Standing Tall In The Lord
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
History records the expression, Athanasius contra mundum -- Athanasius against the world. These words aptly express the situation in the fourth-century church when heresy almost reigned supreme -- save Athanasius, a bishop who was a persistent and staunch defender of the faith. Athanasius was born into a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, in 295 A.D. In his early twenties he was ordained and entered the service of Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria. He accompanied the bishop to the first ecumenical council of the church at Nicaea in 325 when, among other matters, the heresy of Arianism, which promoted the idea that Jesus was not God, was first condemned.
In 326, Alexander died and two years later Athanasius was selected to be the new bishop of Alexandria. It was at this time that his career as a persistent defender of the faith began. His first opponent was Melitius, a fellow bishop, who believed that it was wrong for the church to welcome back those who had apostatized. Athanasius triumphed in this struggle through a righteous and dogmatic campaign. His greatest nemesis, however, was the Arians, who although condemned, continued to grow and attract many to their theological perspective. In fact, the number of Arians was so great that Saint Jerome, the original translator of the scriptures into Latin (the Vulgate), once wrote, "The world awoke and found itself Arian."
Between 335-366, Athanasius, one of the few bishops in the eastern church who held the orthodox faith, was exiled on five different occasions for a total of seventeen years. Trumped-up charges, false testimony, and the events of the day combined to work against him, but each time Athanasius returned from exile he was that much more determined to defend the true faith. During his exiles he wrote many important treatises, including The Life of Antony, a biography of Antony of the Desert, one of the first desert monks and a precursor to monastic life. Through tenacity, perseverance, and the fact that he was able to outlive almost all his opponents, Athanasius, in the end, was able to prevail. He died in 373, living his last seven years in relative peace. His greatest triumph came, however, in 381 at the Council of Constantinople when the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which contains the tenets of the faith Athanasius so staunchly defended, was written and accepted. It was a testimony to Athanasius' persistence and dedication that he triumphed, became a saint, and inherited eternal life.
Saint Athanasius' life stands as an example of the scriptural exhortation to be persistent in what we do in order to receive the gift of salvation. He stood against the tide that sought his demise. These were, as Paul describes them, "enemies of the cross of Christ." The bishop did as Paul suggests to the Philippians today, that is, to stand firm in the Lord. We are called to do the same.
Paul wrote his letter to the Christian community at Philippi from prison around the year 50 during his second missionary journey. He told the Philippians that they must imitate him as he imitates Christ. Like Jesus, Paul has suffered greatly in numerous ways. He had suffered much physical adversity -- imprisonment, beatings, and the need to flee from his enemies. Later he was shipwrecked and eventually martyred. He was forced to endure rejection by his peers, from both the Jewish and Christian sides; neither group seemed to trust him. In today's lesson, he spoke of those who are "enemies of the cross of Christ." Most scripture scholars believe he was referring to the Judaizers, a group of very religious, orthodox, and politically conservative Jewish Christians who believed that complete adherence to the Mosaic Law was necessary for converts to the "new way" of Jesus. This adversity was primary in Paul's mind at the time. He stated that their god is their belly and their glory their shame. Like Jesus, Paul stood against the tide and was willing to endure pain and suffering as long as the true word was being proclaimed. As he (or a Pauline author) wrote to his friend Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1c-2): "I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching."
After exhorting the Philippians to be persistent in what they do, he encourages them to keep focused on the prize, the light at the end of the tunnel. One must live, Paul suggests, not on the level of the world, that of the Judaizers, but on a higher plateau. The Philippians are to focus their attention on their citizenship in heaven. As the apostle states, "So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are of the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2). Paul wants the community to keep its priorities straight and not be fooled by false doctrines nor transfixed by the world. No, if they keep their lives focused on Christ, then Jesus will transform them into his likeness. He concludes his words through the challenge to stand firm in the Lord. Paul certainly realizes that this is a difficult proposition, but there is a reward. Again, as he or his disciple wrote in the pastoral epistles: "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful -- for he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:11b-13).
The challenge that Paul presented to the Philippians is still present today, only its manifestations have changed. The forces allied against Christianity today are multiple and significant and they come in various forms of darkness. The darkness of ignorance is persistent. We might think with all the advancement in human knowledge, especially the almost unbelievable strides made in technology through the "information superhighway," that there is nothing that humankind does not know. The reality, however, is that we will never know everything and we should not presume as individuals or a community to think we have all the answers. We live in the darkness of arrogance; it is almost pervasive in our society. While it is extremely important to put our best foot forward, to promote our accomplishments, especially in the highly competitive nature of our contemporary twenty-first-century society, we often tend to go too far. We exalt our name, position, or accomplishments to the detriment of others. We become exclusive, in ideas, attitude, and action.
