Wednesday, February 9, 2005 Fast Day
The Martyr Nikephoros of Antioch
Kellia: 1 Kings (1 Samuel)2:27-36 Epistle: James 3:11-4:6 Gospel: St. Mark 11:22-26
St. Mark 11:22-26, especially vs. 23: "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,
he will have whatever he says." Secular man looks out on life and says confidently: "I have achieved a great deal, and I
need no help from God." The man of the world reads the verse quoted above, and being sleek, fed well on self-reliance,
and fully self-confident, believes that he is ready by good honest efforts to "move mountains," tear down his old barns, put
up bigger ones, stuff them full of his achievements, and "take his ease for years to come" (Lk. 12:17-19) - with a good
pension plan.
As Christians, let us read the same verse, pray (Mk. 11:24,25), trust God to provide (vs. 24), forgive (vs. 25), and call God,
"our Father in heaven" (vss. 25,26). Yes, the Lord requires us to work upon the fabric of this world, but He desires that we
rely on Him. Self-confidence is unnatural. Therefore, let us assume that "Our help is in the Name of the Lord" (Ps. 123:8
LXX).
Beloved of the Lord, we are they who pray to "our Father in heaven." Therefore, let us look to Him to provide what we
require. Above all, let us consider well Who this Father of ours is of Whom we say, He is in heaven. Search the Scriptures
and you will find the record of His self-disclosure. The God known in Holy Scriptures is ultimately seen to be "our Father
in heaven." He has thoroughly documented His character and disclosed what He expects of us. What is that? What do the
Scriptures teach us about Him and His expectations of us?
In summary, they reveal that "our Father in heaven" is He Who created us, He in Whom we live and move and have our
being (Acts 17:28), He Who outlines how we are to live, act, speak, think, and feel, and they show that He provides
everything we need to obey Him.
Consider, therefore, our earthly fathers: children depend on their fathers, seek to respect them, and to do their will.
Likewise, we declare to our heavenly Father, "Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done on earth as
it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:9-10).
Hence, to live with God year-in-and-year-out, means to "be diligent to present [our self] approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). The child of God who genuinely cares
about the will of "our Father in heaven" earnestly seeks to discern and to do the will of God as his Father (Jn. 14:15).
The continuing study of Scripture and an honest effort to do the will of God lead the Faithful in Christ to worship the Lord
among His People, to pray as He instructs. There, in the bosom of the family of "our Father in heaven," we learn that we
need the healing of our Father to be transformed into what He means us to be, to be restored to His original design for us.
Therefore, let us apply our Father's many basic lessons: to forgive that we may receive His forgiveness, to love that we
may receive His love, to rid ourselves of hate because He has no hate in Him. Let us learn never to murder, not even in
thought. Let us learn not to steal, lie, corrupt others, nor misuse our bodies that He has given us.
The greatest obstacle before God's children is pride, the secular delusion of self-reliance. Of this Blessed Theophylact
says: "a proud man should rebuke this mountain, this passion of pride which besets him and strives to drive him away from
God's protection and providence, for it is pride that makes a proud man say that he can accomplish all things by himself
without God's help. Such a man ought to say to his pride, 'Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea....'"
Our Father in heaven, make us worthy to pass this new year with a seemly disposition and virtuous life, guiding us by Thy
righteousness and providing for us the path of salvation.
