241006 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 29, 2024
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity Propers:
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on Page 214-215, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Epistle for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. Ephesians iv. 17.
THIS I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The Gospel for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. St. Matthew ix. 1.
JESUS entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.
Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England (above)
Points to Ponder:
Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of
the new moon , or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come;
but the body is of Christ.
Colossians
2:16-17
Let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful
that promised; ) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good
works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
If my people, which are called
by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
Men will
not seek after God because they think they have no need of him; their own hands
are sufficient for them. They proudly make light of God’s commandments and
judgments.
The Rev.
Matthew Henry
When the
Thirty-nine Articles are altered; when the Prayer Book is revised... when the
Bible is withdrawn from the reading desk; when the pulpit is shut against the
gospel... then we may arise and say with one voice, “Let us depart, for God is
not here.”... But till that time... Let us not desert our post to save trouble,
and move out to please our adversaries, and spike our guns to avoid battle. No!
In the name of God, let us fight on, even if we are like the 300 at Thermopylae—
few with us, many against us, and traitors on every side. Let us fight on and
contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
The Most
Rev. J. C. Ryle
There is
nothing so deluding as feelings. Christians cannot live by feelings. Let me
further tell you that these feelings are the work of Satan, for they are not right
feelings. What right have you to set up your feelings against the word of Christ?
The Rev.
Charles H. Spurgeon
Jesus is the
fountain, ocean, and center of all delights and joys!
John Flavel
We serve a gracious Master, who will overrule even our
mistakes to His glory and our own advantage.
John Newton
Christians are
generally at their best, when they are in the furnace of affliction.
Martin Lloyd Jones
When I lay
these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of 'No
answer.' It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not
uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving
the question. Like, 'Peace, child; you don't understand.
C.S. Lewis
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil;
Hebrews 6:19
Our Lord Jesus Christ
knew that His ultimate earthly ministry would end by His being nailed to the
cross and cruelly ridiculed; yet He never faltered in His loving compassion,
teaching, and miraculous works. How is that possible? It is because our Lord Jesus
Christ knew His Father, and He knew His Father would never allow His only
Begotten Son to suffer corruption. “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou
hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy
countenance.” (Acts 2:27-28) You may say, “Well, that was easy for Christ
because His Father had ‘made known to Him the ways of life - that He would rise
from the dead.’” Good point, friend, but has not God the Father made the same
promise in the leading text of this chapter that you, too, who believe shall
never die? “. . . I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26) Well, Do You?
Bishop Jerry Ogles – Reason for Hope pg. 117
Jerry
Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles has a You Tube Channel that is free to subscribe: all of his
The Names of Jesus Series: Christ our Passover
Click link to view and listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4HElEy7AlU
The 39 Articles of Religion Series: Article 17:
click to listen: https://youtu.be/NqyjpQIBfY0?si=X27RbW9ZK8aXFz-d
Sermon with Collect for the 19th Sunday after Trinity
O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7And he arose, and departed to his house. 8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” (Matthew 9:1-8; all scripture is from the KJV)
The Collect for the day suggests, we are not able to please God in the ways of righteousness, but we can be pleasing to God in the strength of our faith in the Righteous One – Jesus Christ. Even the little acts of faith we exhibit are not ours, but come at the grant and mercy of the Holy Spirit. If He rules our heart, our ways will be pleasing to God. There is no other way in which we can please Him.
Jesus, in the previous chapter, has just cast demons, which He sent into a nearby herd of swine, from two young men. The two men were set free from these demons, but the swine, possessed of devils, rushed over a cliff into the waters below and perished. The herdsmen rushed into the city and told all. We are told the entire village turned out to meet Jesus – not to express gratitude for the goodness to those possessed of demons – but to prevail upon Christ to depart from their shores. They feared loss of revenue more than loss of their own souls. This is much like the modern church. So, Christ departs, since He is a gentleman and does not impose His company upon those who do not welcome Him, and proceeds across the Sea of Galilee to His own hometown. It is here that we pick up on today’s text.
And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city
It is likely that multitudes were anxiously following the movements of Christ by word of mouth. Every rumor of His coming was eagerly received. Were it the same today!
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed
Amazingly, there were men who had early heard of Christ’s crossing to them from the Gaderenes. They had already, by their strong faith, gone to the home of their cherished friend and prepared him on a stretcher to bring to Christ. We are not told of the faith of the man afflicted by palsy, but the faith of his friends would prove sufficient. The man being brought to Christ had a serious illness. It was a CHRONIC illness much as sin is to every man born of woman. His illness had taken away his liberty to move, to associate, and to speak out on matters of faith and life. Doesn’t sin steal away our liberty in the same way?
