Year A            Epiphany IV                          Micah 6: 1 – 8

                                                                        Psalm 15

                                                                        I Corinthians 1: 18 – 31

                                                                        Matthew 5: 1 – 12

A homily by:   Fr. Gene Tucker

Given at:         Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois; Sunday, January 30, 2011

“WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED”

(Homily text:  I Corinthians 1: 18 – 31)

            “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”

            Have you given thought to the Cross lately?   Ever think about its true significance and meaning?

            The reason I pose these questions is because it’s possible that the cross’ true meaning is sometime obscured in our contemporary estimation of it.

            Allow me to explain.

            Notice some of the examples of crosses that are in front of us today (during service, several examples were shown):

·          Some are highly decorative

·         Others are made of some sort of precious metals, or often are decorated with jewels

·         Still others have highly ornate designs worked into them

·         While others are plain

·         While still others have the corpus (Christ’s body) on them[1]

            In seminary, we used to talk about the significance of the Cross, and especially about the fact that some of the real meaning of the cross is often obscured by the things we do to the symbol itself.  We make the Cross into a piece of very attractive jewelry, for example, or we adorn it with embroidery or other designs.  People wear crosses as an accessory, it seems as though, and not especially as a symbol of the Christian faith.[2]

            But can we recapture the meaning and significance of the Cross?

            In order to understand what St. Paul is saying as he writes to the Corinthian Christians, I think we must take steps to remember and recall what the significance of the Cross actually is.

            And so, in order to do so, we must step back into the Roman Empire, and into the first century.

            My next-younger sister said recently, “What an awful idea, to kill someone by nailing them to a piece of wood.”  In reply, I said, “Yes, that’s true.  Actually, however,” I said, “the Romans didn’t invent crucifixion – that development came along centuries before the Romans – but they made very widespread use of it.”

            My statement is borne out by the record of history.  In the Roman Empire, death by this cruel method was reserved for the most heinous of crimes, and its use was restricted to persons who were either slaves or non-Roman citizens.

            So to recall someone who’d died on a Cross was to acknowledge that they were probably a horrible criminal, and a person who was also from the lowest classes of society.

            Back to the discussions we had in seminary for a moment…We used to comment that, in order to recapture some of the significance of the Cross, we said that maybe it would be better if people started wearing a model of an electric chair, or maybe a gallows, for awhile.

            If someone wore such a thing, we might wonder why they were doing so.  We might be tempted to ask them why they had that electric chair or gallows around their necks.

            And if they had a family member or a relative, we said, who’d been executed in some way, most likely, that person wouldn’t want to own up to the fact.

            After all, associating with someone who’d been executed for some heinous crime isn’t a part of our lives we would want to shout from the housetops.

            Maybe our attempts at trying to understand the ways in which the early Christians proclaimed the central reality of the Cross were a little clumsy.  I’m not sure about that.

            But surely we can understand that those early Christians’ proclamation of Christ crucified didn’t seem to make much sense to the Jews and non-Jews with whom they lived.

            It would be like saying, “Our leader died as a common criminal, as one who’d done the most horrible thing imaginable.”

            No wonder St. Paul said that the Cross was “a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Gentiles.”

            The basis for the Jewish objections to Christ crucified rested on a text from Deuteronomy 21: 22 - 23, which says “For a hanged man is accursed by God.”  Therefore, to claim Jesus Christ as Lord went against this prohibition from the Law of Moses.

            And what would be the Gentile observation that to claim Christ as crucified Lord is folly?  Perhaps that puzzled reaction rested in the pagan concepts of divinity.  The Greeks, for example, were well familiar with the myths of the pantheon of Greek gods who were said to live on Mt. Olympus, and who took on human likenesses.  However, the Greek concepts of the pagan gods did not include the idea that such gods could have a genuine love and care for the human race.  The ancient Greeks thought that, if the gods moved among human beings at all, they were either largely indifferent to the concerns of human beings, or were present to make some sort of trouble.  So the concept of a loving God who would sacrifice Himself in order to save human beings didn’t match the concepts of the pagan deities that the Greeks were familiar with.

