In our study of the Gospels, certain characters beyond Jesus always capture our attention. There is, of course, Jesus’ mother, Mary, the disciples, John the Baptist, and even some antagonists—Pilate, Herod, the religious leaders. However, it seems to me that one character often fades into the background: Joseph, Jesus’ earthly “step-father.” Perhaps that is where he prefers to be, in the background, but as the head of the Holy Family, he should be regarded as one of the primary figures in the life of our Savior.
What do we know about him? He was of the lineage of King David, which was quite special. He worked as a carpenter, an honest trade. He was older than Mary and likely respected in the community. I don’t think he was wealthy, but given his profession, he was comfortable. It seems that his life was probably uncomplicated right up until he discovered that Mary was pregnant. Since they were not yet married, everyone, including Joseph, assumed Mary had committed adultery; therefore, Joseph could have accused her, and she would have faced stoning. Instead, he decided to walk away quietly. However, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” So, instead of walking away, Joseph followed the angel’s instructions.
It required a great deal of faith, but what Joseph did was truly sacrificial. He would have been justified in accusing her, but he chose not to. He would have had to swallow a bit of pride, yet it would have been even more convenient to just walk away; however, he looked upon Mary and took her as his wife. He regarded her with love. How much did he love her? He loved her enough to say that he would give up everything. He would sacrifice all he had for her.
The love Joseph demonstrates is a sacrificial love. It is completely about and for another, regardless of whether there is any benefit for the one who loves; in fact, it may cost them a great deal. The purpose of such sacrificial love is to see Christ born in another. This is the sacrificial love that Joseph showed to Mary, and it serves as an example for us. We seek to follow Joseph’s example so that we, too, can see Christ born in another.
It’s not an easy question to answer, but what part of yourself would you sacrifice to witness God being born in another? What is so important in you that you couldn’t sacrifice it? If that’s not enough, who would you be willing to sacrifice it for? Who wouldn’t you?
St. Josemaria Escriva writes, “This is the truth of a Christian’s life: self-giving and love—love of God and, for God’s sake, love of one’s neighbor—founded on sacrifice.” The life of St. Joseph exemplified both, as seen in his life of sacrifice. He may prefer to remain in the background, but in our Christian walk, we can look to him as a model for how we are to live and love.
This week, we continue our meditations on Chapter 26, “The Crowning with Thorns,” from The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich.
In the middle of the court—where Jesus had been scourged—there stood the fragment of a pillar, and on it was placed a very low stool which these cruel men—who had whipped Jesus—maliciously covered with sharp flints and bits of broken potsherds. Then they tore off the garments of Jesus, thereby reopening all his wounds; threw over his shoulders an old scarlet mantle which barely reached his knees; dragged him to the seat prepared, and pushed him roughly down upon it, having first placed the crown of thorns upon his head. The crown of thorns was made of three branches plaited together, the greatest part of the thorns being purposely turned inwards so as to pierce our Lord’s head. Having first placed these twisted branches on his forehead, they tied them tightly together at the back of his head, and no sooner was this accomplished to their satisfaction than they put a large reed into his hand, doing all with derisive gravity as if they were really crowning him king. They then seized the reed, and struck his head… they knelt before him, derided him, spat in his face, and buffeted him, saying at the same time, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they threw down his stool, pulled him up again from the ground on which he had fallen, and reseated him with the greatest possible brutality.
Humility. It is something we all need to learn a bit more about. First, what it is not. Humility does not mean walking around believing you are such a lowly worm that the rest of the world shouldn’t even acknowledge your existence. Humility does not mean becoming a doormat or a punching bag for others. Perhaps C.S. Lewis summed it up nicely when he wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” What does that look like?
Many years back, a Black man walked through an affluent neighborhood of Tuskegee, Alabama, when a wealthy white woman approached him. She asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. With no urgent business at hand, the man smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and set about the humble task she had requested. When he finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. The White woman did not know who the man was, but a little girl who passed by did and told her after the man had left. It was Booker T. Washington, professor, and president of the Tuskegee Institute.
The following day, the embarrassed woman visited Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally, I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave instructions on the core characteristics of humility. He said, “Blessed are the poor, those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure, peacemakers, and the persecuted.” However, Jesus did not only teach us through His words. As He stood in that courtyard, enduring the scourging, mocking, spitting, and the crown of thorns, He embodied all these qualities.
He was the King of Kings, yet He wore a crown of thorns. He stood there battered, bruised, and bleeding like one who had nothing or a common criminal. He mourned for those who persecuted Him and showed mercy toward them, later saying, “Father, forgive them.” His hunger and thirst for righteousness—not His own, but ours—was so great that He endured all these trials.