Now this man is being brought to Christ, on the strength of his friends’ faith, to make him whole. It is much like the woman taken in adultery being dragged before Christ – the only source of healing and forgiveness – by men who intended her no good at all. We have all needed a friend, or even a stranger, to bring us to Christ and introduce us to that great Personage and Lord. The man with the palsy was in a most miserable of human conditions. So were we before we were brought to Christ.
There are two powers revealed here in the text – the power of sin to destroy and make miserable, and the power of Christ to make whole and impart joy and liberty. We see in this account that our own faith may be essential to bring another to the point of being made whole in Christ. We learn, too, that often the efforts of more than one is necessary to bring one to Christ, and these must work in unison (in carrying the bed level at all corners).
Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Jesus’ notice is fixed on the faith of the men who bring the victim sick of the palsy – not the victim. He sees THEIR faith and is moved to compassion and amazement. One point I will make at the onset of the account: the furthest thing from the mind of the man afflicted by this horrible ailment is most likely not forgiveness. He desires, above everything else, to be made free of the disease. But he does not realize that faith precedes freedom and liberty. In first aid, we learn that the most important consideration in treating a victim of some violent crime or accident is to STOP THE BLEEDING, if there is any bleeding. This is the medical procedure of ‘triage’ which requires treatment of the most serious and life-threatening condition first. Our most serious affliction is not leprosy, or palsy, or physical blindness! It is SIN. Sin kills finally and forever! Jesus treats that affliction first! Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
And, behold, certain of the
scribes said within themselves, This man
blasphemeth.
That’s right! That same old gang of detractors and doubters that followed
Christ everywhere. They still follow Him and doubt the miracles of life and
love of which God is benefactor. They
saw Christ heal blind Bartemeus; they saw Him call Lazarus from the grave at
Bethany; they saw the young daughter of Jairus restored to life – yet, they
believed not. Why not, do you suppose? I believe it was because they did not
WANT to believe! If we believe Christ, we must abandon self. Our free wills
must be exchanged for that Will (Mind) which was in Christ! No longer would
they be king of the mountain, but Christ would be – so they traded their
birthrights in God for a bowl of Esau’s porridge. But never doubt – our
thoughts are not kept from the notice of Christ. He knows our hearts better
than we know them ourselves.
And Jesus knowing their
thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your
hearts?
Be not deceived, God is not mocked! Jesus knows all of our thoughts – past,
present, and future! Perhaps these rascals were shocked that Jesus read their
hearts without their speaking. Why do ANY of us think evil in our hearts?
Because, until we have known Christ as Lord and Savior, we have all of the
traits and characteristics of our father, the devil.
For whether is
easier, to say, Thy sins be
forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
Jesus Christ is God also. He has His seal of authority to prove all things.
Any man could falsely proclaim, Thy
sins be forgiven thee! But what would be the result? Our sin would
remain just as excessively as before the words were spoken. But when the same
words are spoken by Christ, they bear the seal of Divine Authority! In truth,
they are not the same words when spoken by Christ. Our words are like
gold-colored lead coins compared to His 24 karat solid gold words of the Realm
of Heaven. He proves all things by the Power of His Word. It is easy for man to
speak false forgiveness, but what of speaking true healing? Forgiveness is an
inward and invisible work of Grace granted by God. Physical healing is an
outward manifestation of miraculous proportion. The first is greater, but the
second is more observable! The foolish high churchmen (Pharisee) have been
asked a question they dare not answer. Nonetheless, the answer is immediately
revealed to their doubting eyes!
But that ye may
know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise,
take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
The Seal of Authority of Christ is a
plain manifestation to those who doubt. The man, stricken with the palsy, has
been healed of his most critical disease (Sin) and is now given liberty to move
and to shout after being healed of his palsy. He not only arises from his bed,
he obeys that voice of authority and picks up his bed, and carries his bed to
his house. Liberty in Christ is a TOTAL liberty! We are no longer held down and
bed-ridden, but have liberty not only to move, but to bear burdens and to go to
our wonderful home that awaits all who belong to Christ. And he arose, and departed to
his house.
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men
It is paradoxical, indeed, that the multitudes of common folk recognized the miracle as coming only from God, but the Pharisees did not! Of course, even the multitudes did not recognize that it was God Himself that stood before them, in Christ, to perform this miracle. How many today see the miracles but not the hand of Christ behind them? How many walk the lonely road to Damascas, wanting to see Christ, when He walks right beside them?
Behold, I am with thee always, even unto the end of the world! AMEN
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold -
Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.
Consider the words of the Collect, “…without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts …”
The collect continues on the theme from last week, that without God’s mighty help through the Holy Spirit, we are not able to understand what we need to do to be one with God, to follow His Will; it is clear then that we are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit if we are to follow Him. Without the Holy Spirit, it is not possible to do what He asks of us.
