Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

MATTHEW 22:34-40

JESUS USES THE WORD “AGAPEOS” WHEN HE TELLS US TO LOVE GOD AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR. IN GREEK THERE ARE MANY WORDS FOR LOVE, OR I SHOULD SAY THEY HAD FOUR WORDS FOR LOVE AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE. AND UNFORTUNATELY IN ENGLISH EVEN WHEN WE PROCLAIM OUR LOVE FOR GOD OR FOR OUR NEIGHBOR, WE DON’T PROBABLY MEAN QUITE WHAT THE WORD AGAPEOS MEANS IN GREEK.

AGAPEOS REFERRED TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A HUSBAND AND WIFE, OR A PARENT AND CHILD. THE GREEKS HAD ANOTHER WORD, “EROS” FOR A KIND OF LOVE BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE, A NATURAL LOVE IN WHICH SEXUAL ATTRACTION PLAYED A ROLE. LIKEWISE, THEY HAD A WORD, “SORGE” FOR THE KIND OF NATURAL LOVE A FATHER HAD FOR HIS CHILD. THESE WERE DISTINCT FROM THE LOVE DESCRIBED BY AGAPEOS. IF WE TRIED TO DISSECT OUT THE MEANING OF AGAPEOS, WE WOULD NOTE THAT FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS A DISPASSIONATE WORD. IT SEEMED TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FEELINGS. SECOND, IT WAS A LOVE THAT REQUIRED NOTHING IN RETURN, UNLIKE EROS, UNLIKE SORGE, UNLIKE THE FOURTH KIND OF LOVE, PHILEA, WHICH DESCRIBED THE DEEP FRIENDSHIP THAT RESEMBLED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS OR TWO SISTERS. IN ALL OF THESE LOVES, THERE HAD TO BE SOME GIVE-BACK. IF YOU HAD WARM FEELINGS FOR YOUR CHILD, BUT THE CHILD NEVER RETURNED THOSE FEELINGS, YOU WOULD SOON RUN OUT OF STORGE, BUT COULD CONTINUE WITH AGAPEOS.

THE THIRD FEATURE OF AGAPEOS IS THAT IT IS A LOVE THAT GIVES ITSELF UP; IT IS A SELF-EMPTYING LOVE. WITH AGAPEOS YOU LOVE TO THE POINT OF PUTTING THE GOOD OF THE OTHER AHEAD OF YOUR OWN. YOU ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOURSELF UP. AND JESUS POINTED OUT THIS KIND OF LOVE WHEN HE SAID THAT “GREATER LOVE THAN THIS HAS NO MAN, THAN THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND.” AND JESUS DEMONSTRATED THIS KIND OF LOVE IN HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS.

SO WE MIGHT HAVE A MORE ACCURATE TRANSLATION OF WHAT JESUS MEANT IF WE SAID, “GIVE YOURSELF TO GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, AND SOUL; AND GIVE YOURSELF TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AS MUCH AS YOU GIVE YOUR SELF TO YOURSELF.

AGAPEOS IS AN ACTION VERB. IF YOU DON’T GIVE YOURSELF UP, YOU AREN’T DOING IT. EVERY HUSBAND AND WIFE, EVERY PARENT AND CHILD, UNDERSTAND THIS; WHEN YOU SAY, “I LOVE YOU” IT ONLY MEANS SOMETHING WHEN THERE IS ACTION TO BACK IT UP. AND THE STRENGTH OF LOVE, WE INSTINCTIVELY UNDERSTAND, IS WHEN THAT ACTION REQUIRES NOTHING IN RETURN I SUSPECT GOOD PARENTS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN IN THIS WAY; AND THAT’S THE KIND OF LOVE GOD IS ASKING OF US FOR HIMSELF, AND FOR OUR NEIGHBOR.

I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT LOVE OF NEIGHBOR WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE PRACTICED AGAPE LOVE. WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR NEEDS TO FILL, FOR EMPTINESS TO BE FILLED UP, FOR LONELINESS TO BE CONQUERED. WE WOULD BE UPSET TO SEE SOMEONE WHO WAS HOMELESS OR HUNGRY, UPSET ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I ACTUALLY PRACTICE AGAPE LOVE AND MANY TIMES WHEN I DON’T, AND THAT’S PROBABLY TRUE FOR YOU AS WELL.

BUT HOW DO WE DO AGAPE LOVE WHERE GOD IS CONCERNED? AFTER ALL GOD NEEDS NOTHING FROM ME; AND GOD IS NOT REALLY LONELY OR HOMELESS OR EMPTY IN ANY SENSE. SO HOW DO I GIVE MYSELF UP FOR GOD, HOW DO I SHOW GOD THAT I LOVE HIM IN THAT DISPASSIONATE WAY THAT DEMANDS NOTHING IN RETURN AND EMPTIES MYSELF OUT?

