Salvation Comes to Zacchaeus
By Father David

When we hear the Gospel about Zacchaeus, we generally think about the "eagerness" of Zacchaeus to meet Jesus, but there is a much more important message that is presented to us for examination.  Look again at what happens when Jesus meets Zacchaeus.  Notice that it is Jesus who speaks of acting quickly when He says, "Make haste and come down, for I must abide at thy house."  Why? Because something important was going to happen there, and it involved not only Zacchaeus, but involved his family also.

Now, first, lets talk about what didn’t happen.  When they are in Zacchaeus’ house, he announces to Jesus that he will give away half of what he owns to the poor and restore four-fold those whom he had wrongfully treated.  It is always important for us to examine what is not said, just as it is important to speak of what was said.  Zacchaeus does not say "Jesus, I ask you to come into my heart so I can take you for my personal savior.", or anything like it.  In fact, he does not say he has sinned in any manner, but he immediately tells Jesus what he will do with what he has, saying only that those he wronged he will restore with four times the measure.  Notice, too, what Jesus does not say; He did not say "Zacchaeus, you are now saved!", or "You did the right thing, so I will save you."  In fact, what has often passed for salvation among some groups today is very far from what we witness here.

Now, looking at the text again, we notice three very important points. First, what tense is used for the verbiage here?  It is an aorist
present tense, meaning the event is really occurring, in the present. It is not a future event, it is occurring as Zacchaeus does what he has promised to do.  Second, it is happening to more people than Zacchaeus, for Jesus says that salvation has come "to this house".  The meaning here cannot be stressed enough, the word used for house is "Oikos", a word that is the root for the word "Ecumenical". In other words, it covered everyone who lived there, they way the word Ecumenical covers everyone who believes in an Orthodox way of life. Third, if Jesus would have listened to the other people that day, He would never have gone there, for they all had a low opinion of Zacchaeus.
 
As Christians, we sometimes lose sight of the family aspect of our faith.  We fail to see how strong it is in the teachings of Orthodoxy. Consider the practice of blessing homes, it is a family event. Holy Supper, a family event. Holy Pascha and the blessing of baskets, a family event. The blessing of graves following Pascha, a family event. Even the daily prayer life of Orthodox Christians asks us to remember all of our family and to seek the forgiveness of each member on a daily basis.

Why does Jesus say salvation has come to the entire family instead of just Zacchaeus? For one thing, consider whose money he is giving away, he may have earned it (from good or ill gains), but once he brought it to the house, they all expected to be able to live on it; the wife, the children and any other members living there. Now, they can likely calculate in their heads what we also realize, there isn’t going to be very much left for them if he goes through with this.  The sacrifice Zacchaeus is making, he makes for all of the family, for they all will lose equally from the actions of Zacchaeus.  Next, we do not know who else is contributing to the family’s income; there could be others who add to the financial worth of the household, and now Zacchaeus is giving it away.  Finally, we have Jesus final words in this Gospel which should speak volumes to all of us.  He announces why He came to Zacchaeus’ house in the first place, to seek and to save all who are lost. Not just the ones who are "like Him." Not just the ones with the same heritage, but all those who are lost.

Jesus is looking for all of us, for He wants to save all of us. We have only to be willing to confess our sins like Zacchaeus, and to unite in that confession with all of our family, so that salvation can come to our whole house. Let us make haste for the time of repentance will soon be upon us.
 
Amen.

Sunday before Nativity
by Fr. David Mahaffey

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: Today we witness the change in a man that only God can bring about. This Gospel begins with the ancestors of Jesus, his lineage from Abraham until his incarnation through the Virgin Mary. Matthew is showing us how it is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of God in the Old Testament. He traces the line of descendants through Joseph, but he could just as easily have done it though Mary since she also was a descendant of David. Look at this lineage we notice two things. First, there are not only men, but women also named in the promise. Second, there are listed not only people of good report, but also those considered outcast by Jewish society. So if Joseph is to follow the general customs of his people, and if he is a true son of David, then we could understand why he would contemplate secluding his betrothed wife. That is what honorable people would do.

This is not what Joseph does, though. Instead, he is visited by an angel of the Lord and when he awakes from his dream he changes his plan. He doesn’t argue with the angel, he doesn’t pass his dream off as an imaginary occurrence, nor does he continue with his original intention. What ever his community, his friends or his family might think, they do not outweigh the command of an angel of the Lord. Even if they are going to criticize his actions, or try to convince him to change his mind, they will not sway him from his new approach to the problem at hand.

We might even have a much more difficult time understanding the full gravity of what Joseph is going to do in our modern age. Today we view wedlock in an entirely different way. In Joseph’s day, family honor was paramount of importance and to act contrary to this invited the ridicule of the whole community. Yet, Joseph does not sway from his given task and, as the Gospel says, he takes Mary as his wife. Despite the cultural norms of his community he realizes the importance of obedience to God. Nothing can come between Joseph and his obedience to God’s will, and that is how it should always be.