            “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Gentiles,” St. Paul says.

            Paul goes on to tell the Corinthian Christians that the proclamation of the central message of the Cross, and Jesus Christ as the crucified one, goes against the wisdom of this world.  The reason is that our worldly heroes are those who are conquerors and victors.  We do not celebrate those who end their lives in defeat.

            But Paul’s point seems to be that, on the surface, Christ as the crucified one looks a lot like a victim, not a victor  But on deeper reflection, Christ’s apparent defeat is closely connected to the victory of the empty tomb.

            Seen this way, the drama of the victory of Christ over the powers of death, hell and sin is heightened by the depths of apparent defeat that Good Friday represents.

            Put another way, if we look at just the events of Good Friday alone, we will conclude that Jesus’ death represents an ignominious defeat, an inglorious end to a sad and troubled life.\

            But it’s necessary to look at the total picture, setting the rising from the tomb on Easter Sunday in close connection to the death and burial which took place on Good Friday.

            This is the wisdom of God, that divine wisdom that is often seen only by the spiritually wise.  For God often works in ways that take some digging to discover.  God often works by using the very things that the world regards as weak and ineffective to bring His purposes to reality.

            And what about us?

            Perhaps it’s time we re-evaluate the true meaning of the Cross, whenever we see the symbol, or make the sign of the Cross on ourselves, or whenever we sign someone with the sign of the Cross as we anoint them, or when we baptize them.  For in so doing, we say that we are followers of the One (Jesus Christ) who immersed Himself fully in our humanity, even to the point of the depths of shame and dishonor that the Cross itself represents.[3] 

            By so doing, Jesus Christ, the crucified One, makes holy every part of our human condition, even the pain, suffering, loss and apparent defeat that the Cross represents.  For our Lord Jesus Christ crucified knows the pain, suffering, loss and apparent defeats that we ourselves experience, having walked with us in the human condition.

            This key fact of the Christian faith sets it apart from all other forms of believing.  For we Christians still proclaim Christ as crucified.

            May this proclamation never cease, until the Lord returns again in victory and triumph to be acclaimed by all as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

AMEN.

---

[1]   These are known as crucifixes.

[2]   The Cross did not emerge as the primary Christian symbol for sometime after the Resurrection.  The first Christian symbol was probably the sign of the fish.

[3]   I commend St. Paul’s wonderful description of Jesus Christ’s total immersion in the human condition as it is found in Philippians 2: 5 – 11.

3 Epiphany, Year A

Isaiah 9:1–4; Psalm 27:1,5–13; I Corinthians 1:10–18; Matthew 4:12–23
A homily by Fr. Gene Tucker (given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

“IDENTITY THEFT”
(Homily text: I Corinthians 1: 10 – 18)

Did you get one of those scam calls last week (I think it was on Tuesday), saying something to the effect of “This is the security department of Farmer’s State Bank. Your debit card has been frozen, and you must call us to confirm your account.” (Or something to this effect).

Deb and I both got this same, recorded message on our respective cell phones.

Fortunately, neither of us fell for the scam, but apparently many people in the area did get the same call. Enough of them did for it to make the local newscasts last week.

Now what is at work here is nothing less than identity theft. A very common crime these days, crooks will try to steal personal information (like debit card numbers and PINs), and their aim isn’t to impersonate someone else, but to steal assets that rightfully belong to another person.

And that is precisely what was at work within the church in Corinth: Identity theft!

St. Paul probably had at least as many headaches with the Corinthian church as he did with any other church.

Alas, for Paul, he had to deal with many a problem among the Corinthian Christians: immorality, lawsuits between believers, out-of-control Eucharistic celebrations, and petty fights.

But fortunately for us, the Holy Spirit, in His infinite wisdom, made sure that Paul’s woes with the Corinthians were preserved in the New Testament, for we have two of his letters preserved which can enlighten us as we walk the Christian walk with God.

It is certain that some of the problems that Paul had to deal with are also problems that the Church has had to deal with again and again as time has passed. Indeed, some of the exact problems that Paul had to harshly deal with are extant within our own part of the Christian family today. In this regard, I think if the shame that is associated with the existence of lawsuits between believers and the tolerance of open immorality within the Body of Christ.

