Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
Not that he in any way deserved to be king, Zoe thought, now that she was 15. She could beat him at riding and hunting, in study of both law and religion, even in fencing and chess. And now that they were adults, or almost, she would prove that she would be a better king. At the age when young princes are sent out on dangerous quests – to snatch priceless jewels from dragon's lairs or seek the truth on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho – Zoe, the princess who meant to put all the princes to shame, was going on the greatest quest of all. Zoe was going to find the Holy Grail.
You know the Grail – it is that mystery that we all seek, the deepest longing of our hearts – something overflowing with peace and love and joy and blessing, the cup of Eternal Life. It is said to be the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. Zoe imagined it was more glorious than the golden, jewel-studded chalice that she watched the bishop lift high every Sunday morning.
And she made plans to find this great treasure. While that oaf Sam was partying with his buddies, checking under bridges for dreadful trolls, or hoping to find a maiden in distress guarded by a very small dragon, the Princess Zoe was studying. She sought out the wisest monks and the cleverest rabbis. She read the Torah in Hebrew and the Gospels in Greek. She studied church dogmatics and liberation theology. Zoe's intellect grew strong and she became a wise woman. Surely she would learn how to find the Holy Grail and get for herself Eternal Life. But Zoe did not find what she sought in all her books and teachers.
So she began to strengthen herself for the great Quest. While Prince Sam played computer games, took up yachting, and ordered pizza, Zoe got a personal trainer and a nutritionist and disciplined her body. She climbed the frozen crystal mountain and swam to the bottom of Leviathan's Lake; in heavy armor, she was victorious at jousting tournaments; she won the gold in the pentathlon and even tried extreme sports. But no Holy Grail, no mysterious cup overflowing with Eternal Life.
So, the Princess turned to another path, and began a spiritual journey. While gullible Cousin Sam played with new-age crystals and dabbled in astrology, Zoe prayed. She learned meditation techniques and went on monastic retreats. She traveled to Rome and Jerusalem and went to visit Holy Men in the Tibetan mountains. She prayed the Daily Office, lived for the Eucharist, and finally became a priest. And once or twice she caught a glimpse of blinding radiant beauty; or perhaps she heard the music of the spheres or caught the heavenly smell lilacs and roses in the wind. She knew that the Gift was real, but Eternal Life, the mysterious Holy Grail, still was beyond her grasp.
"My God!" Zoe prayed, "What must I do to find Eternal Life?" And God, sounding suspiciously like Rabbi Hillel with whom she'd studied, answered like a good Jew with another question. "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" Zoe knew that one and was quick with her response, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And from the heavens Rabbi Hillel's voice replied, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
Now Zoe's not stupid. Our strong and scholarly Princess Priest recognized the script from the story of the Good Samaritan, and she pondered in her heart what this might mean. She remembered the command of our Lord and the end of the story: "Go and do likewise." Must she, then, travel back to Israel and walk the Jerusalem-Jericho road again, keeping careful watch for naked men in the ditch? Or should she take some of her royal allowance and start a charity hospital and name it "Good Samaritan"? She is able to do so much. What must she do to catch this elusive Eternal Life, to get for herself the Holy Grail, the cup of Eternal Life?
She has worked so hard to become strong, wise, and holy. If anyone can do this she can. She stands alone at the altar in the cathedral, the bishop's golden chalice in her hands, trying to envision the Holy Grail. The tears begin to fall. She knows the utter helplessness of it all. The quest is so damned lonely.
And in walks that stupid, irreverent, weakling King Sam. He's carrying his lunch from McDonald's. He holds out the paper cup and says, "Thirsty?"
A blinding flash of radiant beauty. A taste of Eternal Life. And a voice from heaven, saying, "Surely this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. ... The Holy Grail, like the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe."
Zoe and Sam, of course, lived happily ever after. They named their children Dabar, Eleos, and Plesion.
Zoe and Sam, too, were true to their own names: King Samaritan became a good king indeed. Queenly Priest Zoe, found that indeed the Eternal Life she sought was very near to her, for her name, "Zoe," means "life;" and she shared Christ's new life with the people.
And your name is "Christian" – as a reminder that the Word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.