We are all pressured upon by society to act in a certain way, to follow the popular path. Yet, we are also called to follow another path, the one the world rejects. We might not be visited by an angel in a dream, we need not worry about being asked to look after a virgin who is with child, but we are being asked to heed the words we hear in the Holy Gospel. The angel has already spoken and the example has been given to us in the life of Joseph.

Christmas is a time of year that calls us to be transformed. It is exactly because God can become as one of us that this transformation is possible. The question is what will our transformation look like? On what is this transformation based? First, it is based on a promise, a promise that was given to us in the Old Testament. It was given through the voice of the prophets who foretold of the birth of Jesus. Men like Isaiah, Hosea and Micah who gave us the word of the Lord. Second, it is based on a hope, a hope that arose in the people of God who knew that the day would come when the
promise would be fulfilled. And finally, it is based in love, in the love of a God who, as St. Paul reminds us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Thus, it is this promise, and this hope, and this love that gives us a foundation for our transformation. As we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation of God in the flesh, let us remind ourselves that this incarnation comes to us for a reason, and that reason is so that we might be made like unto Joseph and become followers of Christ in spite of a world that wants to reject such a way of life. This season, let us truly be transformed by God’s love in ways that will not only transform us, but also move those around us to be transformed as well. For it is in touching the lives of others that we truly find our own authentic sense of being, our own transformation.

We Are Being Called
Luke 14:16-24
by Fr. David Mahaffey

The time of the coming of the Lord in the flesh is fast approaching. We have but one more week to prepare ourselves for His birth. As we enter this final week of preparation, we hear the Gospel of the Great Banquet. It serves as a reminder to us of many things.

First, we are reminded of the very fact that we have been called. And who has called us?The prophets with their words announcing beforehand the coming of the Messiah. The Angels who proclaim that today in the city of Bethlehem is born to you a Savior, Christ the Lord. The Magi who followed a star to find Him. We are called by St. John the Baptist who said He must increase and I must decrease. We are called by the Apostles who preached to all the saving grace that has been given. And we are called by the saints who lived their lives as one who has accepted the invitation.

But have we heard His invitation? Have we responded to the great feast that has been prepared for us? Or, are we like the ones who have given an excuse instead of attending the Banquet? How important have we made our preparation, and what priority does it have? The invited guests each seem to have something important to do, and yet by their refusal they are turned away, never to be invited again. Like the rich man who ignored Lazarus, they will not even taste of what is offered. Like the Israelites who ignored the prophets, they are no longer welcome. Like those who persecuted the Apostles their invitation shall be given to someone else. We are given this parable to bear witness to what our Lord has told us, that he who loves his mother, or father, or sister or brother more than me is not worthy of me. There is nothing so important as this great call.

And who is invited to the table? After the original guests turned down the invitation, the Master sent his servant out to the highways and invited those who were unwanted by society, the poor, the lame, the blind, anyone at all who would come. We learn how infinite is God's love for us through this invitation. There is no one who will be refused who answers the call. It doesn't matter to Him what our position in life is, He doesn't care if we are rich or poor, blind or lame, for He has invited all to come. We can look at it in another way as well. No matter how poorly we have acted, no matter how great our sin, no matter how blinded we have been to His love up to this point, no matter how we may have made ourselves lame through our lack of care for the soul, we are still wanted. He still has room for all of us. The invitation is still open for us to attend.

What, then, shall we think more important this week? How well shall we prepare? Shall we offer more excuses and put off our spiritual preparation? Or shall we ponder the gift that is offered and make ready for the coming of the Lord? When we look back on the history of man, we can see many examples of the excuses of man. When Adam first sinned, he had an excuse and he lost his ability to dwell in Paradise. When the Israelites were led from their captivity in Egypt, they complained because they had no meat. When the prophets told them that the Lord was coming so as to get them to mend their ways, they did not listen and put them to death. When John the Baptist preached repentance in preparation for the coming of the Christ, it got him beheaded. When the Lord came that first time, they even put Him to death as well. Today we have another wonderful opportunity to make ready for His coming, we can still attend the Banquet, for we are still invited through His grace and Love for mankind.

Our Lord calls us to Himself, as it says in Isaiah the Prophet, "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. When you see this your hearts shall rejoice. And in the words of St. Paul, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." We do not have to be like those man who made excuses and did not heed the call. Instead, we can be like that perfect example who said yes to the call of the Lord, the Ever-Virgin Mary. As it was with her upon the announcement of the Angel, so can it be for us, for as our Lord has said, "In my Father's house are many mansions," and there is more than enough room for all. So then today let us prepare for the coming of the Lord. Pray that He will find us ready when He comes as Immanuel, God with us. For the time has come, the Banquet is ready, and all that is left is for us to respond, Maran atha, Come Lord Jesus.

