Epiphany 4, Year A (2023)

Micah 6: 1 – 8 / Psalm 15 / I Corinthians 1: 18 – 31 / Matthew 5: 1 – 12

 

This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 29, 2023 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“EXPECT THERE TO BE CHANGES”

(Homily text:  Matthew 5: 1 – 12)

This morning, our appointed Gospel text places before us our Lord’s wonderful teaching, known as the Beatitudes[1], which form the beginning of what is known as His Sermon on the Mount. This block of teaching is the first one recorded in Matthew’s Gospel account.[2]

In the Beatitudes, Jesus lays out a radically different vision for what the kingdom of heaven looks like, and what the coming of the kingdom (and its growth) will mean for the unbelieving world into which it would be sent. We know that this block of teaching, and of those which follow it in Matthew’s account, apply to the coming of the kingdom of heaven and is character from comments made a few verses earlier, at the end of chapter four of Matthew’s account, for we read this: “Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” (Matthew 4: 23 – 24a) Matthew then goes on to tell us that the Lord’s fame spread, and that large crowds began to follow Him. With these statements, the stage has now been set for the large crowds who had come to hear the Lord’s teaching we also hear today.

We mentioned a moment ago that the Lord’s vision for the kingdom meant that it presented a radically different concept for what the kingdom would look like. Changes would be a part of this new reality. For example, notice how radical a concept is this one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The unbelieving world might change this to read thus: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…yes, six feet of it”. The meaning here is clear, I think: The secular, unbelieving world knew from its experience that the meek got run over by the powerful and the strong. Such, of course, was the reality of those original hearers of the Lord’s sermon…the Romans governed by means of being powerful and ruthless in their oppression of God’s people. The leaders of God’s people weren’t a whole lot better, for the priests, the Pharisees and the scribes all lorded their positions over the weak, the disadvantaged and the powerless.

Our Lord is telling us that the kingdom is going to bring changes as it comes into being. Changes in kingdom values will be a part of this vision. Changes in the way the citizens of the kingdom will see things, will behave, and will portray kingdom values to the watching world will be a reality in the “new and changed way of being, thinking and behaving. We might characterize all of the Beatitudes (and Jesus’ subsequent teachings, as well) as being a call to expect changes in the ways those who come into the kingdom will view things, will behave, and will exhibit by their conduct the values of this new way of relating to God and to the world.

However, there are more changes to be expected.

This coming kingdom has as its goal a worldwide vision for the scope of its territory. It will reach to the ends of the earth. It will seek to make citizens of it from every nation and every person. Matthew, writing at the end of his account, tells us that Jesus instructed His disciples after He had risen from the dead, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28: 18 – 19)

Another change that comes with this new reality is that it will endure until the end of time. After Jesus had instructed His disciples to go to all nations, to baptize and to teach, He added this assurance: “I am with you always, to the end of the age”. (Matthew 28: 20)

This morning, we will hold our annual meeting after the service. The annual meeting is a time to reflect on what has been done in this parish for the Lord’s glory and for the work of bringing the kingdom into being in our community and beyond.

As we consider these things, it might be good if we step back a bit to look at how the Church relates to the outside, secular world. For, in truth, it’s a tough time to be the Church in the world in which we live today. The Church has been shunted aside from its formerly central place in society. Nowadays, many people outside the Church know little or nothing about it, about what it stands for, about the faith it is charged with proclaiming, or about the wonderful things that come from being a part of a faith community. Moreover, most of those outside the faith community probably don’t even have a desire to learn more or to become a part of the kingdom through this local parish, or any other faith community. (They don’t know what they’re missing, I think!)

Many of our faith communities, these days, are experiencing losses of membership, an increase in the average age of its members, and declining financial resources. St. John’s is no stranger to these realities. We can take small comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone in facing these difficulties.

But the coming of the kingdom tells us that we must expect changes, changes, in particular, about our attitudes and in our expectations. After all, aren’t we assured that the Church will endure to the end of time? Yes, we are, for Matthew records the Lord’s admonition, saying, “The gates of hell won’t prevail against it.” (Matthew 16: 18)

We are called to change our expectations about this local outpost of the kingdom of heaven, St. John’s Church in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. We are called to expect that it will continue to be a beacon of God’s light in this community and beyond. That means that each and every member of this local outpost must work for, and contribute to, its strength and its work. It won’t do to expect others to do this work. It won’t do to sit back and expect the parish to be here in times to come, absent our own contribution to its work. The vows and promises we made at our Baptisms require us to work for the coming of the kingdom. There is no retirement from this charge from God.

