GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
In the Gospel reading today we hear the words of Christ, “No one comes to me, unless the One who sent me, the Father draws him.” (St. John 6: 44) What does Christ mean by this? First, we must examine what it means to “draw.” There are a few synonyms for a draw, such as: attract, captivate, and pull. These are but a few. I like the term “push.” More robustly “push us toward.” In the context of the Gospels, this means that it is God the Father who “pushes us toward” his Son. Therefore, outside of the power of God, we would not know Christ. This simply means that it is in and through God that we know God the Son. Of our power, of our own doing, of our strength, we would not know Christ. Here, when I say knowing Christ, I mean: to have a “conviction” in the core of our being that he is God, Savior, and Lord and to live this out in the life of the Church.
It is within God’s very nature to push us toward His Son. Since the beginning of time--of time past, present and future—all of what has happened according to God’s plan—is for the glory of his Son Jesus Christ. Again, God by nature pushes us toward his Son. In other words, God is the source of all goodness that we experience as humans. Compassion, kindness, and love—we experience these virtues as humans because we have in some way connected with God. Through such experiences, God pushes us toward His Son. This is not, however, God forcing us to, know, believe, or accept his Son. On the contrary, we must take the necessary steps toward God so that God can push us toward a closer relationship with His Son. If we take one step toward knowing Christ more intimately, God pushes us ahead two more steps. St. Paisios, an Eastern Orthodox contemporary saint, who reposed in 1994, said that if we show God some effort he would help us immensely. What effort are we talking about? If we would work 1 inch for the Kingdom of God, God would thrust us forward giving us 2 inches. When we fast, pray and read the Bible (to name a few) we are making an effort. In turn, God will provide guidance, help, protection, and healing. He will lead us! This is what it means when we say, “God draws us toward Christ.” If we make an effort toward praying, God will give us the strength to pray longer and with more concentration. If we make an effort to fast, God will give us the strength to give up meat, poultry, fish, and even dairy. Spiritual life can become very hectic and burdensome when we don’t put the effort and expect God to do all the work.
In the same way that God the Father draws us toward his son Jesus. The evil one draws us toward sin and destruction. In the same way, we make an effort toward good virtues and God draws us toward his Son, so also, if we make an effort toward sin, the evil one will draw us toward destruction.
In the world that we live in today, it is easy to be drawn, to be pushed toward, a sinful lifestyle. The devil plays his tricks by showing us how such and such a person drinks and he or she is doing fine. How someone doesn’t go to church or pray and they are doing extremely well. Or how someone lives a sexually deviant lifestyle and lives well and without any health problems. The evil one will always draw us, push us, toward these “exceptions” but will never draw us toward the thousands and ten thousand who have destroyed their lives through a sinful lifestyle.
During this Fast of the Holy Apostles let us pray, fast, and read The Word so that God will push us toward His Son Jesus Christ to experience his love, mercy, and compassion. But also, at the same time, be aware that the evil one also wishes to push us, but in a sinful direction, one that leads to destruction.