Trust Has Consequences

When Archangel Gabriel gave word to Zacharias that his wife Elizabeth who was in old age would bear a son, he stood in disbelief. He found it impossible that God would be able to reverse the sterility of her Elizabeth’s womb. As a result of his disbelief, he was made mute until the birth of his son. You can read the entire account of the conception of Saint John the Baptist below.

The point I wish to make today is that when we find it difficult to trust the promise of God, there are consequences that we may find difficult to bear. For Zacharias the consequence was not being able to speak, but in his day, this was understood as a sign from God. For most of us the consequence of not trusting God is often subtler than losing our ability to speak. More often than not our consequence is found in the way of increased struggle.

When we pursue a life that God does not desire for us, we will find increased struggle. We may find that “things just don’t work like we expect them to,” when we don’t trust God’s promise. We know from the entire story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, that he only received his voice back once he obeyed the will of God. Once Zacharias named his son, John, his voice returned and he glorified God. If you find that things just are not working as they should, maybe you are in that place of disobedience. Maybe it is time to call your spiritual father for confession, and trust in God’s promise. Once you follow God’s will, your voice will return.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. "But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." (Luke 1.5-25)

The Greatest Man

I’m sure you’ve asked yourself what makes a great man. Is it superior genius like Albert Einstein? Is greatness defined by men of extreme wealth like Bill Gates? We all have our own definition of what makes a man (or woman) great.

Today the Church commemorates the man of whom Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has risen no one greater.” This man suffered for Jesus sake and the truth. His humility was never at question since he lived in the wilderness and ate wild locust and honey. When people called him great he said, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” (Matthew 3.11) This great man had a following of disciples, but sent them away to follow Jesus saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3.30) In every way this man was the greatest and should be an example to us in our journey to know Christ and become more like Christ in our lives.

His name is John the Baptist and today we honor the second and third time the Church recovered his head. (pictured above) John’s devotion to God and truth was so great that he was beheaded by King Herod. Take a moment and read the reading for this feast and ask yourself, “If this is who Jesus calls great, why am I not living like this man?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-15 (RSV) - At that time, when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me." As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.' Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

A Good Day to Stop Doubting

Today is the Feast of the Conception of John the Baptist. In case you don’t remember the story, Zacharias (the father of John the Baptist) was a Temple Priest. He and his wife Elizabeth were elderly and without children. In those days it was often thought that being unable to bear children might have been a result of sinful past. But this was not the case with Zacharias. Here is today’s Gospel reading...

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:5-25 (RSV) - In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."

Despite being righteousness, Zacharias doubted God’ promise for his wife to give birth to a son. Even after being face-to-face with the Archangel Gabriel, he doubted God’s promise, so he was left unable to speak until he witnessed God’s power. Finally after John the Baptist was born, Zacharias was able to open his mouth and speak the glory of God.

Don’t wait to witness God’s miracles before you learn to trust in God’s promise. His promise for you isn’t always going to be miraculous. In fact, it will rarely be about miracles since as life experience has already shown to you, miracles are extremely rare. God’s promise for you is that you will be strong enough to endure the struggle of life so long as you live in Communion with Him. He will hold your hand. He will guide your heart. He will sometimes even perform miracles. He just asks that you trust Him. Today is a good day to learn from a righteous man. Today is a good day to learn from Zacharias. Today is a good day to learn to have faith and stop doubting God. 

What did you go out to see?

Today’s Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-15 - At that time, when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me." As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.' Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Today the Church commemorates the First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist. Before I share my thoughts on today’s Gospel lesson, allow me to share a true story about a non-Orthodox friend of mine and his reaction to tomorrow’s feast. We had just finished college and he had agreed to help me with my youth ministry. While trying to get some things on my schedule he noticed the date on my planner read, “First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist” at which point he said, “Boy, you Greeks will celebrate anything!” I still laugh every year on this day, and it’s been more than twenty years since he said that. Now on to today’s thoughts...

