Understanding the Big Picture

Third Sunday in LENT

15 March, AD 2009

TEXTS:  Ephesians 5:1-2 and St. Luke 11:27-28

Ephesians 5:1-2

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

St. Luke 11:27-28

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”  He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”

This is one of those Sundays where both the Gospel and Epistle have a commonality about them.  I don’t mean that they are common or humdrum by any stretch of the imagination, but, rather, that they have a strong theme in common; a kind of thematic thread that runs strongly through them both.  Traditionally, in the history of the Church, this Sunday was the day on which new believers turned in their names, so to speak, and made a public commitment to become Christians so that they could be Baptized on the great Paschal Feast we know as Easter.  It is fitting then that they heard these Scripture readings in an attempt for them to understand better the life-changing commitment they were entering upon today.  Likewise, people who had been Christians for a long time were given a booster shot of the big picture, so to speak, so that they could better focus their lives on Christ as well, as both groups journeyed through the depths of Lent.  Fittingly, then, we should begin with the words of Our Lord in order to comprehend the parameters that St. Paul set for the Ephesians and us to live as Christians in this world.

Our scene opens with Jesus casting out a demon from a man who was unable to speak and by His actions, Jesus had the opportunity to teach about the Kingdom of God.  For as He healed that unnamed man, the Pharisees, unable any longer to use conventional means in trying to discredit Jesus as the Messiah, turn to more insidious means, slander.  They said that Jesus was only able to heal the man because He, Himself, was in league with the powers of Darkness.  Jesus dismissed their claims as being absurd and then turned their accusations upon them by implying the question, “Why would the devil cast out his own demons?  That would defeat his own purpose.”  Further, if that were, in fact, the case, why could they, the Jews, cast out demons if they, themselves, were not in league with him?  Therefore, Jesus, said, your sons will be your judges.  Finally, Jesus lowers the boom on the Pharisees and says, “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then know that the Kingdom of God has come to you.”  As Jesus continued to teach about the power and Kingdom of God, a woman in the crowd was so overcome with feeling and emotion that she blurted out, “Blessed is the mother which bore you and nursed you.”  To which Jesus replied, “Yes, that is true, but rather blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”  Jesus spoke sternly, but truthfully to the woman overcome with feeling and emotion and to the crowd, as well.  A moment of proper emotion is a fine thing.  But as with all human emotions, they can deceive both ourselves and others.  The key is knowing how to turn that emotion into faithful service.  For the greater aspect of our life, even over emotion, is to live our life in obedience in the routine things of everyday.  As William Barclay puts it, “No amount of fine feeling can take the place of faithful doing.”  So let’s move about fifty years or so on to St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians as he, too, speaks about living in the Kingdom of God.

From the outset of this reading, St. Paul holds up before the Ephesians the highest standard to which any of us could ever attain.  He tells them that they should be imitators of God.  Not just followers, but imitators, as the Greek says.  When he used that word “imitators” he was using a word which all non-Jewish people would understand in an instant.  Because the art of imitation was a main aspect in the training of an orator.  Teachers of oration focused on three aspects, theory, imitation, and practice.  Again to quote William Barclay, “It was as if Paul said to them, ‘If you were to train to be an orator, you would be told to imitate the masters of speech; but you are not training in oratory; you are training in life; and you must set yourself to imitate the Lord of all good life.’”  Many years later, St. Clement of Alexandria would say of this Scripture, as only he could say, that the true Christian practices being God.  As we practice being imitators of God, St. Paul calls us to live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a sweet-smelling sacrifice or offering to God.  Again, St. Paul used purposively the phrase, “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  This phrase goes all the way back to the Old Testament, itself.  When a sacrifice was offered upon the altar to God the smell of the roasted meat went up to heaven unto God Himself and it was especially pleasing and acceptable to Him.  As Jesus was the Lamb of God that was slain for the sins of the whole world, St. Paul connects that reality with the sacrifice of Our Lord – that same sacrifice which Jesus brought to God.  The real sacrifice that Jesus brought to God was a life of perfect obedience to God and perfect love to mankind; so absolute an obedience and so infinite a love that Jesus hung on the Cross for us in obedience to His Father’s will.  What St. Paul might say today if he were writing to us is, “Imitate God.  And if you wish to imitate God and to imitate the sacrifice which Jesus made, you can only do so by loving people with the same sacrificial love with which Jesus loved us, and forgiving them in love as God has done for you.”  That’s the big picture.  That’s what living in the Kingdom of God is all about; that the Christian must imitate God’s attitude of love, kindness, forgiveness, and mercy in his or her own life.

The Kingdom of God began  with Jesus’ birth.  It grew as He resisted temptation in the wilderness after His Baptism.  It established itself through the course of His earthly ministry through His healings and teaching.  It blossomed in victory at His Resurrection, Ascension, and at Pentecost, and will become permanent and fully consummated at His second coming.  It is that Kingdom to which all Christians, new and old are called.  And it is that big picture of which we are reminded at this time in the Lenten season.  Strive to be imitators of God, not of the world, and you will find the salvation of your soul.

And now, unto God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost be ascribed all might, majesty, power, and dominion as is most justly due this day both now and forever; world without end.  Amen.

SOLI DEO GLORIA – JEU+