аЯрЁБс > ўџ 3 5 ўџџџ 2 џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС @ №П 8 bjbjУ.У. "$ ЁD ЁD 8 џџ џџ џџ N N N N N N N b Њ Њ Њ Њ Ж b Ж Ю Ю Ю Ю Ю Ю Ю Ю $ е R ' Ф N Ю Ю Ф N N Ю Ю й : N Ю N Ю N N Ю Т євЦ Њ F . я 0 С t С b b N N N N z С N Ю М l | Ю Ю Ю Ф Ф b b Є Є b b Sermon Archive of The Most Rev. John T. Cahoon, Jr.Metropolitan, Anglican Catholic Church January 30, 2000, Epiphany IV Today's gospel/New Testament lesson tells us what Jesus did immediately after he preached the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount established him as the second Moses -- another man on a high place talking about the Law of God. When, as St. Matthew says, "Jesus came down from the mountain," he performs two healing miracles as a follow-up. The first one is on a Jew and the second is on a Gentile. That gives us the Epiphany connection Jesus came to save and to heal both Gentiles and Jews. The Sermon on the Mount attacks the teaching of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time. Jesus says the rabbis' interpretation of the force of the law lets people off the hook too easily. It allows them to think that they have not broken a law if they think about it and talk about it, but don't actually do it. That teaching got him into trouble, and it made people accuse him later on of wanting to overthrow the law and all of the customs Moses taught. So this morning when Jesus heals the man with leprosy, he is careful to tell the man to obey the law of Moses. Jesus says to the healed man, "Shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift Moses commanded for a testimony into them." The Law said that only priests could certify that someone had been healed of leprosy, and the law prescribed a sacrifice as a thank offering for the healing. By telling the healed man to obey those points of the Law, Jesus was trying to show that he had not come to destroy the Old Testament law, but to fulfill it -- to bring it to completion and to its logical conclusion. He performs his second healing on the servant of a Roman soldier. The soldier commands a hundred men, so he is called a centurion. He approaches Jesus and says, "I have a servant at home who is suffering from paralysis." Jesus says, "I'll come over and heal him." That statement raises again the question of Jesus' loyalty to the Law. Visiting a gentile's house would make him ritually unclean. But Jesus makes the point quite clearly all through the gospels that it is more important to go ahead and heal even if it means breaking one of the finer points of the Law. God gave the Law to make things better, not to make things more difficult. In any event, the centurion says, "Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof" -- you don't need to get yourself into trouble by coming to my house. I am confident that all you have to do is say the word right here and my servant will be healed. The centurion goes on to say that he is a man under authority. He operates within a chain of command -- a military hierarchy. He has a hundred men who serve under him, and they do what he tells them to do. His unstated further point is that he believes that Jesus has the same kind of power over disease that he has over his men. All Jesus needs to do is say the word and the servant's paralysis will disappear, just as all he needs to do is say the word and his soldiers will obey. Jesus is amazed at the understanding the centurion displays. He marvels at him and says, "I have not seen this kind of faith in Israel. And let me tell you that people are going to come from all over the earth to get into the kingdom of heaven, but the ones who were invited to be there first are going to be tossed out into a dark void." Then Jesus tells the centurion, "Go home. What you believed I could make happen will happen." And the centurion's servant was healed at that very moment. So what do we make of all this? First and most obviously, the centurion is right -- Jesus does have authority over disease. Sickness and disease are consequences of sin -- the alienation between man and creation that comes from the alienation between man and God. Jesus has come to earth to repair every kind of brokenness and alienation. Jesus passes his healing power on to the church, and we use it. Second, the byplay between Jesus and the centurion reminds us that we live in a hierarchical universe. We cannot allow our democratic political sentiments blind us to that fact. The rule of God is not a republic, not a democracy, not even an aristocracy. God rules a kingdom, and we are his subjects. God's authority comes from his own being. It is not authority we have granted him or voted to give him that we might somehow take away or take back. The quicker we realize that God is in charge -- in charge in a good and loving and fatherly fashion to be sure -- but in charge nonetheless, the happier we shall be. The story shows us further that Jesus healing power is for everyone Jew and Gentile alike. What he says about the centurion's having greater faith than anyone in Israel is explained later on by St. Paul's teaching in Romans. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, 'There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'" Collect: O God, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle: Romans 13: 1- 7 The Gospel: St. Matthew 8: 1- 13 [ k m x y z f g o p Ђ Ѓ Ђ Ѓ ! 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