| Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’” (Luke 16.29-31). Most of the time, when we read this parable, we focus on the picture of Hades and Paradise. Or we think about the failure of the Rich Man to take care of poor people like Lazarus. Or we consider the fact that in God’s eternity, all unfairness and evil will be repaired and all hurts will be healed by the Peace of Christ. These are all true and important things. But they are not the main point of this parable. (Besides, it is a perilous thing to establish doctrine on the particular points of a parable that is meant to be interpreted allegorically. I am not sure that this story was primarily intended to form an eschatology.) The main point of the parable — the whole reason, the moral, for why the Lord told this story — is nested in the last three verses. By this time, the rich man has given up hope for himself. Things are upside in this life after death. In life, he lived in luxury and comfort. He rarely experienced pain, disappointment or frustration. His lifestyle may have made other people suffer, but that was no concern of his. But here, no one was taking care of him. He had even asked Abraham, who seemed to be in charge (according to the parable), to send down Lazarus to bring him some water. Lazarus, in life, was just a poor beggar who was supposed to be someone you could order around. But Abraham said that there was no way that Lazarus could make it over the canyon that separated them, there being no bridge. And, what was really upsetting to the rich man, Abraham said that Lazarus was the rich man now. The tables had been turned. Maybe for the first time in his life, the ex-rich-man thought of someone else. He had five brothers still alive, and probably still making the same mistake as he. That is, loving themselves, failing to give themselves away, blind to the divine light, refusing to enter into beauty and peace. |
| Are We the Ones Who Are Truly Paralyzed? Source: Again and Again Priest Milovan Katanic 16 July 2017 Photo: Viktor Velin At that time, Jesus entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city. And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemeth.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee’; or to say, ‘Arise, and walk’? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins,” (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) “Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house.” And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men(Matthew 9:1-8). Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly life that are recorded in Gospels. We read how He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind , fed the hungry, calmed the storms , walked on the waters. In this morning’s reading we also hear of a miracle, Christ heals a paralytic – a man who was paralyzed. The reading is short: it says He came to His own city (which was Capernaum), and a paralytic was brought to Him lying on a bed. Jesus healed the man and he stood up and “departed to his house”. This account is recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark. Matthew gives us a very brief version. When we hear of this same in account during Great Lent it’s from Mark’s gospel and we read how it was his friends that carried him on a pallet, on a bed, they brought him to a house where Jesus was staying and many people had come to the house to listen to Jesus preach. There was so many people that that these four friends couldn’t bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus so they carried him on the roof and dropped him down. |
| Can You Forgive Someone Else’s Enemies? Source: Glory to God for All Things Archpriest Stephen Freeman 05 March 2020 I have written from time to time about the concept expressed in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov , “Forgive everyone for everything.” It is a quote taken from the fictional Elder Zosima, but it is certainly a sentiment well within the bounds of Orthodox Christian thought. I have been challenged from time to time by people arguing that we cannot forgive those who have not sinned against us – that this right belongs only to the victims involved. I believe this is profoundly untrue. But to understand why, it is necessary to look deeply into the meaning and function of forgiveness. I should add as an aside that those who argue loudly that they cannot forgive some else’s enemies find little trouble in blaming someone else’s enemies. They do not think this to be beyond their reach. What happens when we forgive? A very important example is found in St. Mark’s gospel: Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,’Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say,’Arise, take up your bed and walk’? “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”– He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Mar 2:3-11) What sin did Jesus have in mind when he forgave the paralytic? Had the man done something wrong to bring a punishment of paralysis upon himself? There is no such indication. Indeed when Christ healed the man born blind He was asked who had sinned, the man or his parents such that he was born that way. Christ says, “Neither.” But it would seem clear from the greater context of the gospels that Christ could have said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven,” and he would have received his sight. There is a simple conclusion to be drawn from this: forgiveness is not, strictly speaking, the remission of a legal debt or wrong that has been done. It is far greater. |