Perhaps the Sermon on the Mount could be summed up in one phrase: “Blessed are you when you wear your own crown of thorns,” for that says, “Blessed are you when you are willing to give up what you see as rightfully yours for the sake of someone else.” Which, ultimately, is the very definition of love: “Willing the good of the other.”
Dutch Reform Pastor Andrew Murray wrote, “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is for me to have no trouble; never to be fretted or vexed or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised.
“It is to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around is trouble. It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary’s cross, manifested in those of His own who are definitely subject to the Holy Spirit.”
When the pride within you begins to swell and you are feeling puffed up, or when you start to think of yourself as more successful or spiritual than your brothers and sisters in Christ, and something is said that stings your ego, meditate on our Lord Jesus Christ. Visualize the King of Kings and Lord of Lords standing before you with His crown of thorns tightly fitted around His head, and remember how He humbled Himself for your sake.
St. Paul teaches us, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
Let us pray. “Lord Jesus Christ, glorious King of the saints and radiant Crown of eternal glory… with singular devotion and a heart full of compassion, I praise and glorify you for the brutal punishment you most patiently suffered in the crowning of your sacred head with thorns…. Your sacred head, the most blessed of all Nazarenes, was covered with thorns that pierced so deeply.
“What a sorrowful sight to see the Son of God, in whom no sin could be found, so shamefully and horribly crowned! Because of the soldiers’ raging madness, they did not in the least tremble as they pierced with many a sharp thorn so holy, so handsome, so noble, and so revered a head. They likewise dared to salute the King of angels by publicly ridiculing, striking, and mocking him.
“Most gentle Jesus, King most admirable, Crown of Confessors, Strength of the Church Militant, Delight of the Church Triumphant, and model of all who follow you, how shamefully you were treated, how cruelly tortured! While many a blow was outwardly delivered, you experienced great inward distress, and all this for my sake… to save me from eternal punishment in hell, to cleanse my heart from its vicious habits, and to crown me in heaven with undying glory and honor.
“Cleanse me, Lord Jesus, from the contagion of material possessions. Clothe me with true virtue and grant me to rejoice when I meet contempt. Let me not complain about those who laugh at me, or argue with those who reproach me, but by my remembering your crown of thorns may I calmly accept, for the sake of my salvation, whatever pain and affliction may come my way. Amen.” (On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists, p.55-61)
Gregory the Great, whom we celebrate today, was elected Pope in 590 and is one of only four Popes to have received the title “Great,” alongside Leo I, Nicholas I, and John Paul II.
Gregory accomplished much in his ministry, but significant to us is the fact that he sent Augustine, who would become the first Archbishop of Canterbury, on a mission to the Anglo-Saxons in the year 595. This action led the Venerable Bede to refer to Augustine as the Apostle to the English.
In addition to his other work, Gregory was also a prolific writer. Perhaps one of his best-known works is the Book of Pastoral Rule, which provides guidance to clergy on how to shepherd their flocks. As Pope, he viewed himself as the “servant of the servants of God,” making it clear why much of this work emphasizes the service and instruction that clergy are to provide to those in their care. One passage that resonated with me says, “Therefore, it should be said to the humble that whenever they lower themselves, they ascend to the likeness of God. At the same time, it should be said to the proud that whenever they take pride in themselves, they fall into imitation of the apostate angel. And what could be worse than pride, which by holding itself above everything, so unwinds itself from the stature of true greatness? And what is more sublime than humility, which by lowering itself unites with the Creator, who is above all things?”
Gregory speaks about humility and pride, but he also addresses how we are to serve one another. When we humble ourselves in service to others, we take on the likeness of our Savior. Additionally, we should not ask, “What’s in it for me?” If we serve with the aim of gaining something for ourselves or trying to elevate ourselves over others, then we are not truly serving them; we are serving ourselves. Remember what Jesus said: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.” In our Gospel, Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” These are the ideas that Gregory had in mind when he referred to the role of Pope as being the “servant of the servants of God,” and it is our calling as well.
You and I are called to be humble servants to each other, just as Jesus was to us. When you serve, do so sacrificially.
One of my favorite prayers by St. Ignatius of Loyola: Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will. Amen.
In 2004, during my last semester in seminary, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was released in theaters. A group of us and one of our professors went to a Sunday matinee. Our professor, Father McGlynn, was dressed in his cassock and collar. As we exited the theater, someone waiting to enter asked, “Father, what did you think?” Father McGlynn replied, “It is what it was.” I agreed and still do. However, I did notice several scenes that did not correspond to the Gospel accounts, and I wanted to know the source of the information. Long story short, I discovered TheMeditations of Anne Catherine Emmerich—The Dolorous (or Sorrowful) Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a difficult read for several reasons, one of which is the fact that the text is as graphic as the movie. Still, I believe, “It is what it was,” and it is as fascinating as it is terrible, so I’ve read it a couple of times. I wanted to try to understand what Our Lord endured in those last hours of His life. Why? Because He did it for me, and if He did it for me, there must be something I’m meant to learn from His suffering.
