Lift Up Your Eyes and See Clearly the Needs of Others

Living in the swamps of South Carolina I have come to accept my morning drive to school in the fog. Sometimes the morning fog is so thick I can barely see one block in front of the car especially in the low areas where the road crosses the swamp. The fog just billows across the windshield. It is all I can do to keep the car from going off the road. When I look straight down everything seems perfectly clear. I can see my own feet and my own shoes and my own clothes. Of course I can’t drive the car that way…I have to lift up my eyes and look ahead before I realize that what I thought was clear was actually dense fog.

This morning St. Luke tells us about two people living in the dense fog of life. A rich man who had everything he ever wanted and a poor beggar named Lazarus. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16.22-23)

While he was alive the rich man spent his days looking down and focusing his attention only on himself and his own needs. The Gospel tells us the rich man “was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.” (Luke 16.19) He was the picture of wealth. He had fine clothes and good food but we can be sure that he spent his days in a fog because he was staring down only at himself so he never noticed the danger ahead. All he saw was his warm clean expensive clothes, his clean warm slippers, and plenty of delicious food on his table. In the meantime he could not see the needs of Lazarus lying across his door. He was headed for a life a torment in hell not because he was rich but because he didn’t look up to see the fog and the dangerous road ahead.

When he finally did look up it was too late. He was dead. If he had looked up earlier he would have seen Lazarus lying there and been able to help him. After all he couldn’t miss Lazarus because he was lying across the door. The rich man could not enter or exit his dining room without stepping over Lazarus but all he could see was his own flowing robes and not the suffering human being under his feet. When he finally gazed up he saw, in reality, his own judgment in Lazarus. Christ says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.” (Matthew 25.41-43) Lazarus was all these things and the rich man, looking out only for himself, ignored him.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, do we know anyone named Lazarus? Florence County has more than 1,500 homeless people named Lazarus. You won’t see them in the phone book but they are there. They each have their own names but Lazarus seems to be appropriate because how we treat them will be our judgment just as it was the rich man’s judgment. They will continue to suffer if we cannot take the time to take our eyes off ourselves and lift up our eyes and see their needs.

Looking up is the only way we can truly be human and be saved. The very word for human being, ἀνθρωπος in Greek, means “one who looks up.” If we go through life staring down at the ground it is impossible to focus our attention on life around us. In the Divine Liturgy we say, “Let us lift up our hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.” If lifting our eyes up is gazing upon God as we heard in the Gospel: “He lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham,” (Luke 16.23) then we have to presume that looking down is staring into hell. As long as the rich man was staring down at his own wealth he was staring into hell. The only way we can gaze up into heaven is to lift up our eyes and see the needs of people around us.

1,500 homeless people in Florence County are a lot of people with a lot of needs, but we can’t be discouraged and think we aren’t able to help them or that their needs are too great. We must begin somewhere, so let’s begin with learning an example from the rich man in this morning’s Gospel. We are blessed today to hear, directly from God, what hell will be like. The rich man was in hell with no hope of comfort because, even though he was suffering the torture of hell, he couldn’t stop thinking about himself. So we must lift up our eyes and not only see the needs of others but do something about it.

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and most of us will be enjoying a big full feast with our families while 1,500 of our brothers and sisters don’t even have a home to gather in to give thanks. Let’s make a commitment this year to ease the suffering of some of our brothers and sisters. The Harvest Hope Food Bank distributes 100 pounds of food per person each year although the need is much greater.

I know some of us here today have experienced the pain of being hungry. I have heard many stories about war-time and post-war poverty in Greece, so today I am inviting you to recall that pain and lift up your eyes to our brothers and sisters in Florence. By each of us bringing two pounds of food for the Food Basket in the Narthex each week we can supply Harvest Hope with enough food to feed our whole Church for the year. Then we will be able to say we have lifted our eyes and seen that the Lord was hungry and fed Him.

Going through life looking down doesn’t always give us a clear picture. It doesn’t do me any good driving in the morning fog and it doesn’t do us any good trying to get to Heaven. Sometimes we just have to look up and see the struggles of those around us. We have to lift up our eyes and set our eyes upon God and help those around us. Eventually the fog clears in the morning Sun and we see clearly and we will see clearly when we lift up our eyes and see the Son of God. And then He will say to us, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food.” (Matthew 25.34-35)

The Pain of Selfishness Runs Deep

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus we find a deep chasm between them in death. Both have died and both are in the presence of God but both are not in Heaven. In death the rich man was suffering while Lazarus was comforted in the bosom of Abraham. In life the rich man spent each day ignoring the needs of Lazarus while he himself enjoyed a life “clothed in purple and fine linen, and he fared sumptuously every day.” (Luke 16.19) His selfishness blinded him to the needs of Lazarus who was laying begging at his door for a few crumbs. In life the rich man was comforted while Lazarus suffered.

In death the suffering rich man calls out to God saying, “’Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’” (Luke 16.24-26) Even in death the rich man ignored the needs of Lazarus for his own comfort. His selfishness was so great that even the torment of hell was not enough to convince him to have compassion on Lazarus. According to the Church Fathers, the great gulf represents the impossibility of repentance in death. Repentance is only possible in life.

Selfishness, looking out only for our own needs, creates a great gulf between us and those who are in need of our love and assistance. By looking outward to the needs of others rather than inward to our own needs we are able to defeat selfishness in our lives and experience the joy that comes from loving others. When we love others more than ourselves, then we will be rewarded by God in Heaven. Then God will say to us, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25.34)

Addiction is no Match for God

I found this story on the internet about a complete stranger named Bill:

“I remember waking up in the morning. My first thought would be ####, not again, not the fact that woke up with a headache and feeling sick, but the fact that I woke up at all, again. I knew that I was in for yet one more day of doing the same thing over again. I would then look at the ceiling and if there was ceiling above me that was a good sign if it looked familiar that was better sign because it meant that I made it home that would take a walk around my apartment. I would try to piece together the night before by scene were my clothes and up and whether rate kicked in the front door again. Wake up, work, get messed up, black out, pass out. That was my day each day every day.”

Addiction is a crippling reality for many people in our society, even for some in our Church, but it is not limited to drugs and alcohol. Some people are addicted to power, gambling, eating, shopping, the internet, video games, pornography, smoking, work, or even sex. These addictions in ways similar to drugs and alcohol create an environment where we sometimes feel out of control, like we are not controlling our own bodies. What we are addicted to becomes our only source of comfort in a world where stress combined with a feeling of loneliness and isolation can drive us into a life of depression and fear. But there is hope.

There is hope in this morning’s Gospel story about a man possessed by so many demons, that like someone with an addiction he often lost control of his own body. “There met Him a man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. For it [the demon] had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.” (Luke 8.27,29) Doesn’t this sound just like Bill’s story? Haven’t we heard many stories about addicts who have lost their homes and walk the streets with little or no clothing because their addiction has driven them out into the wilderness?

St Cyril of Alexandria writes, “In great misery and nakedness, he wandered among the graves of the dead. He was in utter wretchedness, leading a disgraceful life.” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 44) St Cyril could just have easily been saying this about any person suffering with an addiction in our own city. And it’s not just addiction. He could be saying this about a variety of issues in our life. There are many things that sometimes take control over our lives. Even work, if we allow it, can take over our lives and force us to spend less time with our family and God than we would like. And that’s the point….IF we allow it.

“Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they [demons] begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And he permitted them.” (Luke 8.32) The demons had no power unless God allowed it. Listen to what happened to swine: “Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.” (Luke 8.33) If God had allowed it the demons would have driven the man over the cliff too, but He didn’t allow it. God was protecting that man because He knew the man wanted to be saved.

The Gospel tells us the man met Jesus. He didn’t wait for Jesus to come heal him. Instead, he found enough courage and strength to drag his body to Jesus Christ so that he could be healed. The demons didn’t have enough power to stop him and they don’t have enough power to stop us. Demons only have as much power as we give them. If we want to be healed from our addictions of life or if we want to be freed from the slavery of life that keeps us away from our family and God, then we must find the courage and strength to come to God so He can heal us; and God will help us with that too. God has all the power in the world to do what He wants.

