TwentySixth Sunday after Pentecost

Peter H. Davids

Byzantine Catholic Homilies • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

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We often get too curious about evil in a culture that is constantly denouncing it publicly. Yet Paul gives apparently contradictory teachings expose the works of darkness and yet that it is a shame to speak of them. The solution is to expose by shining in the light and truth. Jesus does this with the "unseen" woman in the synagogue whom he makes visible, gives status to, and heals. When the ruler using legal reasoning rebukes them, Jesus shows the illogic of his rebuke resulting in the people's seeing the glory of the action, and ignoring the ruler's shame. We are to do likewise: easy to say but requiring God's grace to do.

Notes

Transcript

Our Venerable Father Alypius the Stylite; Commemoration of the Dedication of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George in Kiev.

Title

Living in a callout culture

Outline

How do we live in a callout culture?

It is seen as virtuous to callout both those who do evil (as defined by the cultural or subcultural consensus) and those who fail to agree with this practice or evaluation.

Christians know that they are to protect and care for those who are abused or suffering, but what about the public denunciation, often seeking at least the vengeance of public condemnation or shaming?

Paul makes some fascinating statements

The problem is with putting them together. On the one hand, we are to “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness” which means that we must know what they are and keep our distance, and on the other we are to "instead expose them.” Yet, how do we expose them when "it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret?” I do not want to speak about, to read about on X or Facebook and much less to post about gossip and condemnation and evil deeds - that would be shameful. What I am to do is to live differently: "when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.”

What does this look like?

Let us look at Jesus

It is the sabbath and he is as usual in a synagogue. “There was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years.” It seems that while he problem was obvious, since she was bent double, the leaders had come to ignore her, perhaps judging her as suffering for her sins. At any rate, they did not point her out to Jesus, who had a reputation for casting out demons.

Jesus sees her, Jesus heals her (in other words, she did not come to him; we do not know if she had faith in his ability to heal). Light is shining; the power of God drives out the darkness.

But it is still dark in the ruler of the synagogue’s heart, for he rebukes folk in general (aiming at her and at Jesus indirectly) for coming with non-terminal illnesses on the sabbath.

Jesus shines the light on the situation: “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” He uses a typical form of argument called a qol we homer or a fortiori to point of the darkness, the illogic of the rule, and in the process makes the woman’s status higher and makes her more visible by calling her a “daughter of Abraham.”

The result is shame for the ruler and his colleagues, but it is because their illogic was showing (as in hypocrites) not because Jesus called them abusers or misogynists or colleagues of Satan. The people rejoice in the deed as “glorious” and seem to ignore the ruler.

Brothers and sisters, we ought to live likewise

Do not be curious about what is evil and what is not our business.

Do bring God’s grace and light to shine on hidden evil by how you bring God’s grace and love to the situation.

Do be ready to show the illogic of or the darkness of criticisms of faithful Christian life and love, but do it non-defensively.

Our goal in the end is to expose evil reasoning and teaching and behavior simply by shining the light of reason and revelation upon it, do so in a way that people will not focus on the evil, but instead delight in the goodness of God.

Now it is easy to lay this out, but it is difficult to do this, so let us ask God to give us grace to do as he taught us and as he lived before us.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-3-2023: Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

EPISTLE

Ephesians 5:9–19

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; 13 but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 14 Therefore it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,

and Christ shall give you light.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-10-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL

Option A

(27th Sunday, Greek)

Luke 13:10–17

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” 17 As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (11-29-2023: Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2023 | OCTOECHOS

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-3-2023: Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Dark Vestments

Matins Gospel Luke 24:1–12

Epistle Ephesians 5:9–19

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-10-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Gospel Luke 13:10–17 (27th Sunday, Greek) or Luke 17:12–19 (29th Sunday, Slavic)

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