GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
The Gospel reading today is the genealogy of Jesus Christ taken from St. Luke chapter three. We might wonder why the genealogy of Christ is being read on a Sunday. It is dry, and quite frankly, boring read. Nevertheless, we must look beyond the lack of narrative excitement; and understand the reason why the Gospel writer sets forth the lineage of Christ, and why the church requires the reading of the genealogy on the Sunday before Christmas.
First, the Gospel writer wants us to understand that Christ is of a “real” Jewish lineage, of the line of David. This is important because the prophecies of the Scriptures tell of the messiah hailing from the “house of David.” Second, we need to see that Christ is a true man. That is, his humanity must be accentuated as much as his divinity. For, it is in his humanity that he takes on our burden, sins and suffers in the flesh for the salvation of the world. In order for Christ to save us, he must have assumed our struggles and challenges, only without sin.
It is when we understand Christ as a man, that we are able to understand him as God. Christ showed us what it means to be a “true” human being. That is, a true human is truly like God. True humanity in its purest form, like that of Adam and Eve, when they were able to walk and talk with God, is exactly what Christ was attempting to demonstrate to all of mankind. That man is created to walk and talk with God. To love, to forgive, to show compassion, to be free of hatred, envy and any type of malice—this is what it means to be human, as lived out by Christ himself. We are in many ways, NOT human, but more so living LESS than human. If we were truly human, we would be like Christ. I would not venture even to say we are like animals, for animals behave better than we do. Hatred, envy, violence, malice, pride, perversion is chosen over justice, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion, and love in our present society. We are therefore not human in many ways. That said, on the other hand, because of Christ, and in and through Christ, we are human in some ways, where we have chosen good over bad, the holy over evil. These ways of truly being a human can be lived out in the Orthodox Christian Church, through Her, worship and prayers. Here are a few examples of how we behave as “human” through the worship and life of the Orthodox Church:
Repentance: Is when we have a contrite heart before God and shed tears of computation for our sins and shortcomings. We hear this in Psalm 51 during the prayers of the Orthodox Church. When we repent, we humble ourselves before God. This is not only done formally; but anytime we make a mistake, we should ask God for forgiveness by saying the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Anytime your repent, you are truly showing your humanity.
Forgiveness: Is something that Christ taught to his disciples and followers. There are circumstances that occur with other people that can be very hurtful but we are called by Christ to forgive. In our own capacity, we cannot do this; but with Christ all things are possible. We are able to even forgive our enemies. Before we begin the Anaphora portion of the Holy Qurbana, every person present is asked to give peace to one another. This is a sign of forgiveness, one that should be lived out in every facet of our life. If we have ever forgiven someone, we have behaved in a way that is truly human.
Love: Is hard to define; but Christ showed us that it is more than a feeling; it is, in fact, an action. Christ loved us and gave his life for us. In short, love is a sacrifice. Love without sacrifice is no love at all! We, as Christians, are called to love, not only our family and kin but also all people. This seems impossible, but with God all things are possible. No other religious teacher taught to love the way Christ did. Christ teaches us that God is love! In the Holy Qurbana, we are asked to come before the Holy Mysteries with a genuine love for Christ. For love is the very nature of God. And when we love we are doing something that is truly human.
Today, think about the ways in which we are truly human beings, and also the ways in which we are not. By doing so, let us make a vow to be truly human and cast away our “other” than human tendencies.