During this Season of Lent, we are going to spend some time looking at this text in relation to the trials Our Savior endured. No, I won’t read the more graphic parts, but you will understand what is happening. The point is not to scare or cause you grief but to discover what Jesus, even in His suffering, was trying to teach us.
Finally, the prayer at the conclusion of each sermon comes from On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists, written by my friend, the 14th-century monk Thomas à Kempis. At times, those prayers are a bit longer than usual, but as this is Lent, we’ll be OK praying.
So, in the opening words of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, let us “meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.” We begin with the scourging that followed the trial before Pilate.
Blessed Catherine writes, “Jesus put his arms round the pillar, and when his hands were thus raised, the [soldiers] fastened them to the iron ring which was at the top of the pillar; they then dragged his arms to such a height that his feet, which were tightly bound to the base of the pillar, scarcely touched the ground. Thus was the Holy of holies violently stretched, without a particle of clothing, on a pillar used for the punishment of the greatest criminals; and then did two furious ruffians who were thirsting for his blood begin in the most barbarous manner to scourge his sacred body from head to foot. The whips or scourges which they first made use of appeared to be made of a species of flexible white wood, but perhaps they were composed of the sinews of the ox, or of strips of leather.”
Jesus endured such suffering, and we want to learn from it. But what can we possibly hope to learn from such senseless brutality that leads to so much agony? The answer is twofold: It teaches us about how we must endure our own suffering and how we are to see others in their trials.
As for us, we find the answer throughout the New Testament. St. Peter teaches that Christ “suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23)
This speaks specifically to suffering for righteousness’ sake, but the Church has long held that it also applies to the hardships we face in the world and our bodies. The lesson is that in His suffering, Jesus entrusted “himself to him who judges justly.” In His suffering, Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father.
When we suffer, we sometimes do the opposite, or, even worse, instead of turning to the Father, we blame Him. Jesus’ final words teach us the correct response, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)
In the scourging of Jesus, for ourselves, we learn that we are not to look down or inward, cursing the world or God. Instead, we are to turn our faces toward Heaven and commit our lives—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to He who loves us and calls us his own.
That is what Jesus can teach us about our own suffering, but how can we learn from Jesus when witnessing the suffering of others?
In his book, The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen shares a tale. It’s too much reading for a sermon, but I’m going to read it anyway.
One day a young fugitive, trying to hide himself from the enemy, entered a small village. The people were kind to him and offered him a place to stay. But when the soldiers who sought the fugitive asked where he was hiding, everyone became very fearful. The soldiers threatened to burn the village and kill every man in it unless the young man were handed over to them before dawn. The people went to the minister and asked him what to do.
The minister, torn between handing over the boy to the enemy or having his people killed, withdrew to his room and read his Bible, hoping to find an answer before dawn. After many hours, in the early morning his eyes fell on these words: “It is better that one man dies than that the whole people be lost.”
Then the minister closed the Bible, called the soldiers and told them where the boy was hidden. And after the soldiers led the fugitive away to be killed, there was a feast in the village because the minister had saved the lives of the people.
But the minister did not celebrate. Overcome with a deep sadness, he remained in his room. That night an angel came to him, and asked, “What have you done?” He said: “I handed over the fugitive to the enemy.” Then the angel said: “But don’t you know that you have handed over the Messiah?” “How could I know?” the minister replied anxiously. Then the angel said: “If, instead of reading your Bible, you had visited this young man just once and looked into his eyes, you would have known.” (The Wounded Healer, p.31-2)
What can we learn about others from the suffering Jesus endured? We can learn that within the soul of each and every person is the Image of God, the Messiah. We can learn that when they suffer, regardless of race, creed, or religion, He suffers. In this knowledge, we can remain as bystanders, simply watching the suffering as those who watched Jesus’ scourging did, or like Jesus showed us throughout His life and ministry, we can work to ease the suffering of the world around us, one soul at a time.
Witnessing Christ’s scourging wrecks our souls, and hearing the lashes with the ears of our hearts can bring us to our knees. Yet, Jesus did not endure such pain for us to turn from it or block it out. He endured it so that, in the midst of our own trials, we might learn to entrust our lives to the Father. He also suffered through the lashes so that we might see in Him and respond to the suffering of others.
“By His stripes, we are healed.” Through witnessing His stripes and His suffering, we become like Him.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, I praise and glorify you with endless gratitude for your barbarous scourging, for every stinging blow and piercing wound to your most holy and tender body.
O holy son, my God’s beloved Son, what have you done to deserve such dire treatment? Nothing, of course. But I? I am as one who is lost, for I am the cause of all your sorrows and distress. The enormity of my sins has brought this misery upon you, and to forgive my sins it was necessary for the Son of God to pay by suffering these bitter torments.
