Dear Friends
Many of us will know what it is to receive a gift from someone with conditions: we can just feel the duplicity from the other. It is meant as a payment, as a quid pro quo, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” The gift ceases to be an expression of thanksgiving, of gratitude, of love and becomes a business transaction—”You now owe me!” we hear ringing in our ears, even if it is only implied; expectations now follow.
And yet we do this with God. We offer him meagrely from our wealth—from our wealth of time, our wealth of talents, our wealth of money and our wealth of energy—but expect results. “Lord, I prayed fervently: you owe me that job, that raise, that grade, that healing, that luck, that happiness.” “Lord, I gave money to your Church: now give to me in return.” “Lord, I gave my time, my talents, my energy, to that good work: why am I now facing hardship?” The duplicity and deceit we feel from others when they give to us with conditions somehow evaporate when we are asking from God.
So I must change. If I am to give from my wealth—of time, talents, money and energy—to God’s Church because there are bills to pay and tasks to be accomplished: don’t give. If I am to give from my wealth to be seen by others: don’t give. If I am to give from my wealth because I expect blessings, as I define them, in return: don’t give. If I am to give from my wealth and to place my own demands on how that wealth is used: don’t give. Because all these reasons will lead to anger, resentment and a state of ingratitude before God.
But if I am to give from my wealth—of time, talents, money and energy—as an expression of my love for God, of how I worship and bring my whole self before the Lord, of how my entire life has taken on Christ; if I am to give from my wealth without a preconceived idea of how it will be used; if I am to give from my wealth without making demands of God; if I am to give from my wealth as thanksgiving and gratitude of what has been given to me—then I will unite myself with the Lord who, through the Cross, has offered all to those who will receive him.
And if I make these reasons my reality, I must give from my wealth—of time, talents, money and energy—I must give often and I must give generously: because by giving often and generously I might become worthy of the name Christian and a true heir of eternal Life.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God is calling us, each one of us, to be a Christian: not only on a Sunday or when we feel like it but through our entire lives. Let us live up to the high calling that we may be united with him in the Kingdom.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
We see, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, many acts of faithfulness which lead to healing in the Gospels: the four men who carry their friend to Christ, even lowering him through a roof, (Matthew 9:1–8, Mark 2:1–12, Luke 5:17–26) the centurion who recognises Christ’s authority and his own unworthiness asking Christ to heal his servant by only a word (Matthew 8:5–13, Luke 7:1–10) and the woman who wished to touch only the hem of his garment that she be made well (Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48) are three examples. They had faith, they were faithful, and by their faithfulness healing took place.
This is not to say when healing does not take place it is because of faithlessness: the Lord acts according to our salvation. Yet it was prophesied that the Messiah, the Christ, would come with healing (Isaiah 61:1–2; compare Matthew 11:4–5, Luke 4:16ff.)
And having come from the Mountain of Transfiguration with the Three disciples (Matthew 17:1–13), having shone out with the Light of God, having set his eyes upon Jerusalem and the coming New Exodus, the Lord is met with faithlessness. A father comes forward and says to the Lord,
“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, A life of faithfulness.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 18th August
Discussion on the Divine Liturgy, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 19th August
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 20th August
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.
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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 Christ
Fr Alexander
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