April 6, 2025 – The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Fr. Cal Calhoun
In the Name of God, the God who calls us forth do what we can: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Well, the Apostle Paul has never really been known for his humility. In our reading from Philippians, it seems, he’s at it again. Boasting, that is. You see, there is a disagreement in the early church about whether converts to the way of Jesus needed to become full-fledged Jews, complete with circumcision. It is one thing to circumcise an eight-day old boy, it is another matter to circumcise grown men, especially in the era before antibiotics. The other thing to note here, is that if there were disagreements in the church in Paul’s day…then there have always been disagreements in the church.
It is rather surprising, though, especially given Paul’s lineage and history, which side of this argument he comes down on. Given his strict Jewish heritage, his training and position as a Pharisee, and his zealous persecution of the followers of Jesus, one would likely think he would be a proponent of keeping the law, requiring the conversion, not just of hearts and minds, but of the flesh as well. What he is referring to when he talks about being confident in the flesh is circumcision and how that marks one as Jewish. However, Paul comes down on the other side. He says that we followers of Jesus are saved by our faith in God’s love and grace, not by our adherence to the law. So, why should Gentile converts to the way of Jesus need to be circumcised? It didn’t make sense to him. So interestingly, he uses his lineage and history, his bragging, to argue the other side!
Paul says, “If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” Knowing a little bit about the complexity and impossibility of keeping the law, to call oneself blameless: yeah, that is boasting!
But Paul comes to realize that keeping the law is not what “saves” us, whatever that means. It is faith in Jesus, which is initiated and deepened in us by the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul confesses here, in a surprising moment of humility, that he can’t claim to have it all worked out, to be absolutely certain of his “chooseness.” He says, “I do not consider that I have made it my own.” That is because God saves us, we do not save ourselves. He continues, “Forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” If anyone needed to forget what lies behind, right? It is Paul. He was persecuting the church. Having the early followers of Jesus killed! Dang right, he needs to forget what lies behind.
This is a prime example of what I tried to say two weeks ago about how repentance is for us. We have to be able to move on from our mistakes. We don’t repent to please God, we repent so we can press on toward the goal of the heavenly call of God.
In our Gospel reading this morning, Mary of Bethany, anoints Jesus with the costly nard. Judas objects to the whole thing. Jesus comes to her defense. He seems to be saying, she is doing what she could to try to make a difference. It reminds me of Rara Schlitt’s painting that still needs to be rehung in Hensley Hall with the quote from Mother Teresa: “If you can’t feed 100 people, feed one. Jesus seems to be holding up the concept of “do what you can.” What your resources and your gifts allow you or compel you to do. Do what you can to make a difference. As a community of faith named after the Good Samaritan, we have a special calling to make a difference. Each of us has our own gifts and talents and resources. Our response to our blessings will look different for each one of us, but we are called to do what we can.
In this Holy Season of Lent, as we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem and to the Cross, be mindful that repentance is for us, and that we are meant to repent of those past mistakes and then look forward. As we look forward, there is no reason not to dream big about the difference we can make. We are called to make a difference in the ways that we can. That is discipleship. That is following Jesus. Amen.
Year C – The Fifth Sunday in Lent – April 6, 2025 – The Rev. Cal Calhoun
