Friday, April 30, 2004
Christ is Risen!
Apostle James, Brother of John the Theologian
Kellia: Deuteronomy 1:26-46 Apostle: Acts 8:40-9:19 Gospel: St. John 6:48-54
Deuteronomy 1:26-46, especially vs. 26: "Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the
command of the Lord your God." The choice to possess the Kingdom of God through unwavering trust in God when He
calls upon us to take up the struggle is never forced on anyone of God's People, neither under the Old Covenant nor under
the New. There were even Disciples who knew the Lord in the flesh and followed Him only for a time. Then, at a certain
point some "did not believe" when they found His words "too hard." As the Evangelist records, many of them "went back
and walked with Him no more" (Jn. 6:64,60,66).
Today's reading reveals with abundant clarity that without God's grace and blessing, no one can possess His promised
Land (vs. 36). The passage also reveals that the choice to possess is given freely, but must also be assumed freely. The
tragedy in the discipleship of many is well-identified in the opening line of these verses: rebellion "against the command of
the Lord your God" (vs. 26). We choose or refuse. Notice: in terms of 'real time,' Moses gave this entire teaching to the
children of those who forty years earlier had refused God's promise and command to possess the land (Deut. 1:3). Every
generation of the People of God and every individual decides for himself. Caleb and Joshua believed the Lord and were
willing to struggle, and they outlived the generation that rebelled and made "excuse with excuses in sins" (Ps. 140:4 LXX).
Rebellion always is marked by excuses. Listen to the murmuring: "the Lord hated us" (Deut. 1:27). "He has brought us
forth out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us" (vs. 27). "Our brethren have made
our hearts melt" (vs. 28). The excuses, the pleadings, the shifting of blame are well-worn. We have heard it all, perhaps
spoken by our own lips. God forbid! "Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth (Ps. 140:3 LXX).
Despite Moses' reassurance (Deut. 1:29-31), the rebellion prevailed. They "did not believe the Lord your God" (vs. 32).
The Gospel is set before us in all its radiance in every Divine Liturgy and the promise is proclaimed, yet too often we turn
back and fail to believe the Lord our God. When God assures us, then the choice is joined. Always the issue is trust or
mistrust. Tragically, the People's mistrust even corrupted Moses (vs. 37). See chapter twenty of Numbers for the details:
the community lacked water and God directed Moses to take his staff and "speak" to the rock, but in his anger he "struck"
the rock. God gave them water, but He told Moses: "Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the
People of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land" (Num. 20:12).
Often mistrust is attended by presumptuous self-reliance. Commanded not to go up on their own against the Amorites but
to "turn and journey" into the wilderness (vss. 34,40), the People "thought it easy to go up into the hill country" without
God "in the midst" (vss. 41,42). Of course they were defeated (vs. 44). Furthermore, "the Lord did not hearken to [their]
voice or give ear to [them]" (vs. 45) when they pouted in their defeat. Observe how the worldly character of their
repentance was manifest even as they wept in their tents: once again, in rebellion to the direct command of God, they did
not "journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea" (vs. 40), but "remained at Kadesh many days" (vs. 46).
As the Apostle Paul teaches us, "godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow
of the world produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10). Beloved of the Lord, let us heed His warning against rebellion, murmuring,
mistrust, presumption, and pouting. Rather, let us humble ourselves before God that He may forgive and refresh to possess.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, teach me Thy statutes!