Sunday, February 23, 2025
The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Sexagesima)
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Los Alamos, NM
[NOTE: appointed readings follow the Sermon]
EXCURSUS
Once again, I begin with an Excursus. If last Sunday was Septuagesima (i.e. 70 days before Easter), then this Sunday is Sexagesima (60 days before Easter). And that means next Sunday will be Quinquagesima (50 days before Easter).
Actually, these Sundays fall on the 61st, 54th, and 47th days before Easter respectfully. But as I said last week, to explain why would take another whole Excursus, plus a Sermon.
The “gesima-Sundays” appear sometime in the 6th Century CE. Originally, they were intended as a kind of pre-Lent, a pre-conditioning program to help people ease into the Season of Lent. The Sundays were very in nature; clergy wore purple vestments; the whole three Sundays looked and felt very much like Lent itself.
Now, the Season of Lent, as you know, developed as an imitation of Jesus fasting and praying in the desert for 40 days. It was to be a time of preparation for the Great Feast of Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord. Lent was (and is) a time to put ourselves in a right spirit before we celebrate the joy of Easter by adhering to the famous three-fold statement: “Fasting for the good of your Body, Prayer for the good of your Soul, Alms-giving for the good of your Neighbor.”
I think the Gesima-Sundays came about when leaders in the Medieval Church thought, “well if 40 days is good, then why not 70?”
In any case, these particular Sundays were removed from the calendar of the Roman Church in 1963 (Vatican II) so that Lent could be Lent and Easter could be Easter and so on.
But then we have Lutherans and Episcopalians and clergy like myself who like to explore the unknown and mysterious. In our calendars, the Gesima Sundays remained — that is, until recently, when the Cranberry Coloured Evangelical Lutheran Worship book was published. Then they disappeared.
“Gone are the Gesimas!” was the battle-cry of liturgical reform. Except for curmudgeonly clergy like myself who continue to keep them so as to enthrall acolytes and others with the question, “Do you know what Sunday this is?”
Well, here endeth the Excursus.
+ In nomine Domini. Amen.
Last Sunday we read the first part of Luke’s Story about Jesus preaching his most famous Sermon: The Sermon on the Plain. This is the earlier version of the Beatitudes which are also found in the 5th chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew. Luke’s account is, in the opinion of most Biblical Scholars, extremely close to what Jesus actually said to the people.
So last Sunday was Part One, this Sunday is Part Two — there is a Part Three, which does not appear in the Lectionary this year. Why? Because Part Three is read as the Gospel for the Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany and there is no Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany this year. Next Sunday is the Transfiguration of our Lord which is the Final Sunday before Lent which begins officially on March 5th Ash Wednesday. The next time the Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany will occur will be years from now.
So,(here it comes!): That means you need to go home this afternoon and read Part Three (Luke 6. 39-49). Of course you could just grab one of the Bibles near you this morning and read it while we are preaching this morning (no one will think ill of you).
And since this now sounds to me like a Second Excursus this morning, let us move on and get to the Task at Hand.
I give a subtitle to the Sermon on the Plain as “Jesus’ State of the Union Address” — for two reasons: (First) Because this is where Jesus lays out his entire understanding of what it means to be faithful, and what it means to follow him, and what it means to live with God in the world.
(Secondly) Because on March 4th of this year, even though there will not be a official “State of the Union” address in our nation, there will be a similar speech delivered to a joint session of congress. Given everything I have heard, read, and witnessed — what will issue forth are words that are not aligned with the Gospel we read this morning; in fact, they may well be completely the opposite. And I want you — I want us (who are followers of Jesus) to have in hand (and in our heart) the words of Jesus so we can hold them close as we listen on March 4th .
Coincidentally that day is also the last day before Lent begins. It is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or as I know it from where I grew up Fastnacht (auf Pennsylvanische) (literally “Fasting Night”) meaning if I am the last person to get up on March 4th I become the Fastnacht and I have to serve “Fastnachts” (like donuts with little handles on them) to my beloved wife who is 100% Pennsylvanische. 🙂1 It is a lovely tradition actually, one wrought from the past — and actually one that is very loving and joyful (to be the Fasnacht).
