| But far more importantly, by making clay of the spittle and applying it to eyes blind from birth, Jesus may be recalling the creative act of Gen 2 (cf. John 20:22 ). 7061 This allusion would fit well the likely creation allusion in the healing in John 5 (see comment on 5:19–20). Whatever the spittlés symbolic value, if the blind man knew the source of the mud he would not likely have thought it pleasant. Granted, later rabbis idealized the purity of those in the holy city, and a second-century rabbi thus deemed all spittle found there (except in the market area frequented by the unclean) ritually pure (m. Seqal 8:1). 7062 But spittle could be impure if it came from one who was impure; 7063 thus one touched by Gentile spittle had to immerse afterwards, 7064 and later teachers claimed that a high priest touched by spittle had to be replaced so that a clean priest would be available on the Day of Atonement. 7065 The shaming implied by spitting in Num 12could be understood as a cursing (Sipre Num. 106.1.1). 7066 Whether John intends a symbolic double entendre in «anointing» is difficult to determine, but readers accustomed to his double entendres will likely find it plausible. The language of «anointing» (πχρισεν, 9:6, 11) may suit symbolically or literally curative substances (cf. λεφω in Mark 6:13 ; Jas 5:14, though this was a natural way to describe any application of oil–Matt 6:17; Luke 7:46; χρω in Heb 1:9). 7067 Yet it also appears in some early Christian texts as a depiction of the Spirit " s empowerment for mission (χρω in Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38; 2Cor 1:21 ), not least in Johannine literature (χρσμα in 1 John 2:20, 27 ). 1D. Siloam (9:7) The command to «wash» may be compared with various purification rituals in antiquity (see comment on 1:25–26,31), but for Johns biblically informed ideal audience it may evoke the story of Naaman (2 Kgs 5:10–14), though this man is not a Gentile. 7068 As with Naaman, the man is instructed to carry out an act which by itself would never have brought healing; 7069 hence the significance of the pools title, «sent.» Probably within Jerusalem " s walls at this time, 7070 the Pool of Siloam included masonry varying in height from 12 to 18 inches, 7071 with four porches around the pool (cf. |
| The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians writes, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers (Eph. 4:29). One day a young man who had recently married came to our church. He said, “I don’t know what’s happened to my wife—she’s become introverted, and doesn’t talk to me at all.” I asked him to bring his wife to church. When the three of us met, and I asked, “What happened?” she didn’t resolve to tell me right away. But then she related: “It was just like always. My husband came home from work, I made dinner, and set the table. He sat on the sofa, looked at me as I ran here and there, then suddenly said, “What a slob you are.” Her husband pronounced the words, then immediately forgot them. But his wife didn’t. “We drive together, and in my head the words are spinning around: “What a slob you are,” the young woman admitted. “We go to pray, and these words are in my head.” Corrupt words can sow a storm of negative emotions in a person’s soul and disrupt the spiritual order in the life of a family. Do you hear the apostle Paul’s call? Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Truly, Christians sometimes allow themselves to say corrupt words. One philologist I know who studies among others things Russian curse words told me that these words are largely of Turkish origin. These are the words that the Mongols shouted when they stormed our fortresses. Soon these words became curse words in the mouths of Russians. But in fact, the Mongols were shouting the names of their gods, their idols, hoping for their help in battle. It is similar, for example, to how Muslims shout, “Allah akbar!” In the Law of God, in the Mosaic Pentateuch is written, Make no mention of the name of other gods (Ex. 23:13). Of course, today many curse words have taken on an entirely specific meaning in our life, and we do not give them the original pagan meaning. But in fact these are like mantras in which pagan gods are summoned. The apostle Paul writes that the gods of the pagans are demons. It is written, But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils (1 Cor. 10:20). Behind every cult of worshipping one or another idol hide the demons. The apostle Paul in his first epistle inspires us, If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11). That is, by watching what we say, we ensure ourselves safe passage through the first tollhouse. Because we really will have to answer for every idle word: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matt. 12:37). |
| The worst thing about Protestantism is that it has drastically lowered moral standards. Understandably, people can have different ideas about cleanliness. A " slob " is happy as long as there is no food rotting in his room and his sheets don't stick to him, while a " neat freak " suffers from the slightest violation of orderliness. God does not want us to live by slovenly standards. He desires that each of us strive earnestly toward spiritual perfection. " Ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy " (Lev. 11:45). Note that the beatitude referring to the pure in heart (Matt. 5:8) comes seventh among the other beatitudes. It is preceded by statements about humility (the poor in spirit), repentance (they that mourn), meekness, an ardent striving towards righteousness (they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness) and mercy. In other words, purity of heart is attained by intense effort, and therefore, " Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God " . A sad consequence of our damaged, sinful state is the radical conflict which exists between the noble aspirations of our spirit and the disordered desires of our flesh. The problem of this internal dichotomy is so important that the Sacred Scriptures pay the greatest attention to it. They call upon us to compel ourselves to live a spiritual life. We shall cite here only a few of the most striking passages. " Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would " (Gal. 5:16-17). " To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God....Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live " (Rom. 8:6-7, 12-13). " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death " (Jas. 1:13-15). " Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God " (1 Pet. 4:1-2). |
| Туманное утро во Франции, урожай тыкв из США, прогулка с малышами в Царском Селе Самое красивое время года в подборке фотографий со всего мира 1. Олень на рассвете. Деревня Городиловичи, Белоруссия 22 октября 2017 года Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty 2. Путешественники наслаждаются теплым осенним днем в Швейцарии 12 октября 2017 года Denis Balibouse/Reuters 3. Орво, Франция 17 октября 2017 года Stephane Mahe/Reuters 4. Тыквы выставлены на продажу на ярмарке Maple Acres в Пенсильвании 17 октября 2017 года Matt Rourke/AP 5. Солнце садится за виноградником Остховен недалеко от Страсбурга, Франция 17 октября 2017 года Christian Hartmann/Reuters 6. Дети играют в листве в городе Алма-Ата, Казахстан 13 октября 2017 года Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters 7. На ярмарке Maple Acres в Пенсильвании 17 октября 2017 года Matt Rourke/AP 8. Китайские фермеры убирают урожай риса в восточной провинции Цзянсу 23 октября 2017 года AFP/Getty 9. Птицы на закате в Канзас-Сити, США 18 октября 2017 года Charlie Riedel/AP 10. Вид с воздуха на кукурузные поля в штате Висконсин, США 25 сентября 2017 года CC BY-SA PJ Nelson 11. Двухлетняя девочка и ее мама гуляют по туннелю из деревьев на старой римской дороге неподалеку от городка Халнакер в Великобритании 16 октября 2017 года Dan Kitwood/Getty 12. Силуэты дубовых листьев на фоне солнца во Франции 16 октября 2017 года Loic Venance/AFP/Getty 13. Человек идет через утренний туман в Лионе 12 октября 2017 года Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty 14. Женщина гуляет с малышом в Царском Селе 17 октября 2017 года Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty 15. Парк Хумлегорден, Стокгольм 18 октября 2017 года Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty 16. Осенние деревья в Висконсине Фото сделано с помощью дрона 17 октября 2017 года CC BY-SA PJ Nelson 17. Пара фотографируется напротив стены, увитой плющом, в Лондоне 16 октября 2017 года Carl Court/Getty 18. Солнце поднимается над статуей Христа во Франции 17 октября 2017 года REUTERS/Christian Hartmann 19. Осеннее утро в швейцарской деревне |
| Take fasting seriously as a very important aspect of Lent. Think of fasting not simply as an item of diet, but as something related to the fall of humankind, and at the same time as a victory through Christ. We fast for forty days in Lent before Holy Week not merely as an exercise, an ascesis, but also because there is an important Christological significance attached to fasting. We have forty-day fasting models from both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, Moses fasted for forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28, Deut. 9:9, 9:18) and Prophet Elijah fasted for forty days on Mount Horeb (3 Kingdoms 19:8). Both of these instances are connected with an encounter with God at the end of their fasting. In the New Testament, we have the forty-day fasting in the desert by our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). At the end of the forty-day fasting by Christ in the desert, there are the well-known “Temptations” of Christ, the first of which is related to eating: And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he [Christ] answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:3-4). Is this event in the life of Christ in any way connected to the Fall of Adam? Indeed, the Fall of Adam was caused by an eating situation, yet the victory of Christ also happened through an eating situation. While Adam said “yes” to the temptation and ate (Genesis 3:1-6), Christ said “no” to the temptation and did not eat. This is why the fasting of the forty-days during Lent is not simply a matter of abstention or an issue of diet, but is a major Christological and soteriological situation; the fall of humankind, and then the restoration through the victory of Christ. So let us take fasting seriously and prepare ourselves for a blessed encounter with God. 3. Reconsider our life of prayer |
