20080824 St. Paul or Madison Avenue?
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
1 Corinthians 4: 9-16
St. Matthew 17:14-23
In today’s Epistle, St. Paul urges the Christians at Corinth – and us – to imitate his single-minded devotion to Christ and Christian living. As part of his witness here and elsewhere, St. Paul describes the manner in which his devotion to Christ has cost him; he (along with all the apostles) [is] a fool, weak, dishonored, hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, beaten, homeless, persecuted, defamed, the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. (1 Corinthians 4: 10-13).
What kind of witness is this? It is certainly not the kind of advertisement that Madison Avenue uses! Indeed, it is a direct contrast to the health, popularity, attractiveness, and success that commercials use as witnesses to their products. Why do you think it is that the Church uses sacrifice and martyrdom (the ultimate signs of worldly failure) to encourage us to live the way it wants; while the world uses promises of comfort and praise (the ultimate signs of worldly success) to get us to live the way it wants?
Whom do you trust to guide your decisions? St. Paul or Madison Avenue?
I can certainly tell you which one is most influencing the hearts and minds of this community, our neighbors, our families, and our friends! If you want to see where someone’s heart is, look to how they spend their time and how they spend their money. Most people will begrudge God a simple tithe of their time and treasure, but will scrimp and save and jeopardize their future with debt, doing whatever it takes to buy whatever the latest car, fashion, property, or what-not being pushed as the new sign of success. We send our children to schools that bankrupt us to give them a hope of future riches, but blanch at the thought of seminary or holy orders. Madison Avenue has all but won this war for man’s heart because we have accepted its version of success and failure: we trust Madison Avenue more than the Gospel of Christ, and we value comfort and popularity more than the Truth.
And this trend will be continue until we value all outcomes in terms of Christ and the Gospel. Was St. Paul a failure? He wore the wrong clothes and lived without a home. Was Christ a failure? He died the foulest criminal’s death, despised by all but a handful of his closest friends and family.
You have all accepted Christ into your heart. You believe that He is the source of redemption and eternal life. But do you have the faith to live the life that such belief requires? In His Gospel lesson today, Christ rebukes His disciples for their lack of faith. He teaches them that the way to grow in faith is through prayer and fasting; and promises that mature faith can move mountains.
Do we pray? Do we fast? By prayer, I do not just mean fitting in thanks and prayer requests before meals and whenever we feel so inclined; I mean the kind of prayers that Christ Himself offered up to His Father. I mean setting aside some of our valuable time to pick up our prayer books and actually offer fitting praise, repentance, and thanksgiving to the Lord – even if it means less time spent in worldly entertainment. By fasting, I mean what the Lord means: disciplining yourself by limiting the types and portions of food we eat. I am amazed at how we are so willing to follow the dietary advice of nutritionists but are so unwilling to follow the dietary advice of Christ and His Church!
Faith in Christ as the Son of God is the only thing worth knowing, the only firm foundation, the only path to eternal success, the only hope of peace, the only salvation. Yet instead of putting our faith in Him and His Guiding Love, we have chosen to put our faith in the ephemeral diversions and damnation offered by those who care only about making themselves rich off our naivety.
Trust St. Paul, not Madison Avenue. Put your faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He loves you and has a plan for you that will bring you eternal (not ephemeral) peace and prosperity.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
20080817 Saved from the Storm
20081017 Saved from the Storm
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
I Corinthians 3: 9-17
St. Matthew 14: 22-33
The main lesson from today’s Gospel [at least for today] is NOT that Christ walked on water – although through this, He demonstrated once again His power over nature – but rather His interaction with Peter and the disciples. For it is not surprising that God can do amazing things – anyone with eyes to see must be struck by His Power and Glory – but that God cares for us as His own children.Christ had sent His disciples ahead of Him so that He could pray. They went out in the boat without Him and ran into a wind-storm. As they were being tossed by the waves, Christ walked out on the water toward them. They were afraid, but He told them to cheer up, and offered them His peace. Peter, the leader of the disciples, asked the Lord to command him to join Him on the water. Jesus agreed.
