It is a natural tendency to think we are less of a sinner than others, particularly if we are comparing ourselves to murders, the sexually deviant, or other sins we consider “extreme” and on a category of their own. However, much we indulge in this type of thinking to sooth our conscious, we are challenged by the words of Christ.

The “teacher” has been the person of high esteem and honor in most societies throughout history. This word has been attributed to those who teach all age groups in various subjects and disciplines. Similarly, the word “father” is used to describe the progeny of Adam’s race. It denotes the person within the family unit that is the male. The father has the responsibility (like the mother) to raise his children in a nurturing environment with love and discipline. The word father can be extended to the “grand”-father and other men that function within that modality. Such is the case with priest in the Orthodox (and Catholic) tradition. 

In our American culture, we are acculturated to want the best, to be the best, and to have the most. This type of thinking does not reflect the teachings of the Church or the Bible. On the contrary, God wants us to be faithful with what He has given us; and the circumstances that he has placed us in. Here, we must clearly define what it means to be “faithful.”

When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, He did it so that human beings could enjoy the pleasures of life. The sun, moon, rivers, animals, that is, all of God’s creation, was created for the enjoyment of humans. Further, God did not need to create human beings or the universe. He did it out of love, not out of necessity. God has no need for anything, for in Him there is fullness and completion. (Otherwise, He would not be God.) All things were created so that humans (and all living things) might grow closer to God. To sum-up, all things were created for man to enjoy, for his/her benefit and spiritual growth.