That said, let’s look more closely at the problem of identity theft within the Corinthian Church.

Paul begins by addressing the problem in our passage today by saying, “It has been reported to me by Chlo’e’s people that there is quarreling among you.” Having appealed to them to be in agreement with one another, and that there would be no dissensions among them, Paul continues by saying that people seem to be lining up behind one or another of the major figures in the early Church (or who had ministered to the Church): Paul, Appol’los, and Cephas (Peter).

But Paul goes on to ask on what grounds such partisan identities might be based? “Is Christ divided?” he asks. “Was Paul crucified for you?” he adds. “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” he says.

But Paul’s consistent focus remains on Jesus Christ, and especially on the mystery of Christ crucified. “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,” he says.

What Paul is driving at is that, by transferring the focus away from Jesus Christ and onto these other figures, the Corinthians are depriving Christ of something that belongs to Christ alone: devotion, glory and honor.

Succinctly put: a form of identity theft.

Paul drives at a reality which the Church would do well to remember: There can be no other basis for unity among Christians than devotion to Christ. Once we put Him first, and subject our wills, our wishes and our desires to His will, then we will have the basis for true unity within the Body of Christ.

No matter how much we might try to “make nice” with each other, failing a central devotion to Christ’s authority as Head of the Church, there will never be true unity within His body.

Why is this principle important?

The simple reason is that such true unity, a unity in which peoples of divergent interests and backgrounds show deep and abiding Christian love for one another, presents the strongest evidence that Christ is truly revered as head over all.

Disunity, bickering, and even lawsuits between believers, belies the message of reconciling love that we proclaim.

Hypocrisy is another name for such a disconnect between what we proclaim and what we practice.

St. Paul recognized the dangers to evangelism that the body of Christ in cient Corinth risked experiencing, for their behaviors mirrored the pagan society in which they found themselves.

Their actions allowed nonbelievers to point fingers and say, “You’re just like us, you behave just like we do!”

Of course, the next logical conclusion would be for those pagan observers to conclude, “Why should we become followers of Jesus Christ? It makes no difference in how we should live. Where’s the benefit in being a Christian?” they might conclude.

The lessons for us are simple and clear:

• So long as the Church is made up of peoples with differing backgrounds, interests and expectations, the possibility for divisions and party spirit to arise will always be a reality that the Church will have to be aware of.
• True unity within the Body of Christ can be achieved only when each believer subjects his/her will to that of Christ, endeavoring to understand what is the mind of Christ in each and every matter that arises, and holding each other’s convictions with esteem and honor.
• When true unity within the Church is achieved, it sends the most powerful witness to observers that Christ is truly present within His people,

What we are describing in these last points is nothing less than a classic definition of the word ministry.

Recall with me that the word “ministry” has as its Latin root the same word from which the English word “minus” also arises.

Described this way, a ministry becomes an undertaking in which we pour out ourselves in service to another. In so doing, we emulate the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came, not to be served, but to serve.

May we, by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, find true unity with Christ by the reconciling power of the Cross.

AMEN.

2 Epiphany, Year A

Isaiah 49: 1 – 7; Psalm 40: 1 – 12; I Corinthians 1: 1 – 9; John 1: 29 – 42

A homily by Fr. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, January 16, 2011

“COME AND SEE”

(Homily text: John 1: 29 – 42)

“Come and see.”

All during this season of Epiphany, we will examine, Sunday by Sunday, one aspect of the Lord’s manifestation to the world. Put another way, for each of the eight Sundays in this season of Epiphany , one aspect of the Lord’s identity will form our theme.

Today’s theme centers around the reality that Jesus Christ is the promised one (the Messiah, the Christ) who is to come. Christ is to be the center of our focus and devotion. It is to this reality that John the Baptist points in our gospel reading for this morning.

