are also those who are dishonest inside Christ’s Church – not just leaders of mainline denominations, but also communicants who take baptismal and confirmation vows. Many of God’s people who have vowed to uphold His Word – which includes tithing and regular worship at Church -- then proceed to ignore it!

It is one thing to take a person out of the world. It is entirely something else to take “the world” out of a person – this is called sanctification! And we can all still see Diogenes – lantern in hand – saying in all soberness, “I am looking for an honest man.”

And we should ask ourselves this morning, with God as our witness: How honest are we? Where are we to be found along God’s unyielding yardstick of honesty?

In the Lesson before us this morning, the aged St. Peter – eyewitness of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – whose own soul was wearied and vexed seeing the same malignant scourge and affliction of dishonesty in his day, took the thin quill in his weathered hand, and left sage counsel – inspired counsel… infallible and inerrant counsel – for God’s people… including you and me.

He was faithful as an under-shepherd in proclaiming the true pathway for Christ’s Flock… We can all see this dear Apostle – who said he was writing from Babylon -- slowly and carefully inscribe the words of the text before us this morning:

Let your conversation [words and manner of life] be honest among the Gentiles.

You and I face countless duties and responsibilities – interactions with other people and with Life – each and every day, and each receives our response – one way or the other.

To be honest is to follow the Example of our Lord Who always spoke the truth… Who committed no sin… in whose Mouth no guile was ever found…

To be dishonest is to be a true worldling and heir of the world’s ways.

Let your conversation, be honest among the Gentiles.

The Lantern of Diogenes is a solid reminder of the great responsibility and opportunity which is ever before us – to be honest. And I remind you… the Resurrection Power of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit alone produces true honesty in the lives of His followers.

This Easter Season may we commit ourselves to give the Risen Christ – the Wisdom of God… the “Everlasting Paradigm of Honesty” – all loyalty… all honor… and all praise… through our honesty.

Let your conversation be honest among the Gentiles.

World without end. Amen.

I Peter 2:19-25
Easter II
April 22, 2012

“The Shepherd and Bishop of Souls”

This world is not a very safe place! It is, indeed, filled with hazards!

So far this year, 63 people have been the victims of “killer tornadoes.” Last week alone, there were reports of 100 tornadoes in the Midwest!

We are terribly deceived if we think we are bulletproof and immortal. We are not! I recently read a report on just how many people die each year from malnutrition! The number was staggering! And Americans, even those above the poverty line, are not exempt! Yale psychologist Kelly Brownell calls America a "toxic food environment” where fat and sugar laden foods have taken precedent over healthy nutritious foods.

So as a starting point, we state the world in which we live is not a very safe place! It is not safe from the dangerous actions of others. It is not safe from our own folly!

Nor was the world a very safe place in A.D. 63, three decades after the Resurrection of our Lord, when dear St. Peter penned the First Epistle bearing his name. That seam in time represented a terribly distressing and difficult ordeal in the development of Christ’s Church!

The weathered and worn fisherman for Christ – the “Apostle of Hope” – is found caring for and encouraging the Christian Jews who had been scattered throughout the then–known world on account of their Christian Faith. He was addressing followers of Jesus Christ living in Roman provinces of the region that today goes by the name “Turkey.”

His readers were suffering the trauma of persecution! Theirs were the trials common to first-century Christians – insults, slanderous accusations of wrongdoing, beatings, social ostracism, sporadic mob violence, and local police action – to name but a few.

St. Peter points out to the readers of his day – and to you and to me, almost 2,000 years later – that the world was also not a safe place for our Lord during His earthly tenure. He committed no sin, yet He was reviled by those of His day – citizens and leaders alike! No deceit was found in His mouth, for He always spoke the truth, yet He suffered immeasurably at the hands of many who did not like what He said!

And this dear Apostle reminds us of a very important fact! Christ did not lash back “in kind” when He was insulted and abused! He did not retaliate “in kind” with threats and revenge, when the tsunami of suffering washed over Him. He patiently endured His trials for the benefit of His people. He quietly continued along the pathway set before Him – that we might be cleansed and furnished His perfect Example to guide us through our own tribulations!

You see, Faith in Christ and the practice of following Him brings the victory! And victory is the message of Easter! It seems almost too simple! But it is true. And this is how the Early Church overcame its foes – eventually conquering Rome, itself – not through the weaponry and methods of fallen men! Far from it! But according to God’s Way, through following Jesus Christ!

The son of Jonah commends his readers for one very important God-assisted move they had made! They had returned from their wandering and from their straying to the One Who alone could shepherd and protect their souls – a clear reference to Jesus Christ!

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

My dear friends, the world in which we live is most assuredly not a safe place for Christ’s flock, just as the unfenced Judean countryside, with its wild beasts and hazards of the unpredictable desert, was not a safe place for vulnerable first-century sheep and lambs.

Then, as now, a Shepherd – a Protector – Who knows more that we know, Who is stronger than our enemies and foes, Who is more caring than the rest of mankind… is still necessary! Then, as now, a Protector is required who will watch over us! Not just over the well-being of our bodies but also over the health of our defenseless souls. Then, as now, a sleepless, far-sighted, gentle, weather-beaten, armed and genuinely concerned Shepherd and Overseer is required – a Guide and a Guard – Who leaning upon His staff, courageous and true, looks out over His flock, every last one of them on His Heart.