Jesus asks the crowd, “Who did you go out to see?” trying to help them understand the character of Saint John the Baptist. Ultimately we must understand John Baptist as the one “among those born of women there has risen no one greater.” What is it that makes him the greatest? Everything he did and stood for was to prepare the way Christ. He pointed everyone to Christ. He told everyone to be ready for Christ. Even from prison he sent his disciples to learn from Christ. We could learn a great lesson from John the Baptist....are you doing, saying, everything for Christ? Why not start now?

Learning from the Church Calendar

Today’s Gospel Reading: John 1:29-34 - At that time, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

The day after the Feast of Theophany the Church commemorates the Synaxis of Saint John the Baptist, the Prophet and Forerunner. You can always tell what the Church teaches about a saint or feast by the way the calendar fluctuates. For example, yesterday was the Feast of Theophany and even though it was a Wednesday, it was a fast-free day. Compare that with the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, another of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church, but if the Feast happens to fall on a Wednesday or Friday, the fast is only lightened (fish and oil are allowed) but not eliminated. There are many other ways to understand the Church teachings by interpreting the services used to celebrate the feasts. Take notice of the Scripture readings and hymns and you will better understand the expression of the Church.

For example, since today the Church honors the memory of Saint John the Baptist, who lived a life of total humility and always turned attention toward God rather than himself. It speaks volumes that the Church highlights a Scripture reading in which John the Baptist positions himself was not even knowing who Jesus was until AFTER the Baptism. YET.....moments before actually baptizing Jesus, he said, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3.14) It seems clear that John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. They were cousins after all. So was this false humility?

There was never any false humility in John the Baptist. In today’s reading, true to form for the Baptist, our attention in turned toward God’s revelation of Jesus rather than John’s rank. We can be assured of John’s greatness by focusing on the words of Christ Who said, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11.11) What better way to celebrate the greatest humble man than to emphasize God’s revelation rather than his greatness! The Church is filled with examples of such nuances in the services and calendar of the Church. In this new year I encourage you to make more effort to pay attention to the Church calendar and learn from the choices the Church has made in our celebrations.

Humility Prepares the Way for Christ

When the Holy Trinity was about to be revealed to the world,
God did not send a king, a governor, or an emperor. He sent a man of incredible
humility. John the Baptist expressed his humility by declaring, “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) He knew he was not worthy of God, but still God
referred to him as the greatest woman ever to be born of a woman. (Matthew
11.11) If you want to prepare your heart and soul for Christ, consider the
humility of John the Baptist.

Self-Esteem VS Humility

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 5:4-10 - BRETHREN, one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

There is a great difference between genuine Christian humility and what the world calls self-esteem. I have often thought, and taught, that we can create our own depression be falling trap to the world’s definition of self-esteem. The world, because it is fallen and based upon the fallen passions which are self-oriented, teaches that we should strive to always think positive thoughts about ourselves, sometimes to the denial of truth. Popular expressions such as, “You can accomplish whatever you want, so long as you work hard,” or my least favorite, “You can be whatever you want. Just put your mind to it.”

THIS IS A LIE, and when the lie is proven false (when we can’t accomplish something or be something JUST because we want something) we get depressed. The depression creates low self-esteem, as defined by the world, and we begin to think we are unworthy of love and blessings. We sink lower and lower until eventually we lose hope. All this depression could have been avoided by having genuine Christian humility. Before I continue, please understand I am not addressing chemical depression. Chemically induced depression is quite real and can paralyze a person for no good reason. I am addressing what more commonly could be called “the blues” which is not treated the same, but I will leave chemically induced depression to be discussed by medical professionals. I believe other forms of depression are created when we believe the lie the devil has told us rather than the truth which is revealed by Christ.

Tomorrow in the Gospel lesson for the Sunday before Epiphany we will hear directly from Saint John the Baptist’s lips what genuine Christian humility sounds like. “"After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” (Mark 1.7) Saint John the Baptist, whom Jesus Christ said there was no other man greater who had been born of a woman, felt himself unworthy to even untie the sandals of Jesus, a job normally reserved for the lowest slave. How can a man greater than any other man consider himself unworthy of the work of the lowest slave?

