The Pharisee and the Publican

This morning I had the great pleasure of celebrating Holy Communion using the service from the 1789 Book of Common Prayer (at St. Paul's in Virginia City). The town is celebrating local heritage days and we wanted to participate by conducting a service as close to what Bishop Tuttle and the early pioneers in Virginia City would have experienced.

I celebrated in Cassock, Surplice, and Preaching Scarf (i.e. Tippet) and preached a sermon using my closest approximation of a mid-19th century preaching style as I could (without going on waxing eloquently for an hour or more). I transferred the Gospel from the 1789 propers for the day (Luke 18:9ff)

Unfortunately, I did not have a camera operator at Trinity, so if you want to know what I talked about, I am attaching a copy of my sermon. It was delivered as written, at St. Paul's,while I delivered it more "off-the-cuff" at Trinty.

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Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

(1789 PB service)

Delivered by the Rev’d Keith Axberg, Rector of Trinity Church (Jeffers) and St. Paul’s Church (Virginia City) on the occasion of the annual commemoration known as the Victorian Gala Weekend.

“Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others.” Luke xviii. 9

My dear friends,

We find ourselves this morning confronted by the most terrible news – that we are sinners in need of redemption.

This may come as a great surprise to some, whilst to others the news will ring as ever so true. For them that know the truth of it, there can be only grief and sorrow, whilst for the rest, the only comfort to which they might affix their souls is to be found in the vast expanse of their ignorance.

It would be as if they happened to travel into the hills upon a fine summer’s day, thereupon to enjoy a fine and pleasant repast – a picnic set upon the verdant hills of God’s glorious creation – that very creation bearing constant and daily witness to the might and majesty of God; it would be as if they found their spot and spread their cloth and made ready to make their feast in quiet and genial comfort.

Imagine then, if you will, a nest of rattlesnakes hidden behind a stone – beside which that quaint troop of picnickers has made their camp. The danger is at hand, but they know it not. They spread their cloth in preparation for a feast of their own making, upon a ground of their own choosing, and with only a desire to eat, drink, and make merry.

What more could one ever want?

And yet, I tell you, in the midst of their merriment, terror would seize upon them if they knew the dangers of the vipers’ den hidden momentarily from their view.

They are at ease, I tell you, not because of their size or strength, nor by the cunning of their minds nor the sharpness of their wits, but because they live in complete ignorance of the mortal danger in which they have placed themselves, having set camp upon the stoop of the rattlers’ home.

It is truly said that much confidence and bravado is to be found in lacking awareness of just how perilous is the plight in which one finds oneself!

(More Commonly put: Ignorance is Bliss!)

It is we to whom Jesus speaks when he warns against trusting in one’s own righteousness, or when one deigns to judge one’s neighbor; despising them for their manner of living, or their failure to exhibit the same level of grace to which we presume ourselves to have been blessed by God, and for which we give thanks to that self-same God under the curse of our ignorant imaginings, or arrogant pride.

It is for that reason we ought to begin each day with the recitation of the Decalogue – the Ten Great Commandments – for they serve as the foundation of our Covenant with Thou Great Jehovah.  They are a “lamp unto thy feet, and a light unto thy path.” Psalm cxix. 105

But are they enough? Do these laws truly aid and assist us in our walk? Are they sufficient for us, to bring us to salvation and the beatific presence of almighty God in the age yet to come?

Let us look and listen more closely to what our Lord and Savior has to say upon this matter, for he speaketh with great wisdom and insight into not only the blessed nature and character of his God and Father, but into the crass and baser nature of our own humanity – out of which we cry forth in agony as them that know-not-only the peril in which they find themselves, but the peril of the viper’s bite, and the poisonous venom which maketh them sick, even to the point of death.

Now some here may deign to protest that I speak too harshly. Surely our peril cannot be all that great! We are a good people; we are honest and hard-working. When we see people in need, our hearts break and we give forth generously of our time and talent that their pain and suffering may be quickly relieved. We make our way into God’s church on every Sabbath we are able, and when we cannot, we light candles, read our bibles, and offer prayers to God as oft as we think we have need. We say Grace at our meals, and we do not let the sun go down upon our anger – at least not towards those whom we love.

We consider all these great, wondrous, and magnanimous things we do and in so doing, we begin to wonder if, perchance, we are as bad off as this preacher seemeth to think – and that is whence the snake has struck – for we begin to presume upon our innocence, and in so doing, we place God himself under our judgment: Who art thou (we ask) that thou shouldst judge my life and my manner of living?

Them that think like that are like young Miss Vainglory, a seminary pupil, friend, and peer. She and I were classmates in the Vancouver School of Theology and perchance found ourselves discussing the merits of the Law of Moses (in general) and the Ten Commandments (in particular). We were under the care and tutelage of The Rev’d Dr. Lloyd Gaston, Professor of New Testament Studies.

Ms. Vainglory made claim that she found no difficulty living in accordance with the Ten Commandments, and that like St. Paul of old, she had followed them in complete obedience from her youth. Professor Gaston perceived an opportunity for what is colloquially known as a “teachable moment” and made a request to inquire further and know better the manner of her holy living.

“You have obeyed the commands of God perfectly from your youth?” he enquired, and she assured him he had. She was honest, faithful, and had no desire to take or have what belonged to others.

Pressing her further, he asked her yet another question: “How about the command to honor the Sabbath, and to keep it holy? Have you been faithful to that as well?” he asked.

And she replied yet again in the affirmative. “I have gone to church every Sunday and done all that the Lord requires.”

