Behold The Man and Be Made Well

Many years before an unknown paralytic was healed by Jesus Christ, God told us through His Prophets that He would provide a Man who would arise from below the horizon to save us. On the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, the Church reminds us, through the Gospel of John that God has always planned to save those of us patient enough to endure until He comes. He came, He died and was buried, but He rose from the dead, and life rules eternally. And now...we can be healed.

You Can’t See Heaven if You Stare at the Earth

Jesus said, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3.12) When Christ speaks about earthly things, He is speaking about the things that give us pleasure, in other words our passions. For example: if we focus upon our material wealth, we are focusing upon earthly things rather than heavenly things. Jesus said, we can’t successful accomplish both. So......we have to make a choice.

Jesus also said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3.15) When the Jews were bitten by the serpent, they had to believe in the power of God enough to stare UP at the golden serpent and all it represented, and they would be healed. If we want to have everlasting life, despite the biting pain of life’s struggles, we have to believe in the power of God enough to stare UP at the Cross of Christ and all it represents. So.....we have to make a choice.

Jesus again said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3.17) When we spend our time staring down rather than UP toward God, we can’t see His Cross. When we spend our time staring at the wounds of life rather than UP at the Cross of Christ, we can’t see Christ calling us to heaven. So....we have a choice to make.

Which way will YOU look?

Trust is Power!

The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the event during which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church to fulfill a promise Jesus made shortly before His Passion. Jesus promised His Disciples, “When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 15.13) Moments before His Glorious Ascension (celebrated 40 days after Pascha) He commanded His Disciples, “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24.49)

Since the moment the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, the Holy Apostles have been entrusted by God to lead His Church according to His commandments. Since the day of Pentecost, the Orthodox Church has trusted in the teachings of the Holy Apostles to lead us to heaven. The trust has been confirmed in the power of the Holy Spirit, who continues to guide the Church into all truth, PROVIDED THAT we remain faithful to the way of life and teachings of the Holy Apostles.

In a day when we are bombarded with mixed messages of moral shifts and self-oriented priorities, sometimes is just helps to be reminded that the Holy Spirit, as promised by God, guided the Holy Apostles into ALL TRUTH, not just some truth, not just “a” truth, but ALL TRUTH. When we trust in that way of life and teachings of the Holy Apostles, what we call, Holy Tradition, we also are given the power of God to endure the struggle against sin and selfishness, and join ourselves to God.

Being One in God

Just before Christ voluntarily endured His Glorious Passion, He offered a prayer to the Father. This prayer, known as the “High Priestly Prayer” was a liturgical prayer following the model of the Old Testament Sacrifices which expressed the devotion of the person offering the sacrifice. In this prayer Jesus said, “Keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” Jesus spoke often of unity in this great prayer. You can read the entire prayer in the Gospel of John, Chapter 17. In this prayer, we can arrive a deeper understanding of Christ’s desire for His Church.

It was this desire for complete unity that has been a driving force of the Church Fathers since the Apostles were first given the authority to lead the Church. This sort of unity Christ desires, is divine unity in love. Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, not simply because they share the title of Divine. The Holy Trinity is exists in complete harmony of love and will. In other words, Jesus always ‘wants’ what the Father ‘wants’ and the Holy Spirit always ‘wants’ what the Father ‘wants’ and the Father always ‘wants’ what Jesus and the Holy Spirit ‘want’; which is.....that WE should live in the same community of love and unity.

But this unity is even greater than ‘us humans’ being united. God desires that we are one with each other AND HIM. Later in this prayer Jesus prays, “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.” (John 17.22-23) We are made perfect in our unity with each other and God. This is realized in the living Sacred Tradition of the Church, given by Christ to the Holy Apostles, and maintained by the Holy Fathers of the Church through the centuries.

Seeing God

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

Are You Blind to God’s Blessings?

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

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

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

I Have No Man

On this week's episode of Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ! we discuss the healing of the paralytic who had been waiting for Christ thirty-eight years. When Jesus asked, "Do you want to be made well," his response was poignant when he said, “I have no man to put me into the water.” Jesus is the man we all need, the only true authentic human being who has come to save us from the paid and brokenness of this world. Whatever we need, He is willing to give us for our salvation. 

What do You Want from God?

Early in Jesus' earthly ministry, He came across man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years, who was lying by the pool of Bethesda. At certain times during the year, an angel of the Lord would come down from heaven, stir the water, and the one who entered the water first after the angel, would be healed. This man whom Jesus met, time after time, was too slow dragging himself into the pool. Though he failed to be healed after so many years, he never gave up hope. He never stopped waiting for God's mercy. Then one day, God arrived.

