Sermon: 19 Pentecost (11 October 2009)
(Job 23:1-9, 16-17/Ps 139:1-12/Heb 4:12-16/Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus Pantocrator
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Prologue
Six hundred thousand Hebrew men left Egypt; only two of them – Caleb and Joshua – entered the promised rest in the land of their fathers. The corpses of the rest were scattered over the wilderness during forty years of wandering. Thus spoke the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David two centuries later:
“ Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Heb 4:7b-11).
This Exodus story of hope and failure, of mercy and judgment forms the backdrop of the letter to the Hebrews; it is never far from the author’s mind and its lesson is the letter’s constant refrain:
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Heb 4:12-15).
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:12-13)[2].
This is a sobering word of caution to those who come before Jesus Pantocrator, the Lord Almighty, the Ruler/Sustainer of All. We do not want to be known in our sin; we do not even want to know our sin. So, like the emperor with new clothes, we cover our sin with fake finery woven from a few threads of good deeds on a loom of niceness, and with that we hope to fool the world. We learned to hide very early.
Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God (Gen 3:7-8).[3]
Amazingly, this often works – the whole world hiding from one another – until we come before Jesus Pantocrator. He sees through the new clothes; he sees through the fig leaves. And there we stand, naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. His eye is piercing and unrelenting, his mouth set firmly against our sin. We are caught, pinned there by his gaze, as we hear the Word of God, living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, the Word of God who discerns the thoughts and intents of our hearts, speak to us. And we fear his words to us will be those he spoke to the angel of the church at Laodicea:
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see’ (Rev 3:14b-18).
If we are honest – and it is hard not to be when we stand before Jesus Pantocrator – we know these should be his words to us. And if they were his final words, they might well be words of despair. But the truth is twofold, and the Pantocrator has another side.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:14-16).
This is a blessed word of comfort to those who come before Jesus Pantocrator, the Great High Priest and Son of God, our Redeemer and Advocate. He knows we are but dust and ashes; he knows how feeble is our frame. He knows our heavy burden of sin for he took it all upon himself. He knows man, for he is fully man. Jesus sees us in our nakedness and clothes us in his righteousness. He sees us in our weakness and comes to us with his grace. His eye is gentle and compassionate, his hand raised in blessing.
We come to Jesus as the Roman soldiers who nailed this hand of blessing to the cross and yet we hear him say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We come to Jesus as the thief on the cross expecting just punishment for our sin. We cry out, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,” and we hear him respond, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,” (cf Luke 23:39-43).
If we are honest – and it is hard not to be when we stand before Jesus Pantocrator – we know that we do not deserve to hear these words; we do not deserve his mercy. No, these words of comfort and blessing are words of pure grace.
In the church, the word “heresy” is used to describe a departure from orthodox faith and practice. Heresy comes from the Greek hairesis, whose root means “to choose.” It is often more an error of emphasis than an actual departure from the truth – choosing to live a half-truth as if it were the whole truth. You might think of heresy as keeping apart those things which should be, those things which must be, held together. Each side of the Pantocrator is true, but each side is a half-truth, and choosing one to the exclusion of the other – keeping the sides apart – is heresy. Judgment is terrible if not unified with mercy; how frightful it is to be so fully known – known in all our nakedness and sin – if we are not also fully loved. And mercy is pitiable if not unified with judgment; how tragic to be so fully accepted – accepted in all our nakedness and sin – if we are not also fully judged and fully transformed. The two sides of the Pantocrator belong together.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:12-16).
The Western church has a prayer – received through the 11th century Sarum Rite – that reminds us of the great twofold truth of judgment and mercy, a prayer which is a verbal icon of Jesus Pantocrator:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.
Through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator – the Word of God who is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword – before whom me must all give account; through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator – our great High Priest – who bids us come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy. Through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator: Amen.
(Job 23:1-9, 16-17/Ps 139:1-12/Heb 4:12-16/Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus Pantocrator
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Prologue
Six hundred thousand Hebrew men left Egypt; only two of them – Caleb and Joshua – entered the promised rest in the land of their fathers. The corpses of the rest were scattered over the wilderness during forty years of wandering. Thus spoke the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David two centuries later:
“ Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Heb 4:7b-11).
