Dear brothers and sisters, today we delve into the timeless wisdom of the prophet Isaiah, inspired words of King David, the words of the apostle Paul, and most importantly, the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King.
Today, I’m going to try something a little bit different. I’m going to take a thought from today’s collect and see if I can share how all of our scripture passages relate to that theme.
As an Anglican priest, I generally use an order of church service that we call a liturgy. A liturgy is a formal, prescribed order of worship used in religious ceremonies and public worship services. It typically includes prayers, readings from sacred texts, hymns, and rituals that follow a structured and organized format. Liturgies are common in various Christian denominations and other religious traditions. The words of our liturgy date back to ancient traditions of the first centuries of the Christian church. The use of a liturgy dates back to the earliest worship established from God through Moses.
In the liturgy, a Collect is a short, concise prayer that gathers the intentions of the congregation and presents them to God. The word "collect" comes from the Latin "collecta," meaning "gathered" or "collected." It typically follows a specific structure, beginning with an address to God (often referencing a particular attribute of God), followed by a request or petition, and concluding with an expression of faith in the name of Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. The words of the collect for any Sunday are established in our Book of Common Prayer.
The Collect is usually led by the presiding minister, and the congregation responds with "Amen" at the end, affirming their agreement with the prayer's content. In Christian liturgical traditions, Collects are commonly used in various services. They serve to focus the congregation's thoughts and prayers on a specific theme or intention, unifying their supplications in a brief and powerful manner.
Through our readings today, we will discover the path to putting away hurtful things and turning to Jesus Christ for true healing and security as our collect today ask God to help us with. May the Holy Spirit guide us as we delve into God's Word.
We start with Isaiah 26:1–21 where we find profound instructions on putting away hurtful things and turning to Jesus Christ for healing and transformation:
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter
in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he
trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low,
lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
The foot tramples it, the feet
of the poor, the steps of the needy.”
The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.
In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
O Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
for you have indeed done for us all our works.
O Lord our God, other lords besides you
have ruled over us,
but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
They are dead, they will not live;
they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
and wiped out all remembrance of them.
But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
you have increased the nation;
you are glorified;
you have enlarged all the borders of the land.
O Lord, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.
Like a pregnant woman
who writhes and cries out in her pangs
when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O Lord;
we were pregnant, we writhed,
but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
Your dead shall live;
their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.
This chapter of Isaiah points to the Resurrection, and also the final judgment on those who reject the salvation, that God so graciously offers to those who would repent and follow him. While Isaiah does not specifically name Jesus Christ,
many other sections of the book of Isaiah clearly show that Isaiah is pointing to Jesus Christ as Lord God, even though Isaiah did not know his name. Here are some areas of our reading in Isaiah that related to our theme:
We see this theme continued in our reading today in Psalm 34:
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Glory be, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was, in the beginning, is now, and never shall be, world without end.
Amen.
In this psalm, we are invited to taste and see that the Lord is good. Those who seek refuge in Him are blessed and find safety. By turning to Jesus Christ, we discover a haven where our hurts and anxieties can be soothed. As we draw near to Him in prayer and praise, His presence becomes a shelter that shields us from the storms of life. This psalm offers insight as to how we can avoid things that hurt us through focus on seeking God's protection and guidance, turning away from harmful behaviors and seeking righteousness. By trusting in the Lord and refraining from evil, the psalm suggests that one can find refuge and deliverance from the things that may bring harm or pain.
Essentially, the psalm encourages individuals to align their actions with God's will, which can lead to a path of safety and well-being.
In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul reminds us that through the Holy Spirit, we have become children of God. We are no longer slaves to fear and hurtful desires but are adopted into God's family as co-heirs with Christ. This precious truth empowers us to put away hurtful things and embrace our identity in Christ. The Spirit enables us to cry out, "Abba, Father," assuring us of God's love and acceptance.
In our reading in Matthew, Jesus warns us about false prophets who may lead us astray with harmful teachings. These deceptive voices can instill doubts, fears, and worldly desires in our hearts. When we put away harmful things through the Grace of the Lord, we need to ensure that we do not replace them with other harmful things. False ministers may offer an alluring false gospel message. However, by remaining rooted in Christ and His Word, gained by our own regular study of the Scriptures, we gain discernment to distinguish truth from falsehood. Jesus instructs us to build our lives on the solid foundation of His teachings, safeguarding us from harmful influences.
In the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares two builders—one who listens to His words and obeys them, and another who does not. The one who builds on Christ's teachings stands firm, even during storms.
However, the one who neglects His words faces destruction. This powerful analogy reminds us of the importance of putting away hurtful things and building our lives on Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation.
Putting away hurtful things and turning to Jesus Christ is a transformative journey. May we seek refuge in Him, embrace our identity as God's children, discern truth from falsehood, and obediently build our lives on His teachings.
By doing so, we will find true healing, security, and a flourishing life in Christ.
Let us release the hurtful things that hinder us and instead turn to Jesus Christ, who offers healing, peace, and transformation. May we trust in Him with unwavering faith and surrender to His guidance, walking in the path of righteousness. In doing so, we open ourselves to a life of purpose, love, and eternal joy in the presence of our Lord and Savior. May His grace and love
abound in our hearts now and forever. Amen.