DOWN THROUGH THE AGES PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS QUESTION AND GIVEN DIFFERENT ANSWERS. ONE IS THAT WE DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, GOD BECOME MAN, BECAUSE AS MAN HE SUFFERED AND WE CAN CONSOLE HIM; HE WAS LONELY AND WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT LONELINESS; HE WAS SCORNED AND WE CAN HONOR HIM. PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVOTED TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT UNDERSTAND THIS, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE HE IS REALLY PRESENT TO US IN THE APPEARANCE OF BREAD AND WINE.

ANOTHER WAY, JESUS HIMSELF SUGGESTED, IS THAT WHATEVER WE DO FOR THE LEAST OF OUR BROTHERS, WE DO FOR HIM, AND HE IS BOTH MAN AND GOD. THE FOUNDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY, WILLIAM BOOTH, DECIDED THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERED, AND TO THIS DAY PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO THAT DENOMINATION DON’T HAVE SACRAMENTS LIKE BAPTISM AND HOLY COMMUNION, SPEND VERY LITTLE TIME IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY, JUST ENOUGH TO GET THEIR ENTHUSIASM GOING, AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME SERVING THEIR FELLOW MEN, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE LADDER. THAT IS THEIR WORSHIP.

ALL CHRISTIANS CAN’T GO WRONG DOING EITHER OF THOSE. BUT A THIRD WAY OF LOVING GOD IN AGAPE LOVE IS TO GIVE OURSELVES TO GOD. THIS MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT HE WANTS FROM US DISPASSIONATELY -- NOT HANGING ON TO ALL THE BAGGAGE WE CARRY AROUND, NOT INSISTING ON DOING IT OUR WAY, NOT HIS. IT MEANS WE APPROACH GOD WANTING NOTHING IN RETURN, ACCEPTING WHATEVER HE GIVES US; AND IT MEANS WE SEEK OUT HIS WILL, IN THE SCRIPTURES AND IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH, AND FOLLOW THEM TO THE POINT THAT WE SACRIFICE OURSELVES IF NECESSARY. THE POINT OF ALL THIS IS THAT WE BECOME OTHER CHRISTS, SO THAT WE BECOME ONE WITH HIM IN SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE, WE JOIN HIM ON THE CROSS. AND THAT IS AGAPE LOVE FOR GOD, TO DELIBERATELY SET OUT TO BECOME HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER.   

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

MATTHEW 22:15-21

I SUSPECT THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT SAYING OF JESUS, “REPAY TO CAESAR WHAT BELONGS TO CAESAR AND TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO GOD.” MANY BIBLE SCHOLARS AND PREACHERS HAVE POINTED OUT HOW CLEVER JESUS WAS WITH THIS ANSWER; BECAUSE HAD HE TAKEN EITHER SIDE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE. OTHERS POINT OUT THAT THE PHARISEES, WHO OBJECTED TO PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR, WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE A COIN WITH CAESAR’S IMAGE. TO CARRY AROUND A GRAVEN IMAGE OF A MAN WHO CALLED HIMSELF “SON OF GOD” WOULD SEEM TO CONTRADICT WHAT THEY PREACHED, PROVING THEM TO BE HYPOCRITES -- AND THAT IS WHY JESUS CALLED THEM HYPOCRITES. AND OF COURSE THIS VERSE HAS BEEN USED TO TELL US THAT WE SHOULD BE PATRIOTIC AND PAY OUR TAXES AND VOTE.

THE PHARISEES AND HERODIANS NORMALLY COULDN’T STAND EACH OTHER. SO WHEN THE PHARISEES SENT THEIR DISCIPLES ALONG WITH THE HERODIANS, JESUS KNEW HE WAS BEING SET UP. BOTH GROUPS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN JESUS SILENCED; THE PHARISEES BECAUSE JESUS SEEMED NOT TO RESPECT THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LAWS, AND THE HERODIANS BECAUSE JESUS CALLED PEOPLE TO A HIGHER STANDARD OF BEHAVIOR, WHEREAS THE HERODIANS THOUGHT THAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, JUST LIKE THE OTHER TRIBES AND NATIONS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

AND I DON’T THINK JESUS WAS DEMONSTRATING HIS CLEVERNESS, NOR WAS HE TELLING PEOPLE TO BE PATRIOTIC. HE WAS CHALLENGING EACH OF HIS LISTENERS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT BELONGS TO CAESAR, AND WHAT BELONGS TO GOD? IF YOU THINK EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD AND NOTHING BELONGS TO CAESAR, DON’T PAY THE TAX. IF YOU THINK SOME THINGS BELONG TO CAESAR, AT LEAST IN SOME SENSE, THEN PAY THE TAX. BUT THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IF ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS CAESAR’S DUE, THEN ALSO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS GOD’S DUE.

