Sermon 163 Feb 17, 2019

As preached by Brother Luke

Holy Wisdom Church

 Lk 18: 9-14; 1Jn 1:8-2:6; 2Sam 12:1-10,13 Publican & Pharisee

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!

        Confession. It’s hard to miss. All three readings give us perspectives on confession. And it is comforting to look at the example of the tax collector and model our confession after his. Not many of us will be in King David’s position, having sent a rival off into danger to get killed and then take his wife as his own. But we all have our weaknesses that need to be faced, acknowledged and repented. This is the Sunday when we begin anew the journey toward Great Lent and Pascha. This journey gives us the opportunity to re-examine our lives and bring ourselves closer to that place where God is always calling us: to love one another as God loves us. And St. John in his epistle reminds us that we all need to go through this cleansing process.

        To love our children, our grandchildren, this is not usually the difficult part, although there can be challenges. But as that circle of friends and acquaintances grows, the challenge to love them can also increase. And sometimes, as we gaze on people we do not know well, or about whom we have fears, bad experiences, conflict or anger, then to love as God loves may begin to slip from our consciousness. 

        We may think that since we are not in King David’s place, we do not really have anything significant to repent. This is when we need to take another look, not at the tax collector, but at the Pharisee. The tax collector has been cheating people for his whole career, it was actually part of the system. His sin was ever before him, as the Psalmist says. But the Pharisee is standing in the temple before God and basically saying he has no need to repent since he has been scrupulous in following and fulfilling the law. He is giving thanks to God for this achievement. Being grateful is not a bad thing. Had he said he was following the law and offering this to God knowing that this task is not done, that would be one thing. But instead, after praising himself [and not God] he then does what we all can easily do, namely, slide into comparing himself to others, and specifically to the publican standing in the temple with him. Comparing ourselves to the publican and his prayer for mercy is understandable as we try to listen to Jesus teaching and follow it. However, my guess is that everyone in this temple, and indeed everyone everywhere at some time, has done what the pharisee did and may not have noticed it.

        How is that so? How often do we notice people we do not agree with politically and disparage their views and wonder how anyone could hold a view contrary to our enlightened views? To notice differences, to desire to promote the good and discourage the bad, is not the problem. Its the added edge we put on that which then discounts the person along with their views. It doesn’t matter where one stands in the political spectrum, this attitude can arise from any position. But the problem is not about politics. We can trip over this rock in any aspect of life: social, economic, religious, interpersonal relations. We could disagree with a co-worker, family member, student at school, casual acquaintance, parishioner, someone in almost any context of life. We could just be enraged by something seen on television or read in the paper and soon our emotions have turned that issue and those connected to it into a great evil that justifies our condescending attitude. But does it?

        God sends the rain on the good and the bad alike. God does not approve misbehavior, but he also does not withdraw his love.  That is the challenge for us. In a world beset by evil, injustice, conflict and despair, how can we be conduits for God’s love and not contributors to the world’s disfunction? Its not easy. That is why this Lenten period can be such a valuable tool for us to re-examine our attitudes and reactions to the chaos around us. That is why this parable is set before us every year at this time. It reminds us that our work on ourselves is never done.

        Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Homily February 10, 2019

Preached by Sister Rebecca
Holy Wisdom Chapel

Luke 19:1-10

    

             Two Sundays ago, the Christmas liturgical season officially ended with the Feast of the Elder Simeon’s Encounter with the infant Jesus in the Temple.  Today, a new liturgical season opens its door to us.  It is the very first announcement of Lent, where the Gospel speaks of another Encounter – that of the adult Jesus with the man called Zacchaeus.  However, unlike Simeon, this man, was one of ill repute.  He was a tribute collector for the Roman oppressor, which was tantamount to being a spy and a traitor.  And not only this, he was known to add his own sizable “administration fee.”

            Today’s Gospel starts with Zacchaeus learning that this famous Jesus is coming to town.  His curiosity perks up, and he wants to see this Jesus.  However, Zacchaeus realizes that he is so short he would never get a glimpse of Jesus over the heads of the crowd.  Driven by a sudden impulse, he seizes upon an opportunity of getting for himself a first-class seat by climbing up a sycamore tree. As Jesus comes close to the tree where Zacchaeus is perched, Jesus suddenly looks up and sees him.  Zacchaeus’ desire is such that it literally forces Jesus’ attention.  Jesus’ gaze must have ripped his heart wide open, and he sees beyond his little self, his persona, to what Jesus sees within him: a deep wellspring of goodness and potential to become who he really is.  And to make this experience tangible to him, Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from the tree, telling him he must come and stay at his home today.  We can only imagine Zacchaeus’ joy as he scrambles down the tree to the feet of Jesus to welcome him. 

             When we reflect on Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus, he doesn’t belittle or humiliate him.  Instead, he treats him like an intimate friend, inviting himself into his home.   Jesus does this even prior to any word of repentance or regret from Zacchaeus or any expression of resolve to change his ways.  Perhaps Zacchaeus only started out with a spark of simple curiosity, but in following through, he ends up with his heart opening, healed, and transformed.  Then and only then he sees his wrongdoings with new eyes, and he not only renounces his past wrongdoing, he also makes generous amends with those he has fleeced, from whom he has lined his pockets.

            Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus actually draws Christ’s gaze to him. What does this tell us of the power of desire?  Is this Gospel today inviting us to desire that which is deepest in us, beyond our personas in this world, beckoning us to feel our thirst and hunger for the Divine, who is the very luminous Ground of our being, whether we are conscious of it or not?  At the deepest level of our being, it is God who incites desire within us, cracking open the heart and allowing us to see the light, and this Light is the light of Love. 

            Today’s Gospel invites us to go inward.  As we do so, we will most certainly become aware of our character deficiencies.  But if we stay on the surface of our being, our personas, we will be short sighted. We are not healed, or transformed, by confronting all of our wounds and selfishness head-on, which could overwhelm us and drown us in discouragement. Going deeper to our center, our hearts, what might Christ’s gaze awaken in us?   Where in our life does God's goodness and beauty most shine through? When we perceive our God-given true nature, we are motivated to be who we truly are, and our desire, even if only a spark, will fan into an ever-larger flame that eventually will become a fire that cauterizes our faults, enabling us to grow to our deepest potential, to what makes us whole – humanly, spiritually, and morally.

            May we approach our Lenten journeys with enlightened inner eyes and see our God-given goodness and beauty of soul. By keeping our inner eyes focused on Christ we will naturally want to challenge ourselves and, when appropriate, others, not with shame bearing and harsh criticism, but with the desire to love ourselves and others as Christ loves us.  And this love bears fruit that gives us and the whole world New Life.

Notes:  Zacchaeus’ name in Hebrew means: innocent, pure.  No matter how a person thinks or behaves the soul remains pure, and untarnished.  Within every person is the potential to become the one they are called to reflect in life: the image and likeness of God dwelling in the depths of one’s soul.

One of the prayers recited upon awakening by a pious Jew is:

“My, God, the soul You placed in me is pure.

You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me,

and You guard it while it is within me.  ..

Blessed are You, Lord, who restores souls to lifeless bodies.”

From The Koren Sacks Siddur with Introduction, translation, and commentary by: Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

I am grateful for some insights received from Fr. Ronald Rohlheiser’s homily on this passage on November 17, 2003.