Homily on the second Sunday of Great Lent
Mark 2:1-12.
In today’s Gospel, we have recounted by Saint Mark the healing of the paralytic who was brought through a roof to get to our Lord and Saviour. What stands out in this account is the faith of the paralytic man juxtaposed against the disbelief of the scribes. Indeed, there are many in this age that would try and restrict Christ’s redeeming work and say that Christ was just a mere mortal man – thus denying the reality of His perfectly joined two natures both human and divine. Every time the Church celebrates Pascha one only has to turn on the television to see countless blasphemous documentaries about the ‘historical Jesus’. However, the people who promote this revisionist version of biblical criticism, fail to realise that the accounts of Christ in the Gospel are accounts of the actual deeds of the ‘historical Jesus’. In other words, these Gospel accounts tell us of the actual deeds and words of our Lord and Saviour in His earthly ministry. Think of it in this way – people in the first century were as rational and sceptical as we are today. Why else would hundreds of people who were alive during His ministry then confess that they had seen God incarnate if they had only seen a mortal man? Surely, the Apostles had everything to lose if they pushed some false narrative as Saint Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians: 15:14:
“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
What is also significant is these above words came from the pen of a man who had started out persecuting the first believers as he thought that they were some dangerous sect! The first Christians had everything to lose if their faith were false – remember many of them went to their deaths for not betraying the truth of Christ’s Gospel. Let us then have the faith that the man in today’s Gospel showed in Christ for truly Christ will save those who trust Him and do His will. Do not forget, life in Christ is not some odious existence filled with restrictions for Christ says:
“My Yolk is easy and my burden light (Matthew: 11:30).”
This means in Christ we are free to grow into full communion with the All-Holy Trinity which ultimately results in theosis (after a life well lived). However, remember that to accomplish this one needs the Mysteries He established to feed His hungry people. Remember:
“…Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
What this means is if we do not attach ourselves to the Church, (which is built upon Christ our Bishop) then truly everything that we do is and will be in vain! This then affirms that Christ has built for us a place of shelter, protection, and growth which is His Body the Church. Without communion with His Church, we cannot fully grow towards Him. Whilst it is true that there are many people in this age who profess a non-denomination faith in Christ – however, their faith as strong as it may be, cannot lead them to true spiritual growth; until they confess that there is only one truth, and that is the Truth of Christ as revealed in the Gospels and lived out by His body the Church! Let us pray for these individuals who are searching that they may come to the well of all truth which is Christ and drink and become full members of His Body the Church.
As a priest and an educator, I have noticed one disturbing trend in society these days and this is the trend of everyone being a victim! One only has to turn on the television and it seems like everyone is trying to compete over who is the biggest victim! Why is this the case? Why have we created generations now that seek nothing more than to be victims - which in their words- everyone must stop oppressing? It seems that people have swallowed the bitter pill of jealousy that is fed by entertaining such ideas as socialism – which at its heart is corrupt and seeks only to divide people. Many years ago, people fought for our country to be unified where all are welcome - if they seek to positively contribute towards our society. However, now people are so divided and by nothing other than the jealousy and hatred that political ideas such as socialism sow in the hearts of people! One only has to listen to these people’s (socialists) arguments and they always boil down to hatred and jealousy which surely must come from the evil one who delights in dividing once peaceful groups of people. For it is in dividing them that he can ultimately take that which he wants from them - their chance to truly know the love of the All-Holy Trinity! Without communion with the All-Holy Trinity, mankind is empty and devoid of true spiritual life – this is the goal of the evil one to tear men from communion with the All-Holy Trinity!
One thing I often reflect upon in my prayers is that Christ became a man that was ‘despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:2)’ - in a way the ultimate victim par excellence. However, let us not forget that He rose from the dead and truly overcame all that held humanity back from communion with the All-Holy Trinity. What this then shows us is that in His resurrection we as His Body can no longer claim to be victims of our own weaknesses for He has given us His very Body and Blood that we might be raised to eternal life in Him (John 6:54). What follows from this is that we have a responsibility to ‘work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)’ – this means not that we are to be afraid of an angry God but rather that we must take responsibility for how we lead our lives. Remember that, as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said:
“Life is the childhood of our immortality.”
This means that the choices that we make now (whether to draw closer to the All-Holy Trinity or push Him away) will have repercussions later. Therefore, let us realise that in Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection we truly have been empowered to do that which will lead to communion with Him who is all truth! Truly, as we have been ‘baptized into Christ we have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27)’ – meaning that through His Holy Church and His Holy Mysteries we have the ability and sustenance to go on our journey towards Him who is all truth! This is why our Faith is not a faith of victimhood for in the end we have the resurrection and we will rise to new life in Him who is the source of all that is good! Finally, look at the martyrs (whose witness has nourished our faith) – they might have started out as victims but in the end, by their deliberate actions (in not denying Christ) they were empowered and were able to come to Christ and take up the crown of eternal life! This is our strength, this is our joy and this is the truth in that:
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”
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