In our sophisticated days in which so many are “supposedly” our protectors – but who have revealed themselves to be hirelings of the most faithless sort – we need to return to the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls! You and I must return to Jesus Christ – to His teachings and to His ways!

It is time for us as individuals, as families, as a Church, as a nation to return to the Son of God! Not to the Republican or Democratic or Libertarian parties! Not to the United Nations! Not to the mainline denominations which have lost their way and fallen into the ditch!

We are called to return to the Risen Jesus Christ. He is the Protector and Overseer of souls! Remember our First Century counterparts!

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

World without end. Amen.

I John 5:4-12
Easter I
April 15, 2012

“The Feast of Victory”

Easter has been called the “Feast of Victory” – and for good reason! It is the feast of all feasts! And it certainly is marked by victory – conquest, triumph, success -- from beginning to end!

That which appeared to be the gloomiest, saddest, most horrible, most depressing, most despicable, most insulting, and most lopsided defeat imaginable – Rome and Israel in a lawless coalition against one innocent individual – was in three short days reversed into the most glorious and grandest victory ever imagined in the mind of man!

Victory for our Lord! Victory for His followers. Victory for His Church! And victory for His Kingdom, which shall never have an end! As the poet has stated it so succinctly: The Lamb Who was slain has now begun His reign! And we celebrate the “Feast of Victory” this Easter Season – five Sundays set aside each Church Year to bask in the strength and vitality and the life-giving warmth of Christ’s Victory!

It was Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), the American General who commanded the Southwest Pacific Theatre in World War II, who once famously declared in his general’s stentorian voice, “There is no substitute for victory.”

It was his contemporary, Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British orator, author, and Prime Minister during World War II, who issued the stirring words: “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.”

And what a magnificent leading verse for the Epistle Lesson chosen by the reformers this beautiful Lord’s Day Morning…

…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…

If the Ancient of Days is Victor, par excellence, then we as His offspring – born of His Spirit– are also to be marked by His victory! This is indeed a magnificent outlook! This is without doubt a superb appraisal of life for the Christian in God’s world under His Divine Providence…

…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…

This is certainly a worthy banner to lead us in victory through all our allotted days (morning… noon… and night) in our pilgrimage through this world… as we find ourselves daily confronted with the problems and challenges of dealing with fallen people… beset with endless difficulties which come to us as a result of living in a fallen world of scarcity… always finding ourselves walking along the knife-edge of countless pitfalls, it seems, throughout our earthly sojourn… What a comfort and soothing balm are these words…

…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…

How could St. John, who as a young man had run with St. Peter that first Easter Morning, and with bated breath and fixed gaze peered into the empty tomb – being changed by the amazing sight he beheld – have had any other outlook?

When he viewed the grave clothes lying in their place undisturbed – simply collapsed – and the sudarion, or napkin (used to cover the face of the dead), folded and sitting by itself, he was overpowered by the realization that what he saw was not the scene of a grave robbery! It became obvious to him that Jesus’ Resurrected Body had simply passed through the grave clothes and that He had carefully folded the napkin before leaving the tomb. Such a sight changed him for life! It indelibly marked his soul… his spirit… his mind… his outlook! And so should it ours!

…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…

The “world” – in the sense that St. John employs the term – is a reference to the system of life upon this earth formed and shaped by the fallen and morally twisted sons of Adam and daughters of Eve! A world system arrayed against Christ and against His Rule and Authority!

It has been pointed out, tongue in cheek, that the “world” may be trusted! Trusted to pursue its own humanistic order at every turn! The world may be trusted! To affirm its own “authoritative” word apart from God! The world may be trusted! To work to forge the kingdom of Man with a religious fervor that, I am sad to say, is often unparalleled! Yes, the world may be trusted!

Stop and think of it! The lesson of Easter reminds us of the defeat of God’s enemies through Christ! You and I have been granted the Faith and the power and the might to be more than conquerors! But how? By believing in (and committing ourselves to) Jesus Christ, Who has perfectly led the way… Who is the Way… Who shows us the way… and what it means to be a Victor and a Conqueror over this world.

And as His people, we are given to follow His giant steps and strides and pathway… to be swept along in His wake, as it were – to the very same outcome… Victory! Conquest! Triumph!

Is it yours this day? I hope so. Are you growing into it? I hope so. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Do you believe it? Is it important to you?

…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…

World without end. Amen.

Colossians 3:1-4
Easter Day
April 8, 2012

“Risen With Christ”

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

A young painter once specialized in full-length portraits of men, women, children, and young people. She would often display her beautiful paintings locally – and many people would stop by and enjoy them thoroughly. One day a professional painter stopped by and seeing the paintings, examined them very closely. He sought out the painter and finally found her.

After congratulating her on what she had been able to put so skillfully on canvas, he explained to her his observation: “I have noted that whenever you draw these individuals, you always have them standing either in water or in tall grass. Why is that?” She was straightforward and unapologetic in her reply: “My dear friend, I have not yet learned how to draw feet.”