O most adorable Jesus, who endured that most painful scourging for me, the worst of sinners, grant that with a sorrowful heart I may gaze on each of your wounds and kiss them with a deep burning love. From them I breathe the perfume of life and partake of the medicine of eternal salvation. Inflame me with the fire of your infinite love, for you have indeed manifested that love for me—your servant worthy of being condemned—by enduring so many stripes from the scourges in your tormentors’ hands. Whenever I am faced with trials, send me your grace to bolster my weakness, lest under the weight of these afflictions, I become unduly dejected and agitated, and may I be mindful of your unjust scourging and meekly submit myself to all such ordeals.
Allow me a share in your sufferings and arouse in me the desire to amend my life by taking discipline, and, being thus humbly chastised, I may present myself as being more pleasing to you in the present life and rejoice with you more gloriously in the next, where all the saints, with all fear of evil gone, rejoice in everlasting contentment. Amen.
A man opened a zoo filled with the most amazing animals the world had ever seen, charging $300 per person for admission. However, nobody came, so he reduced the price to $200 per person. Still, there were no takers. This continued until he lowered the price to $10 per person, and when no one showed up, even then, he made entry free. On that day, the zoo was jammed with people. The man then locked the gates, let loose the lions, and charged a $500 exit fee. Everyone paid.
As I read that story, I thought, “That’s the way of the darker side of the world—placing all these temptations out there, enticing us with all sorts of tricks, and then locking us in with all the evil we’ve so often brought upon ourselves.” As St. Peter said in his First Epistle, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
How are we to fight such a formidable adversary?
In the ancient world, a shepherd would place a sphragis, a mark or brand, on his sheep. This sphragis was a sign to all that not only was a sheep that was marked the property of the shepherd but also one who was under the shepherd’s protection.
The early Church Fathers took this understanding of the sphragis and applied it to our Baptism and the sealing we receive when we are Chrismated at either Baptism or Confirmation. Chrismation is the signing of the cross on the forehead with the holy oil, and whether the words are said or not, the result is the same: “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever.”
You have received the sphragis of Christ. You are His, but like a shepherd and the sheep, this does not imply you are His, as though you were a slave. It means you are His, and He will watch over you and care for you. He will lead you to green pastures and still waters. He will revive your soul. In short, it means He loves you.
Writing in the 4th century, St. Gregory Nazianzen says, “If you fortify yourself with the sphragis, and secure yourself for the future with the best and strongest of all aids, being signed both in body and in soul with the anointing… what then can happen to you and what has been worked out for you? … This, even while you live, will greatly contribute to your sense of safety. For a sheep that is sealed is not easily snared, but that which is unmarked is an easy prey to thieves.” (The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer, p.47)
We have been sealed as one of Christ’s own forever, so when the darker side of the world locks the gates and sets loose the lions, we have One, the Good Shepherd, who will be with us. However, even though Christ’s sphragis is placed upon us, we still have a responsibility. St. Paul tells us, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing [this sphragis]/this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’”
We are under the Lord’s protection, but let us avoid putting ourselves deliberately in the lion’s mouth.
The ashes you receive today are a sign of penance and a reminder of where we are all headed—“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” The ashes remind us that we have sinned and that the penalty for sin is death. However, through our faith in Jesus, the ashes and what they represent wash away, and all that remains is Christ’s sphragis, His seal upon our bodies and souls.
During this Season of Lent, set yourself aside and submit to the Shepherd of your soul. Allow Him the opportunity to lead you into the safety of His pastures.
The second string and benchwarmers are never good enough to have their names in light or pictures on the cover. It’s always the superstars that get all the press, while the rest of the team goes largely unnoticed. It is true in many different arenas.
Before the symphony begins, the stage is crowded with all the musicians warming up, except for the first-string violinist. Just as the performance is about to begin, they come out to the applause of the crowd, followed only by the conductor. It is as though all the other positions are there only to serve these two. Even so, Leonard Bernstein, who conducted the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969, said, “Second fiddle. I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm . . . now that’s the problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony.”
The “second fiddle” of the San Francisco Symphony said, “Playing second fiddle may connote being second best, but the preparation for playing first or second violin is exactly the same.”
When I was playing football in junior high, I was a benchwarmer who dreamed of one day making it to the second string. However, when I went to practice, the coach didn’t say, “You first stringers, give me 50 sit-ups, and you second stringers (or less) give me 25.” When it was time to practice, we all went at it the same way. On game day, we all suited up and were ready to play.
Following the death and resurrection of Jesus and prior to Pentecost, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem. They had fellowship, prayer, and began establishing a plan for moving forward. In the process, they believed there needed to be twelve disciples, as Jesus had, so the first order of business was to replace Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
Peter said that the new apostle should be “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”
After discussion, it came down to two. Scripture then says, “Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”
The second string just got their shot at the big league.