Arrogance can be deadly in the way it kills others' ideas and hopes. The darkness of intolerance is also quite strong today. Business, in fact, every realm of society today, mandates that we perform. We are to do the job well, rapidly, and responsibly; error is almost not acceptable. We forget our humanness and expect others to perform flawlessly. We become intolerant of anything save the best. Certainly we need to strive to do the best we can, but errors of omission and commission are endemic to humanity. We must accept them. Consumerism shadows us in darkness as well. The more things we have the more important we feel and the more accepted we will be to others. Thus, we will only be satisfied with the best and the brightest, the newest and most advanced, when something much simpler, less expensive, and not as flashy would do just as well, if not better. The world is bogged down in the darkness of individualism; the common good has become lost. The priority is me and my needs; the needs of others, individually or communally, always takes second or lower priority. Too often today, people believe the error of sin has taken flight. We live in a pervasive world where one often hears, "I will do 'my own thing.' " People speak and act as if anything goes so long as we don't hurt others or get caught.
In general, secularism seeks to push the sacred away from the light. God is asked to take second place to the world. We concentrate on the here and now; any energies placed toward our external existence with God seem to have no priority. We seem to be foolish to some. But, if we should entertain such thoughts, we can take consolation in an apocryphal story about the Renaissance master, Leonardo da Vinci. When he had completed his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, da Vinci went to a nearby tavern to celebrate the event with his friends. While in conversation and sipping a little of the local wine, Leonardo noticed that many in the tavern were making sport of an ugly fool who made his living going from tavern to tavern, entertaining patrons for a spare coin or a crust of bread. This man truly was an ugly person; he seemed to be more a troll than a man. His small beady eyes were not centered in his oversized head. His ears were like cauliflower and his nose was as large as a gourd, with an ugly mole on its tip. His mouth and jaw were locked in a perpetual grimace.
As those in the tavern continued to mock the fool, a contentious rival artist hurled a challenge to the great da Vinci. "You are a master," said the man, "can you make in paint a beauty of this ugly fool?" Leonardo could not avoid the challenge, to do so would forever place him in doubt with his followers. "Why not?" responded Leonardo. "If I can paint the most beautiful woman in the world in my Mona Lisa, then I can certainly make an Adonis of this ugly fool. Return here tonight at the call of vespers and I will reveal the work I have done." Leonardo had little time, far less than normal for such a project, so he began in earnest.
Several hours later, the bell in the cathedral church rang for vespers and the crowd began to assemble at the tavern. It was filled to overflowing; it seemed that the whole city of Florence had heard about the challenge and had come to see what the master had accomplished. Leonardo stood before his new painting, which was covered by a curtain, and called for quiet. Patrons continued to murmur: "What would the painting reveal? Would the fool's eyes now be blue and centered in his face? Would his nose be noble and Roman? Would his lips be gentle but firm? Would his large ears now be petite and soft?" When the noise subsided Leonardo called out, "Behold my masterpiece!" He slowly withdrew the curtain to reveal his work; the crowd held its breath. The painting was an exact image of the ugly fool -- not one hair or expression was out of place. The silence in the tavern was deafening. The rival artist cried out, "The ugly fool was too much of a challenge, even for the great Leonardo da Vinci." "Not so," responded Leonardo. Then pointing to the face of the fool he said, "This face was painted by the hand of God and only a fool would dare presume to change or replace the work of the Master." Leonardo da Vinci had used a fool to shame the proud. If we are not careful, God may do the same with us.
This reality is presented forcefully by Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God" (1:27-29).
While the reality of darkness is present, we have the solution; his name is Jesus. John the Baptist heralded him, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b). Jesus was the light who came to dispel the sin, the darkness, of our world. We must place our hope and faith in the Lord, confident as he promised, "In the world you [will] face persecution. But take courage; I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33b).
Christianity calls us to stand against the forces which threaten the message of Jesus. The Lord warned us that this would be our lot. He was rejected. The prologue of Saint John's Gospel sets the stage for Jesus' cross: "He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him" (1:11). The forces, enemies of the cross of Christ, were allied against him. Jesus told his disciples, and through them all of us, that we might be betrayed by our brothers and sisters, "but the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22b). Yes, we have the solution to darkness and the one who can help us to stand firm; his name is Jesus.
It is true -- our adversaries are strong, but we must be stronger. We must use the weapons available to fight the darkness of the world. We must be people of true prayer; it must be nonnegotiable in our life. If prayer is central, we can keep our focus on Christ. We must use the community of faith to assist us as well. The community must make the commitment, as individuals and a collective, to seek out the lost, guide the wayward, and provide support to fight the battles we all face. We must seek guidance from the scriptures and use them as our rule of life. In short, as Paul suggests in a later passage in Philippians: "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (6:11).
