A Re-evaluation of Status

Healing of the Two Blind Men

For Saturday, August 27,2023 the Gospel reading was from St Matthew 20: 29 -34 which gives the account of the healing of two blind men.  The passage can be summarized in this manner.  As Jesus left Jericho with a crowd following him,  two blind men who sat by the road called out “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.”  Jesus touched their eyes and they could see.  The formerly blind men now had physical sight.  And with sight they followed Christ on his way to Jerusalem.

Although physical sight is valuable, spiritual sight is even more valuable.  This is better understood from St John’s account of Jesus healing the man bourn blind (St John 9: 1 – 41).  Our Lord offers this statement: “…For judgment I came into this world, in order that those who do not see might see, and those who see might become blind” (St John 9: 39). Putting it another way, we are to understand that those with only natural sight might see with new spiritual eyes, but those who cling stubbornly to natural, physical sight might become blind — no spiritual sight can be given to them. We find this in a kontakion for the Sunday of the Man Born Blind (the 6th Sunday of Pascha):

I come to you, O Christ, blind from birth in my spiritual eyes, and call to you in repentance: You are the most radiant Light of those in darkness!

With spiritual sight given by God we can now truly PERCEIVE!

We now move to the epistle reading for the Saturday which comes from St Paul’s  first epistle to the Corinthians:  

For consider [blepete] your calling, brethren, that not many of you were wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God selected the foolish things of the world, in order that the wise of this world might be put to shame.  And God selected the weak of the world in order that he might shame the strong.  And the low-born and the despised were selected by God, also the things which are not in order to abolish the things which are.  All this so that no one might boast before God in the flesh (1 Cor 1: 26 – 29).

“Blepete.“  This Greek verb is in the imperative form — it is a command to the Corinthian Church.  The word can be most commonly translated as “see” or “look at”.  It can also be translated “consider” or “regard.”  According to St Paul, we are to consider, or observe, that we are of the “lesser things” of the world.   We are a people not regarded as important by those who see with “cosmopolitan eyes” – eyes that see only through the lens of the world system.  IF we think of ourselves as belonging in the company of the sophisticates, the powerful, the important of the world, we DO NOT perceive ourselves properly.  IF we want to belong among the sophisticated of the world, then we exist as “friends of the world” and thus “at enmity with God” (St James 4:4).

Dante Alighieri

Regarding the perils of worldly status, I give two historical illustrations from the late Medieval era and then of the Renaissance era of Italy.  The first comes from Dante Alighieri who wrote The Inferno.  He had become a man of faith when he penned the classic.  But, he was formerly involved in the politics of Florence.  He apparently turned away from the power circles of Florence and noted the dangers of such power:  he puts the political “movers and shakers” of Florence — the power elite of his day — in the inferno upon their death.  Niccolo Machiavelli provides the second example.  Mr Machiavelli had stated that he wanted no part of Heaven because there would be no powerful, sophisticated people there.  There would be no intrigue and no exiting conversation.  He concluded that he would be bored in Heaven and would, seemingly, prefer Hell.

Then, I provide this autobiographical account.  I was once a young man.  I had begun my career as a clinical pharmacist.  I was a single man in those days. Though a Christian at the time, yet I wanted to live among and be associated with the professional classes.  I wanted no part of the working man’s world.  If you wanted to sell me something, “snob appeal” worked nearly every time.  I have matured and have changed my mind.  I have no desire for the Inferno!

I do not imply that all who are wealthy and occupy political office are damned.  And I do fully appreciate that we of the Western World are wealthy in light of others and of other eras.  However, not many of us were wise, powerful, or of wealthy, elite birth. This tells us we are to see ourselves with eyes that let us value things very differently!  Further, with this proper self-evaluation and awareness, we are to live according to the Beatitudes:

Sermon on the Mount

Upon seeing the crowds, he ascended the mountain.  After he sat down his disciples approached him.  He opened his mouth and taught them, saying:  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, because they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek [humble], because they shall inherit the earth [land].  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, because they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, because they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called the sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are you whenever men revile and persecute you falsely for my sake, because your reward is great in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who came before you (St Matthew 5: 1 – 12).

The Beatitudes overturn the conventional wisdom of both the ancient and modern worlds.  The Beatitudes are to be the personal qualities and characteristics of those who work to be the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven!

Every August 26 the Orthodox Church commemorates the martyrs Adrian and his wife Natalia.  A hymn honoring Adrian reads,

You regarded faith as an imperishable treasure, O most blessed one, abandoning the ungodliness of your fathers and walking in the footsteps of the Master.  You were enriched with divine gifts, O glorious Adrian.  Pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

We are living in darkened, depraved days.  Our faith is openly despised and persecution is truly beginning.  We cannot be friends of the world system.  By our faith in God, We are to exert greater effort, and even double ours efforts, to cultivate the characteristics of the Beatitudes.  By doing so and becoming such we become friends of God and, again, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.  We then walk with Christ together with the saints.

The following is a corresponding sermon:

In Christ,

Fr Irenaeus