Saturday before the Exaltation of the Cross; Post-feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God; Holy and Righteous Forebears of God Joachim and Anna; the Holy Martyr Severian (321-23);
1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Matthew 10:37-11:1.
Read Matthew 10:37-11:1
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Everytime we have to take a stand on some great cause, we can witness an inevitable split that divides people on those who support the cause and those who find themselves in strong opposition to it. Christian message introduced by Jesus could not possibly keep people indifferent to its content and challenges. People have to make a choice and either accept the Gospel or reject it all together. The passionate choice in favour of supporting Christian teaching and way of living always involves sacrifice and uncompromising loyalty to Jesus even if it involves possibility of annihilation of very intimate human ties and loyalties.
The coming of Jesus was the coming of the long awaited by Jews Day of the Lord, the day when God would intervene the history and divide families. The Rabbis used to describe the Lord’s Day as “the period when the Son of David shall come, and a daughter will rise up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, the son will despise his father, the daughter will rebel against the mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and the man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” By saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is in hand” (Mt. 3,2), Jesus basically confirmed that the Day of the Lord has come and the choice has to be made. One can not stay mediocre. We need to be either hot or cold.
To choose Christ instead of choosing selfish drive to power is never easy, for it inevitably leads us to warfare with the people who could be our neighbours, friends, loved ones or even close relatives. It leads us to a hard choice between earthly ties and spiritual relationships. It leads us to the risk of losing our lives for the sake of the greater good, so we can feel accomplished and truly happy even if we would lose safety, comfort and realization of personal ambitions so cherished by the world. At last, it leads us to the cross. After all, Christianity is a religion of the cross, since we freely choose to subordinate our will to God in such a way that we no longer follow our sinful desires, and no longer do what we like, but what Christ likes.
Bible References