TwentyFirst Sunday after Pentecost

The Holy Bishop Abercius, Equal to the Apostles, Wonder-Worker; The Holy Seven Children of Ephesus; Our Holy Father John Paul II, Pope of Rome

Title

Faith without works is dead

Outline

Our readings today seem to be in conflict

Look at our gospel: a man is doing well and living well, a stalwart of the community, not an outcast. At his gate, for an upright Jew would not let an unclean fellow come in, is a beggar, apparently lame, suffering from sores, longing to eat even the scraps, quite possibly the bread the rich man and his guests used to wipe their hands, which fell or were tossed under the table to the dogs (they were lying on couches so there was no fear of touching the dogs). Apparently no one noticed or gave to him, although he, unlike the rich man, has a name, which we later learn the rich man knows. It was the dogs who showed a type of kindness, for they came and licked his sores (which was helpful - dogs have been used this way at many points in history). But Lazarus was unclean due to his sores, thought judged of God because of his lameness, and unclean because of contact with dogs.

Now the stories diverge: Lazarus dies and is carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man dies and, perhaps unlike Lazarus, is buried honorably, but he does not experience angels but the Hades and torment in Hades at that. So now he wants mercy or alms from Lazarus (although he addresses his request to Abraham, as if Lazarus was a non-person) and Abraham says, No, first because it would not be just - even if it is only a drop of water you want, not scraps from the table - for each of you is getting what they deserve, and second, because it is not possible - God has made it impossible. The request is altered to send Lazarus (again using Lazarus as a servant) to my brothers who are living, whose fate is not fixed. But again the response is, No, they have what you had, Torah and Neviim (so apparently the family took the Pharisaic position on the authority of the prophets) and they will not be persuaded by someone rising from the dead (certainly an oblique reference to Jesus’ own forthcoming resurrection).

In other words, all of the calls in both the Torah and the Neviim, the Prophets, to care for the poor and to repent and change one’s behavior if one is not doing that. are calls to follow the heart of God and avoid Hades.

But how does that fit with our first reading?

“a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”

The answer is in the definition of terms: (1) the works of the law that Paul uses as examples in his writing are those that differentiated Jews from gentiles (circumcision of males, keeping festivals, especially the sabbath, and staying kosher or clean, which may include tithing) and (2) faith is trust in or commitment to when it has a personal object, in this case Jesus the Anointed (king) and so includes obedience. Paul never uses acts of mercy or charity commanded in the Torah as examples of the “works of the law,” for they were not boundary markers between Judaism and paganism.

No, Paul is pointing out that if he tried to reestablish the Jew - Gentile distinctions as his opponents in Galatia were trying to do, he would be admitting that his trusting in Christ that that brought the two together was sin, that Christ was an agent of sin. Instead he is dead to those distinctions, for he is dead to this life: “I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Brothers and Sisters, all that matters is obedience to Christ

There are various rites in the Catholic Church, and if we were to divide the Church along those lines and particularly if we were to refuse to accept and serve those from different ethnicities or rites we would be denying Christ. That is why we say at communion that all Catholics in good standing are welcome. That is why Fr Elias actively discouraged a friend of mine from changing rite arguing that he could be fully part of St John Chrysostom without doing so.

The important thing is our commitment to Jesus, or in the OT our commitment to all of God’s revelation, and in neither case could one let a fellow community member lie there dying of hunger while eating and dressing well oneself.

Thus Paul is dead to the distinctions of the world, but alive to Christ, and he does indeed note some who must be excluded from the church because they are not living in obedience to Christ, which includes much OT ethics. (i.e. that which Jesus does not modify).

In other words, Jesus changes everything, and obedience to Jesus changes everything, and he, not our ritual, is our hope of heaven and our standard of life on earth.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 10-29-2023: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

EPISTLE

Galatians 2:16–20

16 yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 11-5-2023: Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL

Option A

(22nd Sunday, Greek)

Luke 16:19–31

19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’ ”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (10-22-2023: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2023 | OCTOECHOS

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 10-29-2023: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Matins Gospel John 21:1–14

Epistle Galatians 2:16–20

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 11-5-2023: Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

Gospel Luke 16:19–31 (22nd Sunday, Greek)