We are called to expect changes. Certainly, that’s a part of the Lord’s message in the teaching we hear this morning. May the Holy Spirit enable us to strengthen our weak knees and our drooping hands[3], that we may with renewed strength and resolve work to make the kingdom a reality in our time and place.

AMEN.

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[1]   The title applied to these sayings, Beatitudes, comes from the Latin word for “blessed”.

[2]   Biblical scholars have noted that there are five such blocks of teaching in Matthew. They are marked by a beginning and an ending phrase. Since there are five blocks, scholars have wondered if Matthew’s intent was to portray Jesus as the new Moses. Moses is credited with the writing of the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

[3]   Hebrews 12: 12 

Epiphany 3, Year A (2023)

Isaiah 9:1 - 7
Psalm 27:1, 5 – 13
I Corinthians 1:10 - 18
Matthew 4:12 – 23

This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 22, 2023 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“THE COST OF NEARLY EVERYTHING”

(Homily text:  Matthew 4:12 – 23)

It seems as though nearly everything in life costs something, in some way or another. At least that’s my observation as my years increase.

Consider, for example, these items in our daily lives that support this belief: The cars we drive require periodic trips to the shop for maintenance and repair. The houses we live in require cleaning every now and again. The gifts that line our shelves, as wonderful as they are, and as much as they remind us of some person’s kindness to us in times past, will require dusting or polishing every once in awhile. Even our physical bodies will require visits to the doctor or to the hospital on occasion. (I’ve noticed that those visits become more frequent with age!)

It seems like the adage “There’s no free lunch” is certainly true. The evidence is all around us.

Now, in this morning’s Gospel, we read about the beginning of the kingdom of heaven[1], as Jesus calls His first four disciples, Andrew and Peter, who were brothers; and James and John, another pair of brothers. As part of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, the nature and the entrance requirements to become a part of the kingdom of heaven also become clear, as the Lord says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As we look at the call of these first four disciples, who – in time – will be sent out as the Lord’s Apostles[2], we begin to see the cost of their response to the Lord’s call to follow Him and to begin to fish for people: Each one of them underwent a lifestyle change and a change in their careers. In time, the cost of being the Lord’s witnesses will increase, as these twelve go into the known world, carrying with them the Good News of what God had done in the sending of Jesus Christ. Their travels would take them to distant places, where – quite often – they would meet opposition, persecution, and – tradition tells us – martyrdom.[3]

Let’s notice, however, the basic entrance requirement for becoming a part of the kingdom of heaven: Repentance. It is a call that is issued to each and every person who seeks to become a citizen of this kingdom. The Lord says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repentance costs something. It means that we must give up our old, unholy, self-centered ways. In that sense, the call of the original four disciples is a whole lot like the Lord’s call to us to make a lifestyle change, to repent. The first four disciples we remember today, each one of them, went a different way after the Lord’s call on their lives. Repentance also involves a change of direction, a turning away from things that do not please God to the things that do. Essentially, that’s the core meaning of baptism, to die to ourselves and our old ways as we enter the waters of baptism, only to emerge and take on a different way of being, thinking and doing.

So, perhaps the beginning of the coming of the kingdom of heaven, which has now reached into our lives, might prompt us to reconsider the cost of being a citizen of that kingdom. For, indeed, it will cost us something, but that cost is vastly outweighed by the blessings and the benefits of being a part of it.

Thanks be to God!

AMEN.

           

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[1]   The kingdom of heaven is Matthew’s usual way of referring to the kingdom. Others prefer using the term “kingdom of God”.

[2]   “Apostle” is a word, coming from two words in Greek, which literally means “one who is sent out”.

[3]   Tradition tells us that John alone died a natural death. 

Epiphany 2, Year A (2023)

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

This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 15, 2023, by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“THE GOD WHO SAVES AND PRESERVES”

(Homily text:  John 1:29–42)

One way to study and understand Holy Scripture is to examine the major themes that appear in its sacred pages.

One such theme would be to see God’s saving acts, done down through time and in many differing situations and circumstances. God’s intent in choosing to save His people is not only to rescue them from danger and death, but to preserve them as a witness to His power and to be His agents for bringing the Kingdom into being in this world.

Examining God’s saving and preserving acts would enable us to make sense of John the Baptist’s description of Jesus Christ as being the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world”, heard in our appointed Gospel text for this morning.