What came next is incredibly important: Peter began well, but was soon distracted by the strength of the wind, the depth of the sea, and the impossibility of his position. The world began to have its way with him, and he began to sink; just as the world has its way with all of us. Old age, illness, the suffering of loved ones, high prices of oil and gas, friendships betrayed, the cruelty of careless people; the many temptations of this fallen world surround us, make us realize that we are sinking into a darkness from which we will not return. Yes, we know Peter’s position as he began to sink in the storm.
But notice what Peter did in his trauma, because he did the only rational thing any of us should ever do: he turned to Christ Jesus and cried out from the bottom of his breaking heart; “Lord save me!” This is the only rational response because all others would, at best, only prolong his agony. Just as we can try to “do more with less”, or surround ourselves only with trustworthy people, or use our riches to isolate and protect ourselves from the bitterness this world offers as its fallen fruit, we must eventually taste this fruit, for until the world is remade in glory, everyone’s body fails. So even if you can avoid every other storm, your body will eventually give out on you, as will the bodies of all those you love.
Does this depress you? Does it scare you? Perhaps it should (for it is a warning): like Peter, the water below us is deep, the wind around us is strong, the waves so powerful as to push us over. But do not despair (for despair is the real unfathomable deep into which we truly sink), and do not fear, but do as Peter did, and cry out from the bottom of your own breaking heart; “Lord save me!” Because listen to what happened when Peter said this prayer; “and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus Christ is always there in the storm. He will not impose His will on you. He will not force you take His hand. But He saves all those with the sense and humility to ask for it. Nor does He leave them in the storm once He has saved them, for our God is a God of Peace. Notice that He took Peter into the boat and the wind ceased.
When you accept salvation through Christ, crying to Him “Lord save me”, He invites you into the boat that is His Holy Church. This is the place of safety and true sailing which Christ never leaves; where every enemy (even death) has been defeated (1 Corinthians 15: 26), and where we join all of the disciples [now Apostles] in worshiping Him, saying as they did and do; “Truly You are the Son of God.”
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
I Corinthians 3: 9-17
St. Matthew 14: 22-33
The main lesson from today’s Gospel [at least for today] is NOT that Christ walked on water – although through this, He demonstrated once again His power over nature – but rather His interaction with Peter and the disciples. For it is not surprising that God can do amazing things – anyone with eyes to see must be struck by His Power and Glory – but that God cares for us as His own children.Christ had sent His disciples ahead of Him so that He could pray. They went out in the boat without Him and ran into a wind-storm. As they were being tossed by the waves, Christ walked out on the water toward them. They were afraid, but He told them to cheer up, and offered them His peace. Peter, the leader of the disciples, asked the Lord to command him to join Him on the water. Jesus agreed.
What came next is incredibly important: Peter began well, but was soon distracted by the strength of the wind, the depth of the sea, and the impossibility of his position. The world began to have its way with him, and he began to sink; just as the world has its way with all of us. Old age, illness, the suffering of loved ones, high prices of oil and gas, friendships betrayed, the cruelty of careless people; the many temptations of this fallen world surround us, make us realize that we are sinking into a darkness from which we will not return. Yes, we know Peter’s position as he began to sink in the storm.
But notice what Peter did in his trauma, because he did the only rational thing any of us should ever do: he turned to Christ Jesus and cried out from the bottom of his breaking heart; “Lord save me!” This is the only rational response because all others would, at best, only prolong his agony. Just as we can try to “do more with less”, or surround ourselves only with trustworthy people, or use our riches to isolate and protect ourselves from the bitterness this world offers as its fallen fruit, we must eventually taste this fruit, for until the world is remade in glory, everyone’s body fails. So even if you can avoid every other storm, your body will eventually give out on you, as will the bodies of all those you love.
Does this depress you? Does it scare you? Perhaps it should (for it is a warning): like Peter, the water below us is deep, the wind around us is strong, the waves so powerful as to push us over. But do not despair (for despair is the real unfathomable deep into which we truly sink), and do not fear, but do as Peter did, and cry out from the bottom of your own breaking heart; “Lord save me!” Because listen to what happened when Peter said this prayer; “and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus Christ is always there in the storm. He will not impose His will on you. He will not force you take His hand. But He saves all those with the sense and humility to ask for it. Nor does He leave them in the storm once He has saved them, for our God is a God of Peace. Notice that He took Peter into the boat and the wind ceased.
