The Holy Prophet Jeremiah (625-585 BC); Coronation of Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God (1773); Passing into Eternal Life (1951) of Blessed Klymentii (Clement) Sheptytsky, Archimandrite of the Studites and Confessor
Acts 12:1-11; John 8:31-42
Read John 8:31-42
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
In our reading today, our Lord continues His dialogue with the Jewish leaders at the Feast of Tabernacles. Some headway is being made in the fact that truth is being established. Christ confirms that He has been sent by the Father and does not speak on His own accord. Although the leaders appeal to Abraham’s fatherhood and the Fatherhood of God, Christ shows them that they do not live in accordance with what they claim, but have in fact have accepted sin and the Devil’s dominion over them.
Before we are tempted to judge these leaders, however, we must remember that the scriptures were written not for them, but for us. Too often we might be tempted to ask the wrong question which guarantees the wrong answer. Our modern question revolves around some form of “am I happy?” However, Christ has not come to give us happiness but something so much more important. He has come to give us freedom. He has promised us, His followers, that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Let us continue to strive for the courage involved in embracing the Truth, and not settle for living as slaves of sin, but free children of God!