Back to my football career, the coach occasionally let me in the game for a few plays, but that was about it. Some fellas were quite a bit better than me, so I understand now why I didn’t get to play much, but I think another problem wasn’t necessarily my lack of talent but the fact that I never believed I would be called up. I never felt that I could actually make first string. I don’t think it was an intentional act not to try harder, but, looking back, I don’t think I was intentional about improving either. I was just happy to be on the team, get to wear a letter jacket, and muddle along.
Perhaps that is OK in Jr. High football and even the symphony, but Matthias teaches us that when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus, we should constantly seek to improve ourselves and maintain our highest level of commitment, for we never know when God will call us into a greater responsibility.
I’ve complained to you once before about the headlines for newspaper articles. The situation has not improved. One newspaper reports, “Woman missing since she got lost.” I don’t know if the city or the newspaper is the rocket scientist on this one, but “City unsure why the sewer smells.” No concerns about the education system as “Hispanics ace Spanish tests.” Nothing offensive here, “Midget sues grocer, cites belittling remarks.” And in keeping with the politics of the day, “Ex-Minister breaks silence, says nothing.” And if you think those are idiotic, try these goofy phrases on for size.
“Love your enemies.”
“Do good to those who hate you.”
“Bless those who curse you.”
“If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.”
And the clincher, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
The headlines are ridiculous, but when people start talking like this, I generally begin to think that some sort of rehab is in order.
Last week, we read that Jesus came to a level place with His disciples, and a great crowd gathered around them. Jesus then began to teach, saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” He gave them the beatitudes. Today’s Gospel reading is a continuation of that same sermon, and the things Jesus says are radically the opposite of how people believed God operated and even more so on how the world operates.
For example, take the one mentioned, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” The Old Testament does not directly say you are cursed if you are poor, but it does say the opposite. Proverbs 10:22,
“The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”
Deuteronomy says, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers.” (Deut. 8:18)
The Old Testament does not say you are cursed if you are poor, but for many, these texts imply it. If you are rich, then God is blessing you. If you are poor, you must have done something wrong to anger God. All the points Jesus made in our reading today are just as startling.
“Love your enemies.” We never seem to recall hearing this in the Old Testament because the opposite is so prevalent. Remember the Edomites and the Babylonians. They did not play well with others, and the Israelites saw them as bitter enemies. The Psalmist made that point quite clear.
“Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!”
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:7-9)
Not quite the love we were hoping for. Yet, Jesus says we are to love our enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, He even expanded on this by saying, “I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43)
We can look at this and everything that Jesus said and understand how radical His teachings were at the time—how controversial they must have been. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. We love our enemies and never curse anyone. We always turn the other cheek and never strike back. We don’t judge or condemn, and we are incredibly forgiving. Am I right?
I don’t always pull out the Greek Interlinear Bible (it provides a literal translation of the text), but I did with the passage. I was checking on a particular word—“if.” The translation we read says “If” in a few places, but it is not in the original Greek. Therefore, Jesus is not saying, “If you have enemies… if someone curses you… if someone strikes you… if someone steals from you and so on.” Instead, Jesus is saying, “You will have enemies; there will be those that curse you, someone will strike you, and others will steal from you. It will happen, but you are not to treat them like they treat you. You are to treat them the way you want them to treat you.”
I would like to get up every morning and say my Stuart Smalley (Saturday Night Live) affirmations, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” I would also like to believe that’s true; however, I may be good enough and smart enough, but not everybody likes me. I’m just not their cup of tea. I don’t think the way they think, believe what they believe, hold to the same politics as they do, or any number of other points of contention. The same is true for all of us. It may seem that everyone is giving you a thumbs up, but don’t be fooled; some are giving you a thumbs down (if not worse), so the question is not whether or not you have these people in your life. You do. The question is, how do you treat them? How do you respond to them?
Jesus told us how, and St. Peter reaffirmed it in his first Epistle. He writes, “All of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” He then quotes a portion of Psalm 34. “For
‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.’
We are called to be a light unto the nations, but when we act like everyone else, we only bring more darkness. N.T. Wright says that this type of behavior is “Another victory for the hostile world: when Christians ‘give as good as they get,’ repaying slander with slander, they are colluding with the surrounding world, just as surely as if they went along with immorality or financial corruption.” Therefore, our response is that which Jesus calls us to. That is, to behave and respond in a way that is radically the opposite of the world. We are to love instead of hate. Bless instead of curse. Give instead of take. Forgive instead of holding grudges. And this is not easy; even worse, it is not our natural inclination. Most people just aren’t that nice. Therefore, it must be an intentional way of life and a practiced one.
