The Branch, The Stone and The Altar

"The Branch Out of Jesse"

A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Christmas

By Bp. Joseph Boyd (Ancient Church of the West)

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” - Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV) 

Introduction

Today is an important day. A day when we receive and anoint Fr. Chris, his family, and bless their coming ministry. It is a day when we give him an altar stone that was consecrated to the sacrificial work of the Eucharist and made holy by the anointing of sacred Chrism. We anoint a priest and set him aside for the sacred work of the Church, and we consecrate and set aside the sacramental space of the Church, so that it becomes an icon of the New Creation through Jesus Christ. These icons are united in the person of Jesus Christ, and are present in our Church Lectionary Readings today. 

We see Isaiah calling God’s people to be “trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified”, and we hear about Jesus being called a “Nazarene”, which means “Branch”, and that this title means that He was despised of men and cast away. The theme of a branch being taken and replanted occurs in Scripture in multiple places. The ending of Noah’s flood was symbolized by the olive branch that the dove brought back to the Ark. Aaron’s rod flowered and bore almonds eternally in the Presence of God, and it rests in the Ark of the Covenant as a sign of God’s holy priesthood among men, a branch that finds all beauty and sustenance in the Covenant of God. In Romans 11, St. Paul talks about the grafting of olive branches from the wild tree on to the good tree. St. Irenaeus talks of Christ “re-heading” the human race by being just such a branch, that supplants and replaces, a recapitulation that makes Man enter into a new relationship with God, just as they entered into the Curse through Adam. In Church legend, we hear about St. Joseph of Arimathea’s staff, made from the bush that provided the Crown of Thorns, became a tree when he planted it in England, in which all the birds can nest, and a representation of Apostolic Succession in our Patrimony - A transplanted branch becomes a new tree. This is also like the light that is passed from one candle to another on Eastern morning - the origin is the same, but the flame may grow in another lamp, and give light to another place, and it can be passed without limits and without diminishing. The nature of the transplanted branch is like the nature of Christ’s Gospel itself, which grows up into trees of righteousness in every place the good seed falls. It is also like the Episcopacy, when it is passed in the evangelistic process of starting churches around the world is the same way - it is not diminished by its proliferation. The centralization and control of apostolic authority in the Church does not add to its pastoral function, only artificially adding to its princely glory, which is used by many to exact a price that has nothing to do with the Gospel and everything to do with fallen, temporal, human power. 

The Epistle

The Epistle Reading from this morning was Isaiah 61:1-3 -

“THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” 

Jesus quoted this passage in his Synagogue sermon, in Luke 4:14-32, and this connects to His teaching ministry and the way that he perceived Himself in Scripture… 

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way, And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.” 

The Gospel Reading

Today’s Reading, Matthew 2:16-23, is set in the context is the Narrative of the Slaughter of the Innocents, a feast day we just commemorated… 

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” 

(Jeremiah 31:15 “Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” almost word for word what it says here in Mathew 2:18) 

And back to the Gospel Reading from today… 

(19-23) “WHEN Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” 

Jesus was called a “Nazarene” to fulfill the Scriptures, but this Scripture has eluded scholars for centuries. No prophet calls for the Messiah to be called out of the city of Nazareth. But, “Nazaret” has another meaning - “Branch!” In many places in Scripture, there is reference to the Branch of David, of Jesse, of Righteousness, and of Supplanting and Rejecting. This is the "Raddix Jesse” of the “O Antiphons” that we just observed in the buildup to Christmas. The Branch is rejected, just like the Scripture says Nazareth is rejected, because “nothing good” can come out of it. If Nazareth and Nazaret, the place and the plant, are interchangeable, then the symbolism of Scripture becomes clear, as is the sign that marked Jesus as the Jew’s true Messiah. 

The Messiah was prophesied to be rejected. Psalm 22:6-7 (ESV) says, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads…" 

Isaiah 11:1 says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” Here we see that a “Nasaret” will grow out of Jesse! 

In John 1:46, we see this cultural dismissal for the "Branch" - “Nathaniel said unto him, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ And Philip said unto him, ‘Come and see!’” 

Jesus owns His role as one of “Nazareth” in Acts 22:7-8, “And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” 

Christians called themselves by the despised name in Acts 24:5, "For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes…” Paul evangelizes in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth in Acts 26:9, “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” “Nazarene” is still the most ancient name for Christians in the Indian Christian tradition, and there is has come to mean someone who is despised, excluded, living on the fringes of society and authority because of their persecuted place as followers of Jesus Christ! 

The Exultation of the Discarded 

The Psalmist prophesied in Psalm 118:22-24, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” That which is rejected as worthless, unnecessary and redundant suddenly becomes the unshakeable foundation for the corner, the change of direction, the reinforcement of that which God is building for His glory upon the earth. What man has deemed worthless and thrown away, God has restored, exalted, and made a new foundation stone for His House. 

Jesus uses the analogy of the stone for his own role, adding to the idea of the branch, as a way to show how it builds a house for us, a home in God's Presence. Where the branch grows into a tree that provides shelter and rest, the stone provides a cornerstone or a foundation on which the whole house can be built. Matthew 21:42 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” 

St. Paul ties this idea into his ecclesiology, showing how we are one and united, while retaining our unique, God-given talents and roles. Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” In our unity with Christ and our reliance upon Him, we form God’s Temple, a place wherein God’s glory dwells. 

This Stone is mighty, and upon it is the re-founding of the Covenant of God. Jesus makes it clear that our relationship with this stone is one of brokenness and repentance, and that lifting ourself up in relation to it results in our own destruction. In Matthew 21:44 it says, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” 

Summary 

Since ancient times, a stone that is erected and consecrated by the anointing with oil becomes an altar to God. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob/Israel, David, Ezra - all are recorded as covenanting with God by setting up a stone and anointing it in the Name of God. Jesus was the “Messiah” the “Anointed One”, and He is the source of all further anointing as the True Branch which now bears us, the True Church, the branches that have life by our engrafting into Him and the bearing of good fruit, which flows with the “oil of mercy.” Jesus Christ was the Sacrifice, the Sacrificer, and the Altar that was consecrated to God. These ancient altar stones, still present in the Christian altars of our Rite, unites all of these images into one, an icon of the living Body of Christ. It shows the Branch, the oil of anointing, the olive branch of peace and life brought by the Holy Spirit, and the Rock which has become the head of the building, the foundation of our dwelling, the place of meeting between God and Man, all in the Person of the despised and rejected "Nazaret." God delights in restoring and using the discarded, humbling the proud and exalted and lifting up the weak and downtrodden. The whole pattern here in Scripture shows us how these things create altars to God that unite heaven and earth. 

By giving Fr. Chris this altar stone, anointing him and restoring him fully to his priesthood, we start this whole, universal, theological process again in our local, personal, relational contexts. May God bless him and keep him, strengthen him to do the work of the ministry, and make his altar the place where God and Man meet in shared life, and his home and family a temple where God’s glory always dwells. 

Amen

The Reception of Fr. Chris and Family into the Diocese