At first glance – and if we give it some thought – John’s comment might not make much sense. But if we find a connection to another mention of lambs elsewhere in the Bible, then we might be able to unravel the meaning behind John’s statement.

The most obvious connection to the mention of lambs must surely be the Passover lamb, mentioned in Exodus 12:1–49. The institution of the Passover is set against the hardness of Pharoah’s heart, which has resisted letting God’s people leave their bondage in Egypt in order to return to the Promised Land. Nine plagues have come upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians in a campaign to free the people, but still there is no granting them permission to leave. God then resolves to visit one more plague on the Egyptians, by killing their firstborn. In order to escape the visitation of the angel of death and the loss of their own firstborn, the Hebrews are to kill a lamb and to apply its blood to the doorposts and the lintels of their doors. In this way, the angel of death “passes over” the homes where this sign is displayed.

God’s people are not only saved from destruction, but they are also preserved. Writing many years later, the prophet Isaiah would declare that God’s people are to be given as a “light to the nations”[1], a witness to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to act as witnesses to God’s power to save and to preserve.

Let’s return to John’s Gospel account. A connection to the meaning of the Passover lamb and its connection to Jesus Christ becomes clear when we read the account of the Lord’s suffering and death. John takes steps to connect Jesus’ sacrifice to the timing of the killing of the Passover lambs[2], both occurring at the same time. Moreover, John also tells us that not a bone of the Lord’s body was broken during His crucifixion, another connection to the killing of the Passover lambs.[3]

The essential meaning and importance of the Passover event is that God’s people were freed from bondage in Egypt, and were returned to the Promised Land, free of bondage.

Connecting this meaning to the Lord’s death and resurrection tells us that His sacrifice, occurring (as we’ve said) at the time of the killing of the Passover lambs, means that all those who claim the name of Christ as also saved from the destructive power of death, in order that we might be free from the claims of sin and might be witnesses to God’s power and love.

The essential meaning of Baptism is that it is a death-to-life experience, by which we die to our old selves, to the way of sin and death, and we rise to a new life, claimed by Christ in a resurrection like His.[4] God’s purpose in claiming us for His own as we enter and leave the waters of Baptism is to ensure that we are not only saved from our self-destructive ways, but so that we can be God’s witnesses to this new, better and life-giving way of being.

AMEN.

         

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[1]  See Isaiah 49:6b.

[2]  The killing of the Passover lambs took place on the Day of Preparation for Passover. See John 19:14.

[3]  See John 19:36 and Exodus 12:46.

[4]  See St. Paul’s description of the meaning of Baptism in Romans 6:3 – 9. 

Epiphany 1, Year A (2023) - The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ

Isaiah 42:1 – 9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34 – 43
Matthew 3:13 – 17

This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 8, 2023 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“GOD’S SELF-REVELATION”

(Homily text:  Matthew 3:13 - 17)

There are a number of ways that we learn something about God, about God’s nature, about God’s power, about God’s ability to love, about God’s care for each one of us, and about the wonderful creation He’s placed in our care.

One of the ways we learn about God is through our experiences with the world He created. Specifically, it’s beauty, and – if we think about it – the wonderful ways in which His work interacts in its various aspects. The more we learn about the ways in which God’s creation is interwoven in its various aspects, the more wondrous His work is.

Another way we learn about God’s nature is by watching God at work in the lives of others. God’s work and God’s power are most easily seen in dramatic turnarounds or conversions of persons whose lives were a mess, though – if we are willing to look more closely – each one of us bears the evidence of God’s working in our lives.

The main way we learn about God’s nature is through the Bible. One way to view the Bible is to see it as an unfolding of God’s activity with human beings down through time, revealing God’s character as events unfold and are recorded in the sacred pages of Holy Scripture. Chief among God’s interacting with humankind is in the record of Jesus Christ’s ministry, His healings, His teachings, His care for the poor and the outcast, and in His willingness to empty Himself to take up our human condition, even to the point of an awful and shameful death on the cross. And, of course, His rising to new life on Easter Sunday morning, which demonstrates His power to create and to recreate.

All of these observations bring us to today’s topic, which is our Lord’s baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. This is an event we remember and celebrate each year on the First Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany.

John’s baptism, let’s remind ourselves, was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. But John seems to be aware of something that is radically different about Jesus, as he says to the Lord, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus’ sinless condition doesn’t make Him a candidate for John’s baptism, and apparently John is aware – at least to some degree – of this aspect of Jesus’ character.

Then why did the Lord come and undergo this baptism? He says, in response to John’s objection of his request to be baptized, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness.”