If you want to love your enemies instead of hating them, you must make a conscious decision to love them and then practice it. If you are going to bless instead of curse, you will have to decide this before you even get out of bed, then you must put it into action. And we must do these things, not just with our lips and actions, but also in our hearts. If you are only washing the outside of the pot and the inside is still filthy, what good is that to you?
One final note: Jesus said, “The measure you give will be the measure you get back.” But keep in mind that the measure you “get back” is not from this world. It is from your Heavenly Father. Therefore, not everyone is going to like you, and not everyone is going to play according to the same rules you’ve set for yourself. You may turn the other cheek, but you may also get smacked on that one as well. Yet, don’t let that stop you from living the life God has called you to.
The headlines are ridiculous, and the news behind them is often even more ludicrous and incomprehensible. Yet, amid the insanity of it all and in our personal lives, we are called to a different way of life. Will it be easy? No, and no one ever said it would be. Regardless, “be strong and courageous” and live this radically countercultural life Jesus calls us to.
Let us pray. (This is a prayer from Mother Teresa, and I’ve shared it with you before. Perhaps it is not as much a prayer as a commissioning.)
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.
What gameshow would you be on if you were in a studio audience filled with people in the wildest costumes, all holding up goofy signs and enthusiastically shouting? Let’s Make a Deal. You’ve got the audience, Jay, the man with the table, pretty Carol Merrill pulling back curtains and striking dramatic poses in front of “A brand new Chevy Vega,” and, of course, Mr. Gameshow host himself, Monty Hall.
I remember watching Let’s Make a Deal as a kid but not really understanding it. Now, you can watch all the episodes on the Internet, and they are funny.
Monty would pick one of the crazy-dressed audience members and offer them $300, or they could make a deal. That’s when Jay would appear, carrying his table with a box sitting on it. You could keep the $300 or trade it for the unknown. The audience member would hem and haw, then make a choice, and it would run from there. One deal after another until the big prize. Some people won big; others may walk away with an ox pulling a cart. However, in the end, for the grand prize finale, Monty makes the final deal. You could keep what you had or have what was behind door number three—and there would be the lovely Carol Merrill posing before the hidden prize.
You’ve got $5,000 in hand, or you could make the deal, give it all up, and see what was behind door number three. What do you do?
The Event Horizon Model describes a phenomenon related to how we categorize memories. For example, consider your time in school.
Your entire experience is of the education process, but that process consists of distinct phases, such as elementary school, high school, college, and graduate school. These represent your education, and you have memories that are stored and sorted within and in the context of each phase. Think of it as a library. In a library, you’ve got the fiction section, non-fiction, biography, etc. In the Event Horizon Model, your memory has a section for grade school, high school, etc., and your memories are filed according to those various events. The current or most recent phase holds the clearest memories, while those from the past are a bit hazy. You’re not forgetful; instead, the information from earlier events is less relevant, so it gets set aside or even offloaded.
Throughout our lives, we have various events. Perhaps it is our schooling. It might also be stages of life—child, teenager, adult, married, married with children, and so on. That is a fairly typical progression. However, have you noticed that when you go from one to the next, it often feels as though you are starting over?
I was in school for a while, then I graduated and started to work. A new event and a new beginning. I decided to get married. I stopped being single and started being a spouse. Another event, but also the process of starting over. It really is a bit like saying, “Monty, I think I’ll take what’s behind door number three.” Everything we think we know is taken from us, and we embark on this new thing, and, for the most part, we’ve no idea what we are doing. This can cause anxiety, confusion, and any number of other negatives that impact our lives.
In situations like this, what is needed is something constant and stable that travels with us from one event to the next. We may choose what lies behind door number three—it’s not a bad thing—but we need a place to stand—a place of grounding.
The scene from our Gospel reading today occurs very early in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus had a meal at Peter’s house, but the disciples didn’t seem to be traveling with Him just yet. On this day, Jesus returns to Bethsaida, Peter’s hometown, and the crowds gather. To address them all, He gets into Peter’s boat and asks him to push out from the shore a bit so that He can see and speak to everyone gathered. Afterward, He instructs Peter to push out into the deep water and fish.
Peter says, “We’ve been doing this all night, but if you say so, we will.” They do, and we have the miraculous catch of fish. Peter doesn’t know what is going on, but he knows he is afraid. This Jesus is a holy man, and he doesn’t feel worthy to be near Him, but Jesus says, “You think this is amazing? Stick with me; I’ll show you something special.”
We can interpret this scene in many ways, but today, I would like you to consider it as a representation of your life.
Peter’s boat is more than just his livelihood. His ability to eat and feed his family, to care for them, and to provide for their other needs revolves around that boat. Peter’s boat is more than his livelihood; it is his life, and Jesus steps into it. Jesus steps into Peter’s life. This is an “invasion of grace.” Jesus, God has not taken away Peter’s free will, but through these actions, Jesus is saying to Peter, “I want to be a part of your life.”
