Truth or Consequences

Today we celebrated the last Sunday after Pentecost: The Feast of Christ the King. We were fortunate to have Fr. Diggs to fill in for our regular clergy. Fr. Diggs delivered a very good sermon based on the Epistle, Colossians 1:11-20, 

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

and the Gospel, Luke 23:35-43.

And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’


One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Fr. Diggs, in speaking about "conversions," pointed out the contrast in the two criminals' statements to Jesus as they hung on their crosses and the "death bed" conversion illustrated by criminal #2. The fact is that the second criminal recognizes Christ as King when he affirms that Jesus will enter His kingdom.  The second criminal accepts the Lordship of Jesus. As Fr. Diggs told us, we either accept this as the truth and will be with Christ in Paradise, or we don't accept Him and must face the consequences.

Today's sermon gave us a rare taste of Biblical exegesis with an orthodox slant. I guess this is what happens when you stick to the Scriptures.

When the cat's away, the orthodox will play...