And that points us to what we are talking about this morning. If one is the Fastnacht it is not because of ridicule or loathing or nastiness, it’s because you sleep in and therefore you rise and engage in a loving action with loved ones. And if we had overnight guests, then I (the Fastnacht) would provide not only a doughnut to my beloved, but I would certainly offer them to anyone else, freely, with laughter and joy, with embrace and (dare we say this dangerous word) inclusivity.
That is the sort of thing Jesus intends in his State of the Union Address.
I want us to have the Sermon of Jesus with us, because as followers of Jesus, we are always pointed in a different direction, and that direction is outwardly, not inwardly.
In Part Two of the Sermon on the Plain Jesus moves us into Action. Jesus urges us toward the Verbs, toward answering the question “now just how do we follow Jesus? How do we do it? What’s the plan? What’s the agenda?”
The whole thing is topsy-turvy2, it is unexpected behaviour, it is not what we think we should do — rather it is what we are called to do when we live with God. And Jesus’ ministry is all about living with God.
Think of Part Two as being the Field Guide to Loving our Neighbor. Think of it as the Pocket Handbook of Faith Active in Love.
I want you to hear how this sounds in the fascinating and engaging (and I think extremely well-done) translation called First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament.3
I cannot recommend this translation too highly to you. Two copies of this book are being sent to you here: One for Deacon Amy, and one for your Church Library.
[I have provided you with this in the insert in your Bulletin this morning. You can follow along.]
Listen now to the beginning of Part Two in the language of First Nations:
[Jesus speaks]
“Hear me, you who are listening now, I am telling you to love your enemies, do good to the ones who look down on you, return blessing for cursing, and send up good prayers for the ones who give you trouble and pain.”
Can you hear the compassion? Can you see the reversal of the expected? Listen to some more:
“If someone slaps you on the side of your face, show the strength of your heart and offer the other side. In the same way, if a thief takes your coat, offer your shirt also.
Really? I mean, coat, fine — but shirt? Luke uses the Greek word χιτῶνα which means “that article of clothing which is next to your skin.” I’m not so sure I would do this‽ The idea of going outside today and having someone come up to me and ask for my coat is one thing (I have several coats), but my χιτῶνα — I actually kept only one clergy shirt when I retired (these are not readily available at Macy’s); and, I realize now that I use it quite a bit and being laundered after every use, it’s being to fade from it’s blackness (and no I don’t do color clergy shirts). But still, taking this literally, someone in need could have my clergy shirt, which would leave me quite exposed as it were to the elements and the local police who might wonder just what is happening today.
The point is not literalism — the point is sharing of abundance. And if you look around, there is a lot of abundance. And if you continue to look around, there is a lot of need and scarcity. Jesus asks us to share from our abundance to the scarcity.
Jesus continues:
“When someone in need asks, do not hold back. Do what you can to help. If someone takes what is yours, let them keep it. Here is another way to see what I am saying: Help others in the same way you would want them to help you.“
Yes, it’s the Golden Rule. Remember that when you are listening to the speech before Congress on March 4th. See if you can hear the Golden Rule. If not, then just maybe your voice needs to rise as a follower of Jesus in the world.
Let’s hear a bit more:
“Where is the honor in only showing love to the ones who do the same for you? Why should you be given respect for doing good to the ones who do you good, or for lending only to the ones who can repay you? Even tribal tax collectors and outcasts do these things.
“Instead, show love and respect to your enemies, help them when they are in need without asking them to repay you. This will show that you are children of your Father from above, for he is kind and takes pity on the ones with bad hearts, even when they do not thank him for it. So then, show kindness to others in the same way as your Father the Great Spirit.
This is the hardest part of the Sermon — understanding, knowing God loves the people I don’t — not that God approves of everyone’s behaviour, but God wants everyone to be included in the life of love. God does what God can do to bring about the change of heart, the reversal of retribution, the moving from hate to compassion, from selfishness and greed and avarice to self-less love of others, and uses us to do it. That’s hard. That’s very hard.
And yet. We are called to it — if we follow Jesus.
