The Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6 – The Gospel Mark 8:34-9:1
Today we are approximately half way through lent, here on the third Sunday of the Great Fast.
Today we have the Cross in the center of the church, it will stay here in the center all week, in the center of lent, to remind us that the Cross should be at the center of our lives, at the center of our Lenten efforts.
We are reminded today that we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, so let us hold fast the confession, that is, who we confess Him to be. For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but one Who has been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help in time of need.
How marvelous! This bears repeating, it requires meditation. These thoughts, these words should always be in our memory.
He is our Great High Priest, and because He lived among us, became like us in all respects, except sin, He knows what it is like to be you and me. He is able to sympathize with our infirmities! He was tempted in all points, yet without sin.!
And lets add some more words that should always be on our lips, in our hearts, on our minds:
The Lord said, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
This is such an important feast day in our church. The Holy Fathers know what we need, they don’t do anything by accident or coincidence in these services that have been passed down to us for hundreds of years.
And today I want to try to pull several strings together and wind them into a strong cord of understanding, and awareness.
BTW, awareness is such an important thing in our lives, including our spiritual lives. The actions of the heart and soul can often be mysterious.
Our thoughts and dreams can be very troubling, disturbing even.
Many times people deal with these realities by pretending. Pretending that these are not important, seeking distraction. Seeking comfort in the world.
Becoming aware that we do that in ourselves is a very important step on the road to recovery, to true repentance, to becoming a real human being.
Becoming aware that in some situations, I very quickly pass judgement of people. Or I very easily smile and laugh when I am uncomfortable. I wear a mask in pubic.
Being aware of these things is the first step in change. God is a change agent.
He accepts us as we are, but He then expects us to change. Radically. Don’t downplay a new awareness the Lord gives you.
So, back to the threads I want to weave together.
The three treads, or stings, I want to weave are: 1. Christ our Great High Priest. 2. Coming before the throne of Grace with boldness. 3. Holy Communion (the Sacraments in general, but today The Eucharist)
These are important awarenesses that we need to incorporate into our hearts and minds so that we continue the practice of bringing every thought captive to Christ:
2 Cor. 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
Casting down imaginations, imaginations is the word λογισμοί, thoughts.
So what we are doing here is a form of repentance-changing our thoughts, changing how we think about ourselves, about God, about the people and things around us.
So for instance, the thought comes to us, I am worthless, I am all alone, no one cares for my soul.
We cast out that thought and replace it with ‘Jesus is my high priest, He knows me, He knows what I am going through, He knows what life is like here. He can help me. I need you Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.’
That is repentance, that is bringing every thought captive to Christ.
He is our High Priest.
Therefore, therefore, I can come into the throne room of Grace with boldness, as St. Paul said in the Epistle.
Where is the throne room of Grace? In the heavenlies where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father, where He rules and reigns the universe.
How do I enter this throne room? In other words, how do I encounter Christ in time, in reality? By entering into my heart, where He dwells by Grace in the Holy Spirit.
And this is where the third string comes in:
3. Holy Communion
The first string-Jesus is my Great High Priest-He loves me, the second string is I can enter boldly into His presence by Grace due to His work on earth for my salvation, because He has adopted me into His people. I have been engrafted in by Baptism, Repentance, Confession, denying myself, taking up my Cross and following Him.
The third string is I eat Him.
What is the prayer we say at every Liturgy? I believe O Lord, and I confess, that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who camest into the world to save sinners of whom I am first… and that this is truly the most pure Body and precious Blood of our Lord, and God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
He has become True Food and True Drink, so that we never will be hungry and thirsty again, so that there will be streams of living water bubbling up from our hearts, where He dwells in the Holy Spirit.
What does that mean? The Creator of the universe and all that dwells therein, has become human in order that I would be sanctified by consuming into my body, His Body, His Blood, His Life, His Holiness, His Power.
We eat our God. And that is another way that we enter into the Throne of Glory. The Throne of Glory is also the Holy Chalice.
We approach with fearful reverence, our God is a consuming fire, fire that by Grace we are permitted to consume with being consumed, like the burning bush Moses encountered.
We consume Him for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The greatest miracle you will ever experience is right in front of us at every single Divine Liturgy, in the Chalice. On the spoon.
BTW, did you know the word spoon is really a Greek word which means tongs?
The tongs that brought a burning coal to the Great Prophet Isaiah to cleanse him?
Isa 6:6-7 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven.
We can easily loose touch with the severity of what we are doing when we approach the Holy Chalice, in which the Lord Jesus is PRESENT, invisibly present.
Not as a sign, not as a symbol, not something that could be or might be His body and blood, but the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ.
This we confess, this we believe, this is the fullness and fulfilment of the manna in the wilderness that fed the Israelites for a time. The Bread which came down from Heaven to feed us for eternity.
There are those who deny that it is actually the Body and Blood. But to them we say “If it cannot harm you, it cannot heal you.”
This is a reference to the fact that in 1 Cor. St. Paul says that to eat and drink the Eucharistic offering improperly causes some to be sick and some to even die.
How can it do that, harm, if it cannot heal? If it was merely a symbol, how could it harm or heal?
John 6:53-58 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
And what was the response by His disciples?
John 6:66 Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
So here are the three wound together to form a most powerful cord.
The most important thing you can do for your spiritual life is attend, and participate in the Divine Liturgy fully; and receive in humility and obedience, the Body and Blood of Christ.
Frequently we should come! Frequently means every time it is available. Wednesday, Sunday, whenever.
But it also means there is a proper, an Orthodox way to do so.
With the fear of God, with faith, and with love draw near.
So this also means it is important to have awareness of what is happening, and what we are doing when we participate in the Divine Liturgy and don’t find ourselves automatically doing things without proper awareness.
There are times when one should not receive; Mat 5:23–24 If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
One of the most important things that happens during the Lenten Season, for those who are entering into Lent, is the raising of awareness. A heightened awareness of our proper standing before God, our need for forgiveness and profound healing in our souls.
This produces humility. Humility raises the awareness of our need for the Body and Blood of Christ, and gives us a proper fear of God, who yet lovest mankind.
IF anyone would follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.
Every day. Every hour. Every minute.