And so it is with any effort on our part to “explain” the Resurrection which we celebrate this morning on Easter Day! So much of it is truly a mystery! Most of it is a mystery! Jesus dies on Good Friday and then His Life returns on Sunday morning! But He is unrecognizable and Mary Magdalene thinks he is the gardener. His Resurrection Life is qualitatively different! He is in some sense glorified! He is immortalized and will never again die! Yet His disciples can still recognize Him and they can also recognize the scars that betray His suffering and passion!

So much of the Resurrection remains a mystery unless we have faith! There is much we are told. But there is much we do not understand. There is much we can see and express, but there is much that simply evades us. You and I have not yet learned to “paint feet” as it were.

I have always been interested in the fact that John Milton – one of the preeminent writers of the English language, if not the greatest English writer of all time – also had difficulty word-smithing the mysterious at times. He, too, had difficulty expressing the ineffable (that is, the indescribable).

He penned an absolutely beautiful and insightful poem entitled “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity” in order to celebrate the Birth of our Lord at Christmas. But when he later on attempted to compose a companion piece on the crucifixion of the Man of Sorrows – he gave it up! In his published works, we find the beginnings of a poem, but with it a note that apologizes for it never having been completed! The master writer – also -- had not yet learned to “paint feet.”

Thankfully, the Almighty inspired the Apostle Paul by His Holy Spirit to put into words that which would help us understand the resurrection which we celebrate on this Holiest of days. And especially to help us understand it – as it relates to us!

He tells us in this morning’s Epistle Lesson that as Christians we have been risen with Christ! In other words, we have been resurrected with Christ. And furthermore our lives are hid with Him.

This has led us to the observation that – because of Christ’s Resurrection -- we are not the people we once were… nor are we yet the people we are to become. As Christians, we are not the people we once were… nor are we yet the people we are to become. We are risen with Christ. And our lives are hid with Him!

Now some people think this expression regarding our being hidden in Christ means that others have not yet seen and understood our conversion. And to a definite degree, this is true. But it still means much more than this!

It is a reference to what is yet ahead of us! The Christian believer is inseparably united with Christ – but the complete reality of the new life is not yet fully revealed! It remains hidden – but it is becoming known a “shade at a time.” Just like the artist, we are learning how to draw feet – our own feet -- learning how to complete the picture!

We are learning to see the dimensions of our new lives hitherto hidden from our view. Veils are being lifted. Blinders are being removed. Fog is “burning off.” Old things are passed away. Behold all things are becoming new! We can see our new redeemed feet and also can see where they are to lead us! Where we are going! And how we are to get there!

To be hid with Jesus Christ means we are fully secure with Him – but the full meaning of it is yet developing before our very eyes! We are what is known in accounting jargon as WIP – Work In Progress! We know what has started, but do not yet understand its full implication!

I Corinthians 11:23-26
Maundy Thursday
April 5, 2012

“The Cup of the New Testament“

This evening, we recall several sacred events, which in the Providence of Almighty God, transpired the night of our Lord’s Betrayal and Arrest -- as His earthly ministry rapidly drew to a close. There is, of course, the Mandatum Novum (the “New Commandment”) given by Christ – to love one another – from which the descriptive name that marks this evening (Maundy Thursday) is derived.

There is the pattern of humility which Jesus implemented while upon His sacred Knees with a basin, a pitcher of water, and a towel in Hand – the washing of His Disciples’ feet.

There is the beautiful discourse on the Vine and the branches. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

There is the profound promise of the Paraclete. The Comforter. The Coming of the Holy Spirit, Who in time would lead Jesus’ Disciples in the writing of the Bible and the evangelization of this world!

In the Epistle Lesson read together this evening, the Apostle Paul hearkens back to another of the very important events that transpired that evening – the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

He reminds us of the bread and wine set apart from common to sacred use – and their central role in worship. This evening, let us focus our thoughts on a single phrase in this Epistle lesson:

This cup is the new testament in my blood.
This cup is the new testament in my blood.

When we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we approach the Lord Himself. He meets us in the Bread and in the Wine. When we partake of the hallowed wine, we are called to remember His Blood that flowed freely down the rough timbers of the Cross. We remember that life is found in the blood, and that Jesus willingly bled and sacrificed His Blood – His Life – for you and me, woeful sinners!

The cup of the new testament on the lips of guilty sinners gives life! Not just physical life, but spiritual life – the life of Christ – in us!

The cup of the new testament on the dry, parched lips of those who have wandered through the barren lands of sin and shame yields health and strength and purpose in this life and in the life to come.

The cup of the new testament upon the lips of those thirsting for their Creator, destined to become God’s own children, produces growth and maturity and Christian works. It leads us to our calling – the restoration of the fallen to their original purpose: the Glory of Almighty God.

This cup is the new testament in my blood.

But the cup of the new testament is not free. Oh, it is free to you. It is free to me. It is free to all who will take it to their lips and drink deeply.

But it was most definitely purchased at a great price beyond our calculation and understanding!

The only cup we really deserve is the cup of sorrow, the cup of pain, the cup of suffering, the cup of punishment, the cup of justice, the cup of woe -- because of the magnitude of our rebellion and willful offences – sins of omission (not doing those things we were to have done) and sins of commission (doing the very things we were not to have done).

