Can You See God?

On the third Sunday of the Triodion, known as Judgment Sunday in the Orthodox Church, the Church turns our attention toward the Parable of the Last Judgment. We are taught by this parable the world will be divided between those who see God and those who don’t see God. In telling the story, Jesus exalts those who fed Him, clothed Him, gave Him a drink, and visited Him in prison. Those who are condemned, according to Jesus, are those who didn’t do these things. You should read the entire account in Matthew 25.31-46. In short, Jesus says, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)

The Parable of the Last Judgment isn’t about feeding the poor, although we should feed the poor. What makes feeding the poor part of our salvation is when we can SEE GOD in the poor. If we cannot see God, then even if we feed the poor, we will be lost. As I have said before, even Atheists can feed the poor but their actions will not save them. Every human being is created in the Image of God, and if we truly believe in Him, we will be able to see His Image in each other as human beings.

As we learned last week with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, each human being sins, but when we really love God, we can see past the sin and see God in them. Today the Parable of the Last Judgment drives the point still deeper into our hearts to warn us that our final judgment will depend on whether or not we can see the Image of God in each other. Great Lent is just around the corner. The Church is calling us to reflect in our hearts about our love for God and how that translates into how we see other people, and Judgment Sunday is a great reminder that saying we love God isn’t the same as SEEING Him.

A Story of Two Visions

In the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, we hear the story of two visions. Each man had a vision, but only one man had the proper vision. Each man was in Church, but only one man had the vision to see God. Each man was a sinner, but only one man had the vision to see their own sins. One man could see the sins of others, but it was the other man who went away justified. It was the Publican who had the vision to see his own heart needed to be healed by God. It was the Publican who had the vision to beg God for mercy.

Life is about vision; not physical vision, but vision of the heart. The Pharisee, the righteous man who obeyed the law, used his vision; but he could only see the sins of others, even thanking God that he was not like all those other sinners. The Publican, a man of sin, also used his vision; but he was able to see his own sin. Two visions; one saved the sinner, while the other condemned the righteous.

You also have vision? Do you use your vision to see the sins of others, or do you use your vision to see your own sins? Do you use your vision to look into your heart and beg God for mercy, or do you use your vision to look into the lives of others, and thank God you’re not like “all those other” sinners? You also have two visions; one will save you, while the other will condemn you.

Which vision will you use?

Child Prodigy

When a young child shows promise in a sport or art, parents invest great effort into building upon that early talent. Parents always want their children to excel, and when there is evidence that some pure talent is hidden, every effort is made to hone that talent for future success. Nobody, me included, would fault a parent for such efforts.

But....what if that same child showed promise in their spiritual life? When young children are regularly brought to Church, the rich expression of the Divine Services captures their vivid imaginations. Many young children find the outward practices of Orthodox Christianity exciting, and desire to practice them. Many young children can be seen, pretending to clergy, censing imaginary icons and people. Many young children reverently bow during the Divine Services of the Church. Many young children show promise for deep spirituality. And how do most parents react?

Unfortunately many parents, desiring for their children to live a so-called normal life, discourage their children from being “too” religious. I guess there is a fear their children might somehow be considered strange in a world that more and more has rejected Godly blessings in exchange for material burdens. In fact many parents, when they witness spiritual promise in their children, react quite opposite from those parents with artistic or athletic children. I have often heard parents, as a defense of fanatic commitment to sports practice schedules and dance recitals, argue in favor of a “well balanced” life, as if being spiritual somehow is unbalanced. And making things worse, in a society that focuses so much upon college education, the thought of scholarship offers fill parents’ minds.

If a child prodigy in music was discouraged from practicing, parents would be shunned by their peers. But when those same parents discourage their children from being “too religious” they are praised by their peers as well balanced and good parents.

What might God think?

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. – John 12.42-43

Something to think about in the New Year.

There is ignorance and there is foolishness

By definition, “ignorance” is a state of unknowing. The term is devoid of characterization when used, as I say, “purely” to indicate the level of knowledge one has in a particular setting. There is a great deal of ignorance in spirituality, especially Orthodox Christian spirituality.

