Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Martyr Anysia (286-305); Holy Martyr and Presbyter, Zoticus, Protector of Orphans (4th c.)
Hebrews 11:8,11-16; Mark 9:33-41
Read Hebrews 11:8,11-16
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Today’s reading from the letter to the Hebrews names what has been accomplished “by faith” in the lives of Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament. Abraham was obedient to God by faith, leaving his homeland to journey to the land which God promised him as an inheritance without knowing to where he was going. A miracle was worked in the life of Sarah by faith. She miraculously bore a child in her old age and received countless descendants. Abraham and Sarah died in faith, not yet having received the fullness of what they had been promised. However, they were confident in the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises. They kept their focus on awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises instead of keeping their gaze on this worldly life and the past.
God prepared a heavenly city for them and likewise for us. Every time we pray the Our Father we petition God, “Thy Kingdom come.” Whenever we recite the creed we say, “I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” It seems that many Christians today ignore or are forgetful of this article of our faith. Some have lost sight of the fact that we await the advent of Christ’s perfect kingdom. There can never be a man-made utopia on earth; our problems will never be solved by means of human effort and ingenuity alone. We are waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises in the life of the world to come.
Today, let us remember not to be mired in the past but rather to look ahead with confidence in God’s faithfulness. We are fundamentally unfaithful. God knows this and is willing to forgive us for this anyway. However, God is always faithful to us, and so we can rest assured in the fulfillment of all His promises.