What sort of righteousness?

We can only guess at what the Lord had in mind with this statement, but perhaps what His intent was is to tell all of us who learn about this event, and who follow the Lord into the waters of baptism ourselves, that we are to fulfill all righteousness by doing what the Lord, Himself, did.

Which brings us back to the comments with which we began: We are learning something about God’s nature in this event.  What we learn is that God intends to demonstrate for us by His deeds what He wants us to do, as well. Put another way, God says, “Do what I do, not just what I say to do.”

Baptism, for our Lord, meant the end of the first chapters of His life, and the beginning of a new one, His ministry. Baptism, for us, represents the end of something (our old, selfish, sinful ways), and the beginning of something new (a new life which is oriented toward God).

Some churches renew their baptismal covenants on this day. That’s not a bad idea to renew and reinforce the vows that we made ourselves, or which were made on our behalf at some point in our lives, for our commitment to be God-oriented is an ongoing commitment, which requires us to be reminded of this critical need we all have.

AMEN.

        

The Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – Year A (2023)

Numbers 6:22 – 27
Psalm 8
Galatians 4:4 – 7
Luke 2:15 – 21

This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 1, 2023 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“WHAT’S IN A NAME?”

(Homily texts: Numbers 6:22 – 27 & Luke 2:15 – 21)

Names are all around us.

Consider, for example, that when filling out some form or another, the person completing the form will be asked for their name (first, middle, last, etc.). When we talk about someone, we mention their name, and certainly not a number or some other nondescript mention of the person (assuming we know the person’s name).

Sometimes, a person’s name is inherited, or is a reminder of a person in the family (often along with some memorable aspect of that person’s role in the family). My older grandson is just such an example: He is named for my father, although my father’s been gone for a long time now, and my grandson never had the opportunity to meet him. Still, though, when my grandson is the subject of conversation (and especially when he is present), some mention of my father’s personality, character, or talents often gets into the conversation. We in the family think it’s important that my grandson knows something about the now-long-deceased family member whose name he bears.

In biblical times, such a connection as I’ve just mentioned between my father and my grandson was of utmost importance. For example, consider Luke’s report of the naming of John the Baptist. (See Luke 1:57 – 66.) When John had been born, John’s mother, Elizabeth, was asked what this new son was to be named. She said, “John”. But those who asked him replied, saying, “But none of your relatives is called by this name,” So John’s father was also consulted, and he confirmed that the son’s name was to be John. From this incident, we can gather that, quite often, a child was named after a parent or some other relative. This was one way to preserve and to carry forward that person’s name and presence into the future.

More biblical evidence comes from descriptions of a person, when we read statements like, “So-and-so, the son of ____.”

In biblical times, a person’s name was more than an identifier or a label that made it easy to know who what being talked about, etc.

In those times, mention of a person’s name was virtually the same as having that person physically present, even when they weren’t. The person’s name was connected in a much more wholistic way than we are used to thinking about today. In this connection, perhaps we can understand that God’s name was critically important, for, in our reading from Numbers this morning, we read that God’s name itself is the agent of blessing for God’s people. Notice, as you make your way through the Old Testament, how often it is God’s name that appears in the texts. Referring to God’s name was just the same as having God to be physically present. Such an understanding strikes me as being a very sacramental[1] way of thinking, for the invisible God is present in a tangible way in everyday life by the mentioning of the divine name.

All of this brings us to the matter of the naming of Jesus on the eighth day of His life, and at the time of His circumcision. In the Bible, a person’s name had a definition, a meaning. (Oftentimes, today, we aren’t aware that the names we use have a definition, a meaning.)

Jesus’ name means “God saves”. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ naming contains this statement from the angel who visited Joseph in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20b – 21)

In Hebrew, Jesus’ name is Jeshua. It is the same name as the person we call Joshua, Moses’ successor and the one who led God’s people into the Promised Land. (I think we use a different pronunciation of the Hebrew to differentiate between the Old Testament leader, Joshua, and Jesus.)

But notice the shared characteristic between Joshua and Jesus: Both of them led their people into a promised land, a place which represented the completion of God’s saving act in bringing His enslaved people out of bondage (in Joshua’s case, from bondage in Egypt, and in Jesus’ case, out of the bondage of sin, as Matthew alludes to). The result for both Joshua and Jesus is that “God saves”.

So, what’s in a name? Turns out, when we’re thinking about the heroes of our faith, quite a lot.

AMEN.

 

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[1]   A Sacrament is defined as being an “outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace”.