The Yes of Jesus (Mid-week Message)

Mystic Christ, Fr. John Giuliani 

Fr. Tony’s Mid-week Message

July 30, 2014

The Yes of Jesus

^“Are you now going to accuse me of being flip with my promises because [my plans to visit you] didn’t work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth—a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next? Well, you’re wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn’t a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be? When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn’t it a clean, strong Yes?   Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.” (2 Corinthians 1:17-22, The Message)

Paul here replies to the Corinthians’ thinking he has been wishy-washy by telling a great truth of the Gospel:  the Good News of God in Christ is all about affirmation, all about YES, and not about doubting or saying NO.  

We tend to define things by saying no:  we don’t like this, we can’t have that, we disapprove of such and such.    Most of our alienation from ourselves, from God, and from others results from our saying NO to various things, different ideas, and people.  We end up divided, separated, and isolated.  Our “no’s” come from scarcity, fear, and uncertainty. Paul says that at heart, the Gospel is positive, not negative.  It is affirmation, acceptance, and welcoming. 

Finding ourselves and being reconciled to each other and to God entails saying YES instead of NO. 

Obviously, saying YES in some ways involves an implied NO to other things.   (“Yes” to fidelity in marriage means “no” to wandering affections; “Yes” to loving others as oneself means “no” to abusing them.)  But Paul’s point is that in Christ, we focus on affirming the Good rather than on denying or negating the bad.   It is a matter of spirit-driven love and inclusion rather than legalistic rule keeping and exclusion. 

I think his point is well taken.  When we focus on the positive, and put our emotional efforts into affirmation, we find energy and power.  When we focus on the negative, and put our emotional efforts into negation, we become great energy sinks, wearing ourselves out as well as those about us. 

Grace and Peace.

--Fr. Tony+