Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Matthew 23:23
Several reflections ago, I used the term “transactional relationship.” This referred to relationships that are based on a transaction, like the relationship we might have with a bank teller. We give the bank teller our check, he or she sees that it gets deposited. There is a relationship of some trust, in that we must trust the bank teller to get the deposit into our account, but the teller doesn’t need to trust us in return. It’s a transactional relationship. There is no emotion or intimacy in this kind of relationship. In fact, most customer service relationships of transactional. A service is offered, money is paid.
Many people have a “transactional relationship” with Christ. Specifically, they have a good relationship with the Church, but not with Christ. There are lots of people in the world who teach Sunday school, or sing in the choir, or serve on the Parish Council who have a great relationship with the church but don’t have a great relationship with Christ. I dare say that there are many priests who appear outwardly successful in their ministries but struggle in their relationship with Christ. I’m one of them. This is why I want to address this topic.
There is a great temptation to fill our church calendar with programs. Youth group, men’s group, women’s group, small groups, all kinds of group. There is an inherent desire to have socialization in our churches, and in our lives. And there is nothing wrong with that.
There is great temptation in the worship aspect of our churches. Just because the choir is beautiful and sings in key, just because the priest has beautiful vestments and gives a beautiful sermon, just because the altar is filled with altar boys and the line for Communion seems endless, it is still possible to have all these things and still not have Christ. Because there have been many a Sunday that I have put on beautiful vestments and given a sermon that I was told was meaningful and I still felt empty, or guilty, or less than stellar about my relationship with Christ. There have been many times I have felt more like an actor than a priest, and I would venture to say that many of us have at times felt like actors, whether we admit that to someone else, or just to ourselves.
Perhaps the greatest temptation is to treat church as a transaction. We write a check as if we are paying dues at a country club. A parish council member at the first church I served many years ago described the church as “an organization to which I belong,” a description that could be ascribed to the Kiwanis Club or the Junior League. And we even faithfully attend programs like youth group, Bible study and even worship, but we don’t internalize the substance of faith, salvation in Jesus Christ.
Our relationship with Christ is supposed to be intimate. We are supposed to pour out our souls to Him. We are supposed to let Him into our secret hearts. His Word should be our lighthouse, guiding us in our dark times. His Word should be our roadmap, guiding us each day.
Our relationship with the Church should be like a tourist going to a resort. We should come to church to relaxation and recharging.
Our relationship with the Church should be like a patient at a hospital. We should come to church for healing.
Our relationship with the Church should be like a teacher and a student. We should come to church as students, eager to learn. And we should leave as teachers, filled with knowledge that we are equal to share.
Our relationship with the Church should be like that of parent and child. We should come to church as children of God, eager to see our Father, confident of His love for us. We should leave eager to care for and nurture others, the way a parent nurtures a child.
Nowhere in these images is that of a customer at a store. We do not come to consume things. The Church doesn’t exist to produce things, even if those things are beautiful services and nice programs. Christ came to save the world. The Church exists to bring His saving message to all.
Today’s Scripture verse is a rather harsh one. It is Christ castigating the temple leadership, as getting the transaction right, but losing the essence of what was most important. There is certainly a need for order in churches. And there are lots of useful Bible verses to memorize. There is nothing wrong with charitable giving, and a great choir and a good Sunday school are important things. Yes, it is important to get good grades and have good behavior. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. However, the end goal of Christianity is not to know about Christ, but to know Christ. Christianity is not about what we know, but what we do. And the end goal of life is to serve Christ at all times and to see Him in all people.
One of the most refreshing statements in the whole Bible comes from a man who wanted his son to be healed from an evil spirit. Jesus’ disciples could not cast out the demon. And Jesus asked the man if he believed that Jesus could cure his son. The man said “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) In many ways, if we are honest, this statement describes all of us. Anyone reading this message has at least some belief. And anyone reading this message has had their faith tested with doubt. Thus, the statement that we believe, but that we need help holding fast to faith when we feel doubtful with “unbelief” is actually a verse of encouragement in itself.
As we come to the conclusion on this unit of “Hold Fast”, it is important that we not only hold fast to the Church, or to outward forms of Christianity, but that we hold fast to Jesus Christ, Who is the centerpiece of Christianity. There are many people who stand around the center who never actually get to the center. It is critical that we all hold fast to form, but to substance.
Church is one place where we practice faith, in fact it is a necessary place. However, the church is not faith. We place our faith in Christ. It’s not just knowing about Christ that makes us people of faith. Knowing Christ is what matters.
Lord, Jesus Christ, help me to know You. I can’t hold on to faith if I don’t have faith. Help me to have faith. Help me to believe. Help me to believe when I don’t believe. And help me to hold on to what I believe. Help me to grow the faith that I have. Give me the desire to deepen my faith. Make Yourself known to me. Allow me to feel the joy and the hope that comes from You. Amen.
Hold fast to faith—Hold on to what you have. Strive continually to deepen your relationship with Christ.
+Fr. Stavros