This theme is continued and amplified in the Epistle, where Paul writes to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 17: Yet henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened and alienated from the life of the God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
Paul basically is saying we should not do as the world does and look into ourselves for guidance in our spiritual lives. A lot of the world’s problems are because they look into themselves for guidance instead of allowing God to guide them via the Holy Ghost. If everybody would allow the Holy Ghost into their hearts, then peace would be possible. For us, when we allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts, there is no shortage of good things that can happen when we do. We will find that our lives are greatly enriched by His presence in our hearts.
In order for our lives to be so enriched, we must openly accept Him into our hearts and let Him guide our thoughts and actions. We have to do this action of our own free will. God will not force the Holy Spirit upon us. We have to be willing able and ready to accept into our hearts and once He is established in our hearts, listen to what He says and then act upon it. This follows the collects words of “Without thee we are unable to please thee”, showing we do need Him in our hearts in able to serve and please Him.
In short, we are to act on His Instructions, then our lives will change as the natural result of doing what we are supposed to be doing. And our lives will most certainly change for the better if we act and continue to act on His Instructions. Simply saying you believe changes nothing. Change your actions and your heart must in the end follow, with the help of the Holy Ghost. We have to actually change to follow His Word in order for improvement to appear in our lives. Your heart will be renewed through the entrance of the Holy Ghost. This will show up a little later on, but it is an important message which bears repeating. It is the same with many changes you need to make in your life, you have to make them, not just say you are going to make them. In other words, to perform the action and not just say you are going to. Many people never get past the stage of saying they will perform the action, but we need to go farther and actually do the action.
To be successful, Paul says we need to fix ourselves upon the guiding lights of Christ and God and not use ourselves for a moral compass. For if we use our sense of direction, we shall not get far and indeed we will be in much distress, though we would not think it due to our easily corruptible minds. We can avoid this distress by relying on Christ and the Holy Spirt and following their guidance in our day to day lives.
Paul also gives very practical and simple, though hard to follow, directions on living our lives:
·
Be honest;
·
Avoid anger;
·
Do not let anger
linger over night;
·
Follow not the
guidance of the devil;
·
Quit stealing;
·
Work hard;
·
Think kindness;
·
Speak kindness;
·
Act kindness;
·
Forgive as you
would have God forgive you, which He hath done in Jesus Christ!
These are all fairly common sense concepts that when we utilize them become wonderful human beings and members of the Church. These may be easier said than done, but they are concepts that we must do our best to integrate into our lives all the same.
While there may be hardships here, if we but hold fast to these principles which Saint Paul gives we will find they not only benefit ourselves, but they will help the people around us. And that is what is so wonderful about living life in accordance with the Scriptures. That is what the Gospel is about, spreading the Good News and helping the people around us to become better people and followers of God. When we help others improving in our corner of the world, gradually as the work of the Spirit spreads, more goodness will help improve further corners of the world. It is always a work of constant improvement. We will never full 100% get there in our lives, but if we never give our best attempt we will never get anywhere. So let us do our best to improve and follow Him and not just say we are doing our best.
We move on to the Gospel, where Jesus, attending to a sick man, picks up on the evil thoughts of the temple scribes, who think to themselves Jesus blasphemed. The reason they are thinking that is that they have allowed darkness in their hearts, like the vanity of the Gentiles minds Paul talked about, which prevented them from seeing the truth of the person of Christ. Anyone who is a true Believer would know that God never blasphemes. Then He asks them, which is easier, to forgive the sins or to have the man “Arise and walk”? Jesus is making the point that words are nice, but actions are what really produces fruit in the end. We can learn from Jesus’s point by choosing to act and not just talk in our lives. It is all too easy to talk the talk, but can we walk the walk? In the end we need to make sure that we do both to the best our abilities.
If we profess to be Christians, then we need to act like Christians, not just say we are Christians. The ending sentence at the end of the sermons I have given thus far goes, “Be of God”, “Live of God” and finally, last but especially not least “Act of God.” We have to Be of God, and Live of God, to live our lives in a Godly and Christian way, which means as Paul said “Henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk”, so should we not walk in the ways of the world but that of God and His Heavenly Kingdom. Our actions which make up our lives need to be in alignment with the principles of Scripture and need be clearly seen. If our lives are not in alignment with Scripture, then we are not living the faith as God has called us to do.
To Act of God, we must follow the commandments of Christ and act according to them, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we actually follow the three step process “Be of God”, “Live of God” and “Act of God”, we will find ourselves in a much better position than walking in the ways of the World.
The time to act is NOW. Will you act? For whom will you act? Will you count the cost before you act?
Action, not diction, is what counts. It is by your actions you are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Yves
M. Méra
Presiding Bishop
AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Ephesians 4:17-32; Matthew 9:1-8
THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Obviously, our Lord Jesus Christ is insensitive to human respect. He hovers far above human customs and traditions and seems to do as He pleases, or more accurately: He obeys only His and our Heavenly Father. We see it again in this passage of the Gospel where He heals a paralytic.