Lent is a period when the darkness of winter gives way, day-by-day, to the light of spring. We are on a trip from darkness to light. At the end of the journey is Jesus, the light that dispels the darkness of our world. As our journey continues, therefore, let us keep our priorities straight, keep our focus on Jesus, and through these stand firm in the Lord. Our reward in heaven will be great.
In 326, Alexander died and two years later Athanasius was selected to be the new bishop of Alexandria. It was at this time that his career as a persistent defender of the faith began. His first opponent was Melitius, a fellow bishop, who believed that it was wrong for the church to welcome back those who had apostatized. Athanasius triumphed in this struggle through a righteous and dogmatic campaign. His greatest nemesis, however, was the Arians, who although condemned, continued to grow and attract many to their theological perspective. In fact, the number of Arians was so great that Saint Jerome, the original translator of the scriptures into Latin (the Vulgate), once wrote, "The world awoke and found itself Arian."
Between 335-366, Athanasius, one of the few bishops in the eastern church who held the orthodox faith, was exiled on five different occasions for a total of seventeen years. Trumped-up charges, false testimony, and the events of the day combined to work against him, but each time Athanasius returned from exile he was that much more determined to defend the true faith. During his exiles he wrote many important treatises, including The Life of Antony, a biography of Antony of the Desert, one of the first desert monks and a precursor to monastic life. Through tenacity, perseverance, and the fact that he was able to outlive almost all his opponents, Athanasius, in the end, was able to prevail. He died in 373, living his last seven years in relative peace. His greatest triumph came, however, in 381 at the Council of Constantinople when the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which contains the tenets of the faith Athanasius so staunchly defended, was written and accepted. It was a testimony to Athanasius' persistence and dedication that he triumphed, became a saint, and inherited eternal life.
Saint Athanasius' life stands as an example of the scriptural exhortation to be persistent in what we do in order to receive the gift of salvation. He stood against the tide that sought his demise. These were, as Paul describes them, "enemies of the cross of Christ." The bishop did as Paul suggests to the Philippians today, that is, to stand firm in the Lord. We are called to do the same.
Paul wrote his letter to the Christian community at Philippi from prison around the year 50 during his second missionary journey. He told the Philippians that they must imitate him as he imitates Christ. Like Jesus, Paul has suffered greatly in numerous ways. He had suffered much physical adversity -- imprisonment, beatings, and the need to flee from his enemies. Later he was shipwrecked and eventually martyred. He was forced to endure rejection by his peers, from both the Jewish and Christian sides; neither group seemed to trust him. In today's lesson, he spoke of those who are "enemies of the cross of Christ." Most scripture scholars believe he was referring to the Judaizers, a group of very religious, orthodox, and politically conservative Jewish Christians who believed that complete adherence to the Mosaic Law was necessary for converts to the "new way" of Jesus. This adversity was primary in Paul's mind at the time. He stated that their god is their belly and their glory their shame. Like Jesus, Paul stood against the tide and was willing to endure pain and suffering as long as the true word was being proclaimed. As he (or a Pauline author) wrote to his friend Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1c-2): "I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching."
After exhorting the Philippians to be persistent in what they do, he encourages them to keep focused on the prize, the light at the end of the tunnel. One must live, Paul suggests, not on the level of the world, that of the Judaizers, but on a higher plateau. The Philippians are to focus their attention on their citizenship in heaven. As the apostle states, "So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are of the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2). Paul wants the community to keep its priorities straight and not be fooled by false doctrines nor transfixed by the world. No, if they keep their lives focused on Christ, then Jesus will transform them into his likeness. He concludes his words through the challenge to stand firm in the Lord. Paul certainly realizes that this is a difficult proposition, but there is a reward. Again, as he or his disciple wrote in the pastoral epistles: "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful -- for he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:11b-13).
The challenge that Paul presented to the Philippians is still present today, only its manifestations have changed. The forces allied against Christianity today are multiple and significant and they come in various forms of darkness. The darkness of ignorance is persistent. We might think with all the advancement in human knowledge, especially the almost unbelievable strides made in technology through the "information superhighway," that there is nothing that humankind does not know. The reality, however, is that we will never know everything and we should not presume as individuals or a community to think we have all the answers. We live in the darkness of arrogance; it is almost pervasive in our society. While it is extremely important to put our best foot forward, to promote our accomplishments, especially in the highly competitive nature of our contemporary twenty-first-century society, we often tend to go too far. We exalt our name, position, or accomplishments to the detriment of others. We become exclusive, in ideas, attitude, and action.