And now, the final part of Part Two, from the First Nations Version:
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. When you release others from their wrongdoings, you will be released from yours. The amount you measure out to others is the amount that comes back, like a basket that has been filled to the top, shaken down, and packed together, until it overflows. What you give out will come back to you—full circle.”
There is but one word for that — LOVE.
It is that simple, but that profound. Jesus asks us, all of us, to love. There’s no room for hate, revenge is not an option — “Jesus is suggesting that it is in our interests to merge with God’s interest and with other’ interests — to live in love and compassion.”4 Anything else destroys the unity of common life in which there is room for all. Anything else leaves someone out.
Brothers and Sisters, you and I are called to participate in God’s life, where no one is ignored or excluded or despised — where immigrants and residents are all children of God, where poor and wealthy must be in community together so that wealth is not hidden from people living in poverty, where trust and welcoming overcome fear and exclusion, where listening and hearing take the place of bombastic words spoken into the darkness, where joy and blessedness push out sadness and sorrow.
Anything less is not the Gospel. All of this and much more is the Gospel, not only for this Sunday, but everyday, and always, and let us all say: Amen.
1I have always been the “Fastnacht” on this day; for our nearly 55 years of Marriage.
2From the plural of TOP (i.e. tops) plus obsolete English TERVE (to turn upside-down).
3First Nations Version. InterVarsity Press, downers Grove, Illinois. (2021)
4William Loader, First Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages from the Lectionary.
Luke 6.27-38
27 Ἀλλὰ ὑμῖν λέγω τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς,28 εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς, προσεύχεσθε περὶ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς.29 τῷ τύπτοντί σε ἐπὶ τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντός σου τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα μὴ κωλύσῃς.30 παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντος τὰ σὰ μὴ ἀπαίτει.31 καὶ καθὼς θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως.32 καὶ εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀγαπῶσιν.33 καὶ [γὰρ] ἐὰν ἀγαθοποιῆτε τοὺς ἀγαθοποιοῦντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν.34 καὶ ἐὰν δανίσητε παρ’ ὧν ἐλπίζετε λαβεῖν, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις [ἐστίν]; καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς δανίζουσιν ἵνα ἀπολάβωσιν τὰ ἴσα.35 πλὴν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ ἀγαθοποιεῖτε καὶ δανίζετε μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες· καὶ ἔσται ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολύς, καὶ ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ ὑψίστου, ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρίστους καὶ πονηρούς.36 Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες καθὼς [καὶ] ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν.37 Καὶ μὴ κρίνετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε· καὶ μὴ καταδικάζετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταδικασθῆτε. ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε·38 δίδοτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· μέτρον καλὸν πεπιεσμένον σεσαλευμένον ὑπερεκχυννόμενον δώσουσιν εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὑμῶν· ᾧ γὰρ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.
(NRSV “New Revised Standard Version”)
27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
(First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament)
27“Hear me, you who are listening now, I am telling you to love your enemies, do good to the ones who look down on you, 28return blessing for cursing, and send up good prayers for the ones who give you trouble and pain.
29“If someone slaps you on the side of your face, show the strength of your heart and offer the other side. In the same way, if a thief takes your coat, offer your shirt also.
30“When someone in need asks, do not hold back. Do what you can to help. If someone takes what is yours, let them keep it.”
“Here is another way to see what I am saying: 31Help others in the same way you would want them to help you.
32-34“Where is the honor in only showing love to the ones who do the same for you? Why should you be given respect for doing good to the ones who do you good, or for lending only to the ones who can repay you? Even tribal tax collectors and outcasts do these things.
35“Instead, show love and respect to your enemies, help them when they are in need without asking them to repay you. This will show that you are children of your Father from above, for he is kind and takes pity on the ones with bad hearts, even when they do not thank him for it. 36So then, show kindness to others in the same way as your Father the Great Spirit.
37“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. When you release others from their wrongdoings, you will be released from yours. 38The amount you measure out to others is the amount that comes back, like a basket that has been filled to the top, shaken down, and packed together, until it overflows. What you give out will come back to you—full circle.”
Nota(ble) Be(n)e 