| Holy Baptism First place among the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church is occupied by Holy Baptism, by which a man, who has come to believe in Christ, by being immersed three times in water in the Name of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), is cleansed through Divine Grace of all sins (Original Sin and personal sins) and is reborn into a new holy, and spiritual life. First place among the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church is occupied by Holy Baptism, by which a man, who has come to believe in Christ, by being immersed three times in water in the Name of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), is cleansed through Divine Grace of all sins (Original Sin and personal sins) and is reborn into a new holy, and spiritual life. This Baptism serves as the door through which man enters into the House of Eternal Wisdom – the Church – for, without it, a man cannot be united completely with the Savior, become a member of His Church, receive the other Sacraments, and be the heir to Eternal Life. As the Lord Himself said, in His discourse with Nicodemus, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5) This Sacrament of Holy Baptism, however, is not the same as the baptism performed by St. John the Baptist, for although this baptism of John was from heaven (Mark 11:30), it was only a prototype of Christ’s Baptism: I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I u coming…; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16). The baptism of John prepared a man for the reception of the Messiah and His Kingdom (Matt. 3:1-2; Luke 1:16; 3:3). John’s baptism was, in effect, a baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4; Acts 19:4) and not in the Name of the Holy Trinity. Therefore those baptized by him were not reborn through the grace of the Holy Spirit and had to be rebaptized later (Acts 19:35). The Sacrament of Holy Baptism was instituted by Our Lord after His resurrection, when He appeared to His disciples and said. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt. 28:18-20). The necessity of this baptism was further stressed by the Savior when He said to them. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). |
| Jesus and the Jordan River SOURCE: Jerusalem Post By Beata Adonia, TRAVELUJAH Visit one of the most famous biblical Christian sights where Jesus was said to have been baptized. Jordan River Baptism Photo: Travelujah For further information about Christian tourism and Holy Land tours contact info@travelujah.com . The Jordan River flows through the Jordan Rift Valley into the Kinneret and then continues down into the Dead Sea with no outlet. It is a place of many important biblical events. However, for most Christians the first association with the river would be the scene of Jesus Christ being baptized by John the Baptist. According to the Christian faith, the Jordan River is considered the third most holy site in the Holy Land, just after Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem and Golgotha in Jerusalem, because it is the site of the most important event of Jesus’ life - his baptism and beginning of his ministry. It was John the Baptist who decided to baptize people in the Jordan River. Many scholars think that he might have been influenced by the Essens, who like John, were leading an ascetic life in the wilderness of Qumran or EinGedi. One of their principal religious rituals was a daily immersion in water to regain purity. The Jordan River represented a perfect mikva of continuously running water. John is also commonly referred to be a precursor of Jesus, and the Gospel of Matthew describes him as the person mentioned by Isaiah in his prophecy: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Isaiah 40:3) John also announced that Christ - the Messiah is coming, with the words: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matt. 3:11) Jesus’ Baptism and its meaning Christ was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Baptism with water, practiced since the beginning of the Church, represents admission into the Christian community and is essential for salvation. " Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. " (John 3:5) In Christianity, baptism is a sign of “repentance and forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4) and the beginning of the life in Christ within the Church. Christians are baptized in the name God: “Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). As well, through baptism Christians associate with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus: “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you […] by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21) |
| Holy Eucharist The central place among the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church is held by the Holy Eucharist - the precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The central place among the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church is held by the Holy Eucharist – the precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In modern times the Holy Eucharist is celebrated in the Orthodox Church at the following Liturgies: 1. The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom – the usual Liturgy of Sundays and Weekdays. 2. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great – celebrated on the Sundays of Great Lent and certain Feast Days. 3. The Liturgy of St. James the Brother of the Lord – celebrated on October 23 (St. James’ Day) in certain places only (e.g., Jerusalem). 4. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts – celebrated on Weekdays of Great Lent and Holy Week. (At this Liturgy there is no consecration of the Holy Gifts, but rather Communion is given from the Gifts consecrated on the previous Sunday – hence Pre-sanctified.) The Savior Himself said, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… If any one eats of this bread he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (John 6:35,51). At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and give it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body’. And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’ (Matt. 26:26-28; cf. Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; 1 Cor. 11:23-30). This institution of the Eucharist by our Lord is the means whereby we become united with Christ and with each other as a church, for, as St. Paul says, the goal of every Christian is to grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ, from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied – makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love (Eph. 4:15-16). This is so since Christ is the head of the Church, His body, and is Himself its Savior (Eph. 5:23). We become part of the Mystical Body of Christ by our communion of the Holy Eucharist. As St. Paul says: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor. 10:16-17). |
| Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopolis and Preveza (March 3, 1933–June 23, 2012) is a well-known hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1959 he graduated from the theological department of Athens University. He was ordained a deacon and then priest, preached in the Messina metropolitanate, and served as secretary of the Synodal representation. On March 1, 1980 he was consecrated a bishop with the rank of metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza. He participated as chairman of the Church of Greece’s work on the Inter-Orthodox preparatory commission for one of the Pan-Orthodox pre-council meetings on December 11–16, 2009. He is the author of ecclesiastical works entitled, The Fifth Ecumenical Council (which received an award from the Athens Academy of Sciences), The Mark of Antichrist in Orthodox Tradition, and How did I come to know Christ? The following sermon was given by Metropolitan Meletios on the Gospel reading (Mt. 4:12–17) on the Sunday after Theophany, January 14, 2007. Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopolis Are we spiritually close to Him? We have celebrated the great feast of the Theophany . Christ came to us, having become a man, walked in the world and arrived at the Jordan, where He was baptized for our sake, for the sake of our salvation. St. John the Forerunner saw Him, recognized Him, gave Him honor, worshipped Him, glorified Him, and said to the people that He is the One , which taketh away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). This is the Kingdom of God. For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17). The Kingdom of Heaven has become closer to us. Stretch forth your hands that you might touch Him. Open your eyes that you might see Him. Clear your ears that you might hear Him. God came into the world to reign. To reign where? In us! In our minds and hearts. And if He does not reign in us—in our minds and hearts—then He will not reign “outside” of us either, and our works will not be pure, they will not become the works of God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is close to us. It should be spiritually close to us! But we have to understand: Are we spiritually close to Christ, or far away from Him? We repeat: spiritually close to Him. A person can be in the Church without being spiritually close to Christ. He can even receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, but still not become close to Christ. |
| 1 Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23 The honesty of the Bible about the failings of so many of its main characters is astonishing. That is true of Abraham, Moses, David, and even our Lord’s disciples, who eventually became great leaders of the Church and living icons of His salvation. In the encounter recorded in today’s gospel reading, their spiritual vision was still clouded and unfocused. That is why they lacked the strength to heal the young man. The Savior responded to their spiritual impotence, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” After Christ healed him, He explained that the disciples’ weakness was “Because you have no faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. This kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.” This incident occurs immediately after the Transfiguration, when the Lord opened the spiritual eyes of Peter, James, and John on Mt. Tabor so that they could behold His divine glory, to the extent that that is possible for human beings. Nonetheless, the disciples remained at this point spiritual weaklings who were powerless before the forces of evil and corruption. It was not until after the Savior’s resurrection that they understood Who He is and that His kingdom is not of this world. Until then, they had expected Him to be a political-military Messiah who would give them positions of power and privilege in an earthly realm in which their nation would be exalted and its enemies destroyed. Consequently, His crucifixion appeared to them as a tragic failure to grasp power and defeat the Romans. Peter denied Him three times after His arrest and only John the Theologian stood by the Lord as He died on the Cross. The rest had run away in fear. The contrast between those closest to Christ during His earthly ministry and St. Paul’s description in our epistle lesson of the calling of true apostles is staggering. They had lacked faith to the point that they were powerless in the face of evil and were interested only in a Lord Who would give them worldly power. They were part of a “faithless and perverse generation” that had no interest in sharing in the life of a Messiah “Who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8) It was only after the Lord’s resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit that they gained the strength to manifest and proclaim His victory over the corrupting power of sin and death. Then they had the faith to entrust themselves fully to Christ such that His ministry continued through them as “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Matt. 11: 5) |
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