Jesus is on the run. The Gadarenes cast Him out because He had sent the demons into their herds of pigs, as they infested two unfortunate men possessed to the highest degree, to the point that they lived naked in graves and mutilated themselves, physically attacking anyone who dared to approach them. Obviously, the Gadarenes valued their pigs more than these men, and it is for this reason that they prayed to the Lord and Savior of men to kindly leave them aside... Hell did not frighten them: they were used to it, and Paradise did not interest them; they had no use for eternal salvation, for they derived their happiness from the sale of their pigs. They were so attached to them that they ended up looking like them.
When Christ is cast out by disbelievers, He insists not. He gets into a boat, and sails above the corpses of the pigs that have fallen from the cliff into the same lake, where the demons have thrown them from the top of a cliff. In this scene, we have a pictorial description of Christ's superiority over demons and even death (Matthew 9:1): “And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.” But what is this city of Jesus? It is not named, so it could be any city, including yours! We think of Nazareth of Galilee, but that is not the important point of this passage. And for once, Jesus shows himself to be a prophet in His own country.
Jesus is well known in the land where He grew up. He was not born there, but He grew up there. People knew what He was capable of. The sicks were brought to Him to heal them, for no evil power can resist Him. A poor paralytic demands to be carried to Jesus' feet. Quite naturally, he was brought to Him on a stretcher, long before the Red Cross was created by the Swiss man Henri Dunant. We trust in Jesus Christ; He can heal all diseases, if it's His will.
Jesus is expected to speak a word of healing, but He surprises everyone by giving a completely different speech (Matthew 9:2): “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”, He says. This sentence, which seems to be off the mark and like a refusal to heal, appears to be a provocation. It deserves careful consideration. By saying “Be of good cheer”, Jesus calls the paralytic to wait and hope. It is a call that is addressed to each of us today. Christ invites us to raise our heads and observe in heaven the signs of His coming return in glory (1 Thessalonians 4:16a): “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…” (Matthew 24:29-30): “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” We are invited to watch and pray, looking forward to that great day when the cross of Christ will appear in heaven.
And Jesus continues his proclamation to the paralytic. Jesus calls him " my child" because, like a child, he trusts in the divine power that emanates from Christ and can heal him. This faith in Christ – God incarnate and promised Messiah – makes the paralytic an adopted son of Christ, but as such he is still a child, and that is all that matters, because in Jesus' mind, it is a true promotion into the heavenly kingdom (Matthew 18:2-4): “Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven”
But the end of Jesus' discourse makes the ears of the rabbis of Nazareth tick; Jesus declares “thy sins be forgiven thee.” They who expected to see Jesus work a miracle are very much disappointed, because they do not see higher than this material world. Heaven remains closed to them, as if inaccessible, and their religion proves to be moralizing and despairing; but what is the use of conforming to a moral law, if it is to die like the others, in the end? What advantage can be derived from morality alone, if not a satisfaction from pride? And this same disappointed pride causes the rabbis to judge the Lord Jesus Christ. No less.
“This man blasphemeth.” they think to themselves. They don't dare say it out loud, because they are afraid of the crowd that keeps hoping for the expected miracle. But Jesus, knowing their evil spirit, takes the time to give them a theology lecture. The sick man can wait a little longer. Sickness is a consequence of Adam's sin; To this day, people try to flee from God, they allow themselves to ignore Him, criticize Him, judge Him, condemn Him. They are down-to-earth and see nothing coming from Heaven, because they expect nothing from above. Very logically, Jesus begins by removing the cause of the disease (sin), unlike modern medicine which is satisfied with a chemical treatment aimed at masking the symptoms, taking care to maintain the cause of the disease in the patient, so as to sell him a treatment for life, which constitutes for the manufacturers a source of continual profits.
Do we have to wait for Jesus to forgive us before we can be healed of our infirmities? Certainly, yes. But we know that Christ forgives us all if we repent of all our sins. And our forgiveness is assured by His sacrifice on the cross by which Christ dragged our sin into His death. Thus, He has killed our sin! Our sin is dead! But Christ is resurrected in newness of Life. There is therefore a new life after sin: a life under the gaze of God, a holy, pure and eternal life. To say this is not blasphemy, as the rabbis may think, but to proclaim the truth, that is, to proclaim Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Saviour of men. But appearances are deceptive (Philippians 2:7-8): “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” The rabbis of Nazareth thought they were dealing with a man, a talented healer, but not their great God visiting the earth! Not a God who loves and forgives! Not the Creator Himself, who came to restore His original Creation! They do not believe in Jesus Christ, because they believe only what they see, without further analyzing the divine depth and power of His Word.
