Second Sunday of the Great Fast

Homilies • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 5 views

In a world of information overload, we need to filter and listen to the important. The most important is Jesus/ God. But to get what they are saying requires listening deeply, not just reactive responding.

Notes

Transcript

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) Second Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas

TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

SECOND SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT OR SUNDAY OF SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS

Bright or Dark Vestments

Title and Theme

Paying Attention to the Lord

Outline and Body

It is hard to pay attention, even to choose what to pay attention to

When I was in school speed reading was the craze so that one could keep up with the glut of literature, and perhaps channel hopping so one could “watch” more than one thing on TV

Then came the computer and the internet, and multitasking was the watchword. Multiple screens not to work on one project, but so that one could work on many things at once - toss a smartphone or table into the mix

The result has been a loss of attention span in general and confusion in particular - a throwing up of the hands at what to commit to

[Note the Crossway book, The Wisdom Pyramid]

Hebrews realized that attentiveness is a choice

“Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard”

Check out the source

Thus the section starting, “You, Lord, founded the earth in the beginning, . . . ”

Better than angels, better than anything else . . . “sit at my right hand”

Check out what the source said

“such a great salvation . . . was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him,”

Then think well - meditate with openness

This is the issue in the Gospel

People have discovered that Jesus is at home

They are gathering for many reasons

Scribes are there wondering if his teaching is kosher

Peasants are there wondering if the revolution is going to start

Others are there curious about his teaching

And desperate people are there seeking healing

Four guys were so desperate that, when they could not get into the house to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, they went up on the flat roof, tore open a hole, and lowered his stretcher into the room

Jesus says something strange: “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

Why that then? Were sins connected to his paralysis, or was forgiveness of sins the man’s deepest need, or was Jesus responding to the faith of the four that he took them to a deeper level of revelation

The scribes are reactive, following the Torah: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (usually done through the Temple)

They do not ask why Jesus, a pious Jew, would say this

Jesus responds enigmatically: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’?”

On the one hand, “Your sins are forgiven” does not require anything outward to happen - it is received by faith - while “Get up” to a paralytic gives immediate evidence

On the other hand, for Jesus to say, “Your sins are forgiven” will require the cross, and is harder than “Get up”

Finally, both statements are acts of God, so in a sense they are equally divine

Jesus has given a thought question leading to deeper insight in those who choose to think rather than react

Then he gives evidence, “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”

The people are amazed or even confused, glorifying God about what they have seen. But have they understood what they have heard? Do they get that God has forgiven sins and God has acted in their presence?

Brothers and sisters, let God shape your worldview

Make sure what you pay attention to starts with a foundation of what God has said and done

Learn to focus on him, which may take some retraining of our jumpy minds - meditate, contemplate in prayer

And then you will be in a position to rightly evaluate what other information to let in and to act accordingly

Then you will not neglect “such great salvation”

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) Second Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas

EPISTLE

Hebrews 1:10–2:3

10 And,

“You, Lord, founded the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

11 they will perish, but you remain;

they will all grow old like a garment,

12 like a cloak you will roll them up,

and they will be changed.

But you are the same,

and your years will never end.”

13 But to what angel has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand,

till I make your enemies

a stool for your feet”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

2 Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him,

GOSPEL

Mark 2:1–12

2 And when he returned to Caperna-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they questioned like this within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question like this in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—11 “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Notes

Our Venerable Father Basil, confessor and co-faster with St Procopius. Marina, Cyra, and Dominica, Venerable Women.

Related Media

Related Sermons