On the night of His Betrayal, the Son of God found that very cup, large and full – the cup of deep sorrow, the cup of bitter suffering, the cup of sharp pain! And He did drink deeply of its bitter dregs for you and for me. He willingly took it to His Honest Lips and drank all of it!

In The Gospel according to St. Matthew we read the following:

He… prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus Christ did drink that cup which rightly belonged to you and to me! In the course of twelve grueling hours, He was:

• Arrested in the middle of the night – an illegal action.
• He was spit upon…
• He was mocked…
• He was reviled…
• He was struck…
• He was blindfolded…
• He was slapped…
• He was taunted…
• He was beaten…

The Prince of Life did take our cup that we might receive His cup.

This cup is the new testament in my blood.

It was not “fair” but it was acceptable to the Father as the worthy payment of justice required for the sins of mankind. And it has stood for two millennia as the greatest act of love the Eternal, Unchanging, Absolute LORD God of this universe could have ever displayed for the fallen sons of Adam and daughters of Eve – for me, and for you.

Let us thus take care to understand this well, and let us humbly accept His most priceless gift as we come to His Holy Table this sacred night.

This cup is the new testament in my blood.

Amen.

Philippians 2:5-11
Palm Sunday
April 1, 2012

“Let This Mind Be In You”

What an absolutely magnificent Epistle Lesson is set before us this Palm Sunday Morning. It is indeed, superb beyond description. In these seven short verses, we find distilled and eloquently articulated, the very essence of the life of Jesus Christ – very Son of God… very Son of Man… The majesty of thought conveyed pushes away from us any attempt at explanation. It is enough this Holy Day to merely observe… to ponder… to savor… and to absorb such a breathtaking picture.

It was Athanasius, the 3rd and 4th century champion of orthodoxy, who summarized this text so well.

The Son of God
Became the son of man
That the sons of man
might become the sons of God!

And as we enter Holy Week, we are reminded of, and given one last look at, the sacred overarching purposes of the Almighty for His Blessed Son and for this His world and for His Church -- and for you and for me -- that we might understand the events which follow in swift succession… Christ entering Jerusalem… following a harsh and austere pathway leading across a brook… through a garden… into a High Priest’s palace… to a Judgment Hall… to a Judgment Seat… to a Judgment Hill known as Golgotha…

The lesson begins with Christ’s preexistence -- Christ Jesus… being in the form of God. This is indeed quite a mystery in itself! Jesus Christ eternally begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth!

And what does He do? He empties Himself – divests Himself… He strips Himself – of the glory and prerogatives of Heaven in order to take our form and live and move among us!

The Son of God
Became the son of man
That the sons of man
might become the sons of God!

And that is not all! The form He took among us was the lowliest and most servile of all! He humbled Himself we are told – and became obedient unto death – even the death of the cross! Viewed as a malefactor – exposed to public disgrace – dying an ignominious death with the sins of the world upon His shoulders!

But this humility is followed by an equally great exaltation! He is given a Name which is above every name – that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow (genuflect) and every tongue confess (credo – I believe) that He is Lord to the glory of the Father!

And through this comes a lesson for us! Let this mind be in you also. Let this attitude of Christ be in you also. Let this humility and selflessness be in you also!

To the degree that we also bend our knees and that our tongues also confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Master of us all. The disciple is not above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be as his Master!

The Son of God
Became the son of man
That the sons of man
might become the sons of God!

After all, to have the Mind of Christ is in some profound sense to emulate God. It was the tenacious and faithful Bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom of old, who regarding this very text wrote 1600 years ago:

“Nothing so sustains the… soul… as learning that through this one is becoming like God.”

On their return journey from a lifetime of hard service as missionaries in Africa, an elderly couple found themselves on the same ocean liner as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from a big game hunting expedition.

The couple watched in awe the fanfare given the president and his entourage. When the ship docked in New York, a band was there to greet him with music. The mayor of the city was there to welcome him and recognize his importance. People cheered him. The press lined up to take his picture and dictate his every word to the public.

The dear old couple slipped quietly off the ship, unnoticed – unappreciated. No one even acknowledged their existence! They looked for a cheap apartment with little money, poor health, discouraged and fearful. The husband, especially, could not get over how the president had received such acclaim – while they had returned home unnoticed and unappreciated. “God is not treating us fairly,” he complained bitterly to his wife. “Why don’t you pray about it, dear?” she counseled.

The next day, his wife noticed a distinct change in his demeanor. “What happened?” she asked. “Well, I told God my concerns,” he explained, “and He pointed out something I had overlooked. Five words – You are not home yet.”

Our homecoming will be glorious, indeed, but until then we are to have the mind of Christ – who made Himself of no reputation… who helped others and made them more important than Himself!

The Son of God
Became the son of man
That the sons of man
might become the sons of God!

And as the sons of God, let us remember our Lord riding through Jerusalem on the back of a humble donkey – in parody concerning the “great ones” of this earth! Let us take our places of humility each day and encourage each other in the mind of Christ!

Let this mind be in you also – world without end!

Amen.

Hebrews 9:11-15
Passion Sunday
March 25, 2012

“Good Things to Come”

Years ago, I was asked to serve as executor of an estate for two dear older parishioners. I agreed that I would carry out the terms of their Will which they had prepared. I read and became familiar with their Will describing the distribution of their earthly possessions (a considerable sum) that was to take force and be implemented when they died.

