The Collect for the Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany
O God, Who knows us to be in the middle of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle, Romans 13:1-7
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.
Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.
The Holy Gospel of St Matthew 8:23-34
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from St Paul’s Epistle to the Romans Chapter 13, Verses 1-7.
In this portion of his Epistle St Paul gives a strong exhortation to the Roman Christians to obey the Ruler and the civil laws that exist, in this case, the Roman Emperor and his judicial structure.
This question of obedience was a facet of life that the Roman Christians were well aware of, and had a keen interest in, as it involved the payment of taxes and the ability to pursue freedom of worship.
St Paul begins his exhortation to obey the civil law:
“1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
St Paul makes a very strong command, declaring that the Roman Authorities exist by the will of God and that disobedience of the civil law is disobedience to God, Who has appointed those authorities to rule.
The appointment of rulers by God can be a very difficult issue to understand as there have been, at times, rulers whose rule was not in the best interests of their people.
It is my belief that God can chasten a nation by giving it rulers whose rule is difficult to endure. It is also my belief that God will, in due time remove all rulers who abuse their power and place undue burdens on their people.
St Paul then tells his readers that they have nothing to fear from the authorities, currently in power, if they are diligent to keep the civil law.
St Paul also warns that the ruler’s officers, who enforce the law, do not carry swords for show, but to use them should the need arise by way of civil unrest or seditious rebellion. In other words St Paul tells his readers that if they break the law in a serious manner they should expect to be punished, even put to death:
"3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong."
"Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."
St Paul concludes our Epistle Reading by commanding the Roman Christians, and us, that the payment of taxes and other civil levies is a duty, not only to the government but is also an obligation to God, Who has set that government in place.
St Paul also instructs his readers to give respect and honour to government officials and to the Head of State, who is God’s servant, chosen to oversee the government of a nation.
“6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.”
May God give us His Grace to respect and honour our government, and our leaders as representatives set in place by God and always to obey, as best we can, the laws that our government has enacted to provide us with peace and security. Amen
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St Matthew Chapter 8, Verses 23-34.
This portion of his Holy Gospel St John records two remarkable events in the Ministry of the Lord Jesus, the stilling of the storm, and the healing of two demon possessed men from the Gadarene area.
The Lord Jesus had just delivered His Sermon on the Mount and sought to remove Himself from the crowd of people that pressed upon Him. No doubt the Lord Jesus needed time alone with His disciples to rest and refresh Himself.
The Lord Jesus, obviously tired, quickly went to sleep in the boat.
No sooner had the voyage began than a furious storm came upon the lake:
“23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
The Disciples believed that the boat was about to be swamped by the waves and panic stricken they woke the Lord Jesus to beg for His assistance:
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
It is quite possible that some of the Disciples could not swim.
The Lord Jesus responded to their pleas as a father might respond to a child asking for help.
The Lord Jesus gave the Disciples a gentle rebuke asking why they were afraid. God was not going to let His only Begotten Son, and His close Disciples, drown at sea:
“26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
The Lord Jesus then performed a mighty Miracle that showed His Absolute Authority over the physical world that He had created, in this instance the sea, and the wind :
"Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."
The Disciples reacted with pure astonishment. They were amazed at what they had just seen.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
It is obvious that the Disciples did not fully comprehend, at this time in their Discipleship, the Divine Nature, Power, and Authority that was inherent in the Lord Jesus.
They did not understand that the Lord Jesus was God incarnate.
St Matthew continued his narrative, with the safe completion of the voyage, and the arrival in the land of the Gadarenes.
As soon as they had arrived at the shore they were met by two demon possessed men. These two men lived in among the tombs, as they had no doubt been banished from every village or thoroughfare due to their ferocious and violent behaviour:
"28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way."
As soon as the demons within the two men saw the Lord Jesus they instantly recognised Him as the Holy Son of God.
"29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
The demons, having recognised the Lord Jesus ask Him “have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
This question shows us that Satan and his demons were fully aware that the Lord Jesus’ coming into the world signified that the last days of the world’s history had begun, and that the Great Day of God’s Judgement was drawing near.
The Great Day of Judgement will see Satan and his evil demons cast into the burning Lake of Fire for eternity.
Satan and his demons have some knowledge of the future, however they did not know of God’s Great Plan of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Only after the Lord Jesus’ Death and Resurrection did Satan know that he and his demons had been utterly defeated and doomed to Eternal Punishment. All that he could do was to wait for the Great day of Judgement for the sentence to be carried out.
The demons that were within the two Gadarene men begged the Lord Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs after he drove them out of the men:
“30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
It is most likely that this area of the Gadarenes was populated by many Gentiles, some of whom owned the herd of pigs.
Jews were forbidden by the Law of Moses from owning and eating pigs.
The Lord Jesus grants the demon's request:
“32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.”
The herdsmen who were tending the pigs fled from the scene and hurried to report the incident to the townspeople, and no doubt to report to the owners of the pigs, the destruction of their herd.
The townspeople respond to the news of the driving out of the demons into the herd of pigs, and the herd’s subsequent destruction, by imploring the Lord Jesus to leave their region:
“33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.”
It is more than possible that the request to the Lord Jesus to leave their region was motivated by economic factors.
The town’s merchants no doubt mad a handsome profit from selling pigs, and pig meat products. As the Gadarene area was surrounded by Jewish settlement areas, pigs and pig products would not have been easy to obtain and would have to be sourced from further away, at a greatly increased cost.
Also there may have been Jewish people working in the region's pig industry, in violation of the Law of Moses, and they would not have wanted the Lord Jesus to expose them.
The healing of the two demon-possessed men seems to have been pushed aside and the loss of the herd of pigs appears to be the main issue with the townspeople.
Let us give thanks to God for the coming of the Lord Jesus and for the revelation of His Divine Power and Authority, given by St Matthew.
Also let us always give thanks to God for His Gift of the Holy Gospel, and to remember that we who are clothed in the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus, have His Divine Power and His Mighty Holy Spirit to protect and defend us forever. Amen.
Bishop Ian