This Exodus story of hope and failure, of mercy and judgment forms the backdrop of the letter to the Hebrews; it is never far from the author’s mind and its lesson is the letter’s constant refrain:
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Heb 4:12-15).
Sermon
When an Orthodox Christian makes confession she does so not only in the presence of a priest but also in the presence of an icon of Jesus Christ. The icon is a visual reminder that confession is made not to the priest but to Christ – the priest is there as fellow sinner and witness – and that forgiveness comes not from the priest but from Christ – the priest is there as spokesman. Just before confession the priest says:
Behold, my child, Christ standeth here invisibly, and receiveth thy confession: wherefore, be not ashamed, neither be afraid, and conceal thou nothing from me: but tell me, doubting not, all things which thou hast done; and so shalt thou have pardon from our Lord Jesus Christ. Lo, his holy image is before us: and I am but a witness, bearing testimony before him of all things which thou dost say to me. But if thou shalt conceal anything from me, thou shalt have the greater sin. Take heed, therefore, lest, having come to the physician, thou depart unhealed.[1]
These words are double-edged: comfort and caution. Do not be afraid; do not ashamed; do not doubt, and so shall you have pardon from our Lord Jesus Christ. Take heed; do not conceal; do not depart unhealed, or so shall you have greater sin before our Lord Jesus Christ. The priest speaks the twofold truth of blessing and warning.
When I make my private, daily confession during morning prayer, I, too, do so in the presence of an icon of Jesus Christ. The icon I have chosen – or the icon that has chosen me, for I am sure this is more nearly the case – is the Pantocrator of Sinai. It is the oldest, extant example of this form of iconography, preserved since the 7th or 8th century at Saint Catherine’s monastery in the Sinai. It is, for me, the translation in line and form, in paint and color, of the twofold truth of the priest’s instruction to the penitent and of Paul’s instructions to the Hebrews: caution and comfort, warning and blessing.
Pantocrator means “all-mighty” or “ruler/sustainer of all.” The Pantocrator icons – and there are many styles – image Jesus in frontal view holding an ornate book, the Gospels, in his left hand, and raising his right hand in blessing; this form is common to all Pantocrator icons. What sets the Pantocrator of Sinai apart from so many others is the radical difference between the left and right sides of the image: caution and comfort, warning and blessing.
Behold, my child, Christ standeth here invisibly, and receiveth thy confession: wherefore, be not ashamed, neither be afraid, and conceal thou nothing from me: but tell me, doubting not, all things which thou hast done; and so shalt thou have pardon from our Lord Jesus Christ. Lo, his holy image is before us: and I am but a witness, bearing testimony before him of all things which thou dost say to me. But if thou shalt conceal anything from me, thou shalt have the greater sin. Take heed, therefore, lest, having come to the physician, thou depart unhealed.[1]
These words are double-edged: comfort and caution. Do not be afraid; do not ashamed; do not doubt, and so shall you have pardon from our Lord Jesus Christ. Take heed; do not conceal; do not depart unhealed, or so shall you have greater sin before our Lord Jesus Christ. The priest speaks the twofold truth of blessing and warning.
When I make my private, daily confession during morning prayer, I, too, do so in the presence of an icon of Jesus Christ. The icon I have chosen – or the icon that has chosen me, for I am sure this is more nearly the case – is the Pantocrator of Sinai. It is the oldest, extant example of this form of iconography, preserved since the 7th or 8th century at Saint Catherine’s monastery in the Sinai. It is, for me, the translation in line and form, in paint and color, of the twofold truth of the priest’s instruction to the penitent and of Paul’s instructions to the Hebrews: caution and comfort, warning and blessing.
Pantocrator means “all-mighty” or “ruler/sustainer of all.” The Pantocrator icons – and there are many styles – image Jesus in frontal view holding an ornate book, the Gospels, in his left hand, and raising his right hand in blessing; this form is common to all Pantocrator icons. What sets the Pantocrator of Sinai apart from so many others is the radical difference between the left and right sides of the image: caution and comfort, warning and blessing.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:12-13)[2].
