Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

Genuine Love of God Not Imitation of Others

Outline

The true Christian faith does not produce cookie cutter Christians

I remember walking through London in 1966 and seeing the men briskly walking down Fleet Street or other thoroughfares on their way to work: all were dressed in a back suit, bowler hat, and carried a tightly furled umbrella.

They popped up out of the tube station, fast walked down the pavement, and disappeared into their places of work without talking to anyone, like so many clockwork manikins.

When I was growing up in Lynchburg, all really good Christians were expected to be evangelists, using the same canned methodology (that varied a bit by the group one was associated with) that would produce similar results.

That never worked for me.

Nor does that work for Christians today, whatever the gift.

Paul teaches that gifts vary: the only constant is listening to the Spirit and living righteously in love

Gifts differ, says Paul, so use yours; do not try to use another’s.

How do you use them?

The way God directs you to use them and out of love for God and your neighbor.

Genuine loves hates evil, clings to the good, and seeks the good of one’s fellow believer, honoring the other.

It is based in love of God, i.e. time spent with God so that the Spirit can flow into one, a desire to be his servant.

Therefore you live as Jesus (and Paul and others) lived: “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

Variety and yet similarity, variety in gifts and similarity in love and ethical behavior.

Matthew shows Jesus using this same combination of variety and similarity.

Jesus was known to have a gift of healing, but he did not heal everyone the same way.

A paralyzed man is brought to him.

Does he heal with a touch as he did Peter’s mother-in-law?

No, Jesus was a man of prayer and he followed the wind of the Spirit: seeing “their” [those who carried the stretcher’s] faith he says, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

I cannot think of another time he said that to a sick person.

The religious leaders were upset.

This is not something that humans had authority to do!

But apparently the Spirit wanted to correct the religious leaders and knew of the guilt that the paralyzed man carried.

Jesus just responds, “Which is easier to say?”

Then, to show where God was he says, “Rise, take up your bed and go home.”

The crowds get the point - God has granted authority to forgive sins.

[Perhaps the man would have gotten better or had gotten better when he realized his sins were forgiven.]

In other words, Jesus listened to the Spirit, to his Father, and used the gifts and authority he had under the Father’s direction.

Brothers and sisters, this is how we are to live life

All are gifted differently - some with liturgical skills, some with teaching or other skills, some with practical skills - most with a combination of skills.

We should approach any situation in the love of God, which means that we are spending time in quiet before him, in dialogue with him, and with us, unlike Jesus, he will correct our behavior and calm our anxieties, before moving on to the situation.

Then we look to him for guidance on how to meet the particular situation and follow what we “see the Father doing” - often that is with an inner eye, the impulse of the Spirit.

Acting in harmony with the Father with the Spirit’s love flowing through us will mean that our gifting will be fruitful.

Don’t try to be a cookie cutter Christian, simply copying the gifts and methodologies of others.

Rather, be a follower of Christ who is in love with God and through whom God’s love flows to others.

You will see that happen in the ways that God has gifted you, and that will bring honor to God and joy to your heart and the hearts of others.

Readings

EPISTLE

Romans 12:6–14

6  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

11 Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.

12  Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.

14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

(Slavic)

Hebrews 13:7–16

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents.

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.

11  For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

13 Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing abuse for him.

14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come.

15  Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

GOSPEL

Matthew 9:1–8

9  And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

2  And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.”

7 And he rose and went home.

8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

(Slavic)

John 17:1–13

17  When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; 5  and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

6 “I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; they were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; 8 for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

9  I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours; 10 all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

11  And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

12  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (7-17-2022: Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 | OCTOECHOS

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Bright Vestments

Matins Gospel Luke 24:36–53

Epistle Romans 12:6–14

Gospel Matthew 9:1–8

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 | FIXED FEASTS

FATHERS OF THE FIRST SIX ECUMENICAL COUNCILS

Bright Vestments

Epistle Titus 3:8–15 (Greek) or Hebrews 13:7–16 (Slavic)

Gospel Matthew 5:14–19 (Greek) or John 17:1–13 (Slavic)