"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said to him: Follow me. And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them. But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance." (Luke 5:27-32)
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Christ is in our midst; He is and ever shall be!
I hope that you have noted the exceedingly great wealth given to us in the readings of the day. given to us this day are some of the most striking and popular passages in all the Bible, passages that many of our Protestant friends know by heart. What did you hear this morning? Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones is one of the most visually striking and evocative prophecies in all the Old Testament. Psalm 102 (103 in Masoretic numbering) is quoted by heart among many in the Word of Faith movement, who believe it to be key in speaking health, and blessings, and prosperity to themselves from God (whether they are right in this is another subject for another time). Paul's bold declaration to his brethren in Phillipi that even though he is chains, even though some others use his captivity as an opportunity to advance themselves by preaching, the apostle is confident that whatever his own circumstance, the Gospel of Christ will be advanced. Had the Epistle reading gone only one verse further, we would have heard the famous saying, " For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
And now we have today's Gospel, the Calling of Levi. To give some context, let us review what St. Luke has already covered. In Chapter 4, the Lord goes to the desert after His Baptism. He is tempted by Satan, comes back to Nazareth, proclaims His Mission, and the people try to kill Him. He then preaches in Capernaum, exorcises a demon, gains notoriety, heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law, along with many others. In the next chapter, Jesus preaches from the boat, performs the Miracle of the Catch, and calls Simon, James, and John to be fishers of men. He heals leprosy, palsy, and paralysis, all the while making enemies of the Pharisees who have begun to take notice of His teaching. Now we are caught up, and are ready to see what the Lord is giving us in His Word. Just before the Lord calls Levi (you might know him also as Matthew, the author of the Gospel that bears that name), he heals the paralytic whose friends had torn through the roof to get to where Jesus was. Does anyone remember what the Lord say to the man before telling him, "Take up your bed and walk."? He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now, why am I telling you about the paralytic, when our Gospel lesson is about Levi? Because they are the same story, happening to two different people. It looks different, because the paralytic's story is so supernaturally miraculous, and full of action, whereas the calling of Levi seems so mundane... so, so... ordinary. There's no destruction of rooftops, no sensational restoration of crippled flesh to healthy vitality; just two words, "Follow me" that lead to a dinner party, and an argument with more Pharisees. Now, look at what is the same in both stories: you have a crowd, you have the Pharisees, you have Jesus, and you have a sinner in need of healing.
I would say at this point, that I believe the Lord forgiving Levi of his sins to be more miraculous than forgiving the man with palsy. Let's face it: this man couldn't have done all that much sinning, at least not in relation to others. To sin before God by murmuring and cursing his lot I could understand, but what possible harm could he do to anyone? He was totally dependent on others; but I think it says something of him that he had the friendship of four others who cared so much for him that they would take such drastic action to bring him to Jesus. How could the heart of our beneficent Lord NOT be touched by their display of courage and compassion?
Levi, on the other hand, was someone well-versed in harming his fellow man. This publican, this tax collector, this... this REVENUER (that's an American Southern phrase, using followed by irreverent spitting) would be something akin to today's IRS agents, in that he had authority to collect taxes from people, and could bring severe trouble to anyone he thought was not giving Caesar what was Caesar's. But Levi and his fellow publicans were something even worse than the IRS (if you can believe it), for they worked not for the nation of Israel, but for the brutal and decadent Romans, who ruled Judea with an iron fist. So, Levi was a traitor to his own people, selling out God's own to the pagans. Worse still, he was allowed by his Roman masters to charge what he wished; and if he high-balled the bill, then skimmed some off the top for himself, who would stop him? And if the paralytic had a few friends of faith and courage, Levi's friends were greater in quantity, but not in quality. What does Luke say? "and there was a great company of publicans, and of others", "publicans and SINNERS" the Pharisees said, according to the Evangelist. And they should know! After all, we're talking about close-knit, first-century Jews here; everybody knows everybody, right? And of course, the scribes and Pharisees are the GOOD people; they should certainly know who is in their little club, and who isn't. And they certainly didn't seem enthusiastic about the possibility of Levi and his friends being forgiven or healed. Many of these were likely the same ones that opposed Jesus forgiving or healing the palsy victim.