If He wanted, God could say (He could even just will it) to this Church, “Lights, go out, and they would.” If God desires something, nothing can stop Him but He doesn’t force us to come to Him. God has given us the greatest gift, the gift of freedom, so He will never force us to do anything against our will. He even allows us to use our freedom to turn away from Him. That is how much He loves us. And too many times we do use our freedom to walk away from God just like the crowd in this morning’s Gospel. “Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them.” (Luke 8.37)

St Ambrose said, “People are the authors of their own tribulation. If someone did not live like swine, the devil would never receive power over him” (Expositions of the Gospel of Luke, 6.48-49) We can presume from this and from the Gospel that the man had allowed the demons to enter him in the past. It isn’t so hard to believe. There are many times, even today, that people play with evil. Even something that seems innocent like reading the coffee grounds after a cup of Greek coffee. Even when we pretend “just for fun” to read the future or speak with fortune tellers, we are inviting evil into our lives. Whenever we choose to allow demons into our lives then they can control us. As I said, the point is IF we allow them.

So we must not allow them. It is always easier to stay away from evil then to remove evil once we invite it into our lives. We must take time every day for prayer. We must fast and help the needy. Don’t forget the warning of Christ, “However, this kind does not out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17.21) There are certain evils in the world that can only be defeated with prayer and fasting. With prayer, fasting and almsgiving we can avoid evil in our lives.

But sometimes we make mistakes and get into habits that take control over our life. Do we want to be set free from the demons in our lives? Do want to get the control of our lives back? If we do, then we must find a way to drag ourselves to God and ask Him to save us. We can’t do it on our own and God won’t force us. We have to ask Him and then He will use His power to cast the demons out of our lives. If we have addictions in our lives like alcohol or drugs or work or any other habit that is controlling our lives, then all we have to do is find enough courage to come to the Church and ask God to help us. And He will. And if we have friends who need help, we can bring them too. God will help anyone who asks, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3.23)

He will help us just as He helped the man in this morning’s Gospel. We have examples in our very own community how God has used His power to heal the sick and He will do it again. All we have to do is ask.

After Jesus healed the man He said, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” (Luke 8.39) This is exactly what Bill from our story is doing. Bill has been sober for sixteen years and runs a website to help people with addictions. God has done great things in our Community; the least we could do is go out and tell everyone what great things God has done for us, and then bring our friends who need help to the Church so they can ask God to make them better.

The Danger of Playing with Evil

Nobody argues that playing with fire isn’t dangerous. We all know many house fires are caused by children playing with matches or adults being careless with lit cigarettes. This is why millions of dollars are spent each year teaching fire prevention…and yet still we need fire fighters. I suppose it is because sometimes we let our guard down and forget the lessons we learned about proper fire safety and fire prevention. In fact it is when “we least expect it” that fire can destroy our homes and cause disaster in our lives.

The same is true for evil although we don’t always admit it. When we play with evil or are careless with evil, just as in the case of fire, we can be destroyed. “There met Him a certain man who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.” (Luke 8.27,29) This is the affect of evil when we allow it into our lives. We are led into the wilderness and suffer.

We should understand that evil can only take control of our lives if we or God allows it. “So they [demons] begged Him that He would permit them to enter them [swine]. And He permitted them.” (Luke 8.32) The demons could not even enter a herd of pigs without God’s permission and they cannot enter our lives without His or OUR permission. But too often we not only allow them…we invite them every time with encourage, participate in, or tolerate works of the devil and his demons. Once we have allowed demons into our lives, we have given them the power to control us. The following list are just a few examples of dangerous activities that invite evil into our lives: Reading horoscopes; Reading coffee grounds (even if “for fun”); Having or allowing our fortune to be read by a fortune teller; Using mind-altering drugs which alter our judgment; Wearing or encouraging scary monster or demon costume for Halloween.

When we participate in these activities or even “approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1.32) then we are playing with fire and we will get burned. Playing with matches isn’t safe and neither is playing with evil. Just look what happened to Adam and Eve when they played with the Devil…

The Power of God Has Been Given to Us

There is a story about a Russian Cathedral. In 1883 the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was consecrated along the banks of the Moskva River in Moscow. At the time it was a tribute not only to Christ Himself but to the power of God that had protected the Russian people against the 600,000 invaders led by Napoleon. In that Cathedral Tsars were crowned and buried. It was the focus of all Russia as the Mother Church until it was destroyed by Stalin in 1931 to make room for a monument to Socialism and the Soviet Empire. During the construction of the Palace of Soviets, as it was to be called, constant obstacles prevented the completion of the new monument. The constant flooding and sinking of the foundations coupled with the constant lack of funding caused the Soviet Government to abandon the project and the site remained empty until it was finally converted into a swimming pool in 1958. For fifty years the Cathedral had stood as one of the largest Orthodox Christian Churches in the world: a testimony to the Power of God and His protection of His people. In 1995, after more than 60 years of Soviet attempts to crush the Faith of Orthodox Christians, following the end of the Soviet Empire, the Cathedral was rebuilt on its original site and stands today as a symbol of the Triumph of Faith in Christ and the Power of God.

There are some great parallels between the history of the Orthodox Church in Russia and this morning’s Gospel. “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10.17-19)

Now listen to the words of the Russian Emperor Alexander I in 1812: “To signify Our gratitude to Divine Providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her and to preserve the memory of the unheard of efforts, loyalty and love for our Faith and Homeland displayed during these difficult days by the Russian people, We hereby intend to build a Cathedral in honor of Christ the Savior in our capital city of Moscow, wherein the appropriate Decree will be issued in due time. May the Almighty bless Our intentions. May our intentions be fulfilled. May the Cathedral stand for many centuries. Let the incense of thanksgiving, together with love and a desire to imitate the feats of our ancestral feats, burn before the holy altar of God for many generations.” (http://www.xxc.ru/english/history/index.htm)

The Russian people just like the seventy apostles understood that their protection and power to defeat evil came directly from God and not from their own abilities or wisdom. But if this example of God’s power isn’t enough to convince us maybe this story will. A member of our parish family was diagnosed earlier this year with a tumor between his eyes. After months of study, a recent MRI revealed no tumor. Praise God. There has been no surgery and yet today there is no tumor. What do we think? Was this a coincidence or a miracle? The Power of God is working in our community! There are other examples that I have mentioned before but this remains the most amazing. Praise God for his healing.

There are so many reasons for us to rejoice in the Power of God and we should rejoice, but Christ says, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10.20) It is no coincidence that miracles continue to happen in our Community. Whenever we choose to trust in the Word of God and live our lives and direct our parish according to His will for us in our lives, He will protect us. He protects us because our names are written in Heaven. Our names are written in heaven because we have become children of God as He promised. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right be become children of God: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1.12-13)

Jesus Christ says, “He who hears you hears Me… I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.” (Luke 10.21) For those of us who have been blessed to hear the word of God in our hearts God has revealed His wisdom. To those who have not heard Him in their hearts, those of the world, His wisdom is foolishness. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’” (1 Corinthians 18-19)

My brothers and sisters the wisdom of the world is destined to fail because the world has Satan as its father. (John 8.44 “You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.”) Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (John 12.31)We have a choice to make: do we wish to follow Jesus Christ who has the power to defeat evil, or do we wish to follow the wisdom of the world which is destined to fail? The choice is ours to make, but it comes with consequences.

The Lord has already said that the wisdom of the world will be turned upside-down. The Lord has already said it will be destroyed. If we choose the wisdom of the world, we will sink like the foundations of the Palace of the Soviets. If on the other hand we choose to follow the Gospel of Christ and live like He wants us to live, we will rise like the walls of the New Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow which holds more than 10,000 people and is the largest Orthodox Christian Church in the world.

This morning’s Gospel tells us about the seventy apostles that Christ sent out to preach the good news of salvation. The Good News is this: God became man so that man could, by grace, become what God is by nature.” (See 2 Peter 1.4) God has united humanity to divinity and this is the reason to rejoice. This is salvation. This is the reason miracles continue to happen for us in our lives and our parish. This is the power of God.