You know the rest: after forgiving all his sins, Jesus commands the paralytic “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” (Matthew 9:6c). And “And he arose, and departed to his house.” (Matthew 9:7). Jesus heals not only out of compassion – a virtue that characterizes Him always – but also to manifest His divine glory, that is, who He truly is: the Almighty – no sin, no disease can resist Him.
(Matthew 9:8): “But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” The crowd was not mistaken. And in the meantime, the Rabbis have disappeared: Matthew no longer speaks of them. And why should people be taken into account when they persist in their error?
Immediately after this divine forgiveness and miraculous healing, Jesus recruits the same Matthew sitting at his customs office. Christ calls a sinner rather than a rabbi, a righteous man of unblemished moral behavior, who imagines that he has nothing to be forgiven and who denies being a victim of original sin. For by forgiving sins, Christ attracts the gratitude and love of lost sinners whom He has rehabilitated into newness of life. And He will raise them up, as He promised. This is the good news of the Gospel: Not only did Christ rise having conquered death, but He will also raise His adopted children, those who believe in Him, no matter how many and how serious their sins may be! Let us not be ashamed to wait for Christ's return like little children waiting for the feast of Christmas and the presents that go with it! This will be our feast, with our solemn entry into the Kingdom of God. We will then be permanently free from sin, temptation and trials; we will be done with the fight against Satan and his evil devils. We will no longer possess anything, but we will be happy, in the presence of God.
This is why Paul writes to the Ephesians that they must separate themselves from the pagans and atheists “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:17-19). Indeed, their human morality is only a hypocritical façade that carefully hides a reality that is hardly showable. They are proud of their façade and the false air of virtue they give themselves, but deep down they are ashamed of what they do behind drawn curtains. They are not happy and believe that they will find lasting consolation in vain ephemeral pleasures. But it's a wasted effort. All those who have experience of men say so. But who listens to them? Paul answers (Ephesians 4:20-21): “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.” We are indeed born again; we have become the adopted children of Jesus Christ, and we grow together in truth, being taught by the Word of God. And it is this truth that produces justice and holiness in us. It is not our efforts, but the study of the Bible that re-educates us to holiness.
And this is how God's Word transforms us (Ephesians 4:22-24): “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Let me summarize: "By acknowledging biblical truth, we are holy." Our past sins horrify and disgust us, as they deserved God's wrath, until He forgives us on the basis of the merits of Jesus Christ crucified, through faith, that is, our trust in God. We totally rely on Him who justifies and glorifies us. We can neither merit nor accomplish our salvation on our own and by ourselves, for it would be just too easy to imagine ourselves forgiven on the basis of a few good works. This would be giving reason to the rabbis of the Gospel and to the hypocrites of all stripes who consider Jesus as a simple man, an impostor, even. On the other hand, the blessings with which God sustains us with His grace alone prove to us that Christ is alive, and that He keeps His Word and that He loves us (Romans 8:28-30): “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
And to be consistent, we must behave as justified glorious believers and not as moralizing and hypocritical rabbis. We can do this by the power of the Holy Spirit that God puts in His elect and loved ones. It doesn't come from us, but from God. Paul assures us (Romans 8:31-34): “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Having that hope of true life that destroys all sickness and even death, and according to the counsel of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 4:30 ... 32; 5/2): “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” ... “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” ... “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi - Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
In I Corinthians, the apostle Paul was given to pen the following: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are (3:16-17). And in that same epistle he warned, I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person (5:9-13). We have to deal with those who are of the unregenerate in this life but we are not to knowingly take them into our fellowship without warning them that God will judge their bad behavior. By all means invite them to church but then tell them the truth.
And to the Colossians he wrote, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God... Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, in which is idolatry ... put on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him (3:1-10).
No doubt you are aware of the important distinction between the works of the regenerate and those of the unregenerate. Concerning the former, we are called to live in obedience to the expressed will of God as found in Holy Scripture. As to the latter, history has recorded the efforts of godless men to remake themselves into something new or better as per some artificial standard of reputed excellence.
Profane man is notorious for setting up standards for himself apart from God. The irony of it all is that he rarely ever follows them. To borrow a line from the Communists, “rules are like pie crusts, made to be broken.” And Satan has deceitfully encouraged human beings to elevate themselves as paragons of virtue only to topple them through their vanity and pride.
There is also the matter of having a “religion” and its role in obtaining salvation. What many do not seem to understand is that the Devil loves religion and has employed it to further his works of deception and deviance. In our world you will find that the various apostate faiths and cults are merely demonic influences masquerading as trendy religious choices. Through their false teachers and guides, the forces of darkness have ensnared a host of unsuspecting souls, leading them in every direction but toward the truth of Jesus Christ. St. Peter warned of such persons when he wrote in his second epistle, But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them... And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.. (2:1-3). The unregenerate will use you shamelessly to bring about their master’s wishes and thus the call for separation within the body of Christ. Again, those outside the body of Christ are not ours to judge apart from determining their bad behavior and avoiding it. God will have the last word with them. Our task is to, as the occasion arises, offer them a way out of their predicament.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes (9:3) we learn that, This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead (9:3). And such is in keeping with the
words of St. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians who noted that, ...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (2:14). Those who so choose to follow the madness of sin will end up being eternally separated from God in a place that no Christian should desire for their worst enemy.
