“IN THE SELFSAME HOUR”
Saint Matthew 8: 1-13
3rd Sunday after The Epiphany: 22 January Anno Domini 2017
Father Jay Watson SSP
This is the “selfsame hour” for every Lord’s Day at this altar, font, and pulpit the Holy Ghost calls you by The Gospel and enlightens you with His gifts. His gift is Christ crucified for your forgiveness.
Is that all? your old-sinner grumbles; like the children of Israel muttering against Moses behind his back…mana…again.
Even life-long followers, disciples, of The Lord, chafe a bit at the Gospel texts dealing with miraculous healings. It’s not that you don’t believe them but rather that your sinful nature is a spoiled child that is tempted to indulge in the “it’s not fair” complaint of every child with brothers and sisters; of every worker with co-workers, of every person with his neighbors. It is the hard-set, default condition, that the 9th and 10th Commandments point to and condemn—KILL! It is not the green-eye monster of jealousy (though it is) so much as the serpent-eye self-traitor of Eve and Adam…and all men… “did God really say; why is He holding out on me?”
He healed a leper but my cousin died of cirrhosis of the liver; He cured a woman with a flow of blood but my aunt died of cancer; He restored the sight of the blind but my dear friend struggles every day with cystic fibrosis…and on and on and…………
You know you’re forgiven and you still ache the ache of fallen flesh and cry the heart and soul tears of ash and dust. And you’re lonely and alone…so your senses tell you. You feel dislocated and depressed and know deeper than deep inside things are just not right.
This episode in the life of The God/Man was neither one-time, sporadic, or over and done with. The healings of The Nazarene served to bolster His preaching, His message, His Gospel (Good News) of Who He was and why He had come. The healings were just temporary noises, grunts, words, leading all believing ears and hearts to The Holy Absolution of Christ and to The precious Body and Blood of Christ. Miracles are the dinner bell, healings were the waiters, the Holy angels (angelic and apostolic) ushering the lost sheep, the dysfunctional family members, the “at enmity” you and you and you, back to the Father’s House, Back to The Beloved Son’s Place of honor and dignity. For even, the greatest gift of Jesus: “the forgiveness of sins, of sin” is not the greatest or the final gift. And NO…the resultant effect of absolution is NOT you then getting up off your behind and “getting active” in obedient “kingdom works” of somehow supplying or completing or cooperating in Christ’s propitiatory and evangelizing work. NO! The fallout of the nuclear dynamite—the dynamis of The Gospel—the T.N.T. of The NEW TESTAMENT—is that where there is forgiveness of sins there is also life and salvation. Absolution, and “loosing” brings peace. Christ fills the void in your souls and He is the heart in your otherwise cavernous chest. Jesus completes you and takes away all true pain and real loneliness.
No, you are not the Leper that stood face to face with The Christ. You do not see Him in that kind of physical and visible mode. In that sense, you are also not the Centurion.
You are the Centurion not with eyes (seeing The Galilean Rabbi) but you are the Centurion with ears, ears like he had, and a Grace given Holy Spirit ignited faith like he had. You believe The Word of God; you believe Jesus forgives sins and that He will come again to raise your decomposed bodies from the dust to restore you to perfect and eternal health…that you might have perfect peace forever.
The Word of God frequently mentions feasting with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is true, you will. But the tri-name of the heavenly banquet is both Trinitarian—as applying to God but also familial applying to the real need of all damaged and decaying flesh—all of us. We the child need to be restored to Father and Mother. We need that peace that comes from family—The Communion of The Saints with Christ and His Church. We have that today. You have that today. It may not feel as if it’s enough, but it is. Feelings can be wrong and most times are. The Word of The Lord endureth forever.
Many have come from the east and the west on this 22nd day of January. Christ marvels with joy that the Holy Ghost has given such faith to this Israel. Though you are not worthy for Christ to come under your roof, He indeed delights to come under Bread and Wine to be placed under the roof of your mouths. He casts out all weeping and gnashing of teeth. You will never be told by This Shepherd to “go your way” but always you are entreated “come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you peace.” His Supper is ready. Peace for you. You, not His servants, but His friends and family, ARE “healed in th[is] selfsame hour!”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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