Jesus asked this man, "Do you want to be made well?" (John 5.6) This was a common dialogue between Jesus and those who would be healed, and the Gospel shares this with us for our inspiration? We should hear the question as if Jesus is asking US, "Do WE want to be healed?" Once we can open our hearts to Him, then He can heal us. This paralyzed man shared his need, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool," and Jesus met his need.

What DO you need from Jesus? Do you need peace? He will give it to you. Do you need faith? He will give it to you. Do you need salvation? He will give it to you. Jesus Christ, who was born, crucified, buried, and raised from the dead, has the power to accomplish your every NEED. Your part in this relationship is to share your inner most needs with Him, and let Him do the healing.

The Scriptures and the Sunday of the Myrrh Bearing Women

A special Bible study of the Scriptures passages, themes and hymns for the Third Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of the Myrrh Bearing Women. This study is based on the series "A Year of the Lord, Liturgical Bible Studies" by Fr Theodore Stylianopoulos, and recorded LIVE at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, SC.

The Scriptures and the Sunday of Thomas

A special Bible study on the Scripture readings and themes for the Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of Thomas, based upon the series "A Year of the Lord, Liturgical Bible Studies" by Father Theodore Stylianopoulos. Recorded live, April 30, 2014, at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, SC.

Jesus Reveals Himself Raised from the Dead

The Holy Apostle Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the Apostles after the Resurrection. So eight days later, He appeared again, this time so that Thomas might believe. When Jesus appeared, He said, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20.27)

We all need a boost from God every now and then so that we can strengthen our faith in Him.  As we heard during the Resurrection Liturgy, the beauty of the entire story of Jesus Christ, from His birth through to His death and glorious resurrection, is that HE CAME TO US, and “As many as received Him, to them [that means us] He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1.12)

Some did not, and still do not, believe in His Gospel, and each person has the freedom to accept or to deny Him. But for those who DESIRE to believe, Jesus always appears in the fashion needed. St Thomas wasn’t the only one who needed physical proof, which is why Jesus didn’t remain separate from us in Heaven, but came to reveal Himself to us.

But for those of us living in 2014, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20.29) For us, we can take comfort in the words of Saint Paul, “He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by the Cephas [St Peter], then by the twelve. After that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once.” (1 Corinthians 15.5-6)

The Scriptures and the Feast of Feasts, Holy and Great Pascha

A Bible study focused on the Themes and Scriptures readings assigned for the Feast of Feasts, Great and Holy Pascha! This study is based upon the series "A Year of the Lord, Liturgical Bible Studies" by Father Theodore Stylianopoulos. We will be using Volume 4: Easter and Pentecost.

The Scriptures and Great Lent - Palm Sunday and Holy Week

A Bible study focused on the Themes and Scriptures readings assigned for Palm Sunday and Holy Week in the Orthodox Christian Church. Filmed LIVE Wednesday, April 9, 2014, in Florence, SC.

What is Truth?

The Sunday of Orthodoxy is both a theological and historical celebration. The final end of the Iconoclastic controversy ended in 843AD when the Empress Theodora, the first Sunday of Great Lent, officially restored Holy Icons to their rightful place within the Church. The Church had earlier in 787AD defended the truth of Orthodoxy present in the Holy Icons as a witness to the Truth of the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Thus, the first Sunday of Great Lent has been a dual celebration of truth and history ever since!

NOW on iTunes Audio Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/be-transfigured!/id483295178?mt=2

Being Christian in a Pluralistic Society Requires Love

We live in a post-modern, many suggest post-Christian world. Without doubt, we live in a secular and pluralistic society, which includes Christians of ALL denominations, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, Baha’i, Humanists, Wiccan, and many more I don’t know the name of. For centuries, Christians have been the recipients of legal protection of their way of life from governments of all sorts. But times are changing.

With the growing reality of our secular and pluralistic society, it has become fashionable to declare “Christian persecution” and “intolerance” of our Christian ideals. I can’t speak for everyone, but we must admit that there does exist persecution and intolerance, but is it warranted? Is it government sponsored? Just because a growing number of Americans believe that marriage should be redefined, doesn’t mean Christians are being persecuted. If anything, we are feeling the sting of no longer being the majority moral followers of our nation. I suppose that could “feel” like persecution, but it isn’t really.

Living in a world with other people requires a deeper Christian love than we might need living in a Christian compound.  As Christians we believe that God has given us free will, and with that free will, come consequences. As Saint Paul reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6.12) Just because people have the free will to live their life, doesn’t mean their choices will be helpful in their relationship with God.

But I don’t want to write about other people today, I want to write about us, Orthodox Christians. WE are called to use our free will to live according to the commandments of God. WE are called by Christ to a life of holiness dedicated to God. “The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 6.13) But most importantly, WE are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, and when we love, we have to allow the same free will that God allows.