When you accept salvation through Christ, crying to Him “Lord save me”, He invites you into the boat that is His Holy Church. This is the place of safety and true sailing which Christ never leaves; where every enemy (even death) has been defeated (1 Corinthians 15: 26), and where we join all of the disciples [now Apostles] in worshiping Him, saying as they did and do; “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Monday, August 11, 2008
20080810 Feed the World
20080810 Feed the World
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
1 Corinthians 1: 10-18
St. Matthew 14: 14-22
Before 9/11, I was a full-time staff worker and instructor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. I had been attracted to the discipline of political science, and in particular to comparative politics, because I was interested in the big questions (vichniye pytanyii); questions like totalitarianism and democracy, war and peace, starvation and plenty, freedom and oppression. I wanted to understand the processes that led to variations in these phenomena with the vague hope that I could help alleviate the suffering in which parts of our world is undeniably immersed. After many years of graduate school, I gained an understanding of these things and the processes that encouraged them, but became increasingly disillusioned with our ability to do more than tinker at the margins of human suffering, at least in the short to medium term (and as Keynes said, “in the long term, we will all be dead”).
This is not to say that these margins are unimportant, or that progress in the goal of alleviating suffering has not been made. It is obvious that progress has been made. For example, the collapse of the Soviet Union did much to improve the conditions of those living under its wicked oppression. But even this example shows the depth of the problem: the structural conditions and imperial/totalitarian impulses that led to the formation of the Soviet Union in the first place continue, leading Moscow to pursue policies that differ little from those it pursued during the Cold War. For example, Georgia may have received its independence in 1991, but recently, when Tbilisi actually attempted to exert control over its allegedly sovereign territory in South Ossetia, the result is war with Moscow. The situation is, of course, complicated. Moscow prepared for Georgia’s assertion and reacted with violence in part because it does not trust Georgia to protect the rights of ethnic Russians living there. [Footnote: as a former sovietologist, I cannot help but notice how the news coverage of this war differs little from that which sought to justify similar excursions and occupations under the Soviet Communists. Decades of propaganda create mindsets that reify previous conditions – it is all but impossible for all but the most courageous dissidents and prophets (men like the recently departed A.S. – may his memory be eternal!) to “think outside the box”.]
It is little different when it comes to the basic question of hunger. The coexistence of plenty here and deprivation elsewhere is a paradox that seems, at least on the face of it, easy to solve. But our personal history [i.e. the history of the Ukrainian people] attests to the fact that easy solutions to big problems can lead to disaster: collectivization was originally designed to bring cheap food to the masses, but it led to starvation and became a tool of oppression and genocide in the Holodomyr. Nor is this inability to solve hunger simply a problem with communism. Capitalism does a better job, but despite the innovations and improved efficiencies it has brought it we still cannot feed the world. One of my favorite social scientists, Adam Przeworski, has dedicated his life to the “eternal questions”. In his work (and folks like him), he describes how unintended consequences will undermine any effort to “feed the world” (at least in the short to medium term). The obvious solutions, such as food shipments, price fixing, and agricultural subsidies, create imbalances that can actually make things worse. So, in the end, what you are left with in the policy world is either risky solutions that often cause more pain, or a lifetime of incremental improvements.
Incremental improvements can and should be made. My personal belief is that we should make whatever political and economic changes are necessary to increase levels of freedom, security, and prosperity here and around the world whenever prudence and conditions allow. But if we really want to change the world for the better, we cannot look to politics or economics. We have to look elsewhere. We have to look to the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the God-man Jesus Christ. He loves us, is all-powerful, and He has a plan.
What did Christ do for those who were hungry? When I was young, well-intentioned people taught me that today’s Gospel lesson was a lesson about the need for community – that when Christ had His disciples gather everyone’s food together, that there was enough for all. But now I know that this is not the real message of today’s lesson. Nor is the main lesson a reminder that the God-man is master over nature, and can actually create an abundance of food out of mere scraps. While this is true, God did not empower His Disciples and the Church to continue His work through the multiplication of leftovers. Nor is it His plan to save the world by putting manna on every plate. The lesson on the miracle of the multiplication of loaves was understood from day-one as the miracle of the Eucharist.
