“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16) The same divine fire brings warmth to the repentant and burns the unrepentant. God’s presence doesn’t change—we do.
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Here’s an excerpt from my online Bible Study. In this discussion of Luke 4, we delve into the second half of Luke 4:17-19, where Jesus reads from Isaiah’s prophecy and declares His Messianic mission. The passage states that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus, anointing Him to preach the Gospel, heal the broken-hearted, deliver the captives, and give sight to the blind. In this discussion, we link Jesus’ mission to the concept of the Jubilee Year, a time of liberty and restoration in Israel, symbolizing the Messianic reign.
Just as Jesus faced 40 days of temptation after His baptism, we too can expect spiritual struggles when we get serious about our faith. Being in the wilderness isn’t a sign of failure.
Repentance isn’t abstract—it’s manifested by love in action. If you love God, serve your neighbor. That’s the fruit God is looking for.
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Too Big for Words – Part 5
God calls us to a life of faith and holiness, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that we fail at it quite regualrly. Fortunately, God’s mercy endures forever, and his has given his children a way back to him. Every time we fall, we get back up again with the assurance of God’s forgiveness.
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Agape is selfless love – a love that seeks nothing for itself and gives everything for the sake of the other. This is the love of Christ, who gave up his own life so that we may live forever.
True selfless love goes beyond seeking recognition for what we have done or expecting gratitude or repayment in return. It is not a tool to leverage favors in the future, nor is it reserved for those who have earned our affection in the past. Instead, genuine selfless love flows freely, reflecting the boundless and unconditional love of God. It means acting because we recognize a divine opportunity to reflect the love of Jesus Christ – a love that calls us to care for others as He has cared for us.
When we embrace this kind of love, our actions and words become a living testimony of Christ’s love. As we show kindness, extend forgiveness, or offer help to others, we open the door for them to encounter Christ’s presence through us. As 1 John 4:19 reminds us, “We love because He first loved us.” This truth underscores the foundation of our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.
To bear the name of Christ is to carry His love into the world. It is to make visible the invisible God by allowing His love to shine through our deeds, even when no one notices or thanks us. In doing so, we fulfill His command to love others as He has loved us. By being ambassadors of his Christ’s this love, we glorify Him and share the hope of salvation with others.
There are a number of times in the Old Testament when God condemns Israel for their sins. And he says, “Because of your sins, the land is defiled.”
In Hosea 4:1-3, we read, “Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: ‘There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.'”
What we focus our attention on matters… immensely. We give agency to the things we are most attentive to. These things gain a place of primacy in our minds and hearts. Eventually they shape our worldview and our character. By extension, our worldview and character impact our relationships with others, with our environment, and of course with God.
When we focus on toxic things, anger and bitterness and revenge and jealousy and all of these things, that has a negative impact on our hearts, on our families, on our communities, and on the world itself. So we need to focus on life-giving things. When Dostoevsky said that “beauty will save the world,” this is what he was talking about.
If we want to make the world a better place, we can start by paying attention to what St. Paul says in Philippians 4: whatever is good, whatever is holy, whatever is honorable, whatever is true, he says, “Meditate upon these things.” Pay attention to these things.
In my sermon at St Nicholas Cathedral in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Sunday, September 24, 2023, we looked at how the Orthodox Church understands Romans 8:29 – “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
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One of my favorite Eastern Orthodox authors is Metropolitan Anthony Bloom. And my favorite book written by Metropolitan Anthony is “Living Prayer.” Unfortunately it’s not so easy to find copies of it anymore as, I believe, it is our of print. If you can’t find it, I’d recommend another of his books on prayer, “Beginning to Pray.”
“Living Prayer” is not a long book, but it just offers some beautiful insights into having a healthy — a living! — prayer life. One of the chapters includes a quote from St Ambrose of Optina concerning the Last Judgment. It’s a reminder about the importance of humility in our spiritual life. I remember when I first read this quote, it just gave me much hope and encouragement in my own spiritual life. Here’s Metropolitan Anthony, quoting from St Ambrose:
“Ambrose of Optina, one of the last Russian Staretz, said once that two categories of men will attain salvation: those who sin and are strong enough to repent, and those who are too weak even to repent truly, but are prepared, patiently, humbly and gratefully, to bear all the weight of the consequences of their sins; in their humility they are acceptable to God.”
What wonderful words to hold onto as we struggle with our own sins, particularly our habitual sins. Ultimately the thing that opens the floodgates of God’s mercy is that we embrace a humble heart.
Before and above all else, may we cultivate a spirit of humility. Anybody who can cultivate that spirit, anybody who can go through their lives with a humble heart, is capable of salvation and eternal joy.
Love in Christ,
+FrAJ
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us teaching on how we should look at our lives. Some things in the scriptures are really difficult to understand but this particular teaching is so direct that you just look at it once and it’s obvious. It’s not easy, but it’s very clear.
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Eastern Orthodoxy 