Bound by Satan
By Father David Mahaffey

Eighteen years, that’s the number referenced by Christ in today’s Gospel. What does it mean? Are there any numerologists among us who might explain the number? To understand this number correctly it to apply the Gospel teaching it entails correctly, also. You see, once again, our English translation fails us a great deal in comprehension. The number is not rendered in the Greek the same way we render it in English. Jesus did not say to the woman, “See, satan has bound her for eighteen years,” rather, He said, “Whom satan has bound these ten and eight years.” In Greek, “ete deka kai okto” is in English, "ten and eight years."

Why does this matter? Aren’t we just talking semantics?, some might ask. The is, of course, no we aren’t just being picking about the way to speak of a time span that covers a total of eighteen years. What we are looking for is an explanation of why it matters that this woman has been bound for that length of time, and how that length of time relates to the lesson our Lord is giving us; so let us examine more closely the context presented in this Gospel.

This woman’s “binding” by satan is such that she always had to walk bent over, she could not straighten herself up to look forward, but was always looking at the ground. In this there is an analogy that when we follow the ways of the devil and not of God, we are always going to only see the ways of the world and never the heavenly ways. Being bound is another way of saying being controlled by, or held by whatever it is that binds us. Just as she was unable to see ahead what was coming towards her, so too the person who is bound by satan does not see what is coming towards him or herself, either. If all our thoughts are earthly thoughts, we can never achieve the heavenly kingdom. If we are always ‘looking towards the earth’, we can never see the heavens.

We should notice also that this woman has not sought out Christ, but rather that He has sought her out. When her frailty is removed, she glorifies God while others complain that Jesus has broken the Sabbath, …at least technically. We might even say that the synagogue leader who complained is as bent over spiritually by the burden of the law, as much as this woman was bent over physically; which brings us to our point about the method of stating the time period. What Jesus said was that “she has been bound by satan for ten and eight years.” How doe we understand the ten and the eight? Is it just a reference to time, or is there another analogy we can see hidden in the text?

It is easy for us to see that the number ten was favored, for it refers to the “Decalogue”, or Ten Commandments; the very ones that the leader of the synagogue is using to cite why Jesus is wrong for healing this woman. In other words, it is one thing to “delight in the law of the Lord”, as Psalm 118 says, it is quite another thing to make the law such a burden that we would stop even that which is useful just so we might say the law is kept unblemished by ourselves. Of all the examples that Jesus could have used to justify His action, the fact that He uses animals is really meant to show the synagogue leader how foolish his notion of keeping the Sabbath is.

What about the number eight? It is even more important than the ten, but its meaning is much deeper and more hidden. We are all familiar with the notion of the “eighth day” in our theology, as when Jesus arose from the dead after resting on the Sabbath, or seventh day, His
resurrection was a true completion of the work of God, an “Eighth Day” to complete the week and to manifest the truth of all the prophesies about the Messiah. It is also understood that we live in the seventh age of mankind, with only the return of the Messiah to occur to initiate the Eighth and final Age, the Age of the world to come, an Apophatic and Apocalyptic Age. Only God could do what Jesus did for that woman, and only God would do it in such a way as to reveal Himself in a more perfect way, as the number “Eight” does.

God reveals many things to us through His Holy Scriptures, and each one of these revelations is an important marker on the road to Salvation. This woman, who represents for us the way of worldliness, of being weighed down with the burdens and cares of this world, is also an indicator of the proper way in life, the one that leads us all into the Kingdom of Heaven. May we all give God the glory for His revelation to us, especially at this time of year when we are set upon by so many worldly details; may He help us to walk upright in the newness of His grace and abiding love for all of us. Amen.

Being Rich Towards God
by Fr. David Mahaffey

“Whoever lays up treasures for himself is not rich towards God.” The man in the Gospel today is guilty of one thing. That one thing has cost him his life. Notice that the Gospel does not say anything about the man’s religious situation. We do not know if he was faithful or not. We don’t know if he practiced any kind of philanthropy or not, we certainly don’t know if he tithed an offering to God or not. What we do know is that he was sure he needed to keep his excess and not to share it with anyone else. After all, he had grown it, he had harvested it and now he should be the one who benefits from all his hard work.

We can safely assume that his barns were more than adequate for a normal harvest. He must have had previous experience with crop yield and had constructed his barns based on that experience. Now, with his superabundant harvest, he believes he has earned a rest and he should now be happy, but instead he has only quickened his end.

This is not the only time in Scripture where hoarding ones goods resulted in punishment. In the Book of Acts, it is Ananias and Sapphira who, when they had sold their possession and were to give all of it to the church, but held back a portion for themselves and they, too, paid with their lives for their selfishness.

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord tells us not to store up our treasures on earth where thieves break in and steal and where moth and rust corrupt, but to lay up our treasures in heaven. In that same talk, Jesus tells us not to even worry about what we are to wear, or even what to have to eat, for God will grant to all according to their need.