Christ himself made this clear the next day when he said to those whom he had fed;
Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him… I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (St. John 22-40).
During these campaign seasons, it is easy to get wrapped up in what the government can or cannot do for us and those whom we love, but we cannot forget the more fundamental truth that the fight to vanquish what really ails the world is not against oppression, or war, or even hunger, but the sin that gives rise to them. God has promised to remake this fallen world so that there will be no more suffering. If You want to enjoy the fruits of this new world, then accept Christ’s offering: believe in Him and partake of His Body and Blood. If you want to save the world, then share the Love of Christ and the Good News of His plan with a starving world, so that it, too, may be fed.
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
1 Corinthians 1: 10-18
St. Matthew 14: 14-22
Before 9/11, I was a full-time staff worker and instructor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. I had been attracted to the discipline of political science, and in particular to comparative politics, because I was interested in the big questions (vichniye pytanyii); questions like totalitarianism and democracy, war and peace, starvation and plenty, freedom and oppression. I wanted to understand the processes that led to variations in these phenomena with the vague hope that I could help alleviate the suffering in which parts of our world is undeniably immersed. After many years of graduate school, I gained an understanding of these things and the processes that encouraged them, but became increasingly disillusioned with our ability to do more than tinker at the margins of human suffering, at least in the short to medium term (and as Keynes said, “in the long term, we will all be dead”).
This is not to say that these margins are unimportant, or that progress in the goal of alleviating suffering has not been made. It is obvious that progress has been made. For example, the collapse of the Soviet Union did much to improve the conditions of those living under its wicked oppression. But even this example shows the depth of the problem: the structural conditions and imperial/totalitarian impulses that led to the formation of the Soviet Union in the first place continue, leading Moscow to pursue policies that differ little from those it pursued during the Cold War. For example, Georgia may have received its independence in 1991, but recently, when Tbilisi actually attempted to exert control over its allegedly sovereign territory in South Ossetia, the result is war with Moscow. The situation is, of course, complicated. Moscow prepared for Georgia’s assertion and reacted with violence in part because it does not trust Georgia to protect the rights of ethnic Russians living there. [Footnote: as a former sovietologist, I cannot help but notice how the news coverage of this war differs little from that which sought to justify similar excursions and occupations under the Soviet Communists. Decades of propaganda create mindsets that reify previous conditions – it is all but impossible for all but the most courageous dissidents and prophets (men like the recently departed A.S. – may his memory be eternal!) to “think outside the box”.]
It is little different when it comes to the basic question of hunger. The coexistence of plenty here and deprivation elsewhere is a paradox that seems, at least on the face of it, easy to solve. But our personal history [i.e. the history of the Ukrainian people] attests to the fact that easy solutions to big problems can lead to disaster: collectivization was originally designed to bring cheap food to the masses, but it led to starvation and became a tool of oppression and genocide in the Holodomyr. Nor is this inability to solve hunger simply a problem with communism. Capitalism does a better job, but despite the innovations and improved efficiencies it has brought it we still cannot feed the world. One of my favorite social scientists, Adam Przeworski, has dedicated his life to the “eternal questions”. In his work (and folks like him), he describes how unintended consequences will undermine any effort to “feed the world” (at least in the short to medium term). The obvious solutions, such as food shipments, price fixing, and agricultural subsidies, create imbalances that can actually make things worse. So, in the end, what you are left with in the policy world is either risky solutions that often cause more pain, or a lifetime of incremental improvements.
Incremental improvements can and should be made. My personal belief is that we should make whatever political and economic changes are necessary to increase levels of freedom, security, and prosperity here and around the world whenever prudence and conditions allow. But if we really want to change the world for the better, we cannot look to politics or economics. We have to look elsewhere. We have to look to the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the God-man Jesus Christ. He loves us, is all-powerful, and He has a plan.
