Trinity XIII Fr. Forrest Burgett
Trinity Anglican Church Given 09/18/11
“Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (St. Luke x. 23.)
These words were spoken by Jesus to his disciples after their return from evangelizing the cities to which Jesus would eventually come. These disciples were the laborers sent into the field by the Lord of the harvest. Remember the guidance he gave them before they started. They were told to take no provisions and to trust in God. They were told to offer peace to every house they entered and not worry if it was rejected. They were told to heal the sick and say unto them, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” They were admonished to ignore rejection and assured that the fate of those rejecting them would be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. They had great success in their mission and were joyful even though many people must have rejected their ministry.
They did what Jesus sent them to do and they returned overwhelmed with joy at their success. He told them to beware of rejoicing in the power of their success. He told them, “rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” That brings us to our text today. So exactly what did they see and hear that others did not see or hear? What lesson did they learn that prophets and kings have desired to learn?
The story continues with a certain lawyer asking Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He did not see what they saw, heard and learned. Jesus asked him how he read the law. He knew that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbors as ourselves. He read the law correctly but was unwilling to implement it in his life. He looked for a caveat – a way out of his self-indictment. He asked, “Who is my neighbor?” While Jesus did not accuse him of avoiding the issue, He gave him an irrefutable example in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The priest who passed by first would have been the most familiar with the law. He would have quoted it many times in his ministry. And yet he did not even approach to see if the man was a member of his temple. He wanted no relationship with a man whose wretchedness might rub off on him. The Levite at least took the time to look on the man and see if he was a member of his tribe. Upon discovering he was not “one of theirs”, he passed on as well.
It is significant that Jesus used a Samaritan to illustrate what is required to inherit eternal life. The Samaritans had been conquered many times and, as a result, were a mixed culture with a pagan core and some understanding of Jewish law. They were despised for both their pagan core and their mixing of the cultures. The Samaritan illustrated Jesus’ point beautifully because he noticed only the need of the wounded man. He had compassion on him. He bound up his wounds, using his own valuable wine and oil. He took him to an inn and attended to him overnight. When he departed, he left money for his care and assured the innkeeper that he would cover any extra costs incurred when he came again. The lawyer could not refute the obvious. He understood that he, who would inherit eternal life, must be a neighbor to all.
Can this be the secret knowledge the seventy disciples saw, heard and learned in their travels? They were told to offer peace to every house they entered and to not worry about being rejected. The Samaritan provided peace to a pathetic example of mankind. We do not know how the man responded when he regained his health. He may have been grateful or he may have resented being helped by a person so despised by the Jews. It really doesn’t matter. The Samaritan did not have compassion expecting a reward, friendship or even reluctant acknowledgement. He simply did what he was supposed to do. Even if he was rejected, he would retain the peace of having done the right thing. He did his part without regard for the actions of the man he helped.
The things the disciples saw, heard and learned show how we can inherit eternal life. Specifically, the things they saw, heard and learned are the things we are to do in our relationship with God and with each other. The disciples were given the secret of a happy life. First, you must have a relationship to God. This relationship must be maintained with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. Then, you must have the same relationship with each other.
The whole tenth chapter of Luke is a recipe for a life with the peace of God. It ends with the story of Mary and Martha. They were sisters living together but with a different approach to Jesus’ visit. Martha assumed the burden of serving the Lord and resented having to do so alone. Mary, on the other hand, was oblivious to Martha’s efforts and dedicated her attention to Jesus’ words. Jesus replied, Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Jesus was not telling Martha that Mary was special or different. He simply pointed out that Martha was worrying about the wrong things. Martha was worrying about equality and justice in the work load and the relationship between the sisters was in jeopardy as a result.
In today’s world, we expect a relationship to be a balancing act. We give and are given to. We take and are taken from. We forgive and are forgiven. God’s relationships are not designed to be balanced. Relationships are an expression of our ability to love and the definition of love precludes measurement or balancing. Love is giving freely and without conditions. What the disciples learned was to give without expectation of recompense. Jesus told them that their efforts would not be diminished by the rejection of others. He told them to not look back when rejected. He told them to be single minded about their own efforts and not be diverted by the actions of others.
God’s only requirement for a relationship is giving. There is no other side. He does not give only when we are good. He does not give only to those who worship him. He does not give only to those who acknowledge his existence. He gives to all his creation without constraint. This does not deny that there will be a judgment some day. It says the probability of a good or bad judgment does not limit the giving of God in the interim.
We recognize our responsibility to maintain relationships in three areas. We must, in accordance with the first commandment, love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. Doing so requires our giving to him of what meager offerings we possess. It requires we give our prayers and praises and works to God, even if we don’t think we are receiving our just due. Remember, we cannot participate in the judgment and the distribution of justice. We can only give to God of what He has given us.
We must also love the Church as the body of which Christ is the head. It is the body through which Jesus continues to spread the good word about eternal life. We express our love for the Church by giving our time, talent and treasure. While we may ask for a receipt for charitable contributions, we cannot ask for a balancing of the giving and receiving. In the first place, what God gives us could never be offset by our meager efforts. And second, Love is giving, period.
The third area in which we must maintain relationships is with each other. This is definitely the most challenging. This is the area in which we are most likely to demand an audit and a balanced account. We give deference to God and the Church and don’t expect complete equality. While we give deference to each other, we usually expect a relatively balanced relationship. We give and are given to. We take and are taken from. We forgive and are forgiven. Remember these are not equations. They are factual statements of giving. We may not be given to by the ones to whom we give. We may not be taking from the ones who are taking from us. We may not be forgiven by the ones we forgive. This last one is the most important. When we forgive, we are forgiven by God. The Lord’s Prayer asked that we be forgiven as we have forgiven others. It does not say things will balance. It says we can expect no more than we give. Think about that the next time you think someone may have taken advantage of you. Think about that the next time you feel someone doesn’t understand you. Think about that every time you feel a relationship is not where you want it to be.
All this talk of relationships with others is not exclusive to those in this parish or church or communion. It applies equally to those whose actions step on our rights and threaten our well-being. We don’t have to agree with them or let them have their way. But we must stay the course and preserve the peace of God in our hearts. The questions we must ask ourselves are difficult. Have I truly given without conditions or the expectation of a particular response? Am I willing to continue giving without any acknowledgment? If we can answer yes, we will see the things the disciples saw and hear the things the disciples heard and we will begin to know the peace of God.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (St. Matthew xxv. 40.)