Loving others doesn’t mean condoning or endorsing their behavior. It means that we allow them the same opportunity to exercise their free will that God has allowed to us. It also doesn’t mean forcing them to live according to our Christian way of life. The benefit of a so-called Christian society supporting our moral codes hasn’t been about us forcing our way of life upon others. It has been a result of mutual respect for a minority to live in a society based upon foreign moral standards, while remaining privately dedicated to their chosen way of life. And we are slowly becoming a minority.

Sexuality, while possibly the most popular moral shift of our times, is not the only difference in our moral codes, but since it is so popular, I use it as an example. There are many other morals standards which the Orthodox Church frowns upon that are upheld by our society, not the least of which is abortion. While we as Orthodox Christians teach against such behavior choices, we cannot lose sight of the fact, that until WE are forced to behave according to such standards, we are not being persecuted, even though such behaviors are endorsed and sanctioned by the society at large.

So how do we coexist in such an environment? As members of our society, we each have a say in the common moral codes of our society. This is the rich blessing of living in a democratic society. We cast our votes and debate in the public square, but once the votes have been cast, we agree to accept as lawful while not helpful, the decisions which we, in our private lives, would never endorse. This is not selling out. Rather, it is an expression of love to allow free will.

On the topic of same-sex marriage, it might sound like, “No, I don’t agree with same-sex marriage. I know it’s legal, but we don’t believe it is proper, but I can’t stop you for expressing your own free will.” I try to remind faithful Orthodox Christians all the time, “Legal does mean moral.”

But there is another difficulty in our coexistence. As with the recent attempt in Arizona to “protect religious freedom”, many confuse tolerance with acceptance. Part of this problem is a natural result of the western concept that certain sins are worse than others. In Orthodoxy, ALL SIN separates us from God. Whether someone falls to sexual sins, greed, gluttony, etc., ALL SIN is seen by God as against His will. So if we would “do business” with greedy fat people, we should be willing to “do business” with skinny gay people.

Again, Saint Paul has great advice,

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” (1 Corinthains 5.9-13)

It isn’t a betrayal of Christian morals to photograph a gay marriage any more than it is to bake a cake for fat people.

Where this get’s a “little murky” might be IF you are in a certain profession in which you are required to PERSONALLY ACT in a way that is against the will of God. This is often the difficulty in medical circles in regard to abortion. So, until an Orthodox Christian Priest is ‘ordered’ to perform a same-sex marriage, the legal status of such marriages is not a matter of persecution.

Will it ever get to this point? I suspect it will. Jesus said,

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15.19)

The day will eventually come when Christians are forced to act against Christ, and the blood of martyrs will once again flow through the streets. It is already happening in other nations. But until it does…remember what Jesus said,

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)

Partial Truth is More Dangerous

When the Devil tempted Eve in the Garden, he began with a partial truth to distract her.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3.1)

As Eve “tried” to explain, God never said she couldn’t eat of EVERY tree, but by that time she was already distracted from God’s original commandment. The Devil tricked Eve into a dialogue that would eventually end up in destruction.

God’s commandment to love one another does not rest is the treatment of others, but the love of God. Our love for others radiates from our love for God. In fact all of God’s commandments originate in loving God, and desiring to live in communion with Him.

“If you love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14.15)

Many people obey the commandments of God without loving Him first. Many people feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick, and give the thirsty a drink, without loving God. So there must be something deeper than just treating others with respect.

Don’t be distracted by partial truths about God’s love. Focus on LOVING God and be willing to do whatever it takes to live in communion with Him. One of the most dangerous partial truths, is, “God loves all people, no matter what.” While this is true, it is almost always used to defend a certain behavior in which God doesn’t want us to engage. God also says, “Sin no more,” (John 5.14 & 8.11) to the paralytic and the adulterous woman.

Just as between Eve and the serpent, accepting a partial truth creates a false premise which never leads back to truth. Be wary when someone begins a discussion with such statements as defense for a certain behavior, as it might lead to destruction.

Want a real truth?

God love you, and He wants you to love Him more than ANYONE else, including yourself! Try that truth on for size.

The Greatest Man Born of a Woman

Today is the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said,

Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11.11)

Today the Church honors this great man of whom the Church sings,

The memory of the righteous one is praiseworthy; but for you it is enough to be the witness of the Lord, O Forerunner; you have been truly revealed as greater than the prophets, for you were also found worthy to baptize in water Him Who was announced; therefore you fought most valiantly for the truth, joyfully proclaiming even to those in Hades that God had appeared in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world, and granting us the great mercy. (Apolytikon of St John the Baptist)

Today the Church honors a man who says of himself,

There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. (Mark 1.7)

Today the Church celebrates the Divine Liturgy in honor of a man who said about God,

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3.30)

There is so much we can say about John the Baptist that I hesitate other than to say; he is a worthy model for every Christian life. When he was exalted, he lowered himself. When we was praised, he deflected all praise toward God. When he was honored, he humbled himself as not worthy of honor.