Listen again to the words of Jesus Christ: “He who hears you hears Me.” God has chosen to allow us to work with him together to bring the Good News of salvation to the world. Do you believe in the Power of God? Then go out this week and share the Good News with your family and friends, your coworkers, and anyone you meet and invite them to Church. God has come to save the world from destruction and it is up to us to help get the word out. And when we do, “nothing by any means can hurt us.” (Luke 10.19)

From the News of Our Times…

The following is a recent news article from the Associated Press about a teenage girl who converted from Islam to Christianity and her fears of being killed as a result. Unfortunately the US Government is set to make a ruling on whether the teenager should be returned to her parents despite her fear of death. With the recent publicity of hate crimes laws in Washington, D.C., one would think the government would want to protect this teenage girl. I am sharing this article with you not to show the faith of the teenager, which is obviously strong, but to show the willingness of the United States Government to allow the discrimination of Christians just because of their beliefs. This is not about poor job performance or the refusal to seek medical care; it is the systematic attempt of the Devil to use our society to defeat the Church. We are blessed to know however that the Devil has been defeated, is defeated every day when we choose to follow Jesus Christ, and will be defeated finally when Christ returns to judge the world.

Ohio Judge: State to Take Custody of Christian Convert Runaway
Thursday , October 15, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
Ohio can take custody of a girl who ran away to Florida, saying she feared she'd be killed for converting to Christianity from Islam, a judge ruled Thursday in a decision clarifying the girl's legal status once she returns.

The Franklin County Children's Services agency will take custody of Rifqa Bary pending the confirmation of her immigration status or her return to Ohio, according to the order by Franklin County Juvenile Court Magistrate Mary Goodrich.

The decision was supported by lawyers for the girl and for her parents, natives of Sri Lanka. Franklin County opposed the request for custody, saying it was premature until the girl was in Ohio.

Bary, 17, has been in foster care in Orlando. A Florida judge on Tuesday said he planned to send her to Ohio once he receives immigration and education documents.
Bary ran away from her parents' Columbus-area home in July. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats to the girl.
Her father, Mohamed Bary, has said the family had asked Rifqa to stop proselytizing at school because they didn't feel it was an appropriate activity there. They also told her she had an obligation to study her original faith first, before choosing another, her father said. But he denies ever threatening her.

A foster home has already been picked out for the girl once she arrives, Bonnie Vangeloff, Bary's court-appointed lawyer, told the judge.

Non-Orthodox Christians Receiving Holy Communion

I have been asked a number of times over the past several months to explain the announcement made prior to Holy Communion each Sunday regarding non-Orthodox Christians and Holy Communion. I will offer a brief explanation of why we as Orthodox Christians do not share “open communion” with other Christians. I pray these words will help rather than hinder others to understand our Holy Orthodox Church.

“Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17.11)

Shortly before His passion on the Cross, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prayed these words that the Church would be united in the same manner as the Holy Trinity – a communion of individuals unique and distinct yet in total harmony as a community of love. The unity of the Church has been expressed throughout the centuries by the sharing of the chalice and the Holy Eucharist. It is true many non-Orthodox Christians like Orthodox Christians believe that in the chalice is the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and that by receiving it we commune with God Himself in a mystical way.

But this belief in the contents of the chalice is where the similarity among Churches ends. In fact some Churches don’t even share that belief with the Orthodox Church. In our Orthodox understanding of the Eucharist, the sharing of the cup is itself possible only in unity and is seen as a result of unity rather than an agent to bring unity. In other words, as Orthodox Christians we are able to share the chalice because we are already united rather than sharing the chalice to become united.

All are welcome to attend our Divine Liturgy, but to share the common chalice which is an expression of existing unity when in fact there is no unity would be dishonest and I have yet to meet anyone who, being honest, can claim that Christianity is united with over 25,000 denominations of Christianity in the world today all claiming to be the True Church.

Tending the Garden of Our Souls, Sowing Seeds for Christ

Driving around town you can’t miss the fact that it is time to pick the cotton. Growing up in the North I never knew what cotton looked like in the fields let alone how it was picked so I was very excited last year when we moved to the South and I saw my first cotton field. It was all white like fresh snow one day and the next…it was gone. Only large bales of cotton sit in the field waiting to be transported to the mill. This year I’ve been watching the fields along Ebenezer Road and noticed something different about the cotton, it was small and the field was covered with weeds. Then I saw the cotton fields outside of Darlington and the cotton was huge without a single weed. In the fields covered in weeds you couldn’t even see the cotton but in the fields without the weeds, it looked like fresh snow which is what I remembered from last year’s crop. Then I thought about my garden at home, which right now is covered in weeds and I realized weeds and gardens don’t mix. A good crop needs fresh fertile soil without weeds.

And then it hit me. This morning’s Gospel is about gardens and weeds. The Gospel says, “A sower went out to sow his seed…” (Luke 8.5ff) The Lord tells us that this parable is about the Word of God, Jesus Christ, being sent by the Father to all of us. Each of us hears His Word. “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the words with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8.12, 15) All dirt, whether it has been trampled down by traffic or covered with weeds begins as good rich fertile soil, and those of us who like to garden know, that it takes effort and constant attention to keep weeds from growing in our garden. It takes regular maintenance to keep the ground soft and not packed down by the weather.

The same thing can be said about our soul. Each of us was created by God with a pure innocent soul and without proper attention our soul can become hardened by the pressures of life. Like the cotton fields along Ebenezer which are covered with weeds our soul can become covered by sins which hide the fruit we are trying to produce for God. And just like a garden takes work, so does our soul. Gardeners have special tools to help them with weeds and rocks and hard packed dirt and there are tools for our soul too: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, Confession and Holy Communion. Each of these tools is needed to keep our hearts and soul rich and fertile so we can bear fruit to the glory of God. Without a hoe, a spade, a pitch fork, water and even some good old spring cleaning, a garden will remain a field of weeds. Without our spiritual tools, our souls will remain hard and without fruit.

It doesn’t take much time in the garden before you realize that if you let the garden go too far, it becomes harder and harder to produce a good crop. When you spend time in the garden every day pulling weeds and caring for your crops they will grow large and full and produce lots of good fruit. The same is true with our soul. If we allow sins to continue they can grow out of control and take over our lives. Many people suffer with different types of addictions: food addictions, chemical addictions, behavioral addictions, emotional addictions. These all share the same reality. The longer we continue in our addictive behavior the harder it is to quit.

When a garden has gotten out of control sometimes it’s easier to just “till it under” and start over. Every season we till the weeds and old crops under and start our new crop in the fresh fertile soil. When our souls have become covered and overgrown with sin we can also start over. When we go to Confession with our Spiritual Father we ask God to forgive us for the sins we have committed and He always does. All sin is forgiven by God when we ask Him. The only sin that God does not forgive is the sin that we do not ask forgiveness for. After Confession with our Father Confessor our soul is clean and fertile and ready to receive the Word of God and bear fruit in our lives. Just like a garden needs to be turned over ever season, we need Confession every season.

A good garden requires constant working of the soil and plants to produce a good crop and so does our soul. With prayer, fasting and almsgiving we work the soil of our soul to keep it fresh and without sin. When we fast, say the Fathers of the Church, we cannot want. When we do not want, we cannot be selfish. When we are not selfish, then we can be charitable to others. With prayer our Lord reveals to us through His Word, Holy Scripture and the Church, how He wants us to live. Do we remember the words of Christ last week? “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return.” (Luke 6.35)

Isn’t it easier to keep weeds out of a garden than to remove them once they have taken over? The same is true for our souls. Nobody can deny it is easier to not begin a sinful behavior than to stop once it becomes a habit. Which is easier: to not smoke or to stop smoking after twenty years? And the longer someone smokes the harder it is to quit. When we see a weed it is better to remove it than to allow it to grow and the same goes for our soul or we risk having no fruit in our lives. Listen again to what Jesus says, “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and our choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” (Luke 8.14)

Of course no garden will grow, no matter how much work we do, unless it receives water. Without water there is no life and without Holy Communion, the Eucharist, there is no life. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6.53) No matter what we think and no matter what we have been told in the past we cannot live without receiving Holy Communion…often. I hear all the time, “Father, I was taught you should only receive Holy Communion four times each year.” This is wrong. What would happen if we only ate four times per year? Well….we would never live to eat a second time; that’s for sure. If we wish to live then we must receive Holy Communion often.