What did Christ do for those who were hungry? When I was young, well-intentioned people taught me that today’s Gospel lesson was a lesson about the need for community – that when Christ had His disciples gather everyone’s food together, that there was enough for all. But now I know that this is not the real message of today’s lesson. Nor is the main lesson a reminder that the God-man is master over nature, and can actually create an abundance of food out of mere scraps. While this is true, God did not empower His Disciples and the Church to continue His work through the multiplication of leftovers. Nor is it His plan to save the world by putting manna on every plate. The lesson on the miracle of the multiplication of loaves was understood from day-one as the miracle of the Eucharist.
Christ himself made this clear the next day when he said to those whom he had fed;
Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him… I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (St. John 22-40).
During these campaign seasons, it is easy to get wrapped up in what the government can or cannot do for us and those whom we love, but we cannot forget the more fundamental truth that the fight to vanquish what really ails the world is not against oppression, or war, or even hunger, but the sin that gives rise to them. God has promised to remake this fallen world so that there will be no more suffering. If You want to enjoy the fruits of this new world, then accept Christ’s offering: believe in Him and partake of His Body and Blood. If you want to save the world, then share the Love of Christ and the Good News of His plan with a starving world, so that it, too, may be fed.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
20080803 Preaching to the Choir
20080803 Preaching to the Choir
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
Romans 15: 1 - 7
St. Matthew 9: 27 - 35
Today St. Paul is “preaching to the choir”. Have you heard this term? During these Summer months, this term is especially appropriate – so many people are traveling that there have been Sundays when we literally have more folks in the choir loft than down here in the pews. St. Paul knows his audience and their great faith – so he shares a lesson with them that will challenge them where they are; a challenge that is equally appropriate to us here today.
The primary theme of Paul’s message is how the strong should relate to the weak. Of course, this is not about physical strength, but about how those who are committed Christians, dedicated to salvation through Christ and the Sacraments of His Church, should think of those whose faith is not as well developed. Today we heard the beginning of chapter 15, which builds on the presentation St. Paul began in chapter 14. I do not assume that you remember how this went, so let me share the general flow of his lesson to this point. He begins by telling us (the choir) to “accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” (Romans 14:1). “Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” (Romans 14:13b) [so that everything we do might lead] to peace and mutual edification. (Romans 14:19).
He then uses the example of food to make his because that was something that the “cradle Christians” [i.e. the Jews who accepted Christ as the fulfillment of their Scripture] often judged the gentile converts on, thus running the risk of turning these converts away from Christ based on something that was not important to their salvation. For the Jewish Christians, one of the main points of contention was food, for Orthodox Christians today, it is probably something different. I know that in some Orthodox parishes, it is head scarves for women and beards for men. It may take us some serious reckoning to figure out what it is here, for us. But figure it out we must, because Christ the God-man told us with His own mouth, that it would be better for us if a millstone were put around our neck and us be thrown out into the sea than for us to cause one of His children to stumble. (St. Matthew 18:6).
So how do we know what is essential to Salvation (and thus required) and what is at risk of becoming a stumbling block? The Jewish Christians had a hard time figuring this out because their faith – that which is essential for salvation – was so intertwined with their culture – a culture that supported their faith but was not required by or for it. For the Jewish Christian, some of the very things that strengthened their faith (e.g. eating kosher and the rite of circumcision) were stumbling blocks to people coming to the faith from the outside. One of the constant themes of the Book of Acts is how the early Church solved this problem. One of the themes of the life of our Church, and one of the signs of its health, is how we address this problem.
But there is an even more basic question:
Why should we care about the weak? Why should we be willing to sacrifice anything, especially for those who cannot worship as well as we? Why should we put up with people who do not sing, who do not follow our customs, who misbehave? Why should we accept those who neglect their daily prayers, who do not tithe or even pay their dues; who refuse to participate regularly in the Holy Sacraments, or even come to Church as often as us? Why should we please people who are mean and spiteful, who so clearly fail to live as Christians ought? Why should we lower ourselves to put up with those who do not work or contribute as much or pray as hard as we do to build up the church? In his homily on this scripture lesson, St. John Chrysostom answers this by reminding us that the Holy Orthodox Church is a hospital. Wouldn’t it be perverse if a hospital refused to treat someone for the very reason that they were ill? What better signs of illness are there than the aforementioned symptoms!
