Our Lord has Great Expectations of redeemed disciples. Today they seem to focus on words, “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” The word “perfect,” is only used in the Gospel of Matthew. In Luke, the word is “merciful.” It is also good to keep in mind that “perfect” here does not mean to be without fault, like a psychological type of perfectionism. It means to be more oriented toward the values of God’s kingdom. But the “therefore” alerts us to a previous climax of our Lord's words. In effect he says, “I say to you that you should be perfect in all these ways so that you may be children of God.” We are to be perfect in order to be what the loving father has made us, God's children.
It can be apt, if somewhat labored, to reword Lincoln's Gettysburg address as a way to ponder these texts. (After all, I was such an avid Disneyland goer, and because of Lauretta, had to endure “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” so many time, I suspect I can make it fun using similar words.
Four score and eight years ago, plus thousands of years – (two thousand, if we think of Jesus here sitting on the mount giving this sermon, plus even more thousands, if we think of Moses reporting God's words to Israel, “You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God in holy”). Four score and those thousands of years ago our heavenly Father brought forth on this planet a new nation, a holy nation, a chosen race. That royal priesthood, God's own people, was conceived in liberty by God's gracious love, through the Son of God made free indeed, and in baptism dedicated to the proposition that all people should be recreated perfect.
Now we are engaged in great civil war, against flesh and blood, against principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness of this world, testing whether we in this parish or those in any other parish, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure, can turn the other cheek, can give up the extra cloak, can walk the extra mile, can give to the borrower and the beggar, can love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, can in sum, be the children of the Father who is in heaven, who makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate anew, to dedicate another area of our life’s field to God, not for resting place, but for increased effort, remembering the martyrs who have given their lives that God's church might live. It is fitting and proper - it is altogether meet, right and beneficial - that we should do this.
However, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot Sabaoth, Lord of hosts, who struggled here, by his living and in his dying has consecrated us far beyond our poor power to add or to detract.
This is the fact is it not? We have been made perfect in God's sight by God-in-Christ. He was in the form of God, our Lord Jesus was, but did not count equality with God something to be grasped. Instead he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in our likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death - even death on the cross. Because of all that, God highly exalted him, giving him the name above all names, and remember, has highly exalted us as well, giving us the name children of God. Saint Paul says, “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” The perfection which God has given by grace includes such a will to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We can never forget what Jesus Christ did here. It is for us, the living, to be dedicated to the unfinished tasks which he who fought here has thus far so nobly advanced.
“Dedicated” - that is, in a word, given in our Epistle as to what we should be. We are God's temple. Jesus Christ is its foundation. He who was laid in the grave is risen. His life and power permeates the temples building’s stones rising up through the joints defining each one of us, making us living stones, able to house God's spirit. God's temple is holy and that temple you are. We're able to live as fools in this world and so be wise, to love and endure and strive, to be the children of God we have been made, and to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. We were made more than “able to” - we should want to. Our wills have been highly exalted to follow God just as the disciples were caught up to the Mount by Jesus. They had heard Jesus say, “follow me!” And in the following they were transformed into Apostles. And so have we too been changed. We are those who are glad to hear the Lord’s, “therefore,” “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
It is for us, then, the living, to be dedicated to the unfinished work which our Lord who fought here has far so nobly advanced. It is for us to be here dedicated to the great tasks remaining before us, to take increased devotion to this cause of God from him who for us gave the last full measure of devotion.
We here highly resolve that our Lord shall not have died in vain, that this parish, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-in-Christ, and that this Church, of the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, shall become ever more perfect in the earth.
Come then to the Thanksgiving feast of our Lord. Receive his body and his blood for the perfecting of your life. Pray, “Lord, I believe; help thou my imperfection.”
Let us pray.
In today’s gospel, Jesus exhorts us to learn a new way; a way to perfection by loving our enemies, and praying for those who persecute us, that we may be children of our heavenly Father. We pray for the strength and emotional patience to learn to love more and hate less. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for all those who live in the darkness and despair of poverty, violence, trafficking, slavery, and abuse. May the light of God’s love bring them hope in their lives. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the younger generation that they may not be distracted by the false lights of a superficial life but recognize that the true light can only be found through following the example and words of Christ, our loving Savior. We pray to the Lord.
As we mark this Wednesday, February 8th as the International Day against Human Trafficking, we pray for those who have been victims of this vile, cruel and inhumane commercial practice and ask the Lord that the world be enlightened so that all his people are treated, not as commodities but as radiant images of his love and goodness.
We pray to the Lord.
This coming Saturday is the international World Day of the Sick. Let us pray for all those who are sick in body, mind and soul, particularly those in our own parish and country. We pray to the Lord.
We pray with Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby as they make an ecumenical visit to the Congo and South Sudan for an end to the exploitation of Africa and its peoples. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for peace in our world – especially in our nation that bloodshed may end. We pray to the Lord.
For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.
Father God, you have promised that if we draw near to you, you will draw near to us. In this time, prepare our hearts and minds that we might receive your wisdom and understanding. Relieve our bodies and souls from all the desires and cravings shaped by this world, that we might be filled with your peace. Pour out your Spirit upon us, that our worship might be joyful and authentic, bearing good fruit in our lives with our neighbors.
As we dedicate our gifts to you, O God, we come to an awareness of the tasks set before us to bring peace to our relationships and peace to our world. Give us strength to be the one to offer the words of reconciliation. Let our hearts be so full of love that we can forgive –– and reach out to others who have lost their way. Open our eyes that we may fully see the abundance that is ours as well as the poverty of the world around us. Embolden us to give freely so that others might know what freedom looks like. With gratitude for all that we have and all that we are, we offer our gifts and ourselves to you. Help us in our imperfection, to become more perfect in you. We ask all these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.
God Love You +++
The Most Rev. Robert Winzens
Pastor – St. Francis Chapel
San Diego, CA.
As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! Share with us this Christmas, a little sacrifice for the Christ Child. Thank you and God bless you! +++
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