SERMONS
In the Gospel Reading today Christ speaks about “being ready.” Christ, in order to explain this idea of “being ready,” speaks in regard to being ready at all times. In order to do this, he makes an analogy to a homeowner and that if he had knowledge that a thief would break into his home, he would be ready to fight him off. The point is that we have to be spiritual ready at all times.
The wilderness is a place of desolation. Life as we are familiar with, either plant or human, is not capable in such a place. There is no sufficient water or vegetation.
Spiritually speaking the wilderness has similar meanings. It is a “phase” of our life that occurs where we feel abandoned by God (possibly). There are certain circumstances that have occurred that have caused pain and suffering, either through death, finances, marriage, children. Etc. There is emptiness, a certain loneliness that we feel during this time. Anxiety and fear grips us because we don’t know exactly what is going on. Although such statements are generalizations, I am almost sure that everyone understands what I am talking about because each one of us has felt something similar or same.
In the Gospel reading today we hear about the dedication of Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem by his parents Joseph and Mary. In the latter part of the Gospel reading, after the child Jesus is dedicated, it says the following, “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:39-40) As Orthodox Christians, when we do all things that are according to the law, that is, take part in the Sacraments; with respect and diligence, then we are in some way, like Christ. That is, we dedicate ourselves to God by a genuine obedience to the Sacraments by our love for Christ. It is through the receiving, and partaking of the Sacraments, that we can be “filled with the fullness” of the Holy Spirit. Once that experience becomes a reality in our lives, we now are able to develop “wisdom.”
As Jesus was about to retire for the evening, a man named Nicodemus visited him. Nicodemus is very sympathetic toward Christ’s mission. During their conversation with each other, Christ puts forth the eternal truth that “Unless a man is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, not completely understanding what Christ was saying, thinks that Christ means entering the womb a second time. Christ explains that what he meant was that a man was born first of the flesh, that is through the mother’s womb, as was natural to all human beings. But to be born again, means to be born of the Spirit, which was not natural to all human beings. To be born of Spirit means that God enters into a person and changes them, recreates their orientation here on this Earth. They become a “new person.”
Philip was called by Jesus Christ to be his disciple. His response was positive; he was willing to follow Christ. But he wanted his friend Nathanael to join him in this newfound adventure as well. When Philip found Nathanael and told him that he had found the Messiah (the person the Jewish people had been waiting for) he was not so eager to follow Jesus. Instead, he said, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” There seems to be a great deal of speculation in Nathanael’s mind concerning Jesus. Further, he didn’t seem too intrigued with idea that the Messiah hailed from the area of Nazareth.