The ancient Church, with the guidance of the Holy Apostles who walked and talked and ate with Jesus Christ, knew very well what Jesus Christ said. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2.42) The Holy Apostles taught, “There are two ways, one of life and one of death; and between the two ways there is a great difference.” (The Didache)

The Apostles taught that prayer, fasting, almsgiving, confession and Holy Communion were required in order to follow the way of life. If we want to be good gardeners we would follow the advice of a good gardener. If we want to be followers of Jesus Christ and become “sons and daughters of the Most High,” (Luke 6.35) then surely we would follow the advice of His Holy Apostles who were found worthy “to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8.10)

Only one question remains: Do we want our souls covered in weeds so we can’t even see the fruit, or do we want to have clean fertile soil so we can “bear fruit with patience?” If we want to bear fruit in our lives we must follow the teachings of the Holy Apostles and use the tools of the Church: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Holy Confession and Holy Communion. After all we’re not just picking cotton, we’re becoming children of God.

First Fruits or Best Fruits?

In a conversation recently a question was asked regarding the quality of olive oil needed in the Church. My response was a simple one: “We offer God the best we have.” We grow up hearing the term “first fruits” that are offered to God but most of us do not understand the true meaning of this challenge.

Απ’αρχή is the Greek expression often translated as “first fruits” in Scripture. While this is a correct and accurate translation it does not convey the full meaning of the expression. In biblical times ‘first fruits’ did not indicate the actual first fruit to be harvested (or pulled out of the ground) but the best fruit of the harvest. Those who garden know the first is rarely the best of any crop.

Taken in this way, we can see that we should be offering God the best olive oil we have. This oil burns as a sacrifice offering in front of the Holy Relics, on the Holy Altar Table, and in front of Holy Icons, as an expression of our love for God. Would we want to express our love for God with old and low-quality oil when we use new fresh extra-virgin oil in our salads? In fact, we should offer the best oil to God and use what is left on our salads.

The same must be said for anything we offer to God: time, talent, and treasure (what we call Stewardship). When we make an offering to God, let it be the best we have; not the leftovers.

The Golden Rule, A “How to get to Heaven” Manual

The weather has been getting a bit cooler lately and winter will be with us before we know it. In the mountains that means snow and snow means a new ski season is just around the corner. I used to ski a lot when I was young. The joy and thrill of skiing down the mountain is best shared with a friend. In Colorado, Monday morning conversation during ski season is consumed with ski talk (second only to Bronco-mania) as friends share the secrets of new found ski slopes where the lift lines are short and the snow is deep and there is always someone in the group who is a ski fanatic and knows all the best places. Whenever you wanted a new place to ski he was the guy who knew where to go and when. Everyone knows that the best skiers know where the best skiing is. You wouldn’t dream of asking someone who’s never been skiing where the best slopes were.

As fun as skiing is, as Christians we are more interested in spending eternity in heaven, not just a few hours on the slopes. So why would we ask, or at least follow the example of, people in our society who aren’t trying to get to heaven how to get there? Our society is filled with people who are experts in their respective professions. If you want to know how to have a successful musical career Michael Jackson is a great example of an expert who has been very successful in his professions but do you really want to end up like Michael Jackson? If only there was a “How to Get to Heaven” manual for us to follow.

There is and it has examples. The manual is called The Bible and the examples are the Saints of the Church. This morning’s Gospel lesson is a short easy manual, and if we follow it we are sure to get to heaven. Let’s take a few minutes to see just how…

This morning Jesus Christ gives us “The Golden Rule” as a way to salvation. “Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them.” (Luke 6.31) When Jesus was asked how to get to heaven, He reminded the lawyer of the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22.37-39) This morning He tells us how to love our neighbor. “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” (Luke 6.35)

Compare that with how society tells us how to live: get what you can, as much as you can, as fast as you can, from whomever you can, however you can, and you will be happy….until of course the economy collapses. In its wake society leaves broken, hurt, bitter, wounded people. We have two options, follow society or follow Jesus and Christ and His Church. When was the last time you heard a bank say, “pay it back when you can…if you can’t pay it back, don’t worry we have enough?” If you want to go skiing ask a skier, but if you want to get to heaven ask Jesus Christ and His Church.

The Saints of our Church struggled just like we do. They were doctors, lawyers, builders, fishermen, scholars, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. You name it; they experienced it including a lot of suffering because society was telling them to live a certain way; and the Saints refused but they were rewarded by God for their commitment to Him. This is why we surround ourselves with their pictures; so we can be inspired to follow Christ as they did.

Look around the Church and get to know the Saints we have: Saint Barbara, Saint Katherine, Saint Nektarios, Saint George, Saint Demetrios, Saint Thomas, Saint Basil, and Saint John the Baptist. Get to know their lives and use them as examples. They followed the manual and so can we.

Jesus says, “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” (Luke 6.32-33) Put another way, if we love like society tells us to love we are no better than society. We must not follow the example of society; we must follow the example of the Saints! As Christians we are asked to love even our enemies whether we love them or not. Isn’t that what God does for us? “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.8)

Saint Paul knew the risks of society. We just heard in the Epistle reading this morning, “Therefore, having this promise, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh [what Saint Paul uses to mean the worldly way of life].” (2 Corinthians 7.1) Saint Paul also says, “You [we] are the temple of the living God.” (2 Corinthians 6.16) When we follow the Golden Rule and love others as ourselves then we will love them and treat them like they are the temple of God.

What does the Golden Rule mean for us today in 2009? When we give someone our word, don’t we want other people to believe what we say? Then we should trust what others tell us and then if someone lies or forgets what they told us we should forgive them. At some time haven’t we all done this and hoped to be forgiven? When someone has an idea for something in our Church and we don’t agree, we should listen and not just throw out ideas that we don’t agree with. I’m sure others have done the same for us. And when we make decisions, we must believe that those who made the decisions didn’t mean anything hurtful to us because sometimes decisions don’t make everyone happy but that doesn’t make them bad decisions.

Once decisions are made in our Church we should all support them because we are one Church, one Body of Christ. If we continue to fight against ideas once decisions have been made we will not grow as a Community. And if we do not grow as a Community then we will surely die. Jesus Christ prayed, and we pray, for unity in the Church. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word: that they will be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You have given Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17.20-23)

There may be times when our ideas are ignored, when we are not trusted by others, when we are not respected. It is at these times we must not return bad behavior with bad behavior and that’s ok even if it hurts a little. If we are only good to those who are good to us then we will be just like the sinners.

Skiers are very loyal to the art of skiing. When there is a great mountain to ski they tell others how to get there. Jesus Christ has told His Church how to get to heaven and the Saints followed His advice. The Saints are like loyal skiers telling us in their writings, but most especially in their daily lives, how to find our way to heaven. It’s now our turn to follow the path and live like Jesus Christ wants us to live and we will become “sons [and daughters] of the Most High.” (Luke 6.36) And let’s not forget to tell our friends how to get there too! It’s a bit like skiing; heaven won’t be any fun if we are alone.

Save Now! God Will Reward You Later!

When I was young one of the hardest lessons I had to learn was to save money. When I was ten years old I began my first job and with my life long battle with saving money for the future. For a ten year old, anything with the word ‘future’ seemed liked I’d never see it, so why save money for the future. Every penny I had to save was a penny I couldn’t spend. Needless to say I wasn’t very successful saving money at ten. It was only two years later when I learned that if I put some money aside then I could buy a new walkman radio that was all the rage in 1981. All I had to do was deny some spending for a couple of months and I would be rewarded with a better purchase later. And thus began my life-long struggle with saving for the future vs. spending now and I wish I could tell you that I won that battle more than I lost.

The lesson of denying what we want now for something better in the future is the message of this morning’s Gospel. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8.34-35) Lose my life is exactly what I thought about a savings account when I was ten. Why shouldn’t I have what I wanted right away? Why should I have to wait? I had a job and money. If I wanted to buy a toy or a candy bar, that’s what money is for. Save? HA! I could always make more in the future! I wanted it then and nothing was going to stop me….until I turned 16.

As I grew I realized that there were other things that were important in the life of any teenager: gas money or going out with friends. With only a summer job, I had to learn quickly that if I wanted spending money during the winter and spring I had to save money during the summer. And so I learned another lesson: we never know what the future holds so saving now for the future wasn’t losing my life, it was gaining it later.

