GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
Jesus is typically seen and thought of as the peaceful and gentle Messiah, Lord, and Savior. However, the Gospels also record a Jesus who is confrontational and harsh. For example, Jesus overturned the tables of the merchants in the outer court of the Temple. (Matthew 21, Mark 11) He also directly confronted the Pharisees regarding their pride and hypocrisy. (Matthew 23: 1-12) He cursed the fig tree that had no figs. (Matthew 11: 12-25) After all, Jesus was not really the “nice guy” we thought he was.
In the Gospel reading today, taken from Luke 10:13-16, Jesus curses a few cities: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done to you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.” Why does he curse these cities?
Jesus performed many miracles in these three cities, which were wealthy and a hub for wickedness. He spent a lot of time preaching there as well. He invested time and effort. Nonetheless, there was no “fruit” for his great labors. They did not repent or change their sinful ways. For this reason, Jesus curses them. Not only did he curse them, but to add further insult to the city and the inhabitants, he stated that cities of Tyre, Sidon, if they had heard his preaching and seen his miracles, they would have repented. Tyre and Sidon were opulent trading cities located on the Mediterranean coast. The prophets of the Old Testament cursed these cities. Yet, Christ in making such an analogy attempted to invert the OT perspective; that is, as the reader of the Gospels, we now see Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum as more depraved than Tyre and Sidon. We can even say that Jesus redeemed the reputation of Tyre and Sidon to some degree.
It is interesting to note here that the Son of God, Jesus Himself preached and performed miracles in these three cities and yet they would not change or repent. Similarly, in our present time, we have pastors and priests who labor in the vineyard of the Lord and yet the people in their ministry or in their parish do not change. Often, the Priest is blamed for not having the ability to change his flock. The preaching should be better, more ministries are necessary, a better choir should solve the problem--these are but a few reasons why people say the parish/church could be better—when in fact, the problem is not the priest or the parish/church, it is rather the people themselves and their unwillingness to change.
In our present time, there is more “spiritual food” available than ever before and yet people are struggling more than ever. Meaning, we have sermons, live stream Qurbanas, fellowships, books, ministries of various kinds but minimal results, in terms of lives changed. We have so much spiritual “stuff” to feed on and yet we are still spiritually stunted. Of course, there are incidents and occasions where leadership is to blame. But in the end, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we are asked to explain our spiritual condition, we cannot point the finger and blame someone else. We can only blame ourselves.
So, then, how do we fix that?
Take the Sacraments seriously: observe the fasting seasons, pray and read the Word, as I stated in last week’s sermon. Go to Confession. Prepare well before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Pray the Evening Prayer the Saturday before Qurbana.
Apply the sermon in your life: don’t just listen to the sermon—live out the sermon. Talk about it during the week. Note the practical steps toward implementing the Gospels message in our lives.
Seize every challenge in parish life and Christian life as an opportunity and not something to “pray away.” As Christians, we want to pray away our problems, especially if they happen at church.
Many of us saw the challenge of not having enough English in the Qurbana. We saw a lack of evangelism. We took action and began, by the Grace of God, a Mission parish, rather than leaving the Church for a non-denominational congregation.
During COVID-19 many of us were stuck at home. Either we saw this as a “setback” or a “setup.” A setup because – we took greater responsibility for the spiritual health of our families, spouses, and ourselves. Or as a setback because - we thought of it as a negative experience because we couldn’t attend Qurbana.
Be a learner: read good Orthodox books, the writing of the Fathers, and of course the Bible. Research, discuss, and think. Don’t wait for others to do it for you. Do some of it yourself. We are living in an age where information is readily available.
Strive hard: the spiritual journey is one of struggle so you have to strive hard, work hard to achieve spiritual goals.