Now at this point, you might be asking me, "Why are you saying Levi needs to be healed? He's not sick; he's not paralyzed!" I would tell you that Levi IS sick; he and all his friends. Let me remind you of how Orthodoxy views sin differently from our Latin and Protestant friends. All of here are converts. We grew up with the Western Scholastic juridical view of sin, which was continued on through Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and all the rest, and was handed down to us. That view of sin is all about the breaking of Rules, and God's wrath and offense at the breaking of those Rules, thus we incur a debt that can only be repaid by the Father sending the Son to Earth so He can murder Him! With this view of sin, it is no wonder that atheists believe our God to be a bloodthirsty, vengeful dictator! That view is woefully incomplete; and it is NOT orthodox! To the Orthodox phronema, the mindset of NORMAL Christianity (hat tip to Fr. Barnabas Powell) is that sin is a SICKNESS that results in a brokenness of the will that keeps us from doing what God created us to do, and makes us vulnerable to doing what kills us! Christ didn't die on the Cross merely because the Father was mad, and He just had to kill something! The reason Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified is because His Precious Blood is the only medicine potent enough to cure our disease of sin, and THAT is evidence of a God of love. With this view in mind, it is no wonder that the Lord sees Levi and his party guests as being in the same boat as the man that came to him through the roof. I'm sure the Pharisees that observed Jesus's miraculous healing of the palsy had something to think about when Jesus spoke these words: "They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.
Now we come to the practical application phase of today's lesson: How does this apply to you and me? Firstly, we can NEVER, EVER take for granted that we are not in need of healing from the effects of sin. You may think you're better than a treasonous, sell-out tax collector, and maybe you are; but the paralytic had less opportunity to sin than you or I; and yet, he also needs the Lord's mercy, so don't we? Secondly, we need medicine to overcome the sickness of sin, and the Lord alludes to it here: " They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance." Penance is medicine, but it's not like the cherry-bubble-gum flavor that kids get nowadays. I'm afraid it's more like old-school medicine: it tastes awful, and if it doesn't cure you, it might just kill you. It's not fun, but it is good for you. So, when Father gives you a penance, by all means do it without grumbling. He doesn't assign penance as punishment, like write-offs in school. He assigns it as homework that will help you learn the lessons of repentance. And there is another medicine that Father will soon give us; for we are about to begin preparing the gifts to celebrate the Eucharist, which the Church calls the "Medicine of Immortality." We are about to partake of the Body and Blood of our dear and precious Savior. Soon, we will recite the words, "Taste and see how sweet the Lord is... Come Forth." Let us take our medicine with gratitude, and praise the Lord Who seeks the healing of mankind. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy, Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever, and unto Ages of Ages. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Christ is in our midst; He is and ever shall be!
I hope that you have noted the exceedingly great wealth given to us in the readings of the day. given to us this day are some of the most striking and popular passages in all the Bible, passages that many of our Protestant friends know by heart. What did you hear this morning? Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones is one of the most visually striking and evocative prophecies in all the Old Testament. Psalm 102 (103 in Masoretic numbering) is quoted by heart among many in the Word of Faith movement, who believe it to be key in speaking health, and blessings, and prosperity to themselves from God (whether they are right in this is another subject for another time). Paul's bold declaration to his brethren in Phillipi that even though he is chains, even though some others use his captivity as an opportunity to advance themselves by preaching, the apostle is confident that whatever his own circumstance, the Gospel of Christ will be advanced. Had the Epistle reading gone only one verse further, we would have heard the famous saying, " For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
And now we have today's Gospel, the Calling of Levi. To give some context, let us review what St. Luke has already covered. In Chapter 4, the Lord goes to the desert after His Baptism. He is tempted by Satan, comes back to Nazareth, proclaims His Mission, and the people try to kill Him. He then preaches in Capernaum, exorcises a demon, gains notoriety, heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law, along with many others. In the next chapter, Jesus preaches from the boat, performs the Miracle of the Catch, and calls Simon, James, and John to be fishers of men. He heals leprosy, palsy, and paralysis, all the while making enemies of the Pharisees who have begun to take notice of His teaching. Now we are caught up, and are ready to see what the Lord is giving us in His Word. Just before the Lord calls Levi (you might know him also as Matthew, the author of the Gospel that bears that name), he heals the paralytic whose friends had torn through the roof to get to where Jesus was. Does anyone remember what the Lord say to the man before telling him, "Take up your bed and walk."? He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now, why am I telling you about the paralytic, when our Gospel lesson is about Levi? Because they are the same story, happening to two different people. It looks different, because the paralytic's story is so supernaturally miraculous, and full of action, whereas the calling of Levi seems so mundane... so, so... ordinary. There's no destruction of rooftops, no sensational restoration of crippled flesh to healthy vitality; just two words, "Follow me" that lead to a dinner party, and an argument with more Pharisees. Now, look at what is the same in both stories: you have a crowd, you have the Pharisees, you have Jesus, and you have a sinner in need of healing.