| Likewise, there are many parables in the Holy Bible through which Christ wanted to indicate this important fact-- that my brother's comfort and happiness are an essential part of my own comfort and happiness. Indeed, my brother's comfort and happiness at the expense of my own comfort and happiness is the guarantee of my eternal comfort and happiness. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is very clear with regard to this fundamental matter for the success of our spiritual life. The rich man did not notice the existence of Lazarus, the poor sick man at his door, ignoring him completely. Christ condemned the rich man and blessed Lazarus, but why? To be sure, Jesus did not condemn the rich man because of his riches, and the Church does not consider wealth and the acquisition of property to be a sin. Nevertheless, the Author of the Bible warns us of the danger of being rich. Why? Because wealth tries to make us its slaves so that we will rely on it and not on God. Wealth can blind our hearts and make us callous before the sobs of the needy and their need for help. Brothers, comfort and security for ourselves makes us feel that we are invincible and this causes vanity and pride to take root in us. We start by thinking that we have obtained this wealth and this empire by our own personal intellectual abilities and competencies, forgetting that " every perfect gift comes down from God. " Thus, we often deceive ourselves when we think that happiness and security come through wealth. Wealth and money are a dangerous temptation because they try to take the place of God and His commandment in our life. From the very beginning, Cain asked God, " Am I my brother's keeper? " God responded with total frankness, " Yes, each one of us is his brother's keeper. " This is a practical responsibility that is urgent and necessary in our spiritual life, which is perfected through good works, according to the words of the Apostle James in his Catholic Epistle, and which make perfect everything beneficial for our souls. |
| Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. John 5:2-4 What is most dramatic throughout this entire Gospel reading is the loneliness of the sick man. Did you hear it? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me (Jn. 5:7). The most tragic state a person can be in is loneliness, total isolation. St. Cyprian of Carthage says that, “Each person falls in isolation, but we are saved in the community of the Church.” To be alone means to fall, to perish. Being alone means not thinking about anyone other than yourself, because you are overwhelmed by the surge of suffering in which you are being suffocated. You are depressed by the futility of life. This is because a life lived in loneliness, if you do not have God with you, is a futile, wasted life. Life lost its meaning back in that very moment when you became alone. That sick man did not even have any family member or friend who would take him up when the water was stirred and throw him in, so that he would be healed. How many times do we find ourselves in a situation like that! How often are we lonely and sick, and we have no one to help us be healed, no one to deliver us from our suffering! Or perhaps in our loneliness and suffering we do not find anyone we can communicate with; or as the German saying goes, pain when shared becomes half as bad, but pain unshared is twice as hard. That is how it was with this man. But Christ with great mercy asked him, “Do you want to be healed?” We will see proof of this later, when the Savior meets him in the church and says, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (Jn. 5:14). |
| St. Symeon on His Conversion Source: Orthodox Christian Reflections Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos 05 November 2021 He was a young man about twenty, working in the big city. Handsome in appearance and elegant in gait and manners, he was prone to give the wrong impression to those who judged by outward looks. His job placed him near the power brokers of his day. A quick mind and swift tongue guaranteed him a bright future. Religion did not much interest him. He saw it as a preoccupation with old customs and ceremonies. Religion was what other people did. The words of the Bible, as far as he heard them sometimes, did not apply to the suit and grit of daily life. But one day he came across the path of a holy monk. This saintly elder, who shone with humble holiness, had come to Constantinople to visit with his spiritual children. To be near such a man was to feel God’s presence. The love and kindness shining forth from this living saint stirred something deep in the young man who never thought that such people existed in the world. He was eager to arrange to see the holy elder. He wanted to hear words of advice and, if possible, a way to find forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt that nagged at him from within his soul. Although the elder welcomed