From Inn to Church

The Ark of Salvation

Most of the times, when I read Luke 10: 23-37, I always think that the message is just about becoming a good Christian like the Samaritan. There are many layers to this passage. I would like to point out just one today, which is the place where the Samaritan took the wounded man. He brought him to an Inn. The word Inn has been defined as “an establishment that provides accommodations, food, and drink, especially for travelers.” (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/inn)

The Greek word for Inn is Kataluma which means a place of lodging, where people to a break from their journey; a place to refresh; a place of comfort.

The "inn" mentioned in Exodus 4:24 was just the halting-place of the caravan. Later on, places like this were erected for the accommodation of travelers. In Luke 2:7 Kataluma is a place for loosing the beasts of their burdens. It is "guest-chamber" in Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11 .

Now, please pay attention to this, in our gospel, Kataluma is more than just a halting place. This place, this Inn had an "inn-keeper," who attended to the needs of the travelers.

What does this Inn represent? This is what we call ecclesiology, meaning the theology as applied to the nature and the structure of Christian gathering that we call Church.

So Jesus is using this parable to teach us what the Church is called to be: a place of healing, a place of safety, a place of refreshment, a place of maturity.

Now, please allow me to quickly go over three aspects of the church as an Inn. 

1. Aspect of being a Hospital. The Good Samaritan brought the wounded man to the inn, which represents the church. The church is the hospital for sinners. It is the place where people are reconciled with God and other people. We can only answer broken relationships by developing new, healthy relationships in their place. This is why the church is so important.

2. Aspect of being a place of teaching. I used to think that the church could just give without calling people to join the church; that the church could be involved in some social projects (hospitals, schools, orphanage, etc.) I now believe that’s not the only thing the church is called to do. We cannot really help the wounded without developing relationships with them. We need to keep a bond with them. This requires a place where people can learn about God and begin to develop a network of stable and healthy relationships with God’s people. It is the place where they learn a new sense of their own identity and learn how to function more effectively in the world. This requires the church.

3. Aspect of being a place where gifts are used for maturity. The Good Samaritan committed himself to the wounded man, but he did not do everything. He brought him to the church, where the gifts of other people could minister to his needs. This shows that the church needs both external missionaries who go out and bring others to the people of God and internal missionaries, who minister to those who are brought to church. I challenge everyone of you to discern where your gifts fit into this mission.

But all this is NOT about making us happy. It’s not just about us. It is for us to be able to love our neighbor as ourselves and to do a true and laudable service to God.

Peace and blessings!

Fr. Thierry

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay??? (Habakkuk 2:3).

SERVICE OF SONSHIP AS STEWARDS

We continue our study and presentation of P. M. Scott's work with The Service of Stewards.  So far we have progressed from our baptismal incorporation into the Church, admission into God's service, adoption as sons of God, and now take a look at the responsibility of our higher calling as such.

BRETHREN, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink (for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ). But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  ~ 1 Cor. 10. 1

JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

The Jews enjoyed special privileges and Paul reminds his listeners of all Israel received and yet forgot their savior God. Paul emphasizes the magnitude of blessing by using the word 'all' five times in a row- all have received of God's blessings and provision- "I would not have you ignorant."  The Jews were baptised unto Moses and the Law, delivered from death, given meaning of the Exodus, provided with living water and Spirit, a sea of protection, supernatural food, and yet were overthrown in the wilderness because they failed to remember and honor God. Paul surely must have stung the conscience of his listeners. How vivid the types and figures that certainly flashed across the minds of those addressed in the Epistle.

Previously we talked about Jesus leading the 4000 into the wilderness and performing the miracle for the 4000, like the Red Sea invoked here, it cut them off from temptation and bondage. Like the slave whose service is absolute- there is no turning back. As with the Manna, Jesus had compassion on them and fed them in the wilderness. These things are recounted for our example- to convey what was given to sustain Israel and fulfilled in the birth of the Church- the Body of Christ. Types are fulfilled. Our Exodus from slave into sonship. The Cloud and Red Sea prefigures our baptism by water and the Holy Spirit. The Law becomes Love. Manna and living water prefigure our Holy Communion- Miracles of 4/5000, Cana, the Upper Room.

The Christian blessings are far greater than that of the Jews because they are fulfilled in the coming of Jesus (S. Luke 10:23)! It follows then that our duty is also greater- we must give back to God being so richly endowed with sonship!