Our society is obsessed with the here and now. We are obsessed with instant gratification. Immediate financing, no interest for the first 12 months, no credit needed; these are all popular phrases in today’s society and it all boils down to money and how we can get more things to fill our larger houses. And it doesn’t stop with money and owning more stuff. Our obsession with the here and now has boiled over into every part of life; the worst of which is how our society views sexuality. The need to wait for that first sexual encounter until marriage is considered not just old fashioned by many people but downright foolish. We are so worried about now, many of us don’t even have savings accounts.

So it should be no surprise that God wants us to forget about the now and worry about the future: our future with Him in His kingdom. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8.36) What good will it do to have our cars and summer houses in Greece or at the beach when we are faced with death? We all know, “We can’t take it with us.” But I’m not talking about money today, I’m talking about the priorities in life.

We could just as easily say, “What will it a profit a man if he attends every Gamecocks home game, and loses his own soul?” The Lord will not say, “Come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you attended a football game; I was thirsty and you went hunting; I was a stranger and you slept in after a night on the town.” (See Matthew 25.34-36) No, God will not reward us for choosing to ignore Him, His Church or His suffering people just so we could enjoy life now. He wants us to save spiritually for the future.

We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we do know that God has promised to return sometime: we just don’t know when. When we deny what the world thinks is important and spend more time with God, just like saving money for the future, God will reward us in the next life. He said, “There are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” (Mark 9.1) The power of God is present right here and right now! Every time we witness the Divine Liturgy, bread and wine become the real Body and Blood of God and we are blessed to be allowed to join ourselves to God. We witness the power of God every day, if we choose to acknowledge it. Who do we think brings customers into our restaurants? Do we not think that they could just as easily choose another restaurant? Why do we think we were chosen for a particular job over someone else? Who do we think ‘planted the idea’ that we were better than another candidate for the job who had the same qualifications. If we don’t think God works this way we should think again. God is always blessing us.

In our own Parish we have witnessed the power of God. Just in the past few weeks there have been savings in our emergency expenses. We fixed the water main that was leaking. Many thought it would costs several thousand dollars: it was done for less than $1000. We fixed the walk-in cooler not for the $3,000 we thought it would cost but for less than $2000 and that included fixing the air conditioning for the Community Center. And don’t forget the ‘once in a lifetime price’ for the marble that allowed us to marble not just the new Narthex but the interior aisles as well. God is working my dear brothers and sisters and His power is visible in our Community.

And God knows better than we do how hard it is to choose Him over society. He knows that we are human and that we make mistakes. I make my fair share of mistakes, that’s for sure but still God continues to bless us. Don’t you think the time has come for us to trust Him? Don’t you think the time has come to start saving for something better in the future?

Think back to when you were just a child learning how to save for the future. Think back to how hard it was to deny buying something just so you could have something better later. And now think back to the time you realized it wasn’t so bad waiting for something better. And nothing is better than spending eternity with God in Heaven. God guarantees it.

God Will Reward Us Later for Our Choices Now

When God became human, He established the Church with the help of His Apostles. From the very beginning of His earthly ministry God never forced anyone to participate in His Church. “Come and see,” (John 1.39) and “Follow Me,” (Matthew 4.19) were the words Christ used to call His first Disciples, and they volunteered to go and live with Christ during His life on Earth. Because of their willingness to follow Christ, they were blessed to witness the miracle of Christ’s Passion and became coworkers with God in establishing His Church on Earth. God honored their voluntary commitment with eternal life spent with Him in His Kingdom and He will do the same for us.

God is calling us to voluntarily follow Him and trust that He will save us from eternal torment. The Apostles followed and were rewarded crowns in Heaven but not before they suffered on Earth. The invitation by Christ to follow Him is not a guarantee that life will be easy and without struggle. On the contrary He says, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8.34-35) We will suffer simply because we choose to follow Jesus Christ because the Devil will stop at nothing to convince us to forget about God. The more we suffer for Christ’s sake the more He will bless us. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8.36)

When we choose to follow Christ we are choosing to leave behind what the world thinks is important. The world thinks wealth, sexual freedom, a good career, and moral independence are the goals of life, yet we see every day in the news how much suffering the world is enduring because although these desires have consumed our society we have failed to achieve them. In the meantime, society has neglected to follow Jesus Christ and now is faced with neither wealth nor a relationship with God.

But we can change all that right here and now! We can choose to follow Jesus Christ and “save our souls.” We can choose to desire a relationship with God rather than a life spent chasing wealth. We can choose to desire a relationship with God rather than practice a life of sexual immorality. It’s our choice; God never forces us into anything. He just promises eternal rewards later for the right choices now.

If you desire a relationship with God rather than chasing the dreams of society, start today and make a change in your life. Allow the teachings of Christ and His Church to assist you in your life decisions. Attend Bible Study, fast, attending as many Church services as you can, help the needy and poor, attend Holy Confession; these are just some of the tools the Church has to help you follow Christ. And if you need help, call your Priest and he will find time to discuss your needs and how the Church can assist you in your desire to follow Christ.

God Never Breaks His Promise

The story goes that during a bad thunderstorm a young man cried out to the Lord, “Lord save me from this storm!” Later that same evening the storm was so bad that the river banks overflowed and his front yard started to flood. Having faith in God, he believed that God would save him so he closed the door and stood in front of his icons and prayed, “Lord save me from this storm!” As the floodwaters increased, the police knocked on his door and told him to evacuate because the neighborhood was flooding. “God will save me,” he said and he closed the door and returned to his icons to pray, “Lord save me from this storm.” As the water level rose, eventually it broke through the door and windows and began to fill his house with water. He took his icons upstairs and continued to pray, “Lord save me from this storm,” and the water continued to rise until he found himself looking out his second floor window and saw a boat float by with a rescue team. They called to him, “Get in the boat, the neighborhood is flooding!” He refused saying, “God will save me,” and he continued to pray, “Lord save me from this storm,” but the waters continued to rise. He found himself sitting on the roof with his icons when a helicopter rescue team flew overhead and called out to him to get into the basket and they would carry him to safety. “God will save me!” he insisted. Five minutes later the young man drowned to death sitting on his roof. When he saw Jesus he asked, “Why didn’t you save me?” and God said, “Save you? First I came as a police officer and you didn’t follow me; so I came in a boat and you didn’t follow me; so I finally came with my helicopter and STILL you didn’t follow me…what else did you want me to do?”

There are many times in life when we are struggling so hard we simply don’t recognize the help that God is sending our way. I don’t know if you have heard this story before, but I believe it’s a pretty clear example of our real struggle in our daily lives. The reality is that humanity is in quite a mess right now and has been for thousands of years ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The Good News is that God has a plan to rescue us from the floodwaters that surround us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3.16-17) In other words, like in our little story, God plans to send us the police officer, the boat AND the helicopter and He will never stop trying to save us. He just needs us to follow Him to safety.

In the Old Testament we read a story about the Jews wandering in the wilderness giving up hope that God was going to save them. “Then they departed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea; and they went around the land of Edom, and the people became discouraged on the way. So the people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us in the desert? For there is no bread nor water, and our soul is weary of this worthless bread.’ So the Lord sent venomous serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the children of Israel died. Then the people came to Moses, and were saying, ‘We sinned, for we spoke against the Lord and against you; therefore, pray to the Lord, and let Him take away the serpent from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a serpent for yourself and put it on a signal pole; and it shall be, if a serpent should bite someone, when the one who is bitten looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses made a copper serpent and put it on a signal pole; and it happened, when a serpent bit anyone, and he looked at the copper serpent, he lived.” (Numbers 21.4-9)

With what we know about science today, and they probably did then too, there is absolutely nothing about a copper snake hanging on a pole that can heal anyone from the deadly venom of a snake. The power of the snake was God’s promise that it would save them. And God never goes back on His promise. The power of the copper snake was the belief that God would heal them. And He did just as He promised.

And He promises to take care of us too in our time of need. All we need to do is believe in Him who was hanging on a cross. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3.14-15) Have we been bitten by the serpents of life? Have we lost hope that nothing we do can fix a certain problem that has been plaguing us in our relationship with our spouse? Look. Look upon the Cross of Christ and believe that He has the power to save us. And He will.