And yet…

WE grab all the glory we can get. WE demand to be exalted by our peers at work. WE claim all the credit for any accomplishment in our lives. WE honor ourselves and humble God and His Church with expressions like

• GOD doesn’t need all that Gold……but we sure do enjoy it!
• GOD doesn’t need money…but won’t stop until we have all of it!
• GOD doesn’t want us spend all that money on His Church…but I sure do LOVE spending on me!

If we REALLY wanted to be great, we would become more like John the Baptist. Ironic that he didn’t want to be considered great, and yet he was. Something to think about today.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas – A Great Way to Start the Year

Today the Church begins to look ahead to Theophany, the Baptism of Our Lord. Theophany is one of those Feasts that is significant enough to have celebration “ramp up” over several days. In the Gospel for today, Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be baptized when He says,

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3.5)

I appreciate how the Church identifies readings which, while not directly associated with a Feast, nonetheless reflect the character of the Feast. Since Theophany is the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Church assigns readings associated with Baptism and water. Each day the references become more associated with the Feast itself until, on Monday, we will celebrate and here the Gospel of His Baptism. Then we extend this celebration with the “House Blessing Season” which is the continuation of the Blessing of the Waters INTO each home of the Parish. By the end of January, we have not only celebrated Christ’s Baptism, we have linked our home to the Church.

What a GREAT way to start the year!

The Truth is God

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 36 (Reflections on John 12-21)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

I absolutely LOVE the Gospel of John. It is filled with rich theology and speaks genuinely of the love of God for us. It described how much God loves us in allowing (as I mentioned yesterday) us to depart from Him, but it also shows how much His disciples loved Him. They followed Him loyally until the time of His death on the Cross. They even sat in fear after His death when they thought “all was lost” and that He wasn’t the Messiah they had expected.

Is God EVER what WE expect Him to be? Our expectations are filled with selfish desire. Our understanding is most times limited to by how “truth” affects us. Of course truth, if it is truth, is ultimately objective. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14.6) Pilate asks, “What is truth?” (John 18.38) If Pilate had asked, “WHO is truth,” maybe he would have recognized Jesus.

Saint John Chrysostom said, “The reason we comment on Scripture is not only for you to get to know Scripture but for you to correct your behavior.” So, if we are to read the Gospel of John, we must ask ourselves, “Do we know WHO the truth is?”  Well….do you? Find an Orthodox Christian Church and find out!

Until tomorrow…..The truth is not relevant. It cannot be altered to suit your needs. You must alter YOURSELF to suit the truth. The TRUTH is God.

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 35 (Reflections on John 1-11)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Today’s reading bring many thoughts to my mind, but two I wanted to share with you. First,

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (John  6.66-69)

When the teaching of Jesus Christ become too hard to bear, some believers choose to leave rather than remain within the Church. And what is Christ’s response? He allowed them to depart freely. That’s how much God loves us. If we want to walk away, while He desires us to remain, He allows us to depart. What that means for us today is that Jesus wants us to freely follow Him, without forcing us and without trickery. This was one reason He didn’t reveal Himself with power to the multitudes, as He will when He returns riding on a cloud, so that people would be able to freely accept Him with their own will.

If God doesn’t force people to follow Him, why do we Christians still try to force people to love Him and His Church? Not only is not productive, it also does not express the freedom that God grants. That same freedom, we are not permitted to take away from others.

Another thought came to my mind while I was reading today. When Jesus heals on the Sabbath, while this is technically breaking the Law, Jesus reminds us that the Law is for a purpose – to do the will of God, which is love. The religious elite had no difficulty doing work on the Sabbath if it was something such as circumcision.

Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (John 7.21-24)

We each choose every day which “rules” of the Church we think are important to follow, while rejecting others. Then we turn around and speak badly of others who choose, based upon what THEY think, different “rules” of the Church to follow. Who is correct? Maybe both are correct, depending upon the circumstances, or maybe both are incorrect.

Sin is sin, and every time we look at the sin of others and declare THEM sinners, while holding our chin up high, we are no better than the religious elite who rejected the compassionate healing Jesus did on the Sabbath. Shame on us!

Until tomorrow…..Consider where you have acted as one of the religious elite rather than showing compassion on your brothers and sisters.