Hi everyone.  Over the years, there have been a few requests that the sermon offered on Sundays be delivered via email.  We are thankful to Roy Bradbrook who has offered to take notes on the sermon and provide us with a summary.  in the text below, please find a summary of the sermon which was delivered last Sunday, as well as the text of the Gospel Reading for that day. The summary is also attached in a PDF document for your convenience.   We hope that this is helpful to our Church Family as we all strive to live our lives according to the teachings of our Lord.

For Daily Scripture Readings, and a variety of Orthodox Christian spiritual resources, please visit the Online Chapel at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Website www.goarch.org/chapel or download the Daily Readings App for your mobile Device. http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/internet/mobileapps/dailyreadings

Homily – The 2nd Sunday fo Luke
September 29th, 2013

The Gospel reading comes from Luke Chapter 6 verses 31 – 36.  The entire passage is found at the bottom of the sermon.

In this passage Jesus tells His disciples to follow what has become to be known as ‘The Golden Rule’, i.e. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In some form or another, the concept has been around for centuries, even before the birth of Christ. You can find it in one form or another in nearly every religious tradition on the planet. But Jesus tells us to take a deeper look at the Golden Rule, to take it a step further.  It is not a matter of trading good behavior for good behavior.  It’s not a matter of trading bad behavior for bad.  According to the Lord, it is not matter of what goes around comes around; it is a matter of responding to the ungodly with God’s love.

Christ instructs us, ‘Love your enemies!’ Can you imagine the disciples thinking, maybe even saying, ‘He must be joking, its just not possible to do what he is telling us. That sets the bar way too high.’  Loving our enemies is not only difficult, it goes counter to our natural disposition as human beings.  On our own, we can’t do it!  to this point, Bishop Gerasimos, of blessed memory, when preaching on this Gospel reading in 1992 at our seminary chapel in Boston said, “Loving your enemies may really be too difficult for you, at least try not to hate them!’

Jesus tells us in great detail not only to love our enemies but to do good things for them without even looking for recompense.  Elsewhere in the Gospel, He says, loan without expecting interest, if your brother asks for your coat, give him your shirt as well, if you are slapped on the cheek, turn the other cheek that you enemy may slap it as well!(Matthew 5:38-48)  Isn’t it true that when we are not at our best, we want others to give us the benefit of the doubt, give us a “pass”, treat us with mercy and understanding rather than with vengeance?

How can we rise to this exhortation of the Lord?  We must always bear in mind that what is impossible for men and women on their own is made possible by our relationship with God. Jesus died that excruciatingly painful death on the Cross fully as a human being, suffering as any one of us would in that situation.  He died an excruciating death, intentionally inflicted upon Him by other human beings, and yet, rather than cursing them, He prayed for them, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do’.  His forgiveness was a miracle, and by giving our will over to His, that miracle can happen in us.

Miraculous things happen in our lives when we truly give ourselves and all of the defects of our human nature over to God.  St. Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)  St. John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all.” (John 3:23)  This is the outlook we must take as Christians.  If we give up our own will, and embrace His will as our own, we will be able to follow the exhortation to love our enemies and to be merciful, even as our Father in Heaven is merciful.

Amen.

The Gospel of Luke 6:31-36

The Lord said, “And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”