The apostle John in his first epistle reminded his listeners to, ... believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error (4:1-6).
Given what we have read previously, there can be no doubt that the unregenerate of today are possessed by this same spirit of error. They will comfort themselves in their effort to seek peace and safety, but their ungodly beliefs and practices will net them little except more misery and hopelessness in this life as well as an eternity of suffering in everlasting perdition. As St. Paul warned the Corinthians in his second epistle, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men... (5:11). And such ought to be part of our Christian witness that we persuade as many as we can to seek after the truth of God in Christ Jesus. We ought to encourage them to seek his forgiveness for their sins and learn of that great, condescending love which he has for his own, and, in turn, that they should love him and have heaven, rather than to be separated from his love and mercy for all eternity. But to effectually know the salvation of God, one must be born again of the Holy Ghost, and then afterwards, such a person must endeavor to maintain fellowship with the Father by living his or her life in a manner which keeps the flesh under control and subservient to the will of God. But that won’t happen under any pagan or godless religious choice, so be mindful of your walk and work and take care to exercise such in Christ alone. And do so for not only yourselves, but for others as well. Every sinner’s life counts, both the regenerated in Christ and those of the unregenerate apart from Christ.
Let us pray,
O LORD our God, assist us with thy most holy Spirit, that through him we would walk circumspectly in this life as well as lead others to do the same; for this we ask in the name of our only Mediator and Advocate even thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church Suffragan
Bishop of the AOC
Sermon on the Gospel Lesson for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Psalm 72 First lesson. Job 24:1-17 Second lesson. Titus 2
O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
“God is Sovereign”
Hymns # 491, 311, 369
There is a rather stark contrast between our Old Testament and New Testament lessons.
In the book of Job, there is a listing of what appears to be a wanton abuse of good people by evil people. They seem to be getting away with of this abuse. Job points out that they do all this under the supposed protection of darkness. All of this activity is done in what appears to be secret. And yet as Job points out, God does see them, He is aware of their activity, their proclivity to evil, the damage they do with animal like abandon, ‘...behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey:...’ (Job 24:5)
All seems to be happening without any intervention by God. The warning against this behavior is found several times in this passage, starting with verse one: ‘why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?’ (Job 24:1) And again the several references to doing evil in the dark or at twilight, all in an attempt to avoid or hide from the Almighty. We know that God does not sleep or slumber, so the implication is, He sees all. So, no matter what the wicked do to try and avoid God’s eyes, they are not able to do so, He sees all.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)
When we compare and contrast the Old Testament lesson with the New Testament lesson we can see several valuable points to aid us in our daily walk with God.
In the second chapter of Titus, Paul is writing to new and ‘seasoned’ Christians at the same time. He expresses the need to eat, sleep ,read, and profess sound doctrine.
It is of the utmost importance to do these things. As Paul had written to Timothy and to the church at Corinth, he again emphasizes the need to be true to the Gospel message. All of the characteristics that he writes about are an important aspect of behavior, a behavior that the world is watching at all times. The idea of course, is to see if Christians mess up in their daily lives.
We can and we do, we are not perfect, but we are forgiven. That is an interesting point that can be made to nonbelievers. We as Christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven our sins when we ask God for forgiveness of the same. We are to be sound in faith, in charity, in patience, be teachers of good things, teach younger ones these truths and also showing a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing incorruptness.
As we study this chapter pay attention to verses 9-11. Many false teachers try to use this and other similar passages to say the Bible promotes slavery. Balderdash. Define servant.
In a very real way, anyone who works for someone else is their servant. I know in our democratic ways we like to think of ourselves as independent beings, but in reality we have a boss or three when we work for others. In theory even if you have your own business, you still have bosses...they are your customers.
But now back to the point. As a servant/employee we are not to talk back, follow the orders of the boss (as long as it is legal), don’t steal, this includes playing on the internet, taking long coffee breaks, being idle. Be faithful, be a good worker/servant: why? Because the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Make sure you show that grace of God in all you do as a person, a worker, a boss, a neighbor, a friend to both believers and non-believers. 9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. (Titus 2:9-10)
In conclusion, if we know that God sees all, that He is Sovereign and has control of all then it is our duty to God and His Kingdom to live and serve Him all our days. As we reread the last five verses of Titus chapter two, let us reflect on what St. Paul is expressing as the right way to face the day-to-day grind we all find ourselves in; we are to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Know that we cannot do this ourselves, we must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world. We need to speak, exhort and rebuke with all authority, because it is the right thing to do as we serve the Kingdom.