Notice how John seems to steer his disciples away from himself and toward the Lord. “This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me,’” John says. John also affirms Jesus’ identity by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John’s witness is directed toward Jesus Christ. Despite this orientation, some biblical scholars believe that John the Baptist had quite a large number of disciples, and that this group of people who were devoted to John’s teaching and leadership continued to exist for quite awhile into the time when the Church itself had been founded. St. Paul encounters just such a group of John’s disciples at Ephesus (see Acts 19: 1 – 7). Perhaps, for the early Church, the existence of groups of disciples who were devoted to following John was a problem for a time.

“Come and see.” This phrase is found in John’s gospel account no less than three times:

Jesus replies to the two of John’s disciples who have come to Him, as they ask Him, “Where are you staying?” Jesus says, “Come and see.”

1. A few verses beyond this morning’s passage , we hear Philip say to Nathanael that he had found “the one of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth”. In response, Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip responds by saying, “Come and see.”
2. After Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, had died, Jesus came to see his family, and asks, “Where have you laid him?” In response, Lazarus’ sisters reply, “Come and see.”

The overall theme of John’s gospel account, and indeed, of all four gospel accounts, is “Come and see.”

Come and see what God has done by sending the Lord Jesus Christ to show us the way to the Father.

Come and see that new life is possible as a result of the wonderful gift that the Father has given in sending the Son.

“Come and see.”

The invitation to come and to see is also extended to us.

Come and see anew the great things that God has done, and is doing, in the person of Jesus Christ. When we come to faith in Him, or come again to a deeper faith in Him, we see more and more into the mystery of God as He is revealed in Jesus Christ. Lives are changed!

Come and see the truths of God as they are contained in Holy Scripture. Resolve to attend Sunday morning Bible Study, or Sunday School. Resolve to undertake a regular regimen of Bible reading, using Morning and/or Evening Prayer, or a devotional such as “Forward Day By Day”.

Come and see the changed lives that are present in this Church. I have often said that I believe one reason the Church exists is precisely for the reason that it serves as a laboratory where we can observe God working in each other’s lives. And as we do, we gain insights into the similar ways that God can work in our own life.

Come and see the many ways that faith can be put into concrete action. The needs within this faith community, and outside its walls, are many. What ways could we identify to show forth our faith through our deeds of love and service?

We can invite others to “Come and see.” Last Friday, I had a long chat with our Rector’s Warden, Mrs. Esther Schelosky. We considered ways in which we might build up the body of Christ in this place with new initiatives that we can undertake in this New Year to invite others to be a part of this worshipping community. You will hear more about some of the things we talked about during the Annual Meeting, which will be held on Sunday, January 30th.

“Come and see.” The invitation is directly to you and to me, personally. It is an invitation which comes not just once, at our baptisms, but again and again. It is an invitation to enter into a deeper and closer walk with God.

AMEN.

2 Christmas, Year A

Jeremiah 31: 7 – 14; Psalm 84: 1 – 8; Ephesians 1: 3 – 6, 15 – 19a; Matthew 2: 13 – 15, 19 – 23

A homily by: Fr. Gene Tucker
Given at: St. John’s Church, Centralia, Illinois; Sunday, January 2, 2011
(by Mr. Tom Walsh, Licensed Lay Worship Leader)

“WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER”
(Homily text: Matthew 2: 13 – 15, 19 – 23)

Writer, director, producer…..

That’s the image that comes to my mind as I think about our gospel text for today. In it, the Lord directs Joseph to flee the wrath of King Herod the Great, thereby sparing the young Jesus’ life.

For, you see, the Lord God is the one who has written the script for this divine drama, and He is the one who is directing it. God is writer, director and producer of this drama.

The drama opened with the Lord’s announcement to Joseph that he was to take Mary as his wife. At that time, God told Joseph through an angel who had appeared to him in a dream that the child that she was carrying had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. This is the text we heard on Sunday, December 19th, the fourth Sunday of Advent. (Notice how important this series of dreams is, as God directs Joseph again and again.)

So Act I of this divine drama closes with the birth of Jesus.

Now, Act II begins as God again directs Joseph to take the young child and flee into Egypt.

And, as before, God’s direction comes through the agency of an angel, who speaks to Joseph in a dream.

Joseph’s response seems to be quick and decisive, for Matthew tells us that he, Mary and the young Jesus leave for Egypt during the night.