In the Divine Liturgy we pray to God, “You brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, You raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and granted us Your kingdom to come. For all these things we thank You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit; for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that have been bestowed upon us.”

So my dear brothers and sisters if you are struggling and the floodwaters are rising, come to Christ and His Church and pray, “Lord save me!” And when he sends help know that it is not just a coincidence that your problem was solved but that God did in fact send help. Are you struggling to pay your bills? Have faith in God that He will take care of you and when you find money is a pocket or purse or get a credit refund on your next bill, remember it’s not a coincidence it’s God.

God has come to rescue us from death and destruction. We live in a world full of struggle and sin and sometimes the floodwaters of life are crashing against our walls. Let us enter His House and pray, “Lord save us from this storm,” and He will. Let us look upon the Lord hanging upon the Cross and know that He has promised that if we believe in Him, we will live forever. And God never breaks His promise.

Is Football the Antichrist?

For centuries humanity has struggled with the idea that The Antichrist would come and lead a revolution against God. This revolution will initiate the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ. I suspect many of you had this in mind when you read the above title. This is not the idea of antichrist that I had in mind when I chose this title. In Christianity there are two understandings of antichrist. Antichrist is anything that is either against OR instead of Christ. The Antichrist who will come and lead a revolution against God is THE Antichrist. Another antichrist is anything we place as being more important than our relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and communion with Him. We are in fact following an antichrist in our lives as the Lord says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10.37)

So what about football is antichrist? Anytime we place being at a football game as more important than being in Church, or support a football team financially with season tickets that cost more than we give each year to God’s Church, then football is an antichrist. There are many antichrists in our lives: fishing, hunting, football, soccer, sleep, work, working extra hours, food, sexuality… the list goes on, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3.23)

But there is good news!!!!! John 3.16 is most likely the most famous of any biblical quote and can be seen at every football game. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” The good news is that God has come to rescue us from our sinful state. We can choose God instead of work. We can choose God instead of football. We can choose Christ instead of any antichrist that looks tempting to us because the Gospel of Christ, “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1.16) and that is good news we should all be happy to hear.

Tending the Garden of Our Souls with the Tools of the Church

The Reading is from Matthew 21:33-42
The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it was marvelous in our eyes?'"

I spent some time in the garden yesterday. I was planning on digging the whole thing up and calling it quits for the season, but when I started, I noticed new peppers were growing and the eggplant was still producing fruit. Since most of the garden was still producing fruit I decided to let it alone so I could harvest a bit more for the kitchen. Having a garden has been quite an experience this year. Not everything went like I planned. I watched the zucchini all summer. Every morning I saw flowers. I even watched bees going in and out of each flower. But the zucchini didn’t produce a single fruit so I pulled it out and threw it in the compost.

When plants don’t produce fruit in any garden they are removed to make room for other plants that are able to produce. No experienced gardener would waste good soil growing weeds! Of course each climate is different and sometimes we plant things that just won’t produce fruit. Surely we can’t blame a fig tree for not producing fruit in Colorado. But if a fig tree doesn’t produce fruit in South Carolina, something is wrong with that fig tree.

We don’t often talk about people bearing fruit. We’re not trees after all, but God uses this image today to challenge us as Christians. “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their season.” (Matthew 21.41) I don’t think God is talking about figs! So, what fruit are we supposed to produce? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)

My dear brothers and sisters, we are called by Christ to produce these fruits “in their seasons.” That means we must use the knowledge of God and each other to understand just what type of fruit we can produce. Just like a fig tree cannot produce fruit in northern climates, we can only produce fruit when the soil of our hearts is fertile with the richness of the Holy Spirit. Each of us has been created by God with certain talents that we are called to use to glorify God.

We glorify God every time we bear fruit just like a garden that produces record crops brings honor to the gardener. We are the garden and God is our gardener. God has planted seeds in each of us and we need to grow and produce that record crop for the Glory of God. Every gardener has tools in his tool shed that he uses to till the soil, prepare the seed beds, control the weeds, fertilize the ground and eventually harvest the fruit. God also has tools is His tool shed that He uses to nurture our growth and control the weeds that distract us from growing. God’s tool shed is the Church and his tools are the Holy sacraments of the Church.

Through the sacraments of the Church, we are nurtured with the grace of God. In the Eucharist (Holy Communion) we are fed with spiritual food, without which we will certainly die. Jesus Christ says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” (John 6.53-54) Just as a garden cannot live without food and water, we cannot live without Holy Communion.

When a tree has a broken limb, it must be pruned and if the cut is deep enough it must sometimes be covered with special ointments to protect the tree from pests destroying its inner core. We also need to be healed and anointed with Holy Confession and Holy Unction. Through these Sacraments our sins are forgiven by God and we are blessed so the demons cannot easily get into our core and destroy the fruit of the Spirit that has been given to us.

A dedicated gardener works his land constantly pulling weeds, adding water, taking precautions to keep the bugs from eating the fruit. This is a never-ending task to keep a healthy garden. When we don’t give the garden the attention it needs, we end up with over-grown bushes in a field of weeds, and the fruit, if it does come, is small and few.

We also have to work constantly to keep our spiritual health from being overtaking by temptations and sin. The devil never stops trying to convince us to forget about God. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the tools of the Church to help keep us healthy. The Lord commands us to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5.17) Certain demons cannot be driven out “except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17.21) In the ancient Church everyone “had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2.44-47) The ancient Church knew the benefits of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Their garden was producing a lot of good fruit. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2.47)

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23) So what are we going to do my brothers and sisters in Christ? What are we going to do to tend to our garden so we can produce this good plentiful fruit for God? If we had never planted a garden before we would probably read a book on gardening, so let’s read. Let’s make a commitment to read the Bible every day and ask the Holy Spirit “to guide us into all truth,” (John 16.13) as we read and study His Holy Word. Come to Bible Study and learn about the tools the Church has to offer in our struggle to bear fruit for the glory of God.

Once we begin our journey to heaven, just like in the garden, we simply have to keep using the tools that will help keep us healthy. We must find time to pray every day. We must fast every Wednesday and Friday. We must be charitable to others. And when we do these things, just like in the ancient Church we will produce fruit for the glory of God.

When we really want to learn about gardening we find a good gardener and spend as much time with him as possible. God is our good gardener and we should try to spend as much time with Him as possible and the best way to be with Him is when we receive Holy Communion. When we receive Holy Communion we are as close to God as we can physically be and He will inspire us to bear good fruit. And when we produce the fruits of the Spirit with God’s help we will be worthy of the glory of God.

Don't Be on the Outside Looking In

“He will lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21.41)

With the above warning Christ encourages us to be vigilant in the Faith that has been given to us by the Lord. The “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) has remained unchanged by the Church since the time of Christ. We live in a world that elevates selfishness and individualism above the Law of God which is “justice and mercy and faith.” (Matthew 25.23) Saint Paul urges, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12.2)

As Orthodox Christians it is our goal in life to live in constant communion with God. When we live in communion with God our life becomes transfigured and the world will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ who IS God, one of the Holy Trinity. When we allow the laws of the world to dictate our actions rather than the Law of God, we betray God. Saint Paul teaches: “For if God did not spare the natural branches [Jews], He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell [Jews], severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11.21-22)

The warning of Christ is clear. We must bear fruit in our Faith or God will find others “who will render to Him the fruits in their seasons,” and we will find ourselves outside the Gates of Heaven looking in.

Are We Making Onion Soup? No, Just Trying to Get to Heaven

What do the following items all have in common: bananas, watermelons, avocados, coconuts, pineapples and onions? They are all filled with delicious goodness on the inside but have a skin you can’t eat. I could name more fruits, vegetables and other foods that share this trait – a tough exterior with a delicate interior. And if you read some of the many ‘good health’ guides you will see all these items listed as being “good for you” and a part of every healthy life.

So what is ultimately good for us? This may have been the question that led the rich man to approach Jesus Christ in this morning’s Gospel. All of us seek what we think is good for us whether it is a good education or a good healthy diet or a good doctor when our diet isn’t so healthy. “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19.16) These are the words of a rich man seeking goodness in his life. Believe it or not, the answer to this man’s question begins with understanding that goodness sometimes is to be found under the tough skin of an onion.