Arrogance can be deadly in the way it kills others' ideas and hopes. The darkness of intolerance is also quite strong today. Business, in fact, every realm of society today, mandates that we perform. We are to do the job well, rapidly, and responsibly; error is almost not acceptable. We forget our humanness and expect others to perform flawlessly. We become intolerant of anything save the best. Certainly we need to strive to do the best we can, but errors of omission and commission are endemic to humanity. We must accept them. Consumerism shadows us in darkness as well. The more things we have the more important we feel and the more accepted we will be to others. Thus, we will only be satisfied with the best and the brightest, the newest and most advanced, when something much simpler, less expensive, and not as flashy would do just as well, if not better. The world is bogged down in the darkness of individualism; the common good has become lost. The priority is me and my needs; the needs of others, individually or communally, always takes second or lower priority. Too often today, people believe the error of sin has taken flight. We live in a pervasive world where one often hears, "I will do 'my own thing.' " People speak and act as if anything goes so long as we don't hurt others or get caught.
In general, secularism seeks to push the sacred away from the light. God is asked to take second place to the world. We concentrate on the here and now; any energies placed toward our external existence with God seem to have no priority. We seem to be foolish to some. But, if we should entertain such thoughts, we can take consolation in an apocryphal story about the Renaissance master, Leonardo da Vinci. When he had completed his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, da Vinci went to a nearby tavern to celebrate the event with his friends. While in conversation and sipping a little of the local wine, Leonardo noticed that many in the tavern were making sport of an ugly fool who made his living going from tavern to tavern, entertaining patrons for a spare coin or a crust of bread. This man truly was an ugly person; he seemed to be more a troll than a man. His small beady eyes were not centered in his oversized head. His ears were like cauliflower and his nose was as large as a gourd, with an ugly mole on its tip. His mouth and jaw were locked in a perpetual grimace.
As those in the tavern continued to mock the fool, a contentious rival artist hurled a challenge to the great da Vinci. "You are a master," said the man, "can you make in paint a beauty of this ugly fool?" Leonardo could not avoid the challenge, to do so would forever place him in doubt with his followers. "Why not?" responded Leonardo. "If I can paint the most beautiful woman in the world in my Mona Lisa, then I can certainly make an Adonis of this ugly fool. Return here tonight at the call of vespers and I will reveal the work I have done." Leonardo had little time, far less than normal for such a project, so he began in earnest.
Several hours later, the bell in the cathedral church rang for vespers and the crowd began to assemble at the tavern. It was filled to overflowing; it seemed that the whole city of Florence had heard about the challenge and had come to see what the master had accomplished. Leonardo stood before his new painting, which was covered by a curtain, and called for quiet. Patrons continued to murmur: "What would the painting reveal? Would the fool's eyes now be blue and centered in his face? Would his nose be noble and Roman? Would his lips be gentle but firm? Would his large ears now be petite and soft?" When the noise subsided Leonardo called out, "Behold my masterpiece!" He slowly withdrew the curtain to reveal his work; the crowd held its breath. The painting was an exact image of the ugly fool -- not one hair or expression was out of place. The silence in the tavern was deafening. The rival artist cried out, "The ugly fool was too much of a challenge, even for the great Leonardo da Vinci." "Not so," responded Leonardo. Then pointing to the face of the fool he said, "This face was painted by the hand of God and only a fool would dare presume to change or replace the work of the Master." Leonardo da Vinci had used a fool to shame the proud. If we are not careful, God may do the same with us.
This reality is presented forcefully by Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God" (1:27-29).
While the reality of darkness is present, we have the solution; his name is Jesus. John the Baptist heralded him, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b). Jesus was the light who came to dispel the sin, the darkness, of our world. We must place our hope and faith in the Lord, confident as he promised, "In the world you [will] face persecution. But take courage; I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33b).
Christianity calls us to stand against the forces which threaten the message of Jesus. The Lord warned us that this would be our lot. He was rejected. The prologue of Saint John's Gospel sets the stage for Jesus' cross: "He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him" (1:11). The forces, enemies of the cross of Christ, were allied against him. Jesus told his disciples, and through them all of us, that we might be betrayed by our brothers and sisters, "but the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22b). Yes, we have the solution to darkness and the one who can help us to stand firm; his name is Jesus.
It is true -- our adversaries are strong, but we must be stronger. We must use the weapons available to fight the darkness of the world. We must be people of true prayer; it must be nonnegotiable in our life. If prayer is central, we can keep our focus on Christ. We must use the community of faith to assist us as well. The community must make the commitment, as individuals and a collective, to seek out the lost, guide the wayward, and provide support to fight the battles we all face. We must seek guidance from the scriptures and use them as our rule of life. In short, as Paul suggests in a later passage in Philippians: "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (6:11).
Lent is a period when the darkness of winter gives way, day-by-day, to the light of spring. We are on a trip from darkness to light. At the end of the journey is Jesus, the light that dispels the darkness of our world. As our journey continues, therefore, let us keep our priorities straight, keep our focus on Jesus, and through these stand firm in the Lord. Our reward in heaven will be great.
