Metropolitan Naum: OBEDIANCE IS A TRANSITION FROM AN UNNATURAL TO A NATURAL WAY OF LIFE
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The Holy Gospel does not address the children of God only, but also those ones with the slave and the hired-worker (trade) mentality, as well as the unbelievers, with only one aim, to be saved as many people as possible and perhaps, some people may even start thinking that the most appropriate response to God’s love is to become a child of God. Therefore in the Holy Gospel might be read many lessons, like today’s lesson.
From today’s Gospel readings (see: Luke 16, 19-31), we can see that the rich man has no name, and the poor one, has – Lazarus, that is, we can see that the first person has no personal relationship with God, and the other one, has.
We can see that through the selfish pleasures from this world, the hell can be reached and through facing the sufferings with gratitude, the Paradise can be reached.
We can see that the hell is the place of a great and lonely suffering and the Paradise is the place of great comfort and community.
And, we can see that there is no transition from the hell to the paradise, and vice versa.
In fact, there is not even communication in the hell, but this is a sufficient pedagogical message, as a material for thinking and motivating the unbelieving, the slaves and the hired-worker minded people.
What is important from today’s Gospel reading for those ones who want to become God’s children? Explanation of this part is important: “But Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” – Luke 16:31.
Listen to the explanation: First of all, getting the status of a child of God is not a magic act, but it is a process of growth and maturing. This conclusion comes out from the final conversation between Abraham and the rich man. The rich man says to Abraham: ” If one goes to them from the dead, they will repent ” (Luke 16:30). Abraham answers: “Even if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe him.” We are witnessing that the God-Man Jesus Christ Himself is risen from the dead and there are few people only, that really believe in it..
Secondly, Abraham himself reveals the adoption (becoming child of God) as a process of growth and maturing by obedience – that, they should listen Moses and the Prophets: ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’. What specifically does it mean to listen to the Prophets? And who are these prophets today?
Today’s Prophets are our spiritual fathers in the Church, whom, we freely and lovingly choose, so trough them, we may hear the will of God, who, because of their human weaknesses, sometimes could give the wrong advice, but God – because of our trust in Him through them – at the end, everything will be made right in our spiritual favour (gain).
Obedience is an act of putting the mind in the process of healing. Without obedience no one can purify his own heart – and see God.
Obedience is a transition from an unnatural to a natural way of life.
Obedience is the coordinating (synchronising) of the way of our life with the level of the spiritual development we are at, as well as with the place and role we have in the Church and in the social life. Obedience is a healing process from neurosis and from personality disorder, and prevention of religious neurosis and of a religious disorder of a person.
Obedience is the activation of the primary function of the mind – The connection (union, synergy) of our created energy with the uncreated God’s energy through prayer, as well as the redirection of the mind’s secondary function to fulfil God’s commandments.
Obedience is the receiving of the true Tradition of the Holy Fathers.
Obedience is a remaining within the catholicity of the Orthodox Church – no matter what someone thinks.
Obedience is a process of Divine transfiguration, growth and maturing to the dignity of the God’s child. Obedience is everything in the Church of God.
Obedience is possible only in the Church of God.
Lord Jesus Christ, through Bogorodica ( Birth-Giver-of-God), grant us a true (higher) obedience and have mercy on us!
Metropolitan Naum of Strumica
4th of November 2017