I also made contact with the heirs who were mentioned in the Will, so I knew their whereabouts and could reach them when required. In this process, I learned that one of them had fallen past due on several considerable debts he had incurred – and as a result was suffering terribly under expensive penalty payments – and had, indeed, been reduced to a level of existence known by any other name as “poverty.”

With the passage of time, the husband died. Not long thereafter, his wife also died. The responsibility of notification was accomplished, then distribution of their possessions was made in accordance with the terms of their Will.

I will never forget the distribution made to the account of the heir who had fallen into debt – and also into the constant badgering of creditors seeking his past-due payments of principal and interest! His inheritance was not only sufficient to pay off all outstanding debts and all outstanding penalties, but also sufficient to leave a substantial positive balance in his account! It was sufficient, as they say, for him to “start all over” again! It was adequate for him to start a “new life.”

This experience has over the years helped me immeasurably to better understand – and to better appreciate – the meaning of Christ’s Atonement and the meaning of Man’s Redemption. Christ’s covering and Man’s purchase from the slave markets of sin!

Members of Christ’s Church, like the debtor, once owed the Ancient of Days more than we could possibly have imagined – an incalculable sum – not just in terms of obedience, but in terms of penalties imposed for being morally in arrears. We had all fallen behind – past due, as it were – to former and continuing obligations as defined by God’s revealed Word. This does not mean that God’s Word was bad. It means, rather, that we were bad -- failures and in great need as debtors of the worst sort! Unfulfilled sacred duties and unmet moral requirements grew daily – just like a growing mountain of unpaid and overdue bills.

But when the Word of God through the Holy Spirit informed us of our profound need and we responded with repentance and humility, with contrition and lowliness, with baptism and commitment -- we were suddenly revealed to be heirs of Christ! And the benefits of His Atoning Sacrifice were deposited to our bankrupt moral accounts! Our moral debts were paid in full and we were made new creatures. We were given new life. We were handed the opportunity to “start anew.” Our moral accounts were put back in the “black” through the righteousness of Christ!

There is a very telling statement in this morning’s Lesson which is too great for us to understand in a single moment. But it is a true delight to consider, nonetheless, during Lent -- to ponder and upon which to ruminate as we approach Easter!

We are told that Jesus Christ is an High Priest of good things to come. The infirm high priests of old were those who offered repetitive sacrifices year after year. But Jesus Christ is an High Priest of good things to come.

He is certainly an High Priest of good things to come for those of the Old Testament. He is certainly an High Priest of good things to come for those of the New Testament. He is most certainly an High Priest of good things to come for those anticipating Heaven – when the imperfect knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments will be swallowed up in perfect knowledge, when all things resembling sin will perish, when our own black hearts, though redeemed, will be perfected and freed from every last vestige – strand and tendril – of the Fall.

How hard it is for us – even though redeemed -- to understand and see these good things to come.

While in the shadows of Lent, we forget the glory of Easter! When in darkness we forget the light. When in the cold we forget the warmth. When carrying our crosses we forget our crowns yet to come.

This is not some “wish upon a star” “cup half full” optimism! It is the promise of God for His people in their every confusion and every disappointment! He is an High Priest of good things to come.

The Apostle Paul tells us that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Why? Because He is an High Priest of good things to come.

We are told that He which hath begun a good work in us will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is an High Priest of good things to come.

And this promise is not just for us – but also for others through us! He is certainly an High Priest of good things to come… for His Church… for His Kingdom… for His dominion… for this sorry world… for the glorious world to come!

Through His Last Will and Testament, Jesus Christ has bequeathed upon you and me an unalterable and generous inheritance beyond description. It is an inheritance we do not deserve.

It is an inheritance that should make us the humblest people ever to walk His earth. And we are given the opportunity to walk humbly with Him through Passiontide -- and accompany Him up the slopes of Golgotha in His greatest of all works!

He is most certainly an High Priest of good things to come. And we can be grateful… world without end.

Amen.

Galatians 4:21-31
Lent IV
March 18, 2012

“God’s Way Is Superior to Man’s”

God’s way is superior to man’s! It always has been superior. It always will be superior! God’s way is superior to man’s!

Over 4,000 years ago, God taught this to Abraham and Sarah. When they departed Ur of the Chaldees (modern-day Iraq), little did they know their lives would become the Paradigm of Christian Faith.

And though they had many relatives, yet the Scriptures inform us they had no child of their own.

The LORD God met Abraham before entering the Land of Canaan and told him He would make of him a great nation – and through him bless all the families of the earth.

After entering the Land of Canaan, the LORD appeared to him again. This time He told him something more specific. He told him he would father a “child of promise.” A son would be born to him in his old age and his posterity would number as the stars of the sky. And Abraham, we are told, believed… and God counted it to him for righteousness.

Days went by. Weeks went by. Months went by. Years went by. And Abraham reached his 85th birthday. Yet Sarah remained childless. One fateful day, Sarah approached Abraham in anguish of soul because time was “running out.” With best of motives, she reasoned that if she could not bear Abraham a child, perhaps her younger Egyptian handmaid, Hagar could.

Abraham consented, and within a year a son named Ishmael was born to him by Hagar. As you might expect, a chain of unintended consequences immediately surfaced and entangled all those involved.