In order to get the goodness of an onion, we have to peel away the dry layers revealing the pure core of the onion. Jesus said to the rich man, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Matthew 19.17) Goodness is sometimes hidden unless we make the effort to look deep into the core. The man only saw Jesus as a teacher, just as we often only see the dry onion, but Jesus is God and for those who are able to see Him, we see that He is Good…and therefore “good for us.”

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So God made man; in the image of God He made him; male and female He made them…Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis 1.26-27,31) In the opening passages of the Old Testament God reveals to us that we were made in His image and that He declared us and all creation to be very good. In this morning’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that only God is good, so how can we also be good? The answer is in the onion.

Shortly after God created humanity we began to disobey Him and layer by layer we began to cover the goodness that God had created with bitter skins. By now some of us even find it hard to see the goodness in ourselves let alone the goodness in our enemies. But just like an onion it is there, all we have to do search for it. That is exactly what the rich man was doing when he walked up to Christ in this morning’s Gospel.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as Orthodox Christians our goal is to spend all eternity in Communion with God. Being in Heaven is being in Communion with the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God. Listen again to the dialogue between the rich man and Jesus:

“But if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’(Matthew 19.17-20)

God is telling us exactly what type of life He expects us to live if we want to spend eternity in Communion with Him. Keeping The Commandments is like layers of sin being peeled away slowing revealing the goodness that is inside each of us. And if you have ever peeled an onion, there are always more layers…and that is the message for us this morning. If we want to be perfect and follow Jesus Christ to Heaven we must peel away all the bitter sins of our lives one layer at a time and expose the goodness that is in our core; but God knows, better than us, that it is easier said than done.
“”Assuredly I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19.23-24,26) In ancient times it was common for sailors to call the large ropes on their boats ‘camels’ and since Jesus was speaking to His disciples, many of whom were fishermen, most people in the Church read this passage to mean the it is easier to get a rope through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Does anyone know how to get a rope through the eye of a needle? The answer rests in the onion.

Rope, just like an onion, is made of many layers. In order to make rope, first many small threads are twisted together to make string and many strings are then twisted together to make rope. So…..if we unravel the rope leaving only the original thread we can easily pass the thread through the needle. What our Lord is trying to teach us this morning is that the only we can get into heaven is to remove all the layers of sin that we have wound around our lives and return to the core goodness that He created in the first place.

Onions and rope come in all shapes and sizes, and so do we. Jesus knows that is it not easy living every day in our fallen world surrounded by crime, violence, greed, sexual immorality…you name it our society suffers from it. God also knows that it is not easy peeling away the layers of sin our lives. Like an onion it probably will even cause some tears, but God also knows what is inside our core. As an onion gets older and older it surrounds its core with more and more layers. The longer we wait to begin to remove the layers of sin that we have twisted around the rope of our lives the harder it will be to imagine that we can ever get through that needle.

The good thing is, “With God all things are possible.”

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

We all remember these words. They began all the fun races between us and our friends. Our spiritual life is a race. At least it has the same characteristics as Saint Paul himself exclaims, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4.7) Our race toward life in the Kingdom of God, like the 4-person relay in track and field, is not run in isolation but embraced along with our fellow Orthodox Christians as we, “being many, are one body.” (1 Corinthians 12.12) And just as in the 4-person relay we each have our own unique starting point but we share a single common finish line.

The Gospel is a challenge to each of us to take account of our own starting point and run the race with our fellow teammates toward our common goal – Life in Christ. We each have our own history and our own challenges in the race, but only together are we able to reach the finish line. It doesn’t matter who we are, there is always somebody either behind us or ahead of us. The rich man had accomplished many great works in the Law when he approached Christ thinking maybe he was finished when he asked, “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19.20) “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor.’” (Matthew 19.21)

Today we each gather at the end of our year to ask the Lord, what do we still lack? Some of us lack more than others but all of us lack something. Let us not be discouraged and let us help each other win the race. Where we were someone now is. Where we wish to be someone now is. BUT, WHERE WILL WE BE in the future?

What Will We Do This Year? Thoughts on the New Church Year

You who created all things in Your infinite wisdom, and set the times by Your own authority, grant Your Christian people victories. Blessing our comings and goings throughout this year, guide our works according to Your divine will. (Kontakion of September 1)

As the above hymn indicates, we invite God into our daily lives each year when we pray for blessings during the new year. This new year, which begins September 1, 2009, is an opportunity for us to praise God in our achievements, seek God’s forgiveness in our failures, and beg His assistance for our future.

These emotions are not foreign to September for children. Our children know them well. As our children get back into the habit of homework and special research projects, they know too well the feeling of achievement and failure and they know that in order to continue to achieve they must correct their mistakes and make progress in their studies if the new school year will be filled with joy rather than sadness.

As adults too we must take a moment to dwell upon our achievements and failures of the past year so that we can move forward in our lives. In our restaurants we must evaluate what sold or what didn’t sell on the menu. Our children know that if they keep making the same mistakes, they will not make any progress in school and we know that if we don’t change our products our business may begin to suffer in the coming year. Unfortunately, our children are often much better at this than we are.

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18.2-3) We must take our lessons from children and spiritually evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in our spiritual lives in the last year and then strive to do better this year. What parent does not challenge his children to get better grades in school one year after another? Likewise our Lord is challenging us, His children, to be better Orthodox Christians this year than we were last year. Just like in school there is always room for improvement.

And improvement in our spiritual struggle is of much greater importance than school because the results are eternal. Of course I would never suggest that we should not strive for the best possible grades in school since God is always glorified in our good achievements. But we must never forget to always be striving to improve our spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church while at the same time attending to our daily lives at work.

So this September, let us take a look back and consider the past year with the following questions:
1. Could I have attended Sunday Divine Liturgy more?
2. Could I have read the Bible more?
3. Could I have reached out with compassion to someone in need more?
4. Could I have fasted more?
5. Could I have studied the teachings of the Church more?
6. Could I have gone to Holy Confession more?
7. Could I have prayed more?
8. Could I have received Holy Communion more?

Consider the answer of Christ Himself: “The young man said to Him, ‘All these I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” (Matthew 19.20-21) We can always do more to show our Love for God. The question is, “What will we do this year?

Forgiveness Has Just Become a Bit Easier

Gospel ReadingMatthew 18:23-35 11th Sunday of Matthew
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

The ability to forgive others is one of the most difficult tasks of any Christian. It seems everywhere we turn someone has done something to us or said something to us or about us that genuinely hurts. This is the most painful when we are hurt by our closest friends or family members. For some reason unknown to us it is easier for us to forgive complete strangers, maybe because we don’t expect anything better from them or is it that we expect so much more from our own loved ones?

In the Gospel Christ gives us great comfort in our struggle to forgive each other. He wants us to consider how much more we have been forgiven; more than we have even asked. The servant who owed 10,000 talents (a huge sum of money) simply asked for patience to repay the debt. In return the master forgave the entire debt as an act of mercy. Not a day goes by when each one of us doesn’t do something, however small, that causes pain to a friend or family member or complete stranger. Many times we let these “small things” pile up until we are so embarrassed we can’t even show our face at family or Church functions. It is just then that we think we cannot possibly be forgiven but when we find the courage to ask for “another chance” to show how much we care, not even expecting forgiveness but for a fresh start, our mothers and fathers brothers and sisters come running to us and embrace us with such great love that our body feels warm inside.

The next time we are faced with the opportunity to forgive somebody, let’s not forget how much we have been forgiven by others and by God. Forgiveness comes a bit easier when we take the time to remember we were forgiven first.

Caution!!!!! Dive at your Own Risk! (on Matthew 8.28-9.1)

When I was in sixth grade my class went on a weekend fieldtrip into the Rocky Mountains. One of the activities we enjoyed was an afternoon at a large swimming pool and at that pool was a high dive. I had never been off a high dive before. My friends convinced me to climb up the ladder and there I stood at the end of the diving board looking down into the deep water where I was sure I would drown to death if I jumped. I thought to myself that someone would have to be crazy to jump off that board into the deep….

