DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Saint Luke 20:1-8 (11/30-12/13) Wednesday of the
Twenty-eighth Week after Pentecost
Rights vs. Repentance: Saint Luke 20:1-8, especially
vss. 5, 6: “And they reasoned
among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, From
heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, From
men, all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a
prophet.’” In describing how the Lord Jesus’ ministry began,
Saint Luke provides none of the Christ’s actual words until His visit to
His hometown synagogue at Nazareth (Lk. 4:18). The Evangelist only alludes to our
Lord’s preaching and teaching activities “...through all the surrounding region” of Galilee (Lk. 4:14). The
Evangelist Mark provides a tiny summary of what the Lord actually said:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel”
(Mk. 1:15). Observe that the
message contains two imperatives (two commands), both directed to His hearers:
1) repent and 2) believe in the Gospel.
The present reading reveals that later, just before
Jesus’ arrest, the twin themes of repentance and obedience to the Gospel
still were the primary thrust of the Lord Jesus’ teaching. However, the authority He assumed in
calling men to repent and commit to His Gospel aroused the chief priests, the
scribes, and the elders: “...by what authority are You
doing these things? Or who is he
who gave You this authority?” (Lk. 20:2).
After all, these men themselves were the ‘authorities,’
members of the ruling Council of the People of Israel. They were offended by what they took as
a presumption of legitimacy implied in the Christ’s commands; for He
spoke with confidence, proclaiming a message from God in the precincts of the
national Temple, where, they believed, they themselves were God’s
rightful, designated rulers (Nu. 11:16-17).
Sympathize with these leaders of Israel; for, in their
eyes, Jesus of Nazareth was self-appointed, a layman without credentials, a man
disrupting the rightful commerce in sacrificial animals operated under lawful
permits that they issued (Lk. 19:45). In addition, He was speaking for God in
the Lord’s own Temple for which they were responsible (Lk. 19:47). By
what authority was He doing these things?!
Who gave Him the right to do all these things?!
Notice: the Lord Jesus neither attempted to convince these
leaders of His Divinity nor of His anointing as Messiah. Rather, He returned to the basic
spiritual steps He had proclaimed from the beginning: repentance and obedience
to the Gospel. To the authorities
He posed a fundamental question: “The baptism of John - was it from
heaven or from men?” (Lk. 20:4).
Behind Christ’s question lies a challenge to
repent. The Lord sought to open the
hearts of His interrogators to the Divine call for repentance from Saint John
and from Himself. The Temple
authorities as God-appointed leaders should have acknowledged Saint John as a
Prophet and heeded his call to repent; but, sadly, they were closed even to the
elementary step he offered for their salvation. They would not repent, nor could they
abide believing in Jesus’ Gospel.
Be wary of the tragedy of the Temple authorities:
polarizing rights and repentance is false and needless. Woe to us if we are so preoccupied with
our rights that we are not open to God’s call to “repent and
believe in the Gospel.”
Repentance ever is a call to life, being issued by Life Himself. Hence, Saint Peter of Damascus exhorts
us: “It is always possible to make a new start by means of
repentance. ‘You fell,’
it is written, ‘now arise’ (Pr. 24:16). And if you fall again, then rise again,
without despairing at all of your salvation, no matter what
happens.” We are free now to
renew our Baptism through repentance and confession. Our need in this before God remains
urgent, for without repentance you and I never will be saved!
O Merciful Savior, grant that we may complete the remaining
time of our life in peace and repentance, having a good defense before Thy
fearful judgment seat.
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