Transforming Our Mind To Christ
Sermon
Sermons On The First Readings
Series I, Cycle B
Sir Launfal, a knight errant, methodically checked his list for the third time. He readied everything for his great adventure that would begin tomorrow. His sword was sharp, his shield was polished, and his horse was rested and fed. Finally he knelt down and prayed, "Dear Lord, tomorrow I begin my great quest in your name. Guide me in my search for your Holy Grail, the cup you used when you ate your last meal with your apostles. Make me pure, for only if I am pure will I find your cup."
He fell into a deep sleep and began to dream. In his dream it was the next day and he began his quest. He bid farewell to all at the castle and rode out the gates on his beautiful horse. Just on the other side of the gate, however, a beggar stopped him. "How annoying," thought Sir Launfal. At this high moment he did not want to be bothered by a beggar. Who needed such an interruption in the great quest for the Holy Grail? Disdainfully, the knight flung a penny at the beggar and rode on.
Time, in fact many years, passed in his dream. He looked everywhere for the Holy Grail. He fought many battles but in the process he did not even obtain a glimmer of hope to find the Grail. Sir Launfal was discouraged. He had become an old man and had failed in his quest. He decided to return home. As he arrived at the castle gate, the guard did not recognize him. "No beggars allowed here!" the guard shouted. "Who needs such people anyhow?" The guard then forcefully drove Sir Launfal away. He was dejected; he felt alone. He had been rejected, even by those in his own home.
Finally the knight sat down and pulled the last crust of bread from his pocket. As he began to eat, he noticed a beggar near him. It was the same beggar who had been at the gate so many years ago when he began his quest. Sir Launfal broke the bread in two and gave the beggar half. Then he went to the brook and drew water for them to drink. As they ate and drank from his wooden bowl, Sir Launfal realized that the stale bread tasted as if it was fresh and the water was like fine wine. He turned toward the beggar, but he was gone. In his place was the shining presence of Christ. He heard Jesus say:
Not what we give, but what we share
For the gift without the giver is bare.
Who gives himself with alms feeds three
Himself, his hungry neighbor, and me.
The knight looked down at his wooden bowl. It was no longer there. Instead he held in his hand the Holy Grail. His search was now over.
At that moment Sir Launfal awoke from his dream. It was the next morning and he now knew what to do. There was no need to search for the Holy Grail; it was right in his midst. He only needed to open his eyes and be converted to the mind of Christ and he would find it.
Sir Launfal took a journey to find the Holy Grail, but he had no time for the peasant who seemed to impede his progress toward this great quest. Only when he was personally rejected by one of his own servants and discovered the presence of Christ in one whom he had rejected did he come to realize how he had acted and then begin to change.
The Easter season is all about transformation and conversion, and our personal need to broaden our horizons and to see where God may lead us. Today in our first lesson we hear of a famous conversion, an outsider from the ranks of Israel who learns of the ways of the Lord. His story and the Easter mystery must energize us to seek transformation in our lives, conforming ourselves more closely to the life and mind of Christ.
Philip, one of the select twelve in Jesus' company, having just completed his preaching to the people of Samaria, is now asked to take on another mission, one of conversion and transformation. He is sent by an angel toward the south to meet and then engage in conversation a stranger, one who does not know God. I am sure that Philip was confused and wondered what God intended in sending him to an outsider, an Ethiopian. For a Jew or Jewish-Christian to reach out to an Ethiopian would have been of great interest, even fascination, for Luke's audience. Such a man would not have been a despised and despicable person, but rather, a well-placed and significant person in society, one who was open and receptive to the truth when it was articulated. Thus, Philip's task was to instruct an accepted person in society in the new way; he was to transform this man to the mind of Christ.
The Ethiopian's conversion was one of true acceptance. There is every indication that this man was completely open to receiving God's word when it was explained by the apostle. It was the Ethiopian who invited Philip into his carriage so the Scriptures could be explained to him.. Thus, he was open to learning, and more importantly, to conversion. Moreover, as soon as he achieved an interior conversion, he wished to testify publicly to his newfound faith by his baptism. The Ethiopian eunuch was pro-active; he did not rest on his laurels, but energetically sought God. He was given a special opportunity and he took it. We must do the same!
The Easter season is a time when we celebrate conversion, transformation, and reversals of fortune. As Jesus' resurrection transformed death to life, negotiating a complete reversal of fortunes, so we are called to seek conversion in our own lives. We must transform and conform our lives, minds, and hearts more to the person of Christ. We are all aware of this need and the call to be more Christ-like in our words and actions. We strive daily to be good witnesses to others of the importance of Christ in our lives. We make plenty of errors, we falter and fall, but we hope our direction is clear and we make a concerted effort to follow the Lord's lead, by patterning our lives, in every aspect, after Christ.