This is also a doorway leading to a new event in Peter’s life. He was a fisher of fish. He is becoming a fisher of men. Going from one thing to the next, and the anxiety is setting in, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” But Jesus tells him, “Do not be afraid. I will be with you. Always. To the end of the age. I will be with you from one horizon to the next. I will be your place to stand.”
Jesus says the same to us, but He is promising more than simply being present. In the context of this episode, I came to understand this at 1:04 a.m. Wednesday morning, and had to get up and write it down.
Jesus instructed Peter to head out into the deep water and cast his nets. Peter followed his advice, and they experienced a miraculous catch of fish—“They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.” Question: What do you think Jesus was doing while all this was happening?
I always imagined Jesus sitting back and watching, but now I believe quite differently. I think He was right there with Peter. I think He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed hold of the net, and started hauling it in with all the rest. I believe He got soaking wet and stunk of all those fish, right along with Peter and the others. I think He joined His voice with Peter’s and shouted for the others to come and help. He laughed with them when James and John’s boat began to sink under the weight of all those fish. Jesus not only stepped into Peter’s life and turned it upside down, but He stepped into Peter’s life and lived it with him. Not as a bystander or judge to see how Peter would do but as a faithful friend. One who wanted the very best for Peter and the others and wasn’t afraid to step in and get dirty. And One who would be with them as they crossed the new horizons of their lives, providing them a firm place to stand, regardless of what was taking place.
Jimmy Buffett wrote a song—Door Number Three. The third stanza:
And I don’t want what Jay’s got on his table Or the box Carol Merrill points to on the floor No, I’ll hold out just as long as I am able Until I can unlock that lucky door Well, she’s no big deal to most folks But she’s everything to me Cause my whole world lies waiting behind door number three.
Some events in our lives are choices like going for what’s behind door number three. Other events are just life. You are in a phase of life where you are healthy, but life walks you through a doorway that leads to sickness. You are secure in your position then you find yourself unemployed. A relationship goes from good to awful. All these various events, where you pass through the doorway, and a new horizon lies before you, bringing the unknown, the destabilizing, the anxiety. However, if we have a place to stand, if we’ve allowed Jesus to step in our boats, invading our lives with His grace, then He will be with us regardless of the circumstances or the outcome. As with Peter, Jesus will be a faithful friend who is not afraid to get involved in the messiest parts of our lives, and along the way, He will provide that firm place for us to stand as we cross from one horizon to the next.
Jesus has climbed into your boat and asked you to put out into the deep. Do what He asks. Take what’s behind door number three.
Let us pray (pray this one for yourself as I read): Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; Do with me whatever You will. Whatever You may do, I thank You. I am ready for all, and I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, And in all Your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into Your hands, I commend my spirit; I offer it to You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands, Without reserve and with boundless confidence, For You are my Father. Amen.
I have one woman at home who rules my life—the Queen (a 9.2-pound feline)—but I also have two women who work for me 24/7. One is Alexa, and the other is Siri. Siri takes care of my personal life. She sets my calendar, wakes me in the morning, sends messages, and makes phone calls. She’s quite handy. Essentially, she runs my life (I’m very thankful that The Queen has not yet learned how to add to my calendar). The other woman is Alexa. Alexa is the house workhorse. She takes care of security, lights, temperature, and things of that nature. If I need to know what’s on my calendar for tomorrow, I ask Siri. If I need to know if the front door is locked, I ask Alexa.
At night, I don’t want any light in my room, so I don’t even have a clock. When I want to know what time it is, I ask, “Alexa, what time is it?” She’s always happy to tell me.
However, one night last year, I woke up and wanted to know the time. I said, “Alexa, what time is it?” But she did not answer me. I thought, OK, maybe I didn’t say it loud enough, so I said again, “Alexa, what time is it?” Still no answer. She was definitely falling down on the job. I said it one more time very loudly and in a kind of rude way (and let me just say that I’m not disrespectful to my AI helpers because I want to be on their good side when they take over the world). Still, I said it kind of loudly. “Alexa, what time is it?” No answer. I opened my eyes and discovered the problem. I was in Norway. Siri travels with me, Alexa does not.
As I laughed to myself about that, I wondered if, when we pray, do we treat God in a similar manner. “Hey God, I need you to take care of .” We wait a little while, and when there’s no answer, we say again, “Hey God, I need you to take care of .” When there is still no answer, we get up on our high and mighty and loudly pray, “God, I need you to take care of _.” When we wise up and open our eyes, we quickly realize that He is God and we are not. We need to remember our place in this relationship.