Thirteen years transpired. And with Abraham now at the age of 99, the LORD appeared once more – this time revealing His imminent plans for Sarah to bear the “child of promise.”

In God’s Own perfect timing, just as He had indicated, Sarah did miraculously conceive, and when her days were accomplished, the son of promise – Isaac – was born to Abraham at the age of 100!

In due time, the day came when Isaac was “weaned.” Abraham made a great feast of celebration. But, alas, during the festivities Sarah eyed Ishmael – now 16-years old – mocking his younger half-brother, Isaac.

When Sarah reported this to Abraham, the conflict grieved him greatly! For it concerned both of his sons – Ishmael as well as Isaac. And as you know, Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, were then sent away. For Ishmael was not to be a joint heir with the “son of promise.”

This in a nutshell is the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac!

God’s way is superior to man’s! But how easily we forget it! Even dear old Abraham – father of the faithful – lost sight of it!

The Bible draws a sharp dividing line between Ishmael and Isaac! It is black and white – with clear, crisp edges. There is no grey.

Ishmael was born to Abraham by natural means. He came from the union of Abraham with a woman not his wife. Isaac, on the other hand, was born to Abraham by supernatural means. He came from the union of Abraham with his wife, Sarah, through a miracle!

Ishmael was the product of human counsel. He was the product of human planning. He was the product of human deliberation. Isaac, on the other hand, was the product of Divine Revelation. He was the product of Divine empowerment. He was the product of Divine Providence.

Ishmael represents the wisdom and the decrees of mankind. Isaac represents the Wisdom and the decrees of God. The bottom line? In Ishmael man has his way! In Isaac God has His!

And we are reminded once more of an all-important truth: God’s way is superior to man’s!

The Apostle Paul goes so far as to divide all mankind into the same two categories – humanists and the faithful!

On the one hand… humanists who believe in the molecules-to-man theory… affirm the ability of man and the commendation of mankind! They believe man’s way is superior to Gods.

On the other hand those who affirm the faith – see themselves miraculously born of God’s Decree, predestined and foreordained into the Covenant of Faith. They understand their lives to be marked by grace, regeneration, mercy, forgiveness, conversion and the New Birth. They believe in the supernatural ability of God in their lives… answers to their prayers… and the commendation of our Heavenly Father. They believe that God’s way is superior to man’s.

This most basic conflict has endured throughout the ages!! It is a terrible conflict that will not go away – indeed, that cannot “go away.”

Those born of men still persecute those born of God! Those who walk by sight still persecute those who walk by Faith. Those governed by the Fall still persecute those governed by the New Birth!

This conflict is found in education. It is found in politics. It is found in “science” so-called. It is found in medicine. It is found in economics. It is found in finance! It is found everywhere!

Dear ones, we must not soon forget there was another “Son of Promise” Who also walked this earth... many years after the passing of Abraham. He, too, entered this world in miraculous fashion. His Birth, too, was heralded by angels as of old. And with Him, the very same conflict was discovered – even from Infancy.

The way of man and the way of God were ever before Him! He understood them perfectly and faithfully revealed them to His followers. He disciplined Himself by the Spirit of God – as we remember during Lent – in order to leave a perfect Example for us to follow.

His conflict grew daily until it reached its culminating expression one solemn, windswept Friday afternoon as darkness draped itself over a hill outside Jerusalem. He was humiliated. He was tormented. He was slain! And He was faithful through it all – and beyond!

As we watch Him through the polished eyepiece of Lent – let us emulate His humility, His lowliness, His very patient travel – and victory – in the ways of God!!

The same struggle is, indeed, yet before us – God’s Way and man’s way! Which will it be?

God’s way is superior! World without end. Amen.

Ephesians 5:1-14
Lent III
March 11, 2012

“Awake and Arise”

Most of us are probably at least to some degree familiar with the story of Rip Van Winkle – who distinguished himself by sleeping away twenty years of his life in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In the short story written by Washington Irving, Rip Van Winkle was a colonial villager of Dutch descent, loved by one and all -- but who avoided work and sought the idle life of a recluse. When he finally awakens from his deep sleep, he discovers his gun has become rusted and his beard has grown to a foot in length!

Returning to the village, he recognizes no one! Through various conversations, he finally discovers his wife has passed on, his friends died in a war, and his son is now a grown man. He immediately gets himself in trouble when he declares himself a loyal subject of King George III – not realizing he has slept through the American Revolution!

St. Paul reminds us in the Epistle Lesson this morning just how much we all tend to be like Rip Van Winkle, of old – sleeping our lives away. Not literal sleep, of course – but moral slumber! Unaware of what is going on around us… unconcerned regarding the very real needs of family and friends… heedless of battles raging around us… unaware of clear and present dangers to us and our land and to our posterity… our weapons rusting… precious time slipping through our fingers!

What a sad and tragic day, when the slumber is finally ended and terror grips those who have slept their lives away in the arms of this world – in the arms of Molech, in the arms of materialism – and realize all they should and could have done… lost opportunities… forgotten honor… overlooked responsibilities…

I am often reminded of Jesus’ concluding words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount – spoken to those whom He will send to eternal perdition: Depart from me… I never knew you! No time for Jesus Christ! No time for the things of God! No time for things holy!