him, he did not have much to say. He was warm and loving, but his words were few. He gave the youth a simple rule of prayer for the evenings—to read a few psalms from the Bible and to offer some prayers to God and to the Virgin Mary. He was told that what was important was not the exact number or kinds of prayer but just praying from the heart and praying regularly, putting one’s trust in God. Upon asking, the young man was also given a book on spiritual life which he read with uncommon attention. From this book, the young man chose to follow three rules: (1) if you seek spiritual healing, be attentive to your conscience, do what it says, and you will find benefit; (2) whoever desires the blessing of the inner awareness of the grace of the Holy Spirit must first live diligently by God’s commandments; and (3) when you come to prayer, come as one who is blind and ask for spiritual light to know Christ as Lord. |
| Archaeologists Find Pool of Siloam, Confirm Gospel of John Accurate Source: The Christian Post February 3, 2016 For years, some scholars have doubted the historical accuracy of the fourth Gospel. But a dip in the pool of Siloam will cure that. The Gospel of John Chapter 9 tells the story of Jesus " healing of a man born blind. After telling his disciples that the man " s blindness had nothing to do with either the man " s sins or those of his parents, Jesus applied mud to the man " s eyes and told him to wash it off at the Pool of Siloam. Since at least the fifth century, Christians had identified a spot in Jerusalem as the Pool of Siloam and the site of the miracle. But it was not until a decade ago that archaeologists found what they are certain is the ancient pool of Siloam. Like so many such finds, it was almost by accident. During construction work to repair a water pipe near the Temple Mount, Israeli archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron found " two ancient stone steps. " According to Biblical Archaeology Review, " Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the Second Temple period, the period in which Jesus lived. " The pool was trapezoidal in shape and 225 feet long. The Gospel of John isn " t the only book of the Bible being archaeologically verified in the immediate area. As the Review tells readers, " the origins of the Siloam Pool reach back even further in history — at least seven centuries before the time of Jesus. " The pool was part of the preparations that King Hezekiah — the subject of a recent BreakPoint — made in anticipation of a siege by King Sennacherib of Assyria. According to 2 Chronicles 32, " it was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. " While the existence of such a tunnel has been known since the late 19th century, many scholars were hesitant to associate it with the one mentioned in 2 Chronicles. Reich " s and Shukron " s extensive excavation of the area has led them to conclude that the account in 2 Chronicles attributing it to Hezekiah is in fact correct. |
| Learning to See and Serve Christ in Poor Lazarus Homily for the 5th Sunday of Luke in the Orthodox Church Fr. Philip LeMasters The Icon of the Rich Man and Lazarus from Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus Luke 16:19-31 It is tempting to think that those who seem to have it all in this world are God’s favorites whose success is a reward for holiness and virtue. It is appealing to think that God’s kingdom is simply an eternal manifestation of the arrangements of this world, of life as we know it, where the powerful usually lord it over the weak and the rich almost always seem to get their way. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man powerfully warns again that temptation, for it shows that those who love, worship, and serve only themselves ultimately become blind to Christ as they encounter Him in their poor and needy neighbors. It shows that God’s reign is a great reversal where the humble will be exalted, blessed, and comforted, while the high and mighty will be put down. The issue, of course, is not simply how much money one has, but whether we have opened our souls in humility to personal union with the Lord such that His mercy, love, and holiness have become characteristic of us. The issue is whether we have been healed of the ravages of sin, whether our spiritual vision has been filled with light that overcomes the darkness within us. Ultimately, the question is whether we have become living icons of Jesus Christ. The rich man ignored the clear teachings of Moses and the prophets on his obligation to care for his poor neighbors. By literally stepping over the wretched beggar Lazarus on his front porch time and time again, he blinded himself to the humanity of one created in the image and likeness of God and with whom Christ identified Himself as “the least of these my brethren.” He ignored God every time that he ignored his neighbor. This blindness became so characteristic of the rich man that, once he departed this life, he was unable to behold the brilliant glory of God and could perceive only a tormenting flame. St. Isaac the Syrian referred to the sufferings of those in Hades as “the scourge of love.” In other words, God’s love remains eternally, but some become so distorted by self-centeredness, disregard for their neighbors, and hatred of God that they are incapable of experiencing being in the presence of the Lord as anything other than the torment of “bitter regret.” They suffer the consequences of their own self-imposed rejection of a relationship with Him. |
