Holy Priest-Martyr Eutyches. Pidhoretska Icon of the Mother of God (1772)
1 Corinthians 4:1-5. Matthew 23:1-12.
Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
How often brothers and sisters are we tempted to judge our neighbor without real knowledge? We can see behaviour and action, but we can’t see what God sees – the heart. Our thoughts and intentions are laid out before the Lord who sees and judges all. This is one of the important visual lessons we receive when walking into a Church with a central dome to see looking down at us the “Pantocrator” icon of our Lord, who is over all, sees all and judges all.
Being accountable to God, who can see into our hearts means that we can admit that we are not the best judges of our neighbor. It also means that the judgements that really matter are not those levelled against us by our fellow servants but those of the Master Himself. I remember hearing a story about an old priest who would take his time praying all the prayers of the Divine Liturgy out loud and reverently. Someone once mentioned to him that people were grumbling due to the length of the liturgy and he replied: “yes, I fear the people, but I fear God more.”
Let us be honest with our sins and failings brothers and sisters, coming to the All-Knowing Lord who sees our hearts and is eager to forgive us if we repent.