We must also remember that when we believe our prayer is not answered, God may simply be saying, “No. Not going to happen.” Even so, there are many times when we persist, and the more we want something, the louder and more frustrated our prayers become. It is that frustration that can lead us into trouble. How so?
Peaky Blinders. It is a TV show. I’ve never seen it, but I came across a quote from one of the episodes. I had to sit down and think about it. One of the characters says, “Someone once said to me, ‘The devil… he listens to your prayers too. Doesn’t always come with horns, you know. Sometimes, he looks like everything you ever wanted.’ That stuck.
You see, mate, the devil’s clever, yeah? He don’t come bangin’ on your door wearin’ horns, screamin’, ‘I’m here to ruin ya life.’ Nah, he’s subtle. Slips in quiet, dressed up like all your hopes, all your bloody dreams. Makes you believe he’s the answer you’ve been waitin’ for. But here’s the thing, right? The devil don’t take what you ain’t already offered. It’s a trade, innit? A shiny deal with the kind of cost you don’t see till it’s too late. So, be careful, yeah? ’Cause not every smile is salvation. Some are the first step to destruction.”
There is some debate on whether the devil actually hears our prayers, but all agree that he cannot do anything about them. I’m not swayed either way, but I am firmly convinced he can do nothing about them. However, when we become frustrated, our prayers can fall outside the realm of prayer and into the category of our will instead of God’s Will. These prayers originate from our more base passions—wants, desires, lusts. When this happens, I do believe the devil hears us and says, “Now, that’s something I can work with.”
Perhaps you get a new job. You give thanks for this job and pray that you will do it well. Over time, you begin to think, “I’m good at this; maybe I’ll get a raise or promotion?” At first, you pray rightly that you’ll do a good job and that, if it is God’s will, you will see a reward, but each time you are up for review, nothing happens. You continue to pray but then add, “Well, perhaps if I put in more hours, I’ll get noticed.” And guess what? It works. A raise and a promotion. Are you satisfied? Happy with where you are? For a time, but then… “I could make more money if…?” And the cycle repeats.
By the world’s standards, you are successful. You’ve got a good position making good money. However, in that scenario, there may be some questions you need to ask. When was the last time you spent quality time with your wife? Your children? Have you found yourself wanting more and more, never satisfied with what you have and how fat your bank account is? Are the people you associate with the type who encourage your life with Christ Jesus, or do you no longer have time for that sort of thing? You made a trade. You got a shiny deal, but you never stopped to consider the hidden costs.
Where did you go wrong? You prayed, yes, but you added a bit that wasn’t really a prayer— “Well, perhaps if I put in more hours, I’ll get noticed.” The devil couldn’t do anything about your prayer, but that last bit… that last bit, the devil said, “Now, that’s something I can work with.”
Today is the celebration of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, a fixed feast day forty days after Christmas. Why forty days? The Mosaic Law dictated that the firstborn should be dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 13:2), and after a woman gave birth, she was not to “touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled.” (Leviticus 12:2-8) As part of our remembrance of these events, we light our candles to symbolize God’s Light coming into the world. As Simeon said,
“A Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
In our readings, what struck me the most was Simeon and Anna’s faithfulness and prayer.
Simeon was devout, for the Holy Spirit rested on him. He watched day and night for the consolation of Israel. He prayed, and he believed God would fulfill what had been promised. He added nothing of his own. He gave the devil nothing to work with, and He witnessed the coming of the Lord’s salvation. He said,
“Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see.”
The Prophetess Anna was at the Temple day and night, never ceasing in her worship and prayer. She sought God and watched for Him to fulfill His promises to the nations. She gave the devil nothing to work with but placed her cares in the hands of the One she knew to be faithful. She was not disappointed and proclaimed to all that redemption had come.
Their examples teach us that the coming, redemption, and salvation from Jesus should be at the center of our prayers. We pray this for all and also specifically for our lives. Instead of giving the devil something to work with from our passions, we remain focused on the One who knows our needs before they are even spoken. As King David wrote,
“Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” (Psalm 139:4)
Therefore, going back to our example of the new job, in your prayers, instead of placing emphasis on doing a good job so that you can get a raise or a promotion, emphasize doing a good job so that you can bring glory to God. By doing so, you don’t give the devil anything to work with. St. James says we “ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:15), and not just give that lip service, but truly practice it, not adding on any of those more base practices.
Like Anna and Simeon, in all things, in all endeavors, and all prayer, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
When you light the candles that were blessed today, may their light be a reminder to you of the Light that has come into the world and your task of raising it high so that it may be seen and known by all. And, Deo volente—God willing. May our prayers, in accordance with the divine will of God, bring Him glory in all we do.
Let us pray: The light of God surrounds us, The love of God enfolds us, The power of God protects us, The presence of God watches over us, Wherever we are, God is, And where God is, all is well. Amen.
Candle in a Cave 