It would seem that these Biblical imperatives go against our own tendency to store and keep for ourselves. We have a difficult time squaring our national mandate for the pursuit of happiness, the various types of pension and retirement funds we establish with a Gospel command to store up treasures in heaven and not on earth. When is enough, enough? What is wrong with happiness? Isn’t it foolish to not plan for the future in our society?

To reconcile the Gospel in a modern context requires us to look at the root issue that is being presented, and not try to equate dollars and worldly pleasures with heavenly reward. Remember that the original issue that caused the man’s fall is found in the fact that he was already rich, as the Scripture says, and that he decided to increase his storage capacity. His sin is not in storing, but in hoarding. God does not say he cannot enjoy his wealth, but that he was foolish for thinking that he no longer needed to be industrious and could just enjoy life in his own way.

We often behave as if we have complete control over our life, that our efforts can ward off trouble by hoarding our treasures and resources for ourselves. But the Psalmist has told us that we can trust God to take care of us in times of trouble. “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” And in another place he says, “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;” and again, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

These passages, taken in combination with our Lord’s words from the Sermon on the Mount, tell us that God knows we will face difficulties. He calls on us to think first of our heavenly treasures and strive to serve Him and not please ourselves, only. The real pursuit of happiness is found only in the pursuit of holiness. Our only true rest comes when we seek the Lord for He says if we come unto Him when we labor and are heavy laden, it is then that He will grant us rest. If this rich man had treated his wealthy state differently, he would not have been called a fool and would have interned into the joy of the Lord, instead, by his hoarding his fruits, he has lost everything. Why? Because he that stores his treasures only for himself is not rich towards God, and looses even what he thinks he has stored for himself. May God grant us the wisdom to know when we have enough and help us to be rich towards God. Amen.

Who is my Neighbor?
By Fr. David Mahaffey

While we often focus on the first question asked of the Lord in today’s Gospel, for it is the one we are most interested in, it is the second question that should have priority for us. We all want to know what we must do to inherit eternal life, but before we can acquire that answer we must learn about our neighbor. Why is this so? It is because our Lord wants us to understand that we are connected to each other in an essential way. We do not exist as individualistic, unrelated entities and our salvation must not be thought of as a unique, singular occurrence, for we will not be saved as isolated beings. To somehow think that we need only worry about ourselves is not only a selfish notion, it denies both the love of God and our creation in His image and likeness.

There are two different places in the New Testament where a man approaches Christ and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. In the first instance where Christ instructs the questioner to obey the commandments, it is Jesus, Himself, who describes them. He cites the commandments known to the Jews in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. When he asks what else he lacks, he commands him to sell everything and give it to the poor, which he cannot do. In today’s Gospel, it is the questioner who tells Jesus what the commandments are and he refers to the dual command of love, and not to the decalogue. Love of God and of neighbor go hand in hand, we cannot have the
one if we do not have the other.

An examination of the Hebrew understanding of the Commandments will help us to see them in their proper context. When we speak of the Ten Commandments, that is what we call them, The Ten Commandments. But that
is not their name in Hebrew, for in Hebrew they are called by the name, aseret hadevarim,” or the “Ten Utterances” or, by the first words of the text. Those words are not “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not,” instead they area the first words
that the Lord spoke to Moses when He gave him the Ten Commandments, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” This was the intention of these commands, to help make men to be holy. Instead, they became a way for those with power to exercise their hold over the powerless. In time the Pharisees and the Temple leaders had completely turned God’s plan into one of their own making.

To correct this, Jesus taught the real meaning behind these commandments. It is the understanding that love of God and neighbor is at the heart of His command. It is when we apply this love of God and neighbor to our lives that we fully become what we have been created to be, in His image and likeness. It is in the fulfillment of these two simple precepts that we come to be holy, as the Lord our God is holy. St. John said that whoever says he loves God and hates his neighbor is a liar. We can add to this that whoever thinks that they can acquire the kingdom of heaven without loving their neighbor is lying to themselves. We do not have the one if we cannot live the other.

Recently, we have been addressing the God-created idea that we are made to be relational beings. Communion, itself, is the apex of this relational existence, but not the only version to which we attend our lives. Caring not only for each other, but for the stranger, the oppressed, the imprisoned, the sick and needy, they are all our neighbors. If we want to acquire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, then we must begin by learning this basic precept, we must relate to and love all those whom God creates. Only in love does the kingdom of heaven exist, and only in love do we obtain it.

St. Michael’s Day:  A Children’s Sermon
By Fr. David Mahaffey

Can anyone describe a dragon to me? What does a dragon look like and how does it behave? (Let the children tell about their ideas and images of dragons.) Can you find flying, fire-breathing dragons in any part of our world? (Children may respond.) They are a made-up creature, aren't they? We have found dinosaur bones, but we have never found dragon bones. This doesn't mean that dragons are not important, because dragons can teach us something.

