Homily For The Third Sunday after Epiphany

During the first three Sundays of Epiphany, we read the 12th Chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.  We heard about being living sacrifices during Epiphany I; last week, in the Epistle, we heard about the diversity of gifts and how love should be the ordering principle - showing us our responsibilities to other Christians and among friends.   This week, our Epistle is a continuation of instruction from Chapter 12 - this time it is the Apostle’s directives in regards to our enemies.   It is almost as though Chapter 12 calls us to concentric circles of duties - living sacrifice to God as individuals, service and charity toward other Christians and then outward to the world.  In giving his instruction, St. Paul repeatedly makes reference to the Book of Proverbs - the wisdom of God for living.  For this reason, Proverbs forms a great portion of the OT readings throughout Epiphany season.    For Jesus is the wisdom of God in human flesh - manifesting God’s glory to the world. 

St. Paul says “BE not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”   It’s easy to be convinced you are right in your own mind.  To trust in your wisdom, in your assessment of things. Yet, God calls us to not trust our assessments of things, which are often uncharitable but to defer to Him, to give way to His making things right.  Trusting Him to do what is proper in His own time.  It is to live by faith.  St. Paul reminds us of this truth by referencing “Proverbs 3:7” - “Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” 

When we have this mindset, we are able to properly engage with the world in a manner that honors God.  St. Paul here reminds us of the words of Our Lord Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  Instead of focusing on revenge, seeking opportunity to settle a score, St. Paul tells us to “provide things honest in the sight of all men.”  Here, once again, the Apostle seems to be relying on the teaching of Proverbs.  In the beginning of Chapter 3, Solomon commands his son to “not forget the Law, but let thine heart keep my commandments.”  By meditating, dwelling in the wisdom of the Law,  one may embrace peace and mercy and truth, writing the words of God, as it were, upon the tablet of thine heart.”  St. Paul alludes to Proverbs 3:4,  “so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”  Doing what is honest, in our Epistle, is to live the faith in such a way that actions bring honor to God rather than discredit our profession.   Laboring, striving, to live “peaceably with all men.”  

Have you noticed that there are plenty of people on Facebook, who think it is a virtue to stir up discord by their posts?  It became such a problem for candidates for holy orders that Bishop Grote had a rule inserted into diocesan canons stating  postulants are expressly forbidden from engaging in debates on message boards or social media.  

I believe many of our bishops would be tempted to draft a similar requirement for deacons and priests.  In any case, we are reminded here that it is no virtue, no Christian virtue to create strife in or outside the Church.  We must, instead, as st Paul tells us, strive to live peaceably with all men. 

St. Paul then instructs us of our duties to allow God to “sort it out” when we are provoked.   This is hard instruction.  God commands us to express our trust in Him by leaving it to Him to settle things.  While there are circumstances where humans play a role in God’s judgment, it is expressed primarily through the civil authority,  no one can assume that their vengeful feelings carry with it God’s sentence of judgment.  That’s in part why St. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 where God reserves judgment to himself.  

We read there, “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; Their foot shall slide in due time: For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things that shall come upon them make haste.” 

It is interesting that we aren’t without recourse even as we wait. God can convert our forbearance, our hospitality toward those who seek our harm into their discomfort.  Once again, St. Paul resorts to Proverbs where he quotes 25:21.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. This is best pictured by the story of Elisha when the king of Syria besieged the town where the prophet was staying.  Innumerable Syrian soldiers surrounded the city walls.  God gave true sight to Elisha and his servant to see the angelic armies surrounding the Syrians.  God blinded the Syrians so that they followed Elisha into the fortified city of Samaria.  Once inside, completely surrounded. God restored sight to the Syrians.  The king of Israel asked Elisha what to do to the captured enemy.  Should they kill them? It appeared that it was God’s will because the Syrians were given into Israel’s hands.  Yet, Elisha does that which is beyond all human reason.   

He tells the king to feed the captives, throw them a party.  Feed them and give them drink.  Afterwards, he released them to go back home.  What was the result of this blessing of enemies?  We read that the armies of Syria never returned to the land of Israel.

In effect, St Paul says, God may use the magnanimous actions, unmerited kindness toward one’s enemies, to bring about contrition and repentance in their hearts.  The heaping of coals of fire on his head would be the burning pangs of shame and contrition that come from the unexpected kindness that they received from the faithful Christian.  It is quite remarkable that God might just use our kindness to break the hardheartedness of our enemies.   By following St. Paul’s instruction - we will overcome evil with good.  

In a world overcome by the evil one, we are promised God’s power through our obedience. Through the graciousness of God’s people, we are participating in God redeeming this world.  We are commanded to join with our Lord in the rolling back the powes of darkness as they must give way to the true King and His Kingdom. 

 Our Lord, in the Gospel, converted the scarcity, the need of the wedding hosts, into the very best of provision.  He turned water into wine - blessing the wedding party with wine and the servants and his disciples with further proof of his divinity.  He manifested his glory and his disciples believed on him.   The wine of the wedding speaks to the greater reality of the kingdom of God that was initiated in Christ’s earthly ministry: the kingdom of God that is in the process of being brought to completion.   Complete harmony and peace - with both God and man.  It is promised in the end.  St. Paul teaches us to show to the world the first fruits of this promised peace by living it now.  By God’s grace, we can show the world how to live the faith by seeking peace.   We show the peace of the kingdom by acknowledging our weakness and the power of God, being humble in our estimates of things and people and letting God be God.   Actively seeking peace - avoiding all occasion for dissension, division and discord.  Loving our enemies with concrete acts of kindness that cause them to ask the question, “Why?” “Why would they be kind to me when I have abused them?”  Kindness that heaps coals of conviction on their heads and in their hearts so that they plead with us in the words of the Philippian jailer, “What must I do to be saved?”   

May they ask, “How can I be at peace with God and with others in the manner that these Christians have shown to me?”  It’s a tall order. One that cannot be brought about by mustering our own self-confidence or the strength of our holy egos.  Rather, let us pray for such power so when the offense arises, as it most assuredly will, that we will prove we are people of Christ’s kingdom of peace.  Amen.