Act III begins as God comes again, directing Joseph to return from Egypt, once King Herod the Great had died. This would have been in the year 4 BC, for we know that Herod died in March or April of that year.

And so, in response, the Holy Family returns from exile in Egypt, but resettles in Nazareth, due to the ruthless nature of King Herod the Great’s son, Archelaus, who ruled the southern area of the Holy Land from 4 BC until 6 AD, when the Romans removed him from office.

Now as we reflect on the sequence of events, we can see a pattern emerging:

• God directs Joseph to do something, working through an angel, who appears in a dream.
• Joseph obeys God’s commands, seemingly without hesitation or questioning.

Along the way, Joseph’s ability to follow God’s direction grows, as God’s direction is confirmed by the events which follow it. For example, as Joseph led Mary and Jesus out of Bethlehem, undoubtedly reports of the massacre of the innocent children that took place after their departure helped to confirm the truth of what God had said. The truth that God’s direction contains bolsters our confidence in Him as director and producer of the divine drama.

God works through human beings, for the benefit of human beings, as they relate to God.

God’s main interest is our welfare. We are the audience for whom this divine drama was written. But we human beings also serve as the actors on the stage of life, following the Lord’s direction.

If it is true in the world of theatre that a director and producer collaborate with actors to bring a play before an audience, then it is also true of God’s direction of us, as actors in His divine drama. We collaborate with God to bring to life the great story of God’s love for us, seen most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

If it is true in the world of theatre that, at times, a director will spell out how a scene is to be played without input from the actors, then it is also true of the divine drama in which we find ourselves as players on God’s stage. Sometimes, God simply shows us how things are to be.

Certainly, that is true of Joseph. God simply tells Joseph what is to be done. There is no discussion, no working out the plan for how to play the scene between them. God presents the direction for the scene as a “done deal”. Joseph simply follows God’s direction, to the letter.

If God simply told Joseph how things were to be, and what he was to do, then the same is true of us as well. There are times when God’s direction is clear, simple and straightforward. God is in charge, and His will is to be followed.

In some things, God’s will can be easily seen. We can discern His will if it falls into line with what God has said before in the lives of the saints who have walked with him in ages past.

Some things will be quite clear, if precedent for them can be found in the pages of Holy Scripture.

At other times, however, we will need to work with God to bring the divine drama to life. As we hear God’s plans for the scene, we can add our own input, working under His direction to put our own best efforts and talents to use for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.

When we work together with God to determine what is the best way to do His will, we come together to put our own talents and abilities to the task of determining what is the best way to proceed.

Is there precedent in Holy Scripture for such a collaborative arrangement with God? Yes, there is.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 15, we read about the Council of Jerusalem, which took place in the year 49 AD. The issue before God’s people was how to include the Gentiles in the Church, and just how much of Jewish law and custom was to be observed by these Gentile converts to the faith. The Council met, and came to a decision about this matter, which threatened to tear the Church apart. In the end, their announcement was framed this way: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us….” (Acts 15: 28) Notice that those who had gathered together to make a decision worked together with God to bring about a desirable end.

We face a New Year together here at St. John’s. Welcome to the year 2011.

As we move forward into this new year, there will be occasions when what God would have us do will be very clear to us. Good examples of God’s very clear-cut direction can be found on the Baptismal Covenant. For example, there will be no question that we are to “continue in the Apostle’s teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.” By this, we mean that we will be faithful in attending worship, and in maintaining the teachings of our Lord, as we have received them from the Apostles.

Furthermore, our Baptismal Covenant requires that we “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ,” and to “seek and serve Christ in all persons,” as we “love our neighbor as ourselves.”

As part of our Baptismal Covenant, we are also called to “strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.”

In all these things, there can be no question about our need to faithfully fulfill our roles as players in God’s divine drama.

Yet, there will also be times when we will need to come together to work out, together with God, just how we are going to make His love and His care for all persons known. We will do some of that in our Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 22nd.

May God’s Holy Spirit enlighten us, as we seek to faithfully follow His direction for our lives, relying on His wisdom and guidance to direct us as He sees fit.

AMEN.