(Show the children your visual of a dragon.) Where I went to high school, our mascot was the Red Dragon, and this is what somebody thought our mascot might look like. And even though a dragon is an animal that doesn't exist in our world as we know it, the dragon represents something that is very real and that does exist in our world today. The dragon often represents something that is bad or evil or frightening. Are there bad things in the world today? Yes, we see bad things happen in the news and even in our own lives. Evil is a real thing and Satan is real, but that does not mean that we need to be afraid. We do not need to fear dragons.

On this day in November, we celebrate St. Michael's Day. St. Michael is one of God's angels named in the Bible. In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, Jesus' disciple, John has a very realistic dream, a vision; and he sees St. Michael fight the dragon, the Devil, and throw him out of heaven. So even though the Devil is powerful, like a dragon, St. Michael and the angels of God are more powerful. You are all God's children, and God sends his angels to protect you.

Who remembers the true story of Daniel who was thrown into the lion's den? How did God protect Daniel? (Let children answer.) God sent an angel to close the lion's mouths so they did not bite Daniel. Angels are not just storybook characters. Angels are real. They helped God's children long ago and they help protect God's children today.

(You may share with the children a modern story or your own story of an angel's protection. I used to work for a coal company that had strip mines all over central Pennsylvania. I was a mechanic for their big earth-moving equipment. One time a big bulldozer broke down in the bottom of a mine pit against the rock ledge that hung over our heads. It could not be moved from where it was until it was fixed, and if it wasn’t moved very soon, they were afraid that the rock ledge would fall on the bulldozer and ruin it. No one else was allowed in the pit, but me while I worked on the dozer, not even the operator. As I drove down in the pit, I prayed that God would protect me until I had the bulldozer repaired. As I worked, rocks came crashing down all around me, but none of them ever hit the dozer or me the whole time. After I finished and the dozer was able to back out of the pit, the entire ledge fell right in the spot we were working in. I know that without God’s angels protecting me that day, it might have had a different outcome. I thanked God for sending His angels to keep watch while I worked and saved me from having a bad accident.

If you feel like you are in danger, or afraid, or even if you feel like you are being tempted to do something that you shouldn't do, you can always ask Jesus to help you. God might send an angel to help you, protect you, or guide you. God and the angels are always watching over you to protect you from every danger, imagined or real. You are protected from dragons and most of all, you are protected from the Devil. You are surrounded by the love of God and by the servants of God, the angels.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for surrounding us with your love and for sending your angels throughout all of these years and even now to protect your beloved children. Amen.

Gadarene Swine Fever
By Father David Mahaffey

Did everyone get scared last night? After all, it was Halloween. This has become a great holiday in our secular humanist culture. If you ventured out to any of the local malls last night, you likely saw some pretty gruesome characters, people made up to look like the dead, or some sort of demon from the underworld, or perhaps from a popular movie or television program. If they managed to frighten you, then maybe we had better spend some time of fear.

I mention this because of the way fear is used in today’s Gospel Lesson. Jesus encounters a man who is filled with a legion of demons, yet He is not afraid and in fact commands them to enter a herd of swine. The people who lived there, when they heard of this miracle, did not give God glory that He had cured a man, but rather were made afraid because of the resulting death of their herd.

Here, the word that is translated “fear” is the Greek word phobos, from where we get the word for phobia, a fear of some thing. In the New Testament, this word is used almost exclusively for any time the word fear appears, whether it is in context of someone fearing God, or the Roman Authorities. [Incidentally ladies, another meaning of this word is reverence for your husband, just so you know.] So it means exactly what it says, to be fearful of a person or a thing, or an action. We can have fear of God, but not in the same way as these Gadarenes fear Jesus.

So we are presented with a dilemma, is this fear of Jesus the same as the “fear of God” that is often quoted in the Scriptures? For an aide in answering this question, let us look at what St. Clement of Rome said in reference to our fearing God. “On every account it is advantageous to fear Him alone, not as an unjust, but as a righteous God. For one fears an unjust being, lest he be wrongfully destroyed, but a righteous one, lest he be caught in sin and punished.” The Gadarenes did not understand why their herd was destroyed and therefore they feared that Jesus might do them more “damage”. You might say they had the “Gadarene Swine Fear”, an improper kind of fear that is founded in the ignorance of God. This kind of fear lacks understanding of the ways of God and results in moving us away from, instead of towards, our God.

There is a true fear of God that is proper for the Christian to have. When you have time look at Chapter 5 of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. Men will recognize it immediately as the one read at weddings, you know, the “wives obey your husbands” line is in there. But there is a whole lot more there worth our while, including the instruction by St. Paul
that they should, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” [vs. 21] In this case, our “fear” comes about because we know God in His “righteous” sense, so that we act accordingly and are freed “from many hurtful fears”, as St. Clement says, to live a righteous life.

