Thanks Be to God: a Bit of an Hybrid Response to the Readings of the Day, Homily (had I been requireD to preach one) and Litany for the Fourth/Fifth Sunday after Trinity/Pentecost—with reference to Zech9.9-12, Ps145.8-15, Ro7.15-25 and Mt11.16-19, 25-30

Jesus Christ 

our Lord is The One through whom you and I have been created to give thanks to God—to know, worship and obey Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Give thanks for what apart from that? The things to which  Jesus referred in today’s Gospel, for example—the things hidden from worldly wisdom and understanding—things which transcend that kind of wisdom and understanding—things which will make perfect sense to little children who are still open to heavenly enchantment (Mt11.25). Things like a Virgin giving birth to a baby in a barn. Like gallons and gallons of the really good wine made from water in an instant so people could have a good time at a wedding. Like storms stopped in their tracks and thousands sitting on the grass fed from not enough food. Like a dead man, Risen! The list goes on. 

How does he do all that in a world so full of conflict, abuse, addictions, broken relationships and twisted appetite with a pandemic on the side? Well, I don’t know, except that somehow Jesus holds it all together (Col 1.17). Heavens! I’m like Paul. I can’t even understand and control my own actions (Ro7.15), let alone critique God’s! Neither can I consistently do the thing I know is right (v18). 

Yet, thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord (v25) for what The LORD has for us in the reading from Zechariah today—that Jesus, our king, having salvation, is coming again. Rejoice greatly, shout aloud! That He will speak peace to the nations and shall rule from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth. He will restore double whatever we have lost (Zech9.9-12).

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! for what The LORD is saying to us in today’s Psalm. No accident. It is the one The Father, in His perfect wisdom, wants you and me to hear and take to heart on this particular day—that:

The Lord is gracious and merciful, 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

 9  The Lord is good to all, 

and his mercy is over all that he has made. And that The Lord is faithful in all his words 

and kind in all his works.

 14  The Lord upholds all who are falling 

and raises up all who are bowed down, and will give us our food in due season. (Ps145)

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! that, even though we don’t understand our own actions, Jesus will deliver you and me from these wretched, death-bearing, sinful bodies. 

Thank you God for your gracious will (Mt11.26) and for all that has been revealed to us in Jesus even in our lack of wisdom and understanding. Thank you that not only have all things have been handed over to Jesus as we read today (Mt11.27), but He is also before all things and it is in Him they all hold together (Col 1.17). Thank you that Jesus has chosen to reveal you to us. Thank you for the rest only Jesus can provide. Thanks for His gentleness and lowliness of heart, for his easy yoke and light burden, all of which abound with your steadfast love (vv27-30). 

For these and all our many blessings, 

thanks be to God 

through our Lord

Jesus