I would say at this point, that I believe the Lord forgiving Levi of his sins to be more miraculous than forgiving the man with palsy. Let's face it: this man couldn't have done all that much sinning, at least not in relation to others. To sin before God by murmuring and cursing his lot I could understand, but what possible harm could he do to anyone? He was totally dependent on others; but I think it says something of him that he had the friendship of four others who cared so much for him that they would take such drastic action to bring him to Jesus. How could the heart of our beneficent Lord NOT be touched by their display of courage and compassion?
Levi, on the other hand, was someone well-versed in harming his fellow man. This publican, this tax collector, this... this REVENUER (that's an American Southern phrase, using followed by irreverent spitting) would be something akin to today's IRS agents, in that he had authority to collect taxes from people, and could bring severe trouble to anyone he thought was not giving Caesar what was Caesar's. But Levi and his fellow publicans were something even worse than the IRS (if you can believe it), for they worked not for the nation of Israel, but for the brutal and decadent Romans, who ruled Judea with an iron fist. So, Levi was a traitor to his own people, selling out God's own to the pagans. Worse still, he was allowed by his Roman masters to charge what he wished; and if he high-balled the bill, then skimmed some off the top for himself, who would stop him? And if the paralytic had a few friends of faith and courage, Levi's friends were greater in quantity, but not in quality. What does Luke say? "and there was a great company of publicans, and of others", "publicans and SINNERS" the Pharisees said, according to the Evangelist. And they should know! After all, we're talking about close-knit, first-century Jews here; everybody knows everybody, right? And of course, the scribes and Pharisees are the GOOD people; they should certainly know who is in their little club, and who isn't. And they certainly didn't seem enthusiastic about the possibility of Levi and his friends being forgiven or healed. Many of these were likely the same ones that opposed Jesus forgiving or healing the palsy victim.
Now at this point, you might be asking me, "Why are you saying Levi needs to be healed? He's not sick; he's not paralyzed!" I would tell you that Levi IS sick; he and all his friends. Let me remind you of how Orthodoxy views sin differently from our Latin and Protestant friends. All of here are converts. We grew up with the Western Scholastic juridical view of sin, which was continued on through Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and all the rest, and was handed down to us. That view of sin is all about the breaking of Rules, and God's wrath and offense at the breaking of those Rules, thus we incur a debt that can only be repaid by the Father sending the Son to Earth so He can murder Him! With this view of sin, it is no wonder that atheists believe our God to be a bloodthirsty, vengeful dictator! That view is woefully incomplete; and it is NOT orthodox! To the Orthodox phronema, the mindset of NORMAL Christianity (hat tip to Fr. Barnabas Powell) is that sin is a SICKNESS that results in a brokenness of the will that keeps us from doing what God created us to do, and makes us vulnerable to doing what kills us! Christ didn't die on the Cross merely because the Father was mad, and He just had to kill something! The reason Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified is because His Precious Blood is the only medicine potent enough to cure our disease of sin, and THAT is evidence of a God of love. With this view in mind, it is no wonder that the Lord sees Levi and his party guests as being in the same boat as the man that came to him through the roof. I'm sure the Pharisees that observed Jesus's miraculous healing of the palsy had something to think about when Jesus spoke these words: "They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.
Now we come to the practical application phase of today's lesson: How does this apply to you and me? Firstly, we can NEVER, EVER take for granted that we are not in need of healing from the effects of sin. You may think you're better than a treasonous, sell-out tax collector, and maybe you are; but the paralytic had less opportunity to sin than you or I; and yet, he also needs the Lord's mercy, so don't we? Secondly, we need medicine to overcome the sickness of sin, and the Lord alludes to it here: " They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance." Penance is medicine, but it's not like the cherry-bubble-gum flavor that kids get nowadays. I'm afraid it's more like old-school medicine: it tastes awful, and if it doesn't cure you, it might just kill you. It's not fun, but it is good for you. So, when Father gives you a penance, by all means do it without grumbling. He doesn't assign penance as punishment, like write-offs in school. He assigns it as homework that will help you learn the lessons of repentance. And there is another medicine that Father will soon give us; for we are about to begin preparing the gifts to celebrate the Eucharist, which the Church calls the "Medicine of Immortality." We are about to partake of the Body and Blood of our dear and precious Savior. Soon, we will recite the words, "Taste and see how sweet the Lord is... Come Forth." Let us take our medicine with gratitude, and praise the Lord Who seeks the healing of mankind. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy, Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever, and unto Ages of Ages. Amen.