Misuse of Stewardship

Then comes the sobering reminder- they were overthrown! God was not well pleased as they trusted in what they could see rather things spiritual- the things of God. “They despised the pleasant land,” “they forgat God their Saviour,” “they murmured in their tents,” “they were mingled among the heathen and learned their works.”(Ps. 106.) We see Jesus recount all these things in John 6 against the Pharisees who, as did their forefathers in the desert, refused to see and understand the spiritual feeding Jesus will provide his Body. We still see it today. "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread (Numbers 21:5) "When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you??" (John 6:61)

Indeed they forgot their covenant position and they forgot the spiritual things and idolized the material world, trading heritage for lentils, unable to fathom the invisible and eternal, they lusted, worshipped gods, fornicated, murmured, and provoked the Lord their God.  They received no rest. There is no stewardship in any of that.

Remembering in Christian Stewardship

We have a far higher position than the Jew, but we retain the liability to temptation and the perennial significance of the Jewish history in the Old Testament underscores this for us. We are also fallen and these things are written for our example.  Our greatest dangers are feeling overly secure in material things and by doing so take the "Promise" for granted. Secondly, we must be on guard for despair which is a form of unfaithfulness and also temptation.  A lacking of trust and faith in the God who led Israel through the desert and provides spiritual food to sustain us today.  Fear not though, for our God always provides a way out- that He will not lay on us more than we can bear. We have an escape- the Hope within us, the indwelling Spirit, testifies to it.  More on that next week.

A PARABLE OF STEWARDSHIP

This is one of those tough parables on the surface it might seem Jesus is condoning white collar crime but that is certainly not the case. He teaches the duties and faults of a steward in a parable of responsibility.

JESUS said unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

~ Saint Luke 16. 1-

Responsibility

A steward has a higher calling in being both master of servants and as servant to his Master, but he is only responsible to the later.  In the parable the servant fails in his responsibility by wasting his master's goods and by not earning the love of his servants. His selfishness has put him into a precarious position of losing his job and his means of living.  He has no options as he cannot dig, to beg he is ashamed.

What's a crook to do? Before the boss gets back he comes up with an ingenious scheme! Of course this is easier than going to his master and making amends.  He calls the servants in under the pretense of duty and cuts a deal on their payments if they pay up. He secures his future by being shrewd and gains the admiration of both the servants and the master!  If only he had been so shrewd in serving the master as himself.  Yet the Master still seeks the heart of his wayward his servant if only that servant realized he is a son.

The Moral Of The Story:

"The children of this world are wiser than the children of light, for they can see what the children of light so often fail to discover—that duty to others is so necessary that if a man does not do it he must at least make the best pretence he can". ~P. M. Scott  

Isn't it sad that a servant is often more ingenious than the son in his use of God's provision? Of course the servant is like Israel being preoccupied with outward, visible, and perishable things rather than the inward, invisible, and eternal.

So the moral is if keeping up appearances is wise, isn't it much wiser and true to be good without pretending? Those in bondage to flesh- politicians, actors, criminals, tradesmen, and professional types, regularly employ virtue as a cloak.  We all do!  But the Christian is called to wear virtue as skin.

As good stewards our sonship compels us in the labor of love of our brethren in fullness and truth and without pretense which gives us confidence towards Him whose name is Love.  Pray that our works are not so weak that He will not “receive us into everlasting habitations,” and that our works of love may follow us before the judgment seat of Christ. 

Let's pray these scriptures for a right desire and sufficient power of our baptism and spiritual feeding through the Body and Blood of Jesus to never forget his bounty and benefits and to do his will in the care for that which we have been entrusted:

Grant to us, Lord, we plead, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you, may be enabled by you to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We hope you enjoyed this lesson* and will consider joining us for Christian Education at St. Athanasius next Sunday as we finish our study of duty towards God with more on stewardship and spiritual gifts.

Peace of Christ,

John Dixon

Warden, St. Athanasius Anglican Church

www.glenallenanglicans.org


For further reading: Psalm 115; 103; 91; Ezekiel 14:1-11; Genesis 28:10-20; I Thessalonians 4:1-12;
St. John 8:1-11; II Corinthians 9; and from the Septuagint and KJV Apocrypha: Wisdom 11:22-12:2 


Sources: The Holy Bible; *The Harmony of the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels by P. M. Scott D.D.; Ancient Christian Commentary; Book of Common Prayer; Sermons on the Epistles and Gospels by Isaac Williams.