All of us in some way need to transform our attitude and mindset to that of Jesus Christ. We need to ask -- what is God calling me to do? Sir Launfal was called to search for the Holy Grail, but he came to realize that his quest could only be realized when he was converted to an appreciation for others, thereby following Jesus' lead. Philip was called to go where he might not have wanted to go, to speak with someone he might not have wished to engage in conversation. The eunuch seems to have been open to God's call, but it is probable in his life, also, that at times he was reticent to be transformed.
The story of Sir Launfal and what we learn from today's lesson from the Acts of the Apostles challenge us to ask some serious questions. When God calls us, are we listening? Do we have the courage to answer when God calls, especially when the call is to do something or go somewhere we would rather not? What are we doing to conform our lives to the mind of Christ?
The reasons we give for our inability or unwillingness to listen and to conform ourselves to the mind of Christ are many, but they seem to center about self-autonomy -- we do not want to be told what to do. We do not wish to be disturbed, to move beyond our zone of comfortableness. We do not want to think about the sacrifice that might be asked of us in answering God's call. We are content to do what we want to do; we simply do not want to be disturbed. The call might come for us to walk the road of ill-health with a family member, good friend, or colleague at work. As an excuse, we say that such an effort will drag us down and, thus, we would rather not participate. We make all sorts of excuses to satisfy ourselves that we are doing what God asks of us -- but are we truly listening and answering the call? We may have to exercise "tough love" in a confrontation with another who exhibits addictive behavior. We say it is too hard and too much trouble to take the right path in dealing with hard issues, and thus we "opt out." It is so much easier to let things slide. We can easily say, and thus rationalize, that the person's inappropriate behavior is not hurting us. We take the easy road and leave the "problem" for someone else.
We all know that God is calling us to change, to be converted, to transform our minds to that of Christ. This is clear because we hear God's voice, in the multiple ways the Lord speaks, telling us to change our habits, to seek reconciliation with another, and to drop past hurts and failures that chain us to the past and impede us from moving toward God. We often prefer, however, to keep up our front; we will not drop our guard for one moment, fearful that God just might give us a punch that could knock some sense into us. God might be calling us to a deeper and renewed relationship, but again we rationalize and say that we don't have sufficient time for what God asks of us. We say our prayers -- what more could God possibly want from us? We feel we are giving all we can give.
When God calls, when challenges come our way, we must respond with openness to the possibility so we can be transformed to the mind of Christ. Sir Launfal needed some prodding and the experience of personal rejection to get him to see his need for transformation. What will it be for us? The apostles knew Jesus personally and thus their ability to be transformed might be greater and its exercise easier, but we cannot make excuses for ourselves. Let us listen well to the voice of God, as it is manifest to us in its multiple and varied ways. Let God's word penetrate deeply so we can be transformed. The spirit and power of the resurrection call us to conversion to Christ. May we have the courage to respond, and answer the call of the Lord!
He fell into a deep sleep and began to dream. In his dream it was the next day and he began his quest. He bid farewell to all at the castle and rode out the gates on his beautiful horse. Just on the other side of the gate, however, a beggar stopped him. "How annoying," thought Sir Launfal. At this high moment he did not want to be bothered by a beggar. Who needed such an interruption in the great quest for the Holy Grail? Disdainfully, the knight flung a penny at the beggar and rode on.
Time, in fact many years, passed in his dream. He looked everywhere for the Holy Grail. He fought many battles but in the process he did not even obtain a glimmer of hope to find the Grail. Sir Launfal was discouraged. He had become an old man and had failed in his quest. He decided to return home. As he arrived at the castle gate, the guard did not recognize him. "No beggars allowed here!" the guard shouted. "Who needs such people anyhow?" The guard then forcefully drove Sir Launfal away. He was dejected; he felt alone. He had been rejected, even by those in his own home.
Finally the knight sat down and pulled the last crust of bread from his pocket. As he began to eat, he noticed a beggar near him. It was the same beggar who had been at the gate so many years ago when he began his quest. Sir Launfal broke the bread in two and gave the beggar half. Then he went to the brook and drew water for them to drink. As they ate and drank from his wooden bowl, Sir Launfal realized that the stale bread tasted as if it was fresh and the water was like fine wine. He turned toward the beggar, but he was gone. In his place was the shining presence of Christ. He heard Jesus say:
Not what we give, but what we share
For the gift without the giver is bare.
Who gives himself with alms feeds three
Himself, his hungry neighbor, and me.
The knight looked down at his wooden bowl. It was no longer there. Instead he held in his hand the Holy Grail. His search was now over.
At that moment Sir Launfal awoke from his dream. It was the next morning and he now knew what to do. There was no need to search for the Holy Grail; it was right in his midst. He only needed to open his eyes and be converted to the mind of Christ and he would find it.
Sir Launfal took a journey to find the Holy Grail, but he had no time for the peasant who seemed to impede his progress toward this great quest. Only when he was personally rejected by one of his own servants and discovered the presence of Christ in one whom he had rejected did he come to realize how he had acted and then begin to change.
