Readings
for The Feast of St. Jude
Isaiah 35:1-7; Ephesians 1:15-19; Matthew 25:31-40
October 24, 2004
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Today's opening collect reads: "Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command." {BCP 235} Faith, hope, and charity are the theological virtues that form the foundation of Christian ethics. What does faith, hope, and charity look like in concrete terms? This is the topic of today's reflections on the Holy Scriptures.
Today is the feast day of St. Jude the Apostle. Jude lived during the first century C.E. and was believed to have been an apostle to Persia, now known as the country of Iran. King Abgar of Persia was dying from a terrible physical disorder which no doctor could heal. Through the healing power of Jesus, Jude laid his hands on the King and healed him of his infirmities. Because of this act of healing, King Abgar instructed his citizens to assemble and to hear the preaching of the Good News in Christ by Jude Thaddeus. It was in this manner that the gospel was spread to that area of Northern Iran and Jude became known as the saint of desperate causes. Today, we like to refer to St. Jude as the "icon or crucible of hope."
[Isaiah 35:1-7] What does hope look like? Well, hope is different from optimism. Optimism is a mind-set that sees something positive in all situations (i.e. cheer up, things will get better). Hope on the other hand is a virtue that faces reality head-on; knowing that things may go from bad to worse. And yet hope knows that no matter how bad reality may present itself, ultimately, all shall be well. This means that "God's Will" will win out in the end. Hope is an openness to the future of new possibilities. We hope for those things that we do not have and cannot yet see. Christian hope is based on the undeviating reliability of God's power to transform all creation.
In today's reading from the Book of Isaiah, the prophet sketches out a picture of what life will look like when God wins out in the end (i.e. when the whole creation is made new.) For the people Israel, this meant that society would be transformed. Slaves would be freed and people would be released from the bonds of political tyranny. It meant that there would be a rearrangement of power and those living in economic despair would be able to survive. It meant that the surrounding land would be transformed from a hostile environment to a safe and live-giving arena. It meant that the suffering and the fearful would be relieved of their pain and experience a fullness of life. Had this transformation already occurred during the time of Isaiah? No! Hope is about the future. It is about what can happen when we allow God to be at the center of our lives.
What the people of ancient Israel hoped for and what we hope for today hasn't changed much. We hope for the transformation of society so that all people can live in dignity. We hope for a global society where people can live in peace and earn a decent living so that they don't have to blow themselves up as suicide bombers as a last act of despair. We hope for a transformation of our environment. No one wants to be plagued by skin cancers because the ozone layer is depleted or chronic asthma because of the large amount of particulate matter in the air. We hope for relief for those who suffer in the world, such as women and children sold into prostitution, babies orphaned by AIDS, autistic people (unable to communicate), and the mentally ill who live in darkness. And how will this transformation happen? With God, all things are possible.
As we are transformed by God, we ourselves become agents of transformation. In order for hope to be legitimate, it must turn outward, touching and caring for others. Hope is meaningless if it is intended only for those within one nation, one government, one group. Hope then, becomes the impulse to change the world in light of God's promises, even when those promises seem remote, veiled, or unattainable. "It is very important to cross the threshold of hope and not stop before it." For without hope, the human heart would break.
[Ephesians 1:15-19] What does faith look like? Faith is an orientation of the heart, mind, body, and soul towards God in Christ. In today's reading from the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks about the connection between faith and hope. The hope to which God has called us is the ultimate transformation of the human race. Transformed people can transform the world. Faith provides the starting point for this hope for without faith (i.e. orientation of the heart, mind, body, and soul towards God), there can be no transformation. How will this transformation happen? Transformation of the people of God will happen through wisdom, enlightenment, and God's grace.
Paul prays for the people of Ephesus that they will be given a spirit of wisdom and so that the 'eyes of their heart will be enlightened.' What does it mean for the eyes of one's heart to be enlightened? It means that God's thoughts become our thoughts. God's compassion becomes our compassion. God's priorities become our priorities. In other words, when people of faith become enlightened with God's will for humanity, we become beacons of lights, agents of good news, servants to the needy, healers of the sick, and icons of hope. "Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command."
[Matthew 25:31-40] What does charity look like? Charity is the Latin translation for the Greek word agape, which means unconditional love. Today's reading from the gospel of Matthew specifically addresses acts of unconditional love. This reading is the only scene with any details picturing the last judgment in the New Testament. To the surprise of its readers, the criterion of final judgment is not about confessing Jesus as Lord. It is not about having "family values." It is not about one's sexuality or having a clean slate. What counts in today's gospel is whether one has acted with loving care for needy people. It teaches us that charity towards others is at the heart of God's will.
Today's parable points out that we do not have to do heroic acts in order to be charitable. We only need to do simple things that we are capable of doing. This means that we feed those who need food, cloth those who are cold, nurture those who are sick, visit those who are in prison. The parable also tells us that we do not do these things in order to get "extra points" with God. These deeds are not matters of extra credit but are at the core of what it means to be a faithful Christian.
What does charity look like? Charity is based on the great commandment to love God and love one's neighbor. Everything else in the Christian tradition is simply a commentary on this great commandment.
| Updated 11/15/04 |
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