Thus, we live not cowering in fear of the unknown, of “things that go bump in the night”, but in awe of a mighty God. It is living in a way so that we do not become “slaves of all evils to your own hurt” again quoting Clement, but “I mean of demons and diseases, and of everything that can in any way hurt you.” So we do not only have the passions that attack us, but also a false type of fear that can overtake us as well. Anyone who has lived with someone battling cancer knows all about this correct view of fear, as opposed to the unknowing and enslaving kind of fear, that Gadarene Swine Fear that I spoke of earlier. God never wants us to have that type of fear, but He does want us to learn from fear; for when we learn from fear we can obtain something far more valuable, more worthwhile, more life-enriching than fear. That is perfect love, for as St. Johnthe Theologian tells us in his Epistle on Love, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

For as we read in Holy Proverbs, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom:” and through Jesus Christ we become perfected through His love, where fear is overcome and we are perfected in love. May God grant all of us a proper fear so that we might learn to become perfected in His love. Amen.

If man had no adversaries, there would be no struggles and contests; and if there were no contests, there would be no crowns of victory. There is a more spiritual sense which you should learn as well: the man who has demons within him and wears no garment and makes his home outside the house, is anyone who does evil and demonic deeds, who has stripped himself of his baptismal robe, and dwells outside the Church. Such a man is not worthy to enter into the Church, but instead he lives in the tombs of dead and rotting deeds, for example, in brothels and in the chambers of publicans and graft. These are indeed tombs of iniquity.

Chapter V.—The Fear of God.

“Therefore you shall be able to persuade yourselves with respect to the things that are profitable, if, like charmers, you say to the horrible serpent which lurks in your heart, ‘The Lord God thou shalt fear, and Him alone thou shalt serve.’11211121 Matt. iv. 10; [Luke iv. 8; Deut. vi. 13.— R.]. On every account it is advantageous to fear Him alone, not as an unjust, but as a righteous God. For one fears an unjust being, lest he be wrongfully destroyed, but a righteous one, lest he be caught in sin and punished. You can therefore, by fear towards Him, be freed from many hurtful fears. For if you do not fear the one Lord and Maker of all, you shall be the slaves of all evils to your own hurt, I mean of demons and diseases, and of everything that can in any way
hurt you.

The Rich Man and Lazarus
By Father David Mahaffey

Today we are called upon to examine the life of the rich man. Notice he has no name, all we know is that he was clothed and ate well. He wanted for nothing. He had more than most and yet he could not even care for one single, solitary beggar who sat at his gate. He lived his entire life without once thinking about the condition of the man who lay each day
outside his comfortable home.

Who is this rich man? Do we know him? Do we think that he is unlike us? Is he so different from us that we do not recognize him, or is he so much like us that we cannot see the comparison?

Who among us is in want? Who among us does not have enough and more to spare? Yet, at the same time, if we are honest with ourselves, we may find we have more in common with this rich man than we want to admit.

Consider the condition of our own situation and the place we are at in life. We can say with great confidence that we have done well. For the most part whatever we need we can acquire without much difficulty and we can look around and see the fruit of our efforts. Yet, we must also admit that we are lacking in certain ways. For all we have done, we still have much to learn.

Yes, we made sure that we covered the basics; the electric bill was paid, we have heating oil, and necessary improvements were completed. But if we look beyond the basics, what do we find? How much did we spend on the naked, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick or the imprisoned? How many projects did we have with the sole purpose of giving the money away to a worthwhile cause? We know the answer and we also know we can do better.

The rich man and his entire family cared only for themselves their entire lives and it cost the rich man his home in eternity. He longed to be able to change the way he was, or at the least change the end for his five brothers. He asked that Lazarus be his voice to them and it is no small irony that one man he had ignored his whole life he now asks to come to his aide. Notice the reply to his request. God did not say Lazarus couldn’t go back and do this, He said that even If Lazarus went back it would not do any good. He told the rich man, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."

What He is telling us is this, change can only come upon people who want to change. No matter how strong the voice of the prophet, no matter how great the miracle, no matter how familiar the face that delivers the message, if a person does not want to change it will not happen. So this day, as we reflect on our own condition we must ask ourselves, how
serious are we about change? How intent are we to examine our own actions and see whether or not we are living up to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we even think that we need to change, or are we satisfied with the way we are? Just a few verses prior to the ones we hear in this Gospel lesson Jesus made this statement: "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” We are all pressing toward the kingdom and where we live in that kingdom is entirely within our control. Will we heed the words of this lesson, or will we, like the rich man ignore Lazarus and share in his fate?

Sower Parable
by Fr. David Mahaffey

A seed is an amazing thing. It is so very tiny, and yet it produces fruit a great many times its size. How does this happen? While I do not intend to give a biology lesson, our Lord’s reason for using the seed in this parable is best understood when we know the biological evidence.

Consider the elements involved in growth. It takes good soil, gentle rains, sunshine and careful cultivation by the one planting the seed. If any one of the necessary parts is absent, the seed cannot bear fruit. In fact, left unplanted, a seed will lie in a dormant state and do absolutely nothing. Yet, even after an extended period of time in a storehouse, once planted it still will produce fruit and even more than that, it will produce even more seeds.