The Easter season is all about transformation and conversion, and our personal need to broaden our horizons and to see where God may lead us. Today in our first lesson we hear of a famous conversion, an outsider from the ranks of Israel who learns of the ways of the Lord. His story and the Easter mystery must energize us to seek transformation in our lives, conforming ourselves more closely to the life and mind of Christ.
Philip, one of the select twelve in Jesus' company, having just completed his preaching to the people of Samaria, is now asked to take on another mission, one of conversion and transformation. He is sent by an angel toward the south to meet and then engage in conversation a stranger, one who does not know God. I am sure that Philip was confused and wondered what God intended in sending him to an outsider, an Ethiopian. For a Jew or Jewish-Christian to reach out to an Ethiopian would have been of great interest, even fascination, for Luke's audience. Such a man would not have been a despised and despicable person, but rather, a well-placed and significant person in society, one who was open and receptive to the truth when it was articulated. Thus, Philip's task was to instruct an accepted person in society in the new way; he was to transform this man to the mind of Christ.
The Ethiopian's conversion was one of true acceptance. There is every indication that this man was completely open to receiving God's word when it was explained by the apostle. It was the Ethiopian who invited Philip into his carriage so the Scriptures could be explained to him.. Thus, he was open to learning, and more importantly, to conversion. Moreover, as soon as he achieved an interior conversion, he wished to testify publicly to his newfound faith by his baptism. The Ethiopian eunuch was pro-active; he did not rest on his laurels, but energetically sought God. He was given a special opportunity and he took it. We must do the same!
The Easter season is a time when we celebrate conversion, transformation, and reversals of fortune. As Jesus' resurrection transformed death to life, negotiating a complete reversal of fortunes, so we are called to seek conversion in our own lives. We must transform and conform our lives, minds, and hearts more to the person of Christ. We are all aware of this need and the call to be more Christ-like in our words and actions. We strive daily to be good witnesses to others of the importance of Christ in our lives. We make plenty of errors, we falter and fall, but we hope our direction is clear and we make a concerted effort to follow the Lord's lead, by patterning our lives, in every aspect, after Christ.
All of us in some way need to transform our attitude and mindset to that of Jesus Christ. We need to ask -- what is God calling me to do? Sir Launfal was called to search for the Holy Grail, but he came to realize that his quest could only be realized when he was converted to an appreciation for others, thereby following Jesus' lead. Philip was called to go where he might not have wanted to go, to speak with someone he might not have wished to engage in conversation. The eunuch seems to have been open to God's call, but it is probable in his life, also, that at times he was reticent to be transformed.
The story of Sir Launfal and what we learn from today's lesson from the Acts of the Apostles challenge us to ask some serious questions. When God calls us, are we listening? Do we have the courage to answer when God calls, especially when the call is to do something or go somewhere we would rather not? What are we doing to conform our lives to the mind of Christ?
The reasons we give for our inability or unwillingness to listen and to conform ourselves to the mind of Christ are many, but they seem to center about self-autonomy -- we do not want to be told what to do. We do not wish to be disturbed, to move beyond our zone of comfortableness. We do not want to think about the sacrifice that might be asked of us in answering God's call. We are content to do what we want to do; we simply do not want to be disturbed. The call might come for us to walk the road of ill-health with a family member, good friend, or colleague at work. As an excuse, we say that such an effort will drag us down and, thus, we would rather not participate. We make all sorts of excuses to satisfy ourselves that we are doing what God asks of us -- but are we truly listening and answering the call? We may have to exercise "tough love" in a confrontation with another who exhibits addictive behavior. We say it is too hard and too much trouble to take the right path in dealing with hard issues, and thus we "opt out." It is so much easier to let things slide. We can easily say, and thus rationalize, that the person's inappropriate behavior is not hurting us. We take the easy road and leave the "problem" for someone else.
We all know that God is calling us to change, to be converted, to transform our minds to that of Christ. This is clear because we hear God's voice, in the multiple ways the Lord speaks, telling us to change our habits, to seek reconciliation with another, and to drop past hurts and failures that chain us to the past and impede us from moving toward God. We often prefer, however, to keep up our front; we will not drop our guard for one moment, fearful that God just might give us a punch that could knock some sense into us. God might be calling us to a deeper and renewed relationship, but again we rationalize and say that we don't have sufficient time for what God asks of us. We say our prayers -- what more could God possibly want from us? We feel we are giving all we can give.
When God calls, when challenges come our way, we must respond with openness to the possibility so we can be transformed to the mind of Christ. Sir Launfal needed some prodding and the experience of personal rejection to get him to see his need for transformation. What will it be for us? The apostles knew Jesus personally and thus their ability to be transformed might be greater and its exercise easier, but we cannot make excuses for ourselves. Let us listen well to the voice of God, as it is manifest to us in its multiple and varied ways. Let God's word penetrate deeply so we can be transformed. The spirit and power of the resurrection call us to conversion to Christ. May we have the courage to respond, and answer the call of the Lord!