A. Understanding the gift of God:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,(Titus 2:11)
B. Why we need to turn away from evil; presenting a godly light to the world.
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:12)
C. Knowing that God gives us hope because of our Savior Jesus Christ and that His gift redeems us from all iniquity.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)
D. All these things we are to share and preach to a dying world. We have the authority of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. (Titus 2:15)
Let us pray:
Almighty God, who hast bidden us seek that we may find, and who pourest out on all who desire it, the spirit of grace and of supplication; Deliver us, when we draw nigh to Thee, from coldness of heart and wandering of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst say unto Thy Disciples, Come ye apart into a desert place and rest a while; Grant we beseech Thee to Thy servants now gathered together, so to seek Thee whom our souls desire to love, that we may both find Thee and be found of Thee. Grant such love and such wisdom to accompany the words which shall be spoken in Thy name, that they may not fall to the ground, but may be helpful in leading us onward through the toils of our pilgrimage to that rest which remaineth, where, nevertheless, they rest not day nor night from Thy perfect service; who livest and reignest God for ever and ever. Amen.
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious favor, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally, By Thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.O Almighty God, who hast built Thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head cornerstone; Grant, us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace, now and for evermore. Amen.
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
The Rev.
Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office
In today’s Gospel reading we have further evidence of the Divine power and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, He miraculously forgives sin, heals a man with palsy, and reads the thoughts of men at the same time. The story as recorded by St. Matthew is an abbreviated account. It is also told by St. Mark in Chapter 2, verses 1-12 and by St. Luke in Chapter 5, verses 17-26 but in more detail. This detail describes the efforts put forth by the men who brought the man afflicted with palsy to Jesus.
First some background information. We are told in verse 1 “And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. Jesus considered Capernaum as his “own city” where he had established his residence (Matt.4:13) and a home base for his ministry. It was not by random choice that Jesus chose Capernaum to live and minister. The city was located along a major trade route to Damascus and Eqypt. The city existed as a trading village and even had its own Customs station. It was also conveniently located on the North west corner of the Sea of Galilee. He knew that it was a location that attracted many people that could spread the Gospel throughout not only Judea but also other parts of the world. When Jesus came down from Heaven He humbled himself as a man (Phil 2:6-11). While He was God, he chose to become a human being with all of the restrictions that go with it. One of these, was physically be confined in terms of time and space. He could not be in more than one place at a time. (Omnipresent) So He need to rely on others to help spread the Gospel. It was also the physical home of several of his disciples, including Simon Peter, Andrew, Matthew, James, and John.
The rest of his disciples came from nearby Galilee except Judas. So, it was very convenient for Jesus to be near them to teach them and spread his Gospel message.
Jesus performed more miracles in Capernaum and spent more Ministry time there than any other location. So, the first account upon Jesus return to Capernaum as recorded in this 9th chapter of St. Matthew is the healing of the man with palsy.
Jesus’s teachings and ministry was now drawer larger crowds. This included many of the Pharisees, Scribes, and legal scholars. So, we have Jesus ministering and teaching inside a house, most likely the home of Simon Peter. Most of these homes had a covered court yard area, and this is the likely gathering of those listening to Jesus.
St. Matthew tells us in verse 2, “They brought to Him a man sick of the Palsy, lying on a bed”, and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
If we look at the account by St. Mark and St. Luke, the first thing we see is the strong effort of the men who brought the palsy man to Jesus to be healed.
The man was so stricken with paralysis that he had to be carried on a bed by 4 men. They couldn’t get the man through the front entrance to see Jesus due to the crowd. So, they carried him up the outside stairs and loosed some of the roof tiling. Then they proceeded to lower the palsy man on his bed with ropes through the roof down in the center of the floor where Jesus was teaching. They went through a lot of diligence, labor and pain to get their friend to Jesus to be healed.
The importance of pain and diligence is a truth in everything we do in life. In every profession, trade, or vocation we see that labor is one great secret of success. It is not by luck that men prosper, but by working hard. There is an old saying there is not “any gain without pain”.
However, it should be understood, that some pain and diligence are just as essential in the well-being of our souls as it is in our physical well-being. In our efforts to draw closer to God and increase our faith in Christ, we should show the same determination as shown by the sick man’s friends. We should not allow any difficulties or obstacles to block us from anything which is needed for our spiritual good. This includes time for reading and studying the bible, hearing the Gospel, keeping the Sabbath holy and private prayer.
The second thing we see in this passage is the faith of the paralytic man, himself and the friends that brought him to Jesus. Faith is a very important ingredient in healing.
Lack of faith in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth resulted in few healings (Mat. 13:58 and Mark 6: 5-6). However, in the healing of the paralytic man, St. Matthew tells us that “Jesus saw their faith” not only in the paralytic man himself, but also in the friends that brought him to Jesus. And it was a strong faith. They believed that Jesus both could and would heal him. Otherwise, they would not have brought the sick man to Him so publicly and through so much difficulty.