At that, Professor Gatson pounced. With eyes afire, he asked yet one more question: “Yes, but the Sabbath; what about the Sabbath? Sunday is the Lord’s Day; it is the First Day of the Week whereupon we celebrate and commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How about the Sabbath – the day we commonly call ‘Saturday’? Are you saying you do no labor on THAT day? Are you saying you devote that day to the Lord; taking care to do no labor, to make no meals, to wash no dishes, to wipe no spills, to feed no pets, to do no travel? Is that what I am to understand you to say?”

Like the cat upon the mouse, Professor Gaston had his prey firmly in hand – or in paw. Like the Pharisee in the temple, Miss Vainglory had trusted in her own righteousness. She had trusted in her own integrity. She had trusted in her own goodness and, truth be known, like most seminarians who go on to become people of the Cloth, she was not an evil person. She was, in fact, quite good and godly, and there-in lay the trap.

Placing confidence in her goodness, she lost sight of her need for God’s grace; therefore, “every one that exalteth himself shall be abased …” saith the Lord!

So, what should we do? Can we not do good and still remain humble in acknowledging our supreme need for God’s grace and salvation?

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would say, “Yes! Most assuredly, Yes!”

And in His “Yes” is to be found our Good News.

Let me assure you it is possible to be both good and humble – for salvation is a gift from God. It is not a reward for a life lived well (as we define “well”), but a gift that enables the blessed recipient to live life well and in accordance with the purposes for which we have been called by God.

Let me clarify and explain this matter, if I may.

I had perchance an opportunity this Tuesday past to travel north to visit the Lewis and Clark Caverns near Whitehall. My brother and his wife had come to visit us and espying the roadside placard advertising said attraction they besought us, saying, “Verily we would like to see the local Caverns, and would be most pleased if thou wouldst accompany us on our journey and adventure.”

This my wife and I were most wont to do; hence, we made our way north, and arrived at our destination fully eager to explore yon caves and caverns. Paying our fees, we awaited our guide who sent us forth from the visitor center up the rampart-trail – along which we walked for some 30 or 40 minutes, arriving in complete exhaustion, and raggéd of breath.

Once the entire company had arrived at the appointed place – the mouth of the deep, dark caverns – the depths of which we had intended to explore, we (and all those in our company of fitness-challenged souls) were given a chance to turn back from our appointment with fate; but each was disinclined to drop out, preferring the uncertainty of what lay ahead to the certainty of the shame one would feel in faltering (having come thus far). So into the darkness – we sallied forth!

Marching from sunlight into the cave was a terrifying experience. There were no monsters or Ogres of which to be afraid, but not being able to see the ground upon which one walked, not being able to perceive the direction or slope of the earth and stone beneath our feet – that was a disconcerting and disorienting experience. Prisoners of the dark, we made our descent in shuffling steps, hoping and praying our fate would not be that of the late great Humpty Dumpty!

As our eyes became accustomed to the dark, we perceived there were dim lights available to be seen from place to place. One young lad had shoes that blinked with each step he took, and it was my most earnest desire to keep mine eyes transfixed on him (for the scriptures assure us that “a little child shall lead them”), but it was impossible as too many people were interposed between us.

Step by step we made our way lower and lower into the earth, grasping at handholds and rails. We stopped from time to time to hear the stories of ancient waters, oozing minerals, and the many sundry features to which we were being exposed along the way of our descent.

And as we made our way further and further into the earth, I could not help but take notice of a young couple, who were heavy laden with an infant child. Over the course of our journey, the child was held snug and secure in the warm embrace of mother and father, who shared her back and forth.

She had no knowledge of where she was going, but neither did she have fear on the journey, for she was safe and secure in the arms of those who loved her. She did no labor on this journey, except to breathe. Her mother and her father: they labored for her. They carried her forth from level to level; from entrance to exit. They followed the voice of their guide and proceeded by the light in which we mortals walked.

We who walk in darkness have seen a great light – and we walk by that light. We did not create that light. We did not produce that light. But we move forward trusting that the light will guide us forward, and believing that all will be well.

The LAW is our light, but we travel this life held snug in the arms of God our Father – of Christ, our Brother – and of God’s Holy Spirit, who yearns to gather us beneath her wings like a Mother Hen (her chicks).

Like the child in the arms of her mother, we look to God – who is our strength and redeemer. We acknowledge that we have stumbled, and that our way at times is dark, and our steps uncertain. Yet we move ever forward, thanking God for the light He has given us, and the humility in knowing that we have not done anything of our own accord, but in accordance with God’s very own grace and wishes.

As we reached our exit, we awaited our guide – like the publican who stood afar off from the altar and bewailed his manifold wickedness. Alone and in the dark, we would never have gotten to where we found ourselves, and yet our guide had mercy on us. Except to move forward, we had accomplished no great feat of strength or courage. We had simply stayed together and followed the One who knew the way; and upon arriving at our destination, he threw open the door, that the glory of God might shine in, and that we might step forward into the brightness of his presence!

We shielded our eyes from the brightness of the afternoon sun and experienced the warm kiss of that sun upon our face, and we knew …

We knew for certain:

121:¹  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

² My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

³ He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber …

 ⁷ The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

⁸ The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:1-3 King James Version (KJV)

From beginning to end, this is the work of God – and not of us, lest we boast. And for that reason we, like the publican in the Lord’s Parable, humble ourselves before God.

In the beginning, I told you the terrible truth that we are sinners in need of redemption, but I leave you with the very God News that it is God who redeems; it is God who holds us tight in the everlasting arms of his love, and who carries us forth from this world into the next.

In the words of St. Paul: “It is not I, but the grace of God with me.” If we have any exaltation in our lives, verily it is only as we live in the humility of that truth.

Praise be to God. AMEN!