THE FIRST THING ANY NEW CAESAR DID WAS TO MINT COINS WITH HIS IMAGE. THE DENARIUS COIN THAT JESUS WAS SHOWN HAD THE IMAGE OF TIBERIUS, AND THE WORDS, IN LATIN OF COURSE, “SON OF GOD.” JESUS IMPLIED THAT SOMETHING MARKED WITH CAESAR’S IMAGE COULD VERY WELL BELONG TO CAESAR. SO HOW DO YOU TELL WHAT BELONGS TO GOD? I ASKED THIS QUESTION AND GOT SOME REPLIES: ONE PERSON SAID “EVERYTHING”. ANOTHER SAID, “CHURCHES”. BUT WHAT ESPECIALLY BELONGS TO GOD IS MARKED WITH THE IMAGE OF GOD, AND WAY BACK IN GENESIS, AFTER CREATING THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS, GOD CREATED HUMAN BEINGS IN HIS IMAGE. AND THAT’S KIND OF REMARKABLE THING. IF YOU HAVE A NEWBORN BABY OR A NINETY YEAR OLD MAN, THEY ARE BOTH MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE. IF YOU ARE A NATIVE OF NIGERIA OR A BLONDE BLUE EYED SWEDE, YOU ARE BOTH MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE. GOD IS INFINITE, AND EVERY HUMAN BEING REFLECTS SOMETHING ABOUT GOD.

SAINT IRENAEUS, A CHURCH FATHER, HAD THE OPINION THAT AFTER THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE, HUMAN BEINGS WHO WERE MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS KEPT THE IMAGE, BUT LOST THE LIKENESS. IT WASN’T UNTIL JESUS CAME ALONG THAT A HUMAN BEING AGAIN POSSESSED BOTH IMAGE AND LIKENESS. GOD’S IMAGE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR BODIES, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HAVE A HUMAN BEING WITHOUT A BODY. BUT GOD’S LIKENESS IS A QUALITY YOU CAN HAVE OR NOT. SAINT IRENAEUS SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH THE REALM OF MORALITY, THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE AND CHOOSE WHAT IS GOOD. THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE WAS THAT ALTHOUGH THEY RECOGNIZED THE VOICE OF GOD, WHO TOLD THEM NOT TO EAT OF A CERTAIN TREE, THEY CHOSE TO LISTEN TO THE SERPENT, WHO APPEALED TO THEIR HUMAN APPETITES. ALL HUMAN BEINGS START OUT THIS WAY -- LISTENING TO THE SERPENT WITHIN, WHO SAYS, DO WHAT FEELS GOOD, AVOID WHAT HURTS; THE SERPENT WHO SAYS YOU COME FIRST.

JESUS OF COURSE BORE THE LIKENESS OF GOD. ST. PAUL SAYS "HE WAS IN THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD". JESUS SAID, “MY MEAT AND DRINK IS TO DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER.” HE SAID, “FATHER, IF YOU ARE WILLING, TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME, BUT NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE.” AND OF COURSE JESUS LEFT US THE CHURCH, THE SACRAMENTS, AND THE SCRIPTURES SO THAT EACH OF US COULD REGAIN THE LIKENESS OF GOD.

AND THAT’S WHAT BELONGS TO GOD. A HUMAN BEING, STAMPED WITH NOT ONLY HIS IMAGE, BUT HIS LIKENESS; AND IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT RETURNING TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO HIM, WE HAVE TO REPRODUCE THE LIKENESS OF GOD IN OURSELVES, SO THAT WE CAN SAY AND MEAN, “NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE.” HOW DO WE DO THAT? IT DOESN'T HAPPEN BY ITSELF. OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST THING IS FINDING OUT WHAT GOD WILLS FOR US. A SERIOUS CHRISTIAN WILL STUDY THE SCRIPTURES, PRAY, EXAMINE HIS OWN LIFE TO SEE WHAT NEEDS CORRECTION AND WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED. AND A REALLY SERIOUS CHRISTIAN WILL TALK ABOUT HIS OR HER FAITH WITH OTHER SERIOUS CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE WE ALL NEED SOME OBJECTIVITY AS WE LEARN GOD'S WILL. AND THEN, ONCE WE KNOW HIS WILL, WE SET OUT TO DO IT, EVEN IF IT KILLS US, AS IT DID JESUS.

 SO THIS FAMOUS SAYING OF JESUS ISN’T ABOUT CLEVERNESS, IT ISN’T ABOUT PAYING TAXES, IT ISN’T ABOUT DEBATING SKILLS. IT IS ABOUT WHAT BELONGS TO GOD. AND IF WE ARE TO GIVE TO CAESAR WHAT BELONGS TO HIM; IF WE ARE TO GIVE TO OUR EMPLOYER OR OUR PATIENTS OR OUR CLIENTS WHAT BELONGS TO THEM, IF WE ARE TO GIVE TO OUR SPOUSE OR OUR CHILDREN OR OUR PARENTS WHAT BELONGS TO THEM, SURELY WE MUST GIVE TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO HIM; AND I AM STAMPED WITH GOD’S IMAGE AND I HAVE BEEN GIVEN WHAT I NEED TO TAKE ON HIS LIKENESS AS WELL, AND THEN I CAN BE PART OF THE PERPETUAL OFFERING THAT JESUS MAKES OF HIMSELF TO THE FATHER, THE OFFERING THAT GOES ON IN ETERNITY AND WHICH WE TOUCH WHENEVER THE EUCHARIST IS CELEBRATED.