A strong faith regards no obstacles to get in the way in pressing after Christ. It was also a humble faith. Although the man couldn’t make a single step on his own, his friends didn’t go and ask Jesus to visit him. Instead, they hand carried the man on his bed directly to Jesus to be attended.
Faith is an essential element of our Christian life. Without faith it is impossible to please God as Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 6 tells us: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in Christ. (Eph. 2:8). Christians are to walk (live) by faith as St. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:7: “For we walk by faith not by sight”. Although, there are different kinds of faith, there is only one that is truly “saving faith”. St. James discusses the various kinds of faith in St. James 2:14-26. He says that true saving faith must be accompanied by works. In verse 26 he says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
As Christians, we should strive to always put our faith and trust in Christ in bad times and good times, in sickness and in health. Jesus is the same today as he was 2000 years ago. All we have to do is to come to him in prayer.
Thirdly, we see the kindness and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. When He saw the man lying on the bed before Him, He took compassion and pity on him. He wanted to make the man at ease so He first gave him a cordial greeting “Son, be of good cheer” and then He said to the man “Thy sins are forgiven”.
Jesus could have easily just cured the physical ailment of the man and sent him on his way. However, Jesus came into this world to save people from sin. This is why he died on the cross to become the sacrificial lamb for our sins.
Sin, which is the willful disobedience of what God commands us to do can grow like a cancer, if not dealt with, and leads to (eternal) death as St. James tells us in chapter 1, and verse 14 and 15: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Jesus knew that the man would eventually die of a natural death. But He wanted to forgive his sins first just like He does for us so he could have eternal life. Then, we are told in verse 6 and 7: Jesus tells the paralytic to “Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house.” “And he arose, and departed to his house. “ First He assures him that his soul is healed. Then He tells him his physical body is healed, and sends him away rejoicing. This shows the character of Christ’s loving kindness which never changes and never fails.
So what is required of us for God to forgive our sins? It is called repentance. It means to have a change in heart and direction about committing sin. A desire to change is not repentance. It must be evidenced by not just words of resolve, but a changed life.
Finally, we learn from this passage, the perfect knowledge of the thoughts of man by our Lord Jesus. Jesus knew when he forgave the sins of the paralytic man it would provoke the Pharisees and scribes in the crowd.
In verse 3, we are told: “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, this man blasphemeth”.
Then we are told in verse 4: “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, wherefore think ye evil in your hearts”. Notice the usage of the word evil by Jesus. He could have said “You are wrong about me” or you are incorrect in your theology.
But instead, He called their thoughts “evil” to not think Jesus was the Son of God. He knew what the Pharisees and Scribes were thinking so He responded to them in verse 5 & 6 by saying: “For weather is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven or to say, Arise and walk?” “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins”.
The lesson here is that Jesus has the divine authority to forgive sins and heal the sick just like He did for the man with palsy. Anyone can say, “Your sins are forgiven.” Those are easy words to say, and who can tell whether or not the sins really have been forgiven. Speaking healing words too are easy, but it is pretty easy to see whether the person is healed. Therefore, Jesus reasons out loud, if God honors his declaration of healing that is also an indication that God also honors Jesus’ declaration of forgiveness, as well.
In closing, Just as Jesus knew the thoughts of the Scribes, He also knows our thoughts. Nothing can be concealed from Christ. Hebrew 4:13 tells us that “All things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” We all will be judged one day not just by our words and deeds but also by our thoughts.
St. Paul tells in Rom. 2:16: “God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel.” We all should be humble when we consider these things and be thankful that the blood of Christ can cleanse us from all sin. All we have to do is confess and repent our sins and accept Him by faith. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
Rev. Don Fultz
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
From time to time we are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.
Click below to listen to this wonderful sermon For the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMEFwyW4eOk
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Tom, Craig, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer,
AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah, Linda,
Prayer Needed:
Katie Pope – Just beginning treatment for Stage 4 Pulmonary Carcinoma “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Mike Gettinger– heart related difficulties
Jim Sevier – God’s Peace in his life
Mauri Turner – Stomach Cancer
Charles Pittman Family mourning the Loss of a beloved Husband and Father
Anne Lee – Lung Cancer – recent diagnosis
Colin Beall and daughter Lowery – each has a different type of cancer
Dallas Minner – man with possible breast cancer – tests this week
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Hurricane Helen Recovery
Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected by Hurricane Helene
All Those in the Path of Hurricane MILTON
O God, merciful and compassionate,
Who art ever ready to hear the prayers of
Those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken
To all who call upon thee in this time of inclement weather, and
Grant all thy help in their hour of need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Praise Reports: Chris
and Lucy have recovered from Strep Throat
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