| What is the Meaning of Life? Question:Greetings! Lately I’ve been tormented by the questions: “What is the meaning of life?” and “What do we live for?” My thoughts won’t leave me alone: I’m constantly thinking about these questions, I’m like a mass of contradictions. Please answer my questions! Thanking you in advance, Liudmilla, age 19. Answer by Hieromonk Job (Gumerov): Man has given thought to the meaning and purpose of life since antiquity. The Greeks had the myth of Sisyphus, king of Ephyra (Corinth). As punishment for his deceitfulness, in the underworld he had to roll an enormous rock up a mountain for eternity. But as soon as he reached the peak, an invisible force propelled the rock back down to the bottom – and then the same pointless labor began all over again. This is a striking illustration of the meaninglessness of life. Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) In the twentieth century, the writer and philosopher Albert Camus applied this image to modern man, judging the central feature of his existence to be absurdity: “At that subtle moment when man glances backward over his life, Sisyphus returning toward his rock, in that slight pivoting he contemplates that series of unrelated actions which become his fate, created by him, combined under his memory’s eye and soon sealed by his death. Thus, convinced of the wholly human origin of all that is human, a blind man eager to see who knows that the night has no end, he is still on the go. The rock is still rolling.” The conclusion at which Camus arrived was inevitable both for him and for the millions of others who have lived, and are living, in unbelief. The only difference is that Camus tried to be logical to the very end; he was able to recognize acutely that man’s life, when confined to the framework of earthly existence, resembles the labor of Sisyphus. However, the majority of people try to live in illusion and to find meaning in this earthly life. But in a world of finite realities, meaning is impossible to find. Mathematicians know that any finite number, divided by infinity, is infinitesimal: that is, its limit is zero. That is why attempts by non-believers to explain the meaning of life are so naïve. Some assert that they value life with its accompanying joys, and are quite satisfied therein. But earthly life dries up, like water into sand, with none of the joys remaining. And if all this disappears within a few decades, does such a life have any meaning? Others say that they see their purpose in leaving something behind through their actions. One normally hears such explanations from people who are not engaged in serious creative pursuits and who do not leave anything real behind. However dedicated to their work the most outstanding creative minds of both the past and the present may have been, they understood well the incomplete and limited nature of such activity. |
| A certain man made a great supper, and bade many . Brothers and sisters, in today’s Gospel we heard about a great feast that has been prepared. A servant is sent out to call the invited, but they make many excuses for why they cannot come to the feast. Angered, the man sends his servant out to invite the poor, and the blind, and the maimed, and all those who are destitute, and they joyfully accept the invitation to the great feast. The man who has prepared the feast is God the Father, and His servant is our Lord Jesus Christ. The table is laden, we have only to lay aside our excuses and accept the invitation. And the good news of Christ, is that all are invited — every single person, from Adam and Eve to the very last– all are invited to the Father’s feast. This is the Gospel! In fact, today is the Sunday of the Forefathers , when the Church commemorates all the holy ancestors and prophets of Christ, who, although lived before Him, also received His invitation. This includes such righteous ones as Abraham , Moses , and King David. On this day the Church even remembers Adam and Eve themselves. Did you realize that? Adam and Eve — the first-created people, who dwelt in Paradise and knew the delights of the Lord in a way none of us ever have, but yet sinned, and plunged the entire creation into corruption and death. Even they are saved. In the hymns at Matins we praise Adam as one of the “divine fathers of ancient days.” In fact, St. Irenaeus tells us that the idea that Adam was not saved is the blasphemy of a man who had separated himself from the Church. This is how clear the Church is about salvation — God’s mercy and forgiveness extends to all— to all who make no excuses, and accept His mercy, and accept the invitation to His banquet. The Father’s table is laden. Consider this — that Adam and Eve, who first introduced sin and death into the world, are counted among the divine luminaries of the Old Testament. This is a radical truth! But we must ask ourselves, “ how were they saved?” … It is only through repentance. |
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