The Holy Martyr Leontius (69-79)
Romans 8:22-27; Matthew 10:23-31
Apostles’ Fast.
Read Romans 8:22-27
The whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now. ‘Travail’ in this place refers to ‘labour pains’ or ‘pangs of birth’. And that is an extremely powerful image being used by Paul.
Think about the experience of a woman in labour. She very often is pain, sometimes great pain for an extended period of time. She may be fearful, because a whole host of things can go wrong leading to her death or that of her child, or both. She is completely vulnerable to the people and elements around her—unable to run away or protect herself if in danger.
The whole creation, in Paul’s words, was collectively experiencing this labour pain and the fear and vulnerability that comes with it. Constant pain of separation from God. Constant fear of death and its accompanying eternal obliteration. Complete vulnerability to one’s surroundings, as death was always lurking around the next turn in the road. We were lost and scared and in need of adoption and redemption.
Who brought about that adoption and redemption? Jesus Christ. The Son of God, by uniting His nature to ours, made us sons and daughters of God. We are adopted by the Father and are recipients of His inheritance—eternal life. Our fear, our pain, our vulnerability is no more. Yes, remnants of it still exist, as we all experience pain, fear, and vulnerability. However, we can march forward in hope since we know that Christ has redeemed us and made us inheritors of God’s Kingdom.