t aspects of how the Word of God shapes our lives according to his will and purpose for us. Next week, the Second Sunday of Advent, we will consider how we use words in worship. The Third Sunday of Advent will reflect on enacting, living the Word and the Fourth Sunday will focus on prayer.

This Sunday we start with a focus on God’s Word spoken, written and living. I picked up this prayer in England a couple of years ago from Fr. David Trustram. We should pray it now:

May my spoken word be true to God’s written word and bring us all closer to the living word, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

That prayer draws us into a right order or operation for the preacher. I cannot say everything about everything, and surely you could not bear to hear it. But what I do say must be consistent with the Gospel. If my words do not faithfully comport with God’s written word and, more importantly the “living Word”’ of Jesus himself, then I demand correction.

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Today’s Gospel lays out a stark contrast in two observations Jesus makes, and both are about façades and his knowing what lies beneath a person’s exterior – the face they show to the world.

On the one hand, we see the scribes, the keepers of the law, who have a high position in society.  Then, as now, with high position comes great temptation for a hardening of the spirit, learning to love the trappings of position, and inwardly scheming for personal gain regardless of the cost to others. That’s the truth.

Surely that issue of power and position doesn’t apply directly to us! Let’s see…long robes. Check. Like to be greeted with respect. Check. Best seats in church. Check. Kind of like the choir? Or me? Deacon John?

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I only ever got to do this one time. About the same time Good Shepherd began its relationship with El Buen Pastor in Honduras 13 or 14 years ago, the parish I served began having mission trips to a school in Tegucigalpa called El Hogar which serves orphans and children from the worst poverty.

El Hogar has three campuses: an elementary school where we stayed and spent most of our time, an agricultural school where 7th to 9th graders learn contemporary farming, animal husbandry and how to farm-raise tilapia, and a technical school where they learn electrical work, carpentry, machine work (making tools and parts) and automotive repair.

The technical school was led by a guy named Lazaro, which is the Spanish version of Lazarus. So when we got there and I saw him for the first time walking towards us but at a distance, I cried out in Spanish, “Lazaro, come out!” He lit up with a big smile and we became instant friends. I saw him and his sons many times in the ensuing years.

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