Saint John the Baptist understood genuine Christian humility, also described by Saint Paul in today’s Epistle reading. “One does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God.” It wasn’t that John the Baptist wasn’t great, because he was. He understood honor and blessings are not to be taken, but offered by one who is greater. This was no false sense of humility, as many express in today’s world. Many today have the pretense of humility while secretly believing themselves to be worthy of praise.

So how does genuine Christian humility protect against depression? When we believe the lie that we are great and can accomplish whatever we desire, and then fall short of our desires, depression is the result. However when we understand our own shortcomings and that we should never take honor with pride to ourselves, and then fall short, we are better equipped to accept our shortcomings.

In this New Year, I invite you to embrace the humility of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Paul, rather than the lies of a self-oriented worldly self-esteem. Then be thankful for your blessings and understand your shortcomings. You will have more peace and well on your way to Live A New Life In Christ.

Every Great Fire Begins with a Small Flame

During the Feast of Epiphany we sang, “When you were baptized in the Jordon, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. And the words of the Father bore added witness, naming You His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the certainty of that word. O Christ, You revealed Yourself as God, and brought Light into the world. Glory to You!” Jesus Christ is called “The Light of the World” which is also why Epiphany is also known as The Feast of Lights.

On the Sunday following Epiphany, the Gospel also speaks about Light. “, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (Matthew 4.16/Isaiah 9.1-2) As we are still celebrating the Feast of Epiphany, the Feast of Lights, we also receive the same blessing. Light has dawned in our darkness. We no longer have to walk in the darkness of sin. But there is more...

The Gospel also tells us of how the world immediately fought against God, first by arresting John the Baptist. “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.” (Matthew 4.12) As Jesus brought the Light into the darkness, it immediately began to grow bright with the calling of the Disciples and spreading like wildfire with the public teaching of Jesus. What began as a single Light in His Baptism has become a great Light in His Church over the centuries. But it all begins here at His Baptism and spreads through our hearts.

We are not Worthy of God’s Love

The first sermon of St John the Baptist, as he was preparing to baptize Jesus Christ, he commanded his followers, “Repent; For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When he spoke about Jesus directly he admitted he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. YET....many of us declare ourselves worthy of every blessing. However unless we admit that are not worthy, and that we must repent, we cannot truly welcome the appearing of Jesus Christ into our lives. Without repentance, there is no Kingdom of Heaven.

2015 - The Year of Repentance!

Today is another day to be thankful to God that you have been given another day to repent. Here at Be Transfigured we are declaring 2015 as, "The Year of Repentance" so let's get started!

Jesus' first sermon was "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4.17)
John the Baptist began his public ministry crying out, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3.2)

So I suppose we are in good company. What are you waiting for!?

Back to Basics; Back to Church!

Following His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days and forty nights, being openly tempted by the devil. Once His fast was completed, He began His sacred mission to bring all people to Himself for salvation. “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 4.17) What did Jesus mean when He commanded us to repent?

Repentance has many components, but the main concept is “to change direction and return to where you began.” In calling humanity to repent, Jesus was inviting us to return to where WE began, a life in communion with Him. Since we cannot physically return to the Garden, He has provided His Church for us as a place to live in Communion with Him. This means we have been called by Christ to turn ourselves around and return to the Church and live a life in Communion with Him.

Why turn around? It’s simple, really. We have walked away from our roots as Orthodox Christians. We have embraced a way of life foreign, many times, to Sacred Orthodox Christian Tradition. We have forgotten, many of us, what it means to live a life in Communion with Christ. We have stepped away from the Church. While we might have kept the Church in our memory, we have forgotten to keep it in our hearts and daily actions.

And what is the Church? It is a way of life, established by Christ and His Holy Apostles, in which we live DAILY our life in communion with the Holy Trinity. It is a life of prayer, fasting, taking care of the poor and sick, reading the writings of Holy men and women (including the Bible), and participating in the Sacramental life of the Church. The ENTIRE LIFE of the Church is a life or repentance, a life of getting back to where it all began – a life in Christ.

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.