The word of God is an inexhaustible source of seed for us. The words contained in the Holy Gospel are given to each generation to be planted anew in the fields of life that we must attend. The seeds contain the same ability to bear fruit now as they did in the time of the Apostles. What has changed are the ones who must utilize the seeds, the ones who are called to produce the fruit in a new harvest for our time.

Not many people today are familiar with farming. More and more it has been taken over by mechanization and controlled by the few. We are far more likely to obtain our groceries at a supermarket than we are from our own back yards. Thus, our understanding of the parable needs to be constantly renewed in light of our situation. The same elements are involved and the same conditions arise that must be dealt with. Like those early Disciples, we are faced with similar conditions in which produce fruit.

From another perspective we can ascertain another important revelation in this parable; there is only one type of believer that will bear fruit. Of the four types given, only one actually produces a useful harvest. Of the four examples, three of them ultimately cause the seeds to die with no effective results. These four are listed as a road, a rock, thorns and good soil. A road is a hard place where no seed can even take root; those like that road are they that have a hard heart and do not even think on the words they have been given. Why? Because the devil comes and takes it away, not by cunning, but by stubbornness, for those who have a hard heart are not open to the ways of Christ. A rock is a rough enough surface that a seed might take hold, but it immediately falls away by wind or water; those like the rock hear the word, but as soon as temptation or trial arises, the word leaves them without any growth. Thorns come upon a growing seed when it is not well attended; this is like those who receive the word and carry it for a while, but the riches and cares for this world overtake them and they do not carry any fruit to perfection. Those like the good soil are those who tend to the seeds, care for them and dress their fields until the fruit is ripe for harvest.

Like any growth, we have little control over the natural elements involved. How much rain, who much sunlight, or the soil’s ability are out of our control. For those we trust God to provide, but how the seed is nourished and cultivated, that is entirely ours. Now, notice the fruit is given to those who not only keep the word of God, but who meet certain conditions. The must have a good heart, be honest, and have one more critical element, the patience to endure; for the time to obtain a good harvest is not changed by one day no matter what we do to encourage the growth.

We all want to see growth in our lives. We all want to see growth in our church and we also want to do what we can to assist in that growth. But until we realize that growth is connected to patience, we will not be able to have that growth, personally or collectively. God has told us what it takes to produce fruit, and we know that only fruit that is ripe is fit for use, so it is that we must have the honest and pure heart and patient ability to realize when that fruit can be harvested. He has provided us the seeds, he gives us the right amount of rain and sunlight, but we are the laborers who must do the work. As our Lord said to His Disciples, so He says to us, the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. May we all seek to become the good laborers and may God grant us a great harvest. Amen.

Luke 7:11
by Fr. David Mahaffey

We begin today with a little quiz. What passage of Scripture precedes the one we heard? It is the story of the healing of the servant of the Centurion. What does that have to do with our current Gospel, you may ask? It has to do with the types of miracles that Jesus is performing and it also tells us why there is a “large crowd” with Jesus and His Disciples.

You see, we have people who have become fascinated with a man who works miracles. But, you see, the servant was only ill; and perhaps there were those who said that the servant would have returned to good health on his own? The one thing we always want to remember about our Lord, He always knows who He’s dealing with. He is omniscient and therefore knows what those who are witnessing His amazing acts need for their salvation.

Next, let us consider the widow and her newly-departed son. By the word widow, we already know she is familiar with death, and now she is being left alone, a truly difficult situation in that land, and in those days. Why is this so? Because she would not inherit her husband’s possessions, her son would, and if she only had one son, and he dies (which has happened), who becomes the heir of what remains? According to Jewish law, it would be the next male family member in succession from the father’s side. This is presented in Numbers 27:

Numbers 27:8  Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter.  Numbers 27:9  If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.
Number 27:10  If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.
Number 27:11  If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

This woman would truly have been left with nothing. There’s no welfare program, no social security, no Medicare, no food stamps, her only hope is to have a family of her own to return to.

Perhaps this will help us to see why the Gospel says “Jesus had compassion on her.” Remember our previous point, that Jesus knows the people He comes in contact with? His intention here becomes primarily one of love for this woman’s situation and not to impress the crowd, even though we know that occurs. What we have, then, is a lesson of a different nature, a different direction and a different purpose.

How can we come to best understand what Jesus is teaching us here? In one way or another we have all lost people we love, people who meant a great deal to us, so does this mean we should be glad that He raised the widow’s son? I believe not. Should we find solace in the fact that Jesus will raise the dead, as this example proves? Perhaps, but that is not the greatest good we can take from such a lesson. In fact, it is hardly the lesson at all. The real lesson points us in another direction altogether.