The bottom line, as St. Paul reminds us in today’s lesson, is that when we offer up and sacrifice our strength to please those who are weak, we are simply following the example of Christ. We are strong in Christ. Let us do as He did, and sacrifice our strength so that through this, the weak may be saved.
[I hope you note St. Paul’s irony/sarcasm in calling the Roman Christian’s “strong.” This follows Christ’s own tact in dealing with some of his detractors when He told them that He did not come to save those who are perfect, but rather those who sin. There is no one strong or sinless except Christ God. St. Paul calls his audience “strong” so as to gain their confidence and ear.]
http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/
Romans 15: 1 - 7
St. Matthew 9: 27 - 35
Today St. Paul is “preaching to the choir”. Have you heard this term? During these Summer months, this term is especially appropriate – so many people are traveling that there have been Sundays when we literally have more folks in the choir loft than down here in the pews. St. Paul knows his audience and their great faith – so he shares a lesson with them that will challenge them where they are; a challenge that is equally appropriate to us here today.
The primary theme of Paul’s message is how the strong should relate to the weak. Of course, this is not about physical strength, but about how those who are committed Christians, dedicated to salvation through Christ and the Sacraments of His Church, should think of those whose faith is not as well developed. Today we heard the beginning of chapter 15, which builds on the presentation St. Paul began in chapter 14. I do not assume that you remember how this went, so let me share the general flow of his lesson to this point. He begins by telling us (the choir) to “accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” (Romans 14:1). “Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” (Romans 14:13b) [so that everything we do might lead] to peace and mutual edification. (Romans 14:19).
He then uses the example of food to make his because that was something that the “cradle Christians” [i.e. the Jews who accepted Christ as the fulfillment of their Scripture] often judged the gentile converts on, thus running the risk of turning these converts away from Christ based on something that was not important to their salvation. For the Jewish Christians, one of the main points of contention was food, for Orthodox Christians today, it is probably something different. I know that in some Orthodox parishes, it is head scarves for women and beards for men. It may take us some serious reckoning to figure out what it is here, for us. But figure it out we must, because Christ the God-man told us with His own mouth, that it would be better for us if a millstone were put around our neck and us be thrown out into the sea than for us to cause one of His children to stumble. (St. Matthew 18:6).
So how do we know what is essential to Salvation (and thus required) and what is at risk of becoming a stumbling block? The Jewish Christians had a hard time figuring this out because their faith – that which is essential for salvation – was so intertwined with their culture – a culture that supported their faith but was not required by or for it. For the Jewish Christian, some of the very things that strengthened their faith (e.g. eating kosher and the rite of circumcision) were stumbling blocks to people coming to the faith from the outside. One of the constant themes of the Book of Acts is how the early Church solved this problem. One of the themes of the life of our Church, and one of the signs of its health, is how we address this problem.
But there is an even more basic question:
Why should we care about the weak? Why should we be willing to sacrifice anything, especially for those who cannot worship as well as we? Why should we put up with people who do not sing, who do not follow our customs, who misbehave? Why should we accept those who neglect their daily prayers, who do not tithe or even pay their dues; who refuse to participate regularly in the Holy Sacraments, or even come to Church as often as us? Why should we please people who are mean and spiteful, who so clearly fail to live as Christians ought? Why should we lower ourselves to put up with those who do not work or contribute as much or pray as hard as we do to build up the church? In his homily on this scripture lesson, St. John Chrysostom answers this by reminding us that the Holy Orthodox Church is a hospital. Wouldn’t it be perverse if a hospital refused to treat someone for the very reason that they were ill? What better signs of illness are there than the aforementioned symptoms!
The bottom line, as St. Paul reminds us in today’s lesson, is that when we offer up and sacrifice our strength to please those who are weak, we are simply following the example of Christ. We are strong in Christ. Let us do as He did, and sacrifice our strength so that through this, the weak may be saved.
[I hope you note St. Paul’s irony/sarcasm in calling the Roman Christian’s “strong.” This follows Christ’s own tact in dealing with some of his detractors when He told them that He did not come to save those who are perfect, but rather those who sin. There is no one strong or sinless except Christ God. St. Paul calls his audience “strong” so as to gain their confidence and ear.]
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