The solution, of course, is to heed the counsel before us this holy day. Awake and arise! These are very common words in the Bible! Why? Because everyone is in such great and constant need of them! Awake and arise!

They came to the judge and prophetess, Deborah, of old! Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song…

Likewise to the prophet, Elijah, discouraged and loaded with grief at the waywardness of his people -- sleeping under a juniper tree! Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

The shipmaster to Jonah, the recalcitrant prophet of the LORD, as he was sailing away from his difficult and onerous responsibilities – asleep in the hold of the ship: What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God… that we perish not.

And, of course, there was dear, faithful Joseph – asleep and unaware of danger – when he was suddenly roused from his slumber by an angel who told him: Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

These words even came to St. Peter, locked and bound – and asleep --in the middle of the night in the heart of a prison awaiting execution: And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

Thank God for all men, all women, all children, and all young people who have heard these very words in their own souls and felt them resonate in their own minds and hearts and souls in their own day – and responded! Who at first became conscious of the voice of Christ and who awakened and arose! Who were given light and who followed that light! Who diligently read the Bible. Who spent time praying. Who faithfully worshipped God and came to know Him as commanded. Who paid their tithes and offerings to fund His kingdom. Who follows in their train? Awake and arise!

You and I can certainly be glad that Joseph of Arimathea heard the voice of Christ. For he awoke and arose and light was given to him and he followed that light! And it took him to the British Isles!

It is often held that the Faith of Britain was introduced in A.D. 597 through a missionary sent by Pope Gregory the Great. But the truth is that – because Joseph of Arimathea awakened and arose and followed the light given him – Christian faith was professed in Britain even in the days of the Apostles (before A.D. 40) when the Church in Rome was still in the feebleness of infancy. It is quite a story! And how important are these words: Awake and arise!

And because of the work of Joseph of Arimathea in Britain, Aristobulus (mentioned in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans) became one of the first bishops among the Britons.

Are we asleep or are we awake? Are we curled up slumbering in the arms of this world or have we arisen? How do we know? Have we received the light of the knowledge of Christ? If so, what are we doing with it? Is it making a difference in our lives?

Dear ones, these very same words come to us this holy day: Awake and arise… and Christ shall give thee light.

May it be so… world without end... Amen.

I Thessalonians 4:1-8
Lent II
March 4, 2012

“The Will of God – Your Sanctification”

Advent tells us Christ is near.
Christmas tells us Christ is here.
In Epiphany we trace
All the wonders of His grace.
Then in Lent we revel,
To see Him face the devil.
He feels the powers from below,
Yet gains the victory o’er His foe!

Lent is that most unique season of Christ’s Church when we follow our Lord against the harsh desert winds into the barren, lifeless wilderness.  We follow Him quietly.  We follow Him reverently.  We follow Him carefully – for we know where He is leading us! 

Our pulse jumps.  Our adrenaline flows when we look – and horror of horrors – we behold Him standing Face to face with the chilling image of the Evil One.  The greatest conflict of the ages again unfolds before us – a reenactment, if you will, of the temptation originally played out in the Garden of Eden with our first parents.

No weapons of war are present – no swords, no spears.  No armor is found there – no breastplate, no helmet, no shield.  No food, no comforts, no amusements!  The confrontation is entirely spiritual!  It is most real!  It is exclusively sharp and unyielding – a supreme test of wills, thoughts, faith -- between Incarnate Good and incarnate evil! 

During Lent, we see our Lord travel through dark and foreboding shadows as the Man of Sorrows.  His way is lonely.  His load enormous.  His pathway tortuous.  His steps slow.  Labored.  And we are called to follow Him.  We are irresistibly drawn to His Side.  We are beckoned to emulate His manners and to understand His great humility and lowliness.

Perhaps it is for this very reason so many people avoid Lent, and want nothing to do with it!  Perhaps it is for this very reason such a great portion of Christendom this morning – individuals and churches – do not participate in the harshness, the firmness, the severity of Lent! 

One very sincere woman years ago expressed to us the modern Christian’s worldview well, “I just want to be happy and love Jesus!”  But I ask you, “What does it mean to be happy?  And what does it mean to love Jesus?”  Does it include His hard sayings?  Does it include His requirement of self-discipline?  The disciple is not above his Master; it is enough to be as his master.

I find it most revealing – indeed, we should all find it most revealing – that the Apostle Paul did not lead the new converts in the Church at Thessalonica into the path of “being happy and loving Jesus” – as good as this sounds and as well-intended and pervasive as such a man-centered emphasis has been across the ages.

 On the contrary, dear St. Paul tells these new Christians – yet babes in Christ – something else – something from the other end of the spectrum!  He hands them not an entitlement, but a duty!  He hands them not a “right,” but a responsibility!  A job!  A sacred task!  This is the will of God, he writes, even your sanctification! 

The J.B. Phillips paraphrase of this verse states: It is God’s will to make you holy.  The New International Version translates these words: It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.  It is clear that God does not intend us to remain forever the same – undeveloped and immature and stunted in the Christian Life.  This is the will of God, even your sanctification! 

Sanctification is the process of being set apart for God’s sacred purposes, not man’s purposes – not even our own purposes!  And certainly not for the purposes of other people! 