Examine again the sequence of events that leads to the raising to live of the widow’s son. We do not see Jesus here, as He later would do with his friend Lazarus, simply saying “arise and be alive again!” No, first this is something that we might miss on first reading, but which is there in a glaring detail nonetheless. It is a simple movement on the part of Jesus, for the Gospel says He went and touched the open coffin and pronounced the words “Young man, I say to you, get up!” For what reason does Jesus touch the coffin? Do you not think that Jesus could have simply said the words and the man would have been raised? Do you not think that Jesus could have even sent word ahead before the young man’s death to the widow so that she would not have mourned over her son’s death? Could not our Lord and chosen a multitude of ways to display His power, and yet He stops the procession and places His Holy hand on the coffin to perform this mighty act? What we are witnessing here is the demonstration to those people, and to all of us, that there is real power in the body of Jesus Christ. What we see here is a most clear example of what can be accomplished through contact with the body of Jesus Christ.

How, then, are we to have contact with this body? How can we be raised from the death of our own sins and transgressions? Just as there are levels to the Kingdom of Heaven, so there are levels to the comprehension of what is revealed to us through the Gospel lessons. The son of the widow represents the mind, which is being borne outside the new Jerusalem, the land of the living. This mind is carried on the bier with the dead body that is deadened by sin. Through the touch of Jesus, the body and the mind are resurrected, restored and now able to speak and to teach others.

This same body is offered to all of us through the precious gifts of Holy Communion. The same body that touched the young man and gave him renewed life is available to us, to give us new life as well. We may have our physical life, but outside of Christ that physical life is being deadened by sin. We suffer from spiritual decay and wander outside the city of life until we also touch that Body of Christ. If Jesus had compassion on the widow, will He not also have compassion
on us? If he restored the young man, will He not also restore us? The body of Christ is there, it is offered to us every Divine Liturgy. Will we receive it and be restored, or will we continue to let our lives decay? The choice is ours to make, accept Christ and live in His city of life, or be carried away by our own fallen ways. May we all seek to be revived by the touch of Christ every time it is offered to us.  Amen.

LUKE 6:31
By Fr. David Mahaffey

Everyone loves to be rewarded.  There is not one of us that does not like to hear someone tell us when we have done well, when we have been helpful or when we make another’s task easier.  Yet, our Lord is telling us that to be rewarded for doing anything, for those we expect will appreciate what we are doing, is not very much at all.  He says that is what all sinners and Gentiles do for each other, so why would we think it a great thing?

Notice that He does not say we don’t deserve these words of praise, rather, He says its the same kind of expectation that even sinners have for one another, so what is great about that?  I may be getting into trouble here and you might be thinking, oh no, our new priest is telling people that their work doesn’t amount to much around here; well, there goes the neighborhood.  That is not the case, however, so let us pay attention to what Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel.

Look at the world around us, it is full of well-intended people.  Sure, there are a few who behave badly, who inflict harm and cause woe to others, but for the most part, we live in a country where the majority are prosperous enough to give of their time and talents for many worthy causes.  Likewise, there is no shortage of causes for which we are asked to support and in their own way, each one has a value and contributes to the general welfare of our population.

Now, let us see where the Christian is called to a different life than this.  Is it possible that we have missed the reason for giving of our time and talents?  Is it possible that we have been led astray of our true calling by these many voices calling for our help in their need?  Said another way, is being loving, doing good, and being generous, in and of itself, sufficient for the Christian life? I think we can all say that Jesus answer to this question is quite clear, no, it isn’t.  
Loving when there is love returned is not a great thing.  Doing good when we expect it returned to us is no great thing.  And certainly giving, when it is conditioned by return, is no great thing either.  So it is that we should realize that what separates the Christian from his or her neighbors is this idea of a self-less life that seeks only to fill the needs and wants of others without expectation of a return from those who receive.
 
Notice, too, that God did not say we won’t have enemies.  He didn’t say that there would not be times when we would have needs of our own.  He didn’t say we would not be in want; but what He did say is that if we recognize that to be like Him, to be like Christ, we need to be loving, good and generous to those who will not return in kind to us.

Perhaps St. Nikolai of Zica said it best, “if you love those who love you, you are like the sinners and the Gentiles; but if you love those who do evil to you, you are like God, Who is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Which do you desire—to be like sinners or to be like God? Do you see the divine teaching? First He persuaded you by means of the natural law: what you want to be done to you, do to others. Then He persuades you with the result and the reward—He promises that you will become like God.”  Lord, help us to be more like you in every way, in every day, so that we truly may become your children and be more like You to those we meet.  In so doing, not only will we gain the kingdom of heaven, but those we meet will be granted that reward, as well.

Do you see this natural law which is written in our hearts? That is why the Lord also said, In those days I will surely put My laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts. [Jer. 38:33] Then He adds another compelling reason to keep this commandment: if you love those who love you, you are like the sinners and the Gentiles; but if you love those who do evil to you, you are like God, Who is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Which do you desire—to be like sinners or to be like God? Do you see the divine teaching? First He persuaded you by means of the natural law: what you want to be done to you, do to others. Then He persuades you with the result and the reward—He promises that you will become like God.