Last Tuesday, our society took that jump off the deep end. But unlike a child that tip-toes to the end of the diving board and peeks over the edge of the high dive only to run back to the ladder in fear, our society took a flying leap off the deep end with its eyes closed. With the death of Michael Jackson, the so-called King of Pop, our society has finally made the jump into the abyss with thousands of broadcast hours on hundreds of stations and in countless movie theaters and street corners throughout the world being dedicated to the media coverage of his death, autopsy, estate battles, memorials services and public tributes, and there is sure to be more to come. Any effort to direct attention away from Michael Jackson is considered disrespectful by many or at the very least cold hearted by some.

Cold hearted are the words that should come to mind when we hear this morning’s Gospel story. After Jesus healed two men who had been demon possessed for many years, he faced a crowd of cold hearted, selfish, money hungry herdsmen. The demons were so fierce that no one could pass by without being in danger, and rather than be happy for their fellow human beings, “Behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, the begged Him to depart from their region.” (Matthew 8.34) And why? All because Jesus allowed the demons to enter the pigs, “and suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.” (Matthew 8.32)These men who had been watching their fellow human beings suffer for so many years cared more about the lost profit of the pigs than the saved lives of those two men. Talk about cold hearted.

Doesn’t this sound similar to last week’s news? I heard in one radio report last week that t-shirt vendors were complaining when the expected crowds at Michael Jackson’s memorial service were smaller than expected because they couldn’t sell enough t-shirts. T-shirt sales at a memorial service? Is that what our society has come to? Yes…..I’m sorry to say that is exactly what our society has come to and it is no surprise. The memorial service was for the “King of Pop” after all – a man who had given his life over to drugs, scandalous living, and sleepless nights to please a crowd of complete strangers who were paying very large ticket prices …. just to be buried in a 24K gold casket at the young age of 50. This was the last chance to cash in for so many people who had made their fortune off of Michael Jackson and they were not going to stand for any loss of profit. Even the City of Los Angeles, who I’m sure made millions in tax revenue over the years because of Michael Jackson concerts, is asking the public to help pay for the more than $1 Million security costs. If this isn’t off the deep end….I don’t know what is.

My brothers and sisters in Christ it is not too late! Even if our society takes that leap off the deep end, we don’t have to go over with it. We can be like child who errs on the side of caution and returns to the ladder. We can turn back toward God now while we still have a chance. Even with the demons of the world fighting against us as they fought against the two men in this morning’s Gospel, God will protect us. Look again at the story this morning. We know the two men were being tormented terribly by the demons, but the demons have no power against us! We are protected by God as long as it is our will to be protected by God. The demons would have killed the men if they could. Instead they had to settle for killing a herd of pigs. “There is no one who does not enjoy the benefit of God’s providence” (Homily XXVIII On Matthew, sec 4)

Just like God protected the two men, God can protect us. He has more than enough power. But just like the herdsmen lost their entire herd, God can also let us lose everything if we care more about making a profit than we do about our fellow human beings who are suffering around us. And we can’t just think that somebody else is going to help. Every day more and more of our society takes the same plunge as those poor pigs over the deep end.

My brothers and sisters, as a society we are no different from the herdsmen in this morning’s Gospel and we are watching our brothers and sisters suffer around us while we risk losing everything. Who here has not been consumed with the news since last October about the suffering economy? Have we been just the least bit concerned about the suffering of others, who are complete strangers, around us? You would think that our churches would be filled to capacity, standing room only, there is so much fear about bankruptcy and lost pensions and declining housing markets. But as a society our eyes continue to be focused upon our wealth and the daily losses of our investments and spending as many days as possible at the beach while at the same time lives around us, like the recent story about our own Governor, continue to wallow in the mud with the pigs. Don’t look now but the pigs are headed over the cliff….

We are standing at the end of that high dive peaking over the edge at the deep below. We have a choice to make…turn back toward God or jump with the pigs…and there is only one result to that jump….death.

Don’t Take My Word for It, Trust in the Word of God

Most all of us, if we have watched one late night movie or daytime TV show in the past ten years, know about OxiClean. We know about its cleaning powers because of the words of one man – Billy Mays. Billy Mays was known as a pioneer in the infomercial business on cable TV and was able to convince millions of viewers like us to use OxiClean to get out tough stains with just air and water. His infomercials were fun to watch and if you have ever used OxiClean you know how well the product works. Those of us who watch late night movies will miss his energetic voice and words of persuasion.

Words carry a lot of weight in our society. We are constantly being bombarded by the words of others and normally they are trying to sell us something, either a product or an opinion. Unfortunately many people use words to hurt others rather than to help. Many people use words to lift themselves above others rather than to help those around them. And words can hurt when they are used to make fun of others or to spread rumors about someone’s personal struggles and mistakes in life. It’s because there are so many painful words around us that people enjoyed listening to Billy Mays. His words were always meant to help and make our life a better place – at least cleaner and sometimes good as new.

This morning’s Gospel is about words that help – words that restore something to be good as new in fact. “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8.8) These are the words of the centurion when Jesus promised to go and heal his servant. These are words of deep faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ. With these words the centurion was confessing that he knew Jesus was the same God that created the entire universe. The centurion must have known that no mere human being could just will something to be done. Even his own orders had to done by somebody. He confessed, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8.9)These were the words of a man who understood the power of words but more importantly he knew the Power of THE Word!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1.1) With these words, Saint John the Evangelist begins his Gospel. The centurion must have known through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was the Word of God. Nothing else can explain his faith that Jesus only had to “speak a word” and his servant would be healed. This is why the Gospel says, “When Jesus heard it [the confession of the centurion], He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.’… ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” (Matthew 8.10,13) What exactly was the centurion’s faith?

The first answer to this question rests, I believe, in the opening two verses of the story: “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’” (Matthew 8.5-6) The centurion had the faith to approach Jesus. Don’t forget, the centurion wasn’t a Jew but a Roman soldier who was supposed to hate and kill Jesus. When he approached Jesus he didn’t ask for his own benefit but for the sake of his servant. In fact he pleaded with Jesus because his servant was suffering. The centurion revealed his faith in God even before Jesus promised to go and heal the servant. Although the centurion was not a Jew, he knew the commandment of God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22.37-39) The second answer to this question follows Christ’s promise to “come and heal him.” The centurion had enough faith to know that if Jesus wanted to, He would only have to “speak a word” and it would come to pass. What great faith he had in God.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ we are called this morning to have such a great faith in God. We have an advantage that the centurion didn’t have. We know the whole story about Jesus. We know that He was raised from the dead and performed many miracles while He was on Earth. We know that when two or three are gathered in His name He is there. (Matthew 18.20) We know that “He healed many who were sick with various diseases.” (Mark 1.34) and that Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5.31)

Who among us is not sick? Who among us is righteous? The Church is a hospital and we are all sick, either physically or mentally or spiritually, and we all need the healing that comes from God. The only thing God requires of us is to have enough faith to approach Him and ask or “just say a word.” The Church has a long history of being a place of healing. In his Epistle, Saint James (Iakovos) writes:

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders [Presbyters] of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5.13-16)

We can see then that according to Saint James and the witness of the Church we are healed in and as a community. The servant was healed because of the actions of others in his behalf. He was healed because the centurion took action and approached Jesus and spoke words of faith. We will be healed when we take action and come to God and His Church and as a community we pray for each other that we may be healed. God has already promised that he would come and heal us. All we need to do is “speak a word” of faith and He will come and heal us.

Just like OxiClean restores clothes to brightness when it combines with water, we will be restored to brightness when we combine the water of our baptism with the action of our faith and approach God. We’ve seen the power of OxiClean, now let’s trust in the power and promise of God.

Just Say the Word

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” (Genesis 1.3) God created the entire universe using words. In fact, God is the only one who can accomplish a task with a mere word. The rest of us depend upon the actions of others. The centurion said to the Lord, “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8.8-9) When the centurion gave his word someone did the work. But when God says the word, it just happens. “Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” (Matthew 8.13)

This same God, who created the universe with a word and who healed the servant with mere words and who took on flesh becoming human with us, is calling out to us today with words, the words of the Gospel, and offering us His hand. If we believe in Him He will care for all our needs. Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or What shall we wear? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6.31-33) God has promised to take complete care of us. “Are we not of more worth than the birds of the air?” (see Matthew 6.26) He is waiting for us to just say the word – “I believe” – and He will take care of the rest.