To be sanctified is to give legs and feet and head and heart to that for which we pray each week when together we recite the Lord’s Prayer – Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!  May Thy will be done in our own lives!

The Thessalonians were instructed to make it their goal to please God, not themselves.  He tutored them to abstain from sexual immorality!  To make it their practice to control their bodies in holiness and in honor before their Maker.  And to hurt no brother or sister – old or young – in such matters. 

Why?  Because the Lord is an Avenger of such behavior!  Those who disregard this command to holiness, he writes, are not disregarding him – but they are disregarding God, Who has given His Spirit to help His children in this important and great undertaking.

We must stop and point out that sanctification is not easy work!  Once, when asked if he truly loved God, Martin Luther, the German Reformer replied: “Love God? Sometimes I hate Him!”  What he was saying is that his conflict in sanctification was so sharp and so unrelenting – his old nature wheedled and whined its hatred for God!

It was Clement of Alexandria, the first known Christian scholar, who died in the year of our Lord 220, who stated it so very well.  “For the devil tempts us.  He knows what we are but does not know if we will hold out.  Wishing to dislodge us from the faith, he also attempts to bring us into subjection to himself.  This tempting is all that God has allowed him to do, partly because it is God’s will to save us from ourselves…  But the other reason God so limits the devil is to disgrace him and show him up as a failure, thereby strengthening the church and the conscience of those who are awed at such constancy…”

Coming to Christ is not the end of life!  On the contrary, coming to Christ is the beginning of life!  Being forgiven of past transgressions and deeds of darkness is not the target of life, as much as we would like this so to be.  On the contrary, the forgiveness of Christ is the portal into an entirely new and fresh life of service and commitment and dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ!  This is the will of God, even your sanctification! 

The Christian Life is no longer to be driven and guided and controlled by our unholy and fickle wills and emotions and logic.  The Christian Life is to be guided by the Will and power and wisdom of Him Who called us and Who calmed us and Who cleansed us and Who clothed us and Who commissioned us.  This is the will of God, even your sanctification! 

Purest Spirit, sanctifying,
Quickened souls, on grace relying;
Cleanse, renew, Thy creatures lowly,
Guide, inspire – and make us holy!

This is the will of God, even your sanctification! 

Amen.

II Corinthians 6:1-10
Lent I
February 26, 2012

“Possessing All Things”

We have now entered Lent – a period of fasting and penitence, austerity and self-discipline – forty days in length.  It is patterned after Christ’s forty days of fasting when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. 

As this morning’s Epistle Lesson was read, you probably noted just how appropriate a reading it is for Lent!  This is undoubtedly why the Reformers selected it to be read in the Churches.  It tells of the afflictions and the distresses of life – which serve God’s overarching purposes for His children.

In these short verses, we find three groups of nine – three nine-fold descriptions. 

The first group cautions us of nine challenges we may be required to face if we follow Christ.  They demand of us, as St. Paul indicates, great patience and great endurance furnished by the grace of God. 

The second group reminds us, as Christ’s followers of nine virtues we must demonstrate at all times – especially when we are faced with such a formidable challenges. 

The third group of nine reminds us, as Christ’s followers, of nine paradoxes or conundrums which we face in our passage through this world.  These are furnished as milestones, if you will, to mark our way and confirm we are “on track” in our Christian Life. 

We are furnished priceless counsel in these verses.  For example, we are told not to mishandle the grace of God – His enablement!  Now is the accepted time… now is the day of salvation… now is the time to get right with God.  Now is the time to stay right with God.  Now is the time to leave the baggage this world would have us carry – behind!  Now is the time to draw near to God.  Now is the time to stay near to God.

Why?  Because when God offers safety and deliverance from our bondage, we should accept it immediately as a gracious gift – before the offer is withdrawn!  Before the grace is removed!  Jesus told us that we cannot come to God on our own terms.  We must come when He calls us.

This morning, let us consider for just a moment the meaning and application of the 9th item of the third grouping.  It is one of the great apparent oxymorons of life!  And it merits our attention!  …having nothing, yet possessing all things!  …having nothing, yet possessing all things!  What does this mean?  Why is it listed for our consideration and benefit?  …having nothing, yet possessing all things! 

Perhaps the best way to approach this magnificent phrase is first to examine its opposite.  For there are those in this world who are thought to have everything – and yet in the final analysis, it is they who possess nothing.  We dream, at times, of being in their shoes, for we believe that having everything that appeals to the human eye will make us happy or satisfied or fulfilled!  I am often reminded of the lyrics of Tevye’s music in “Fiddler on the Roof” – If I Were a Rich Man..

There is certainly the tug… the pull… the lure of wealth, of fame, of power!  Yet, no sooner than we dream of such attainments, are we rudely shocked back to the reality of God’s purposes, when we discover those who have everything, really possess nothing!

Perhaps you read the story out of Berlin, German, where a 74-year old billionaire committed suicide after his business empire, which included interests ranging from pharmaceuticals to cement, ran into financial woes.  The man's body was found near railroad tracks in southwestern Germany.

Closer to home, we read of many cases where out-of-work parents – or those facing evictions from their homes on account of foreclosures –wipe out their own families in murder-suicide.

Across the country, authorities are so concerned they are urging people to get help.  In some places,