аЯрЁБс > ўџ / 1 ўџџџ . џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС @ №П ќ bjbjУ.У. "$ ЁD ЁD ќ џџ џџ џџ d d d d p л ђ Є А Z \ \ \ \ \ \ $ Э R ќ ќ ќ и и и ќ : Z и ќ Z и и и | ї(пTЦ d 6 и Z Ћ 0 л и Й И Й и и ^ Й 6 $ И и и * | І V И И И Є Р Є Ю Р Sermon Archive of The Most Rev. John T. Cahoon, Jr.Metropolitan, Anglican Catholic Church Trinity II, June 21, 1998 Fathers' Day is not an official observance in the church calendar, but that doesn't mean that it has no relevance to Christians. Everybody has a father, one way or another, and Jesus describes the relationship between God and ourselves as that of father and child. He tells us, "When ye pray, say 'Our Father."' The fifth commandment -- my own mother's favorite one -- reads, "Honour thy father and thy mother." I had a friend who used to say, "The fifth commandment is the one that reminds you that you have a navel." We honor our parents first of all by acknowledging their overwhelming importance. They not only give us life, but they also provide the raw materials, both genetic and environmental, that shape that life, for better or worse. We may sometimes wish it were otherwise, but the fact is we did not come from nothing, and we did not create ourselves. In this morning's Gospel, one of the excuses for not coming to the wedding banquet is, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." The parable is about accepting salvation -- hearing the good news -- getting ready to go to heaven -- and it is clear that God does not think that family obligations are a good reason to reject what he has to offer. The husband in the parable makes a great mistake when he suggests that his obligations to his wife are in conflict with his obligations to the man who has invited him to dinner. The other two excuse-makers err in a similar way when they say that their economic responsibilities make it also impossible for them to come. The conjunction of Fathers' Day and this parable make this seem a reasonable time to comment on some front-page news of the recent past. I am talking about the resolution of the Southern Baptist Convention about wives submitting themselves graciously to their husbands. The crucial Biblical passage which addresses this issue is the fifth chapter of St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. Our Prayer Book is absolutely unashamed of this apparently politically incorrect passage. It is appointed as the Epistle when a celebration of Holy Communion accompanies a wedding, and it is cited in the list of reasons we hold services of matrimony in the church in the first place. St. Paul is describing the way the body of Christ -- the church -- can function the most smoothly. His basic prescription is that all Christians "submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God." That is another way of saying "love your neighbor." To love is to act for the benefit of the other person. To submit is to put the interests of the other person ahead of one's own interests. St. Paul goes on to describe three human relationships. Everyone is involved in at least one of them. The relationships are: husband and wife; parent and child; and master and slave (we can translate that one to employer and employee). In each of the three relationships one party has a natural power advantage over the other. When Christians are in these relationships, the more obviously powerful one is supposed to set aside his natural advantage and serve the other. The weaker one then can set aside his fear of the stronger one's power and be able to serve him. Mutual submission in these relationships is the only way they can work for everyone's benefit. It is also through submitting in these human situations that we begin to learn what cooperating with the will of God is all about. Referring to the marital relationship St. Paul does indeed say, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands." But he goes on to say something that is quoted much less often, "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." So his prescription is -- wives, submit to your husbands; husbands, die for your wives. That is a description of mutuality and cooperation; not a prescription for tyranny or a license for abuse from either side. Father and child is the image of the relationship between ourselves and the first person of the Holy Trinity, but husband and wife describes our relationship to the second person. So the Christian view of marriage has a far deeper importance than as just another club to use in wrangling over cultural values. St. John Baptist describes his relationship to Jesus as that of a best man to a groom. The best man comes out first and gets things ready, then the groom comes out and takes his place. At the end Jesus will be revealed as the bridegroom of the church, and we shall be presented to him as his virgin bride -- as St. Paul says, "not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing." Our virgin perfection will be his gift, not, quite obviously, something we have earned through spotless behavior. The physical intimacy of marriage is, in St. Paul's understanding, the best way to grasp the intimacy between Jesus and the individual believer. He concludes, "A man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Now this is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband." The Collect: O LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. I St. John 3: 13-24 The Gospel. St. Luke 14:16-24. 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