Dear Friends
Christ is risen!
We are often led to believe by some that the God of the Old Testament is a different God, or is only God the Father and not the “sanitised Christ” presented in the New Testament.
After these things the Word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’
Genesis 15:1–2
But Abram said, ‘Lord Gᴏᴅ, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’
The Word of the Lord came to Abram of Ur and, “in a vision,” is seen by him: Abram replies to him as God. And when, centuries later, the beloved disciple, John the Theologian, introduces to us the Word of God he is not introducing a new person, he is revealing to us that Jesus of Nazareth is the Word of the Lord who appeared to Abram.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1–5, 14, 16–18
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. …
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. …
And of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
And the Apostle speaks with great boldness, “No one has seen God at any time.” he tells us, “The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” It is Christ who appeared to Abram, Christ who appeared to Moses, Christ who appeared to the Prophets: he is known to them as ‘the Word of the Lord,’ or ‘the Angel of the Lord.’
And now the Word of the Lord has become incarnate and revealed himself to us, becoming flesh and dwelling among us as St John phrases it, “and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our introduction to Christ begins in Genesis and throughout the Old Testament. Discover him, engage with him, encounter him and his Gospel through the Scriptures handed down to us that we may become more fully, in his image and after his likeness, heirs of eternal life.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Christ is risen!
I am weak and infirm, though I refuse to accept it, and I have not the strength to care for myself, let alone those around me. My body lies paralysed through sin and I live on the charity of those walking past. And seeing my salvation in the nearby pool, I cannot enter it and receive healing before another steps in. I am, despite myself, in reality broken and alone.
And the Stranger stands before me: I know not who he is but he knows me. Really knows me. And he says to me, “Do you want to be healed?” And if I am willing to accept my infirmity, on a superficial level I answer in my head, “Yes,” but I must question if this is true. Do I really want to be healed? Because to be healed means I can no longer make excuses for failing to act, I can no longer expect passers-by to give me charity, I must take responsibility for myself and for others, I would now be indebted to this man. To be healed changes my life and should have an effect on those around me too.
All my life I have paid lip service to being made whole but now it is before me do I really want it? Or am I content with the meagre existence I have forged for myself? And yet the words of the Stranger remain ringing in my ears as he stands before me and for the first time in a long time I am looked upon as a person rather than as the recipient of charity, “Do you want to be healed?”
…
Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Do you want to be healed?
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 12th May
Discussion on the Book of Numbers, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 13th May
Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 14th May
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the community?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in the risen Christ
Fr Alexander
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