This is a sobering word of caution to those who come before Jesus Pantocrator, the Lord Almighty, the Ruler/Sustainer of All. We do not want to be known in our sin; we do not even want to know our sin. So, like the emperor with new clothes, we cover our sin with fake finery woven from a few threads of good deeds on a loom of niceness, and with that we hope to fool the world. We learned to hide very early.
Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God (Gen 3:7-8).[3]
Amazingly, this often works – the whole world hiding from one another – until we come before Jesus Pantocrator. He sees through the new clothes; he sees through the fig leaves. And there we stand, naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. His eye is piercing and unrelenting, his mouth set firmly against our sin. We are caught, pinned there by his gaze, as we hear the Word of God, living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, the Word of God who discerns the thoughts and intents of our hearts, speak to us. And we fear his words to us will be those he spoke to the angel of the church at Laodicea:
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see’ (Rev 3:14b-18).
If we are honest – and it is hard not to be when we stand before Jesus Pantocrator – we know these should be his words to us. And if they were his final words, they might well be words of despair. But the truth is twofold, and the Pantocrator has another side.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:14-16).
This is a blessed word of comfort to those who come before Jesus Pantocrator, the Great High Priest and Son of God, our Redeemer and Advocate. He knows we are but dust and ashes; he knows how feeble is our frame. He knows our heavy burden of sin for he took it all upon himself. He knows man, for he is fully man. Jesus sees us in our nakedness and clothes us in his righteousness. He sees us in our weakness and comes to us with his grace. His eye is gentle and compassionate, his hand raised in blessing.
We come to Jesus as the Roman soldiers who nailed this hand of blessing to the cross and yet we hear him say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We come to Jesus as the thief on the cross expecting just punishment for our sin. We cry out, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,” and we hear him respond, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,” (cf Luke 23:39-43).
If we are honest – and it is hard not to be when we stand before Jesus Pantocrator – we know that we do not deserve to hear these words; we do not deserve his mercy. No, these words of comfort and blessing are words of pure grace.
In the church, the word “heresy” is used to describe a departure from orthodox faith and practice. Heresy comes from the Greek hairesis, whose root means “to choose.” It is often more an error of emphasis than an actual departure from the truth – choosing to live a half-truth as if it were the whole truth. You might think of heresy as keeping apart those things which should be, those things which must be, held together. Each side of the Pantocrator is true, but each side is a half-truth, and choosing one to the exclusion of the other – keeping the sides apart – is heresy. Judgment is terrible if not unified with mercy; how frightful it is to be so fully known – known in all our nakedness and sin – if we are not also fully loved. And mercy is pitiable if not unified with judgment; how tragic to be so fully accepted – accepted in all our nakedness and sin – if we are not also fully judged and fully transformed. The two sides of the Pantocrator belong together.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:12-16).
The Western church has a prayer – received through the 11th century Sarum Rite – that reminds us of the great twofold truth of judgment and mercy, a prayer which is a verbal icon of Jesus Pantocrator:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.
Through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator – the Word of God who is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword – before whom me must all give account; through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator – our great High Priest – who bids us come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy. Through Christ our Lord, through Jesus Pantocrator: Amen.
(I must acknowledge Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green for her insite into the Pantocrator of Sinai icon; I first saw the division of the right and left sides on her Beliefnet video at the following url: http://www.beliefnet.com/Video/Preachers-and-Teachers/Christianity/Frederica-Mathewes-Green/Preachers--Teachers-How-Jesus-Sees-Us.aspx .)
[1] Florence Hapgood. Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church. Copyright ©1996 by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all New Testament Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[3] Unless otherwise noted, all Old Testament Scripture quotations are from the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint, copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.
[1] Florence Hapgood. Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church. Copyright ©1996 by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all New Testament Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[3] Unless otherwise noted, all Old Testament Scripture quotations are from the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint, copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.
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