On the contrary, by definition, “foolishness” is a lack of good sense or judgment. The term implies more than a lack of knowledge caused by a lack of intent. There is a great deal of foolishness in spirituality, especially Orthodox Christian spirituality.

Both can be dangerous if left unchecked, but one is definitely more offensive than the other. Whereas ignorance can be “cured” with a bit of education, foolishness cannot. I have noticed a great deal of both within “Orthodox Christian circles” on the internet lately, but I have little patience for foolishness when it comes to spirituality.

One example is in regard to the date of Christmas. MANY are ignorant to the ACTUAL historical timing of how the Church came to celebrate the Birth of Christ on December 25^th. There are many websites that offer a well researched and appropriate timeline of how the Church “chose” December 25^th as the date for the Feast of the Nativity. These sites are more than enough to “cure” the ignorance on the matter. The foolishness on the subject is another matter all together. Those who CHOOSE foolishness reject the historical treatment, in favor of mythology such as, “The Church chose December 25^th to compete with solstice celebration.”  Even worse are those who reject December 25^th in favor of January 7^th for the Feast of Christmas, when in reality they are the same date, albeit on different calendars.

Since this blog is dedicated to education, especially in terms of living the Orthodox Christian Faith, ignorance is preferred over foolishness for our readers and fans. I welcome comments and questions from those who seek the truth about Orthodox Christianity. I invite the foolish to read, but if you do not have the desire to cure your ignorance, please refrain from posting comments, as they will just be ignored.

The Honor of Baptizing

I was again honored today to celebrate a baptism in which another human soul was forever united to God. As Orthodox we believe quite literally that upon baptism we are not only outwardly affected, but inwardly as well. We believe that we die with Christ and are born new with Him in His Resurrection. But....you probably already knew that.

Today I wanted to share what a honor I consider it to be as a Priest to be the celebrant during any baptism, but today was a bit more special for me. The boy was 9 ½ years old. He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t a pagan. He wasn’t neglected. He was born into a loving Christian family. The reason he was not yet baptized is because his family has been on a journey. For more years than he has been alive, his mother who is a recent convert to Orthodoxy, was searching. Many years ago, through friends, she was introduced to the mystery of Orthodoxy, but it wasn’t until early last year that she deeply in her heart understood what the Orthodox Church was......”what she had been searching for all along.”

Sometimes God allows us to search and long for Him before He fully reveals Himself to us. He allowed the Jews to wander for forty years in the desert. He allowed the gentiles to revel in their various pagan religions for centuries before He revealed Himself to them.  He continues to allow millions of human beings to live in spiritual darkness. Why?

Of course we don’t know why God does everything He does. We are after all His creation. If we understood everything He did we would be God. But sometimes He allows the darkness because we are not ready for His Truth. Remember Moses had to be shielded from His glory for his own safety. Sometimes, which is why I feel so honored when I am allowed to celebrate a baptism, He allows the darkness because some of us choose the darkness. Some of us actually prefer the darkness, and He never forces anyone to accept Him or follow Him.

That is why before the baptism takes place, the candidate must first reject the devil, and then embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and as King. Then through the act of free will we are united to God in Baptism. We are forever joined into union with the Holy Trinity. And being a part of that awesome reality can be really humbling sometimes, especially when it occurs in the life of family in the midst of a great journey. That was the case today. Not every member of this particular family is Orthodox, but they are all believers in Christ. Maybe someday, by God’s grace, they too will choose to follow the Orthodox Way of Life. And maybe, that day, I will again be honored to welcome into God’s Church, freely.

Sometimes God is Right In Front of You; But Do You Recognize Him?

Each year toward the end of summer we hear the story of Peter walking on water. We hear about how Jesus chastises Peter’s lack of faith. We hear about how Jesus calms the storms that surround us. But what I want you to consider THIS year is that sometimes Jesus is right in front of your eyes, and STILL you don’t recognize Him, just as the disciples didn’t recognize Him when He came to comfort them during a late night storm.

The Gospel says, “How in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear.” (Matthew 14.25-26) In the midst of the storm the disciples who had witnessed His power, were unable to recognize Him. What could have prevented them? What prevents you from recognizing Him?

