Epiphany IV
Trinity Anglican Church
Fr. Forrest Burgett
Given: 01/29/17
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to
whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”
(Romans xiii. 7.)
The theme of our Epistle and Gospel today is authority. Authority is one of those
words that seem to be clear and concise and yet evades clear application in the real
world. It is the right and responsibility to enforce. It is power, influence and judgment.
In a word it is jurisdiction. Likewise, jurisdiction is defined as authority, as in
administering justice. These definitions seem pretty clear. And yet, we have trouble
applying them to real world situations.
In the Epistle, we are told that every soul and every power is subject unto the
higher powers. We are told that all powers are ordained of God. We are told not to
resist the powers. We are told to be good subjects under civil authority; and also
subject to our conscience. Some interpret this to mean that governments and civil
authorities are ordained of God and not to be questioned. Others found this passage
confusing and just remember the final thought. We are reminded to pay tribute; in other
words taxes. Many have questioned the real purpose of this message. This was
written at a time when some Christians were refusing to pay taxes. They thought it
indicated their acceptance of Caesar as a God and they would rather die than admit
that. It assures them that paying taxes is not contradictory to the teachings of Christ. In
effect, it says civil disobedience is not a requirement of membership in the Body of
Christ. It encouraged them to look at the jurisdiction or authority and then decide to
whom tribute is due.
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Epiphany IV
Trinity Anglican Church
Fr. Forrest Burgett
Given: 01/29/17
Perhaps we should look at our text in today’s language. Taxes are required to
finance the strength and protection provided by the civil authority. We should pay
tribute or taxes to those to whom taxes are due. It is necessary to have some rules to
allow an ordered life for all. We should follow the custom or ordinances of the culture in
which we live. Imagine the daily commute to work if there were no traffic laws. We
should recognize those who dedicate their lives to providing protection and justice in our
lives. We should show respect to those to whom respect is due. We should honour
those whose gifts to mankind are apparent. And we should show honour to those to
whom honour is due.
But authority is not based purely on civil organizations. Authority means the
power to decide and judge. In the Gospel, we see two different stories of healing by
Jesus. Each reflects an entirely different view of authority.
The first story is of a Jewish leper being made clean. First, we know he was a
Jew because of Jesus’ command to follow Moses’ guidelines in thanksgiving for the gift
of cleansing. In this request for help, the leper was not particularly hopeful. “Lord, if
thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” He did not doubt Jesus ability to heal. He just
was not sure if Jesus would will to heal him. He can be forgiven his shortcoming of
hope if we look at the life of isolation and despair brought about by his disease.
The second story is quite different. In this case, a gentile, a Roman centurion, is
asking help for his servant who was dying of the palsy. Jesus readily agreed to go to
him and heal him. The centurion then displayed his recognition of Jesus authority.
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Epiphany IV
Trinity Anglican Church
Fr. Forrest Burgett
Given: 01/29/17
“Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word
only, and my servant shall be healed.” The significance of this quote is twofold. The
centurion acknowledged the Jewish taboo against entering the house of a gentile. In
addition, the centurion displayed his faith that Jesus could heal with just a word. He
recognized Jesus jurisdiction was not limited by time and place. This is extremely
significant because only He who created time and place is not limited by them. The
centurion recognized Jesus as God where the majority of the Jews refused to do so.
That is the great faith that Jesus had not found in Israel.
There is a lot of confusion about Jesus directing his ministry to the Jews. The
Gospels are full of stories about Jesus healing Gentiles and He never refused anyone
with faith in His authority. There are also many quotes where Jesus remarked about the
faith of the Gentiles and how it many times exceeded that of the Jews. Nonetheless,
there are many quotes indicating Jesus’ ministry was focused explicitly on the Jews.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man is not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.” This is clear He was sent to the Jews. Some scholars claim that Jesus was
sent to the Jews and throughout his ministry grew into the belief that the Gentiles also
should be saved. I do not believe Jesus had to grow into a fuller understanding of His
ministry. There is a more likely scenario and it does not question the divinity of Christ.
From the beginning to end, Jesus’ earthly ministry was directed to the Jews. He clearly
accepted this as his heavenly assignment. He was calling the Jews back to that
prophetic purpose from which they’d slipped away.
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Epiphany IV
Trinity Anglican Church
Fr. Forrest Burgett
Given: 01/29/17
In Christ, God had come into the world in human flesh. He was giving mankind
what could only be his final self-disclosure. It was not Jesus’ Incarnation that
terminated the Old Covenant. God would not break a covenant of His own making.
The Incarnation given to the Jews. They had to deny the Incarnation and its
implications before God could be free to enter a New and succeeding Covenant with
those who earlier had been outside the Law.
Some will say this is speculation but it is consistent with our Lord’s actions as
preserved in Scripture. He did not need, like an ordinary man, to grow in selfawareness. He clearly understood his jurisdiction. God came in the form of man to
bring the Jews back to the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was destroyed when the
Jews refused to recognize the Messiah. They were given the right of first refusal. Only
after they refused to return to the Old Covenant was the New Covenant offered openly
to the Gentiles in the ministries of Peter and Paul.
If we approach this study of authority in spiritual terms, we recognize two preconditions to being healed. One is trust – belief in God’s ability to heal and in His good
intentions. The other is humility – of which sorrow for sin and penitence are necessary
ingredients. Trust in God’s good intentions is an obvious requirement for spiritual
healing. Belief in His ability is no less a requirement. These we understand and accept.
We are not always so accepting of the pre-condition of humility.
Humility is a requirement for the recognition of authority. If we are to recognize
the authority to judge, we must have the humility to accept the conditions on which we
will be judged. We do not like to talk much about sin or penitence. Perhaps our text
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Epiphany IV
Trinity Anglican Church
Fr. Forrest Burgett
Given: 01/29/17
today gives us another way to look at sin. Sin exists when we fail to render to God all
His dues. We fail to pay tribute to His goodness. We fail to follow the customs, His
revelations that guide us to His Will. We fail to show respect to Him as being above
everything else in our lives. We fail to honour Him who created all we have and are
able to do.
It is no wonder that we approach God like the leper. We have faith in His ability,
but we are not sure about His willingness to accept us. As it turned out in our story
today, Jesus always exhibits both the power and the will. In addition, he made a
promise that applies to all of us, “Ask and it shall be given.”
Will we ask? Or will we not? We can be sure. If we have the grace to ask on
Christ’s terms, we shall indeed be clean.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(St. Matthew vii. 21.)
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