We interrupt today's streaming through Galatians for another piece that caused some reflection as I read it. Especially as we are reading about works of the law and faith. It is from Robert Farrar Capon. Don't be frightened by Farrar's use of a few Latin phrases (which he always translates within the same sentence) or the fact that he tried to write this chapter of his book in old English as though, as he puts it, John Donne may have done! It is a comment on the parable of the Pharisee & the Publican. Remember, the two are in the temple and the Pharisee is thanking God and in his thanking he adds that he is not like that Publican. On the other hand, the Publican is bowing his head and asking for God's mercy as he is a sinner. To which Jesus says that "this man (publican) went down to his house justified.
Christ alone saith to you of this Publican, descendit hic justificatus in domum suam, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. Not that they did not stand in an equalitie before God; though neither knew it, for it was an equalitie in death. Mortui enim estis, saith the Scripture to them both; ye are dead, in a death, in a deadnesse from which, by your own power ye shall never rise; and your life is hidde with Christ in God. The hour cometh, said Christ, when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that heare shall live. So it is now that voyce, that verbum verbi which speaketh to you; but it is onely the dead that heare it and live. Not the Pharisee, feigning life by a wisome of words; not we by our clamourous protestations of harmlessnesse; but only the Publican, by his confession of that extremetie from which he cannot of himselfe return. Onely of him is this descendit hic justificatus spoken; he alone goes down justified, because he alone acknowledgeth the foolishnesse and weaknesse of his case, that he is but granum frumenti, a grain of wheat fallen into the ground and dead.
Hopefully you endured this reading. We are brought into new life by the power of God alone. It is from death to life. Only the dead hear it and live. Only those who count on nothing but that voice that resounds through all time taste this life. Only through trusting in this word of forgiveness, identification as beloved of God, & counting on God's unending mercy and unconditional grace do we go home - justified. And it is the motion of our lives. Set free - see just-as-if we were indeed God's beloved makes us rise from the death in which we spend so much time and enter into the life where death does not rule over us.
Connection: Begin this day by emerging from this home. Begin this day knowing we are dead - no way to make any other story work. Begin this day trusting that God alone gives us the day - to live!
Author of life, let your word come alive among us that we may each find the moments of our day to be opportunities to dance within your gracious embrace. To life! Amen
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