Luke 8:41-56
By
His
Eminence
Metropolitan
Panteleimon of Antinoes
In man’s life all things are relative. Everything
which takes place is relative. In other words, from the moment of man’s birth
nothing is absolutely certain. In our daily life, we use the expression: “Everything is written”. But, in
reality, nothing is written. Man himself writes his own history, according to
his own free will, choices and actions. The future is not written and it
remains unknown, the present is known but, yet, it becomes past. But,
everything which takes place in time belongs to relativity. For example, it is
relative if one will study, or if he will be successful in business; or if one
becomes a good parent, or someone will be happy or unfortunate, healthy or ill;
if one lives for many years or his life time shall be short; all the previous
mentioned fall under the law of relativity. But, one thing is very certain in
man’s life and this event is unavoidable and the only certain event in his life
which is death. Everything which is born in this life will face death.
The ruler of the synagogue Ja’iros had an only
begotten daughter who was dying. She was
only twelve years old and she was at the final stage of her life. Death waits
without any feelings, without any compassion, without any mercy, and with his
painful sting he brings the final strike in Ja’iros’s house. The message: “Your
daughter is dead”, was heard as like a lightning.
Death from the time of the Fall of the first
created man became an inseparable companion and an enemy of man. The decision
of God in the Garden
of Delight Kingdom
of Heaven
The death of one beloved, relative or friend,
creates a confusion of feelings. Sadness, fear, anger, anxiousness and many
times even disappointment rule those moments. Man is lost in his thoughts and
with tears in his eyes, facing the unknown, he stands with helplessness
concerning his future.
Ja’iros when he heard about the death of his only
beloved daughter, he became speechless and helpless. And before any other
thoughts had the chance to enter into his mind, our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, interferes and says to Ja’iros: “Do not be afraid, but have
faith”! Don’t be afraid because you have heard this sad message, but
have faith in Me and your daughter will be saved.
Only when man is closed to Christ he does not
fear death. Only with Christ one has hope. Only with the faith to Christ man
overcomes death. And for this reason all the Saints through the faith in Christ
were victorious against all the methods of Satan and at the end they were
victorious over death himself, who is the last enemy.
Faith in Christ is the power which saves and
gives life o man. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is man’s
only certain hope and salvation. No one can overcome death but only the Saviour
of the world, Who through His death on the ross overcame the power of death and
offered life to all those who will believe in His Name. Jesus Christ, the Son
and Word of God, is the Lord of Life and death.
Man’s life many times I described as the sea. The
problems of life rise as enormous waves, which struggle to take us down into
the ocean’s depths, into despair and hopelessness. The abyss opens its mouth to
swallow us. But, when one is armed with the faith in Christ, then in his most
difficult moments, man finds the power to face and to confront these difficult
moments, which as great waves they break out upon the ship of life in the
multiform of tribulations, illnesses, temptations and deaths.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, invited Ja’iros to stand well in his faith to Him. Believe and do not be
despaired. Do not lose your hopes. The fruit of the faith to Christ is the
victory of the faithful against death himself. For this reason the holy Martyrs
of our Holy Orthodox Church were able to gain victory over death, because they
were steadfast in their faith into Christ.
Man who does not have faith, can be described as
a ship without a compass. Faith is the victorious power, which leads man into
the virtuous way of life. If one is without faith, he cannot achieve any
virtue. If man is without faith, then he cannot only overcome the smallest
problems of life, but, neither can he will be able to face the frightful hour
of death and everything which follow death!
When the hour of death arrives, no one can help
us, neither the best and skilled doctors, nor our friends, nor the powerful and
rich, nor our relatives, nor scientists, nor those in authorities, nor those
who have money and riches. Only Christ can save and comfort us. And the Lord
saves all those who turn to Him, as He saved Ja’iros’s daughter. And this was
the result of his solid faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Our faith must be solid and truthful, we must
stand in steadfastness avoiding any form of doubt. We must never bend before
the problems of life, no mater how great they might be. The faith in Christ is
a strong alliance, which will never disappoint anyone who believes. This is the
reason why during the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, the Priest asks the
God-parents to confess faith in Christ, by asking them: “Do you join Christ”? And they respond saying: “I do join Him”!
Man’s life intermingles between joy and
sadness. The joyful moments are
exchanged with sad moments. For this reason St Paul teaches us saying, that one
should be joyful with those who are happy, and sad with those who are
misfortune, for our life is like the field of lilies, which today they flourish
and tomorrow the wither and die.
Everything around us witnesses the vanity and the
mortality of all earthly pleasures. The problems of life will never end. Christ
is offering the only solution. Let us strengthen within us the faith in Christ.
Only, when we have been armed with the spiritual armor of God, which is offered
to us by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, in other words faith, hope and love, and
we practice these virtues in our daily life, then we shall be able to overcome
all adversity powers and finally death itself.
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