The disciples were talented fishermen. They were likely very good sailors. Is it possible they were so focused on their own abilities to get them through the storm, they “had no need” to recognize Jesus had come to help? It wasn’t until they were at their last possible moment before Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14.27) When all was said and done, Jesus had brought them safely through the storm and they declared, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14.34)

Don’t wait until the very last moment to recognize that God is right there in front of you. It could save you from a great amount of unnecessary stress.

Seeing God

When life presents us with blessings or even struggles, whether or not we experience them as opportunities to draw closer to God, depends completely upon the condition of our hearts. Do you see God in the blessings and struggles of your life? It just takes allowing God to heal your vision, and open your heart to His grace.

Are You Blind to God’s Blessings?

In the Gospel of John heard on the sixth Sunday of Pascha, we hear of a “man born blind” who received his sight as a gift from God. Despite several attempts to convince those around him that he had been healed by God, those who had witnessed his new sight refused to accept God’s role in his healing. They chose instead to say, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” (John 9.16) And again they said, “We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from?” (John 9.29) These witnesses to healing who refused to accept God’s blessings were none other than the Jewish “elite”, the Pharisees.

It should come as no surprise that the Pharisees couldn’t bring themselves to accept God had healed the “man born blind,” since WE regularly cannot see God’s blessings WE have received. The Pharisees, although they could see with their physical eyes, couldn’t see the blessings of God with their spiritual eyes, their hearts. There is an expression “can’t see the forest through the trees” which I believe illustrates this common human failure.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our immediate, close-up reality that we cannot see how God has His blessing hand on our path. Sometimes we are so focused upon our actions, that we cannot see how God has placed good things within our reach. Sometimes we are convinced that our fortune is of our own making, that we cannot see how God has given us the means through which to succeed. Sometimes we are blind to God’s blessings, even though we can see the results. Isn’t it about time we stop being blind, and start seeing God’s blessings?

Call – Obey – See the Lord and Be Saved!

If you desire to see the Lord with all your heart, first you must call out to Him. Then you must listen for His voice. When you obey Him, then you will see. And sometimes, you will have to ignore the advice of those around you. This was the way it worked for the blind beggar in the Gospel of Luke 18.35-43.

When the beggar heard Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” But many tried to silence him because Jesus was an important person. “But he cried all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” And Jesus took notice. He was healed of his physical blindness because he could already see with his spiritual heart what those around him could not see with their physical eyesight.

If Jesus is speaking to your heart, don’t allow those around you keep you quiet. Call to Him and He will hear you. Come to Him and He will meet you. Love Him and He will save you. It works the same for you today as it did for the blind beggar then. And God will say to you, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

The Vanity Virus

Vanity is the most dangerous of any spiritual illness, and human beings have been inflicted with spiritual virus since the very beginning. Eve, when she saw the “ tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3.6) Ever since that moment, humans have been infected with the vanity virus.

Vanity is at the core of every sin and every bad relationship between people. Whenever we place our needs and desires above others or God, we have an outbreak of vanity. Every time we please ourselves with beautiful clothing and jewelry, we have an outbreak of vanity. WHEN, not if, we find ourselves contemplating how we can benefit, we have an outbreak of vanity. There is no sin that cannot be traced to vanity. You could say sin is the symptom of the vanity virus.

This is why Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8.34) This Gospel passage is read each year on the Sunday following the Feast of the Holy Cross, this year on September 15, 2013. The Church reminds us we are unable to follow Christ unless we first deny ourselves. We must FIRST put aside vanity before we can know the love of Christ. If we remain focused upon ourselves, we will remain blind to the love Christ has offered us, and that blindness become death and eternal torment.

One of my favorite examples of vanity in the New Testament is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The rich man is tormented knowing that Lazarus is unable to come and care for HIM and cool HIS tongue, or go and warn HIS family. It is all about HIM, so he cannot see that he is in the embrace of God. His blindness to God’s love has become torment.

So if you want to experience God’s love…..get over yourself. The one thing about the vanity virus…..it has a cure in Jesus.

This post is part of a series of posts for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.