Do you sometimes feel like the proverbial Frog in the Kettle? Are you constantly trying to grab just one more bit of pleasure, thinking everything is OK, life will keep on being just fine, like this frog trying to zap one more fly with its tongue, while the fire under the kettle is making the water hotter and hotter? This is called "the normalcy bias" - we tend to think that the way our life has always been is the way life will always be in the future: we're getting along OK now even though we're "a bit overweight" (actually obese), or "drinking a little too much" (actually an alcoholic), so we don't really face up to the fact that we're far down the path to having diabetes, knee failure, cirrhosis of the liver, or heart disease. The sweet slavery to our passions has blinded us to the reality of its consequences.
For centuries, the people of Israel in ancient times were held in slavery, first in Egypt, next under the Philistines, and then under the Babylonians and Persians. They were trapped in the mindset of captivity. But the prophet Jeremiah brought words of comfort and hope from the Lord: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope for your future. You shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will return you from captivity" (Jeremiah 29:11-14). The theme of ancient Israel's struggle for liberation from slavery has been taken up by slaves not only from times of the U.S. Civil War, but even as far back as during the Greco-Roman Empire, where approximately one-third of the entire population were slaves - simple property of their masters. Today the phrase "liberation struggle" has taken on a different meaning, but more about that later.
First, let's consider what Jeremiah the prophet actually said: Yes, he told the Israelites that the Lord had high hopes and big plans for them - He isn't a big ogre like Zeus up on a cloud who wants to zap us with a thunderbolt, or an angry pagan god like Molech who needs to be appeased by human sacrifice. God - the real God - is love! But God requires something from us: He says - "You must call on Me, and you must go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart." We must call out to God - "Save me from this slavery! I'm sorry I did some really stupid stuff and messed up my life! Forgive me, and I'll change my ways!" It's not merely wishful thinking that God will somehow wave a magic wand and sprinkle some fairy dust on us. The real God isn't a fairy tale magician, He's a Person Who wants a personal relationship with us. But we must "search for Him with all our heart" in order to find Him and be released from captivity of the slavery to sin.
The promises that Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other prophets foretold finally came true: "The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him [Jesus]. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to the captives, Recovering of sight to the blind, To deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:17-21). Christ has come - He wants to release and deliver us from our captivity!
After Christ has set us free, we need to beware of the idea that we're "free" to do anything we want - "Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). God accepts us just as we are, but He doesn't expect us to remain just as we were: God's grace is not merely a free gift, but it's also the miraculous power of God to transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.
This means renouncing the desires of the flesh: sexual lust and perversion, worshiping things instead of God, greed that leads to stealing (or even the thought of wanting someone else's property - coveting), alcoholism and gluttony, gossiping, deceiving people to get money ("working the system" - whether it's welfare or taxes) - all of these sins are quite popular today, socially acceptable and approved, and if you say anything against them you're a bigot, a sexist, a hater and/or intolerant.
But we are called to living in moderation: "Two things I have asked of you; Don't deny me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; Lest I be full, deny you, and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:7-9). Utter poverty, renouncing all possessions, is "falsehood and lies" - even monastics have their own underwear, robes, Bibles and prayer books. To be honest about it, we should seek "neither poverty nor riches" - rather, what "is needful for me" - a simple lifestyle, not so wealthy that we think we don't need God, and not so poor that we're driven to stealing and cheating just to survive.
How is this possible? Changing our lifestyle seems like a totally impossible task! But just like anything new, it takes time and making mistakes to learn something new: how many times did you fall over when you were learning how to ride a bicycle? It takes 3-10 weeks to replace bad habits with good habits, such as saying your Daily Prayers. If you miss a morning's or evening's prayers, don't give up! Like riding a bicycle, you fall down and get up, fall down and get up, fall down and get up again ...and again!
Remember, Jesus Christ has called us to freedom - "For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only don't use your freedom as an excuse to gratify the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don't consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:13-18). True freedom comes from walking by the Spirit, not following the desires of the flesh. This isn't a book of rules, "the law" as St. Paul wrote. Legalism can leave loopholes, "an excuse to gratify the flesh." Rather, freedom is serving one another through love.
Christ taught us what real freedom is - "Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, 'If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, "You will be made free?"' Jesus answered them, 'Most assuredly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn't live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:31-36). Those Jews who had believed in Jesus were still deluding themselves by saying "We have never been in bondage to anyone." What about their being slaves to the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Babylonians and the Persians? So Jesus laid it on the line: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." Sin is slavery; following Christ is true freedom!
We are to live "as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God" (1 Peter 2:16). There are many who distort true liberty - "uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage" (2 Peter 2:18-19). Their real motive is not liberation, it is to bring people back into bondage by promising a fake freedom.
These days many people are promoting "liberation" in various forms: Liberation Theology, Women's Liberation, Gay Liberation, People's Liberation Front, Earth Liberation Front, Animal Liberation Front, etc., etc. All of this are just false fronts, phonies, pseudo-liberation. The reality behind it is called "Cultural Marxism" and "Critical Theory" - "two Marxist theorists went to work on it [why the attempted Marxist revolutions in post-WWI Germany, Hungary and elsewhere failed]: Antonio Gramsci in Italy and Georg Lukacs in Hungary. Gramsci said the workers will never see their true class interests, as defined by Marxism, until they are freed from Western culture, and particularly from the Christian religion – that they are blinded by culture and religion to their true class interests. ... What Critical Theory is about is simply criticizing. It calls for the most destructive criticism possible, in every possible way, designed to bring the current order down." This is why it has become popular, especially in high schools and universities, to criticize absolutely everything having to do with our Christian culture. Critical Theory is Marxism in disguise, sometimes even disguised as Christian theology - called "Liberation Theology."
There is one single hidden agenda behind all these "liberation" movements: atheistic Marxist revolution. Therefore we need to be very wary when people - even seemingly Christian people - begin using the word "liberation" in cultural, economic or political contexts. They may very well knowingly or unknowingly be advocating "Critical Theory." St. Paul wrote - "Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2). Everybody wants to be transformed, but few people want to change. The vast majority of people will conform, simply go along with whatever is propagated in education, in the news and social media.
God has done His part, now it's our turn to do our part, as St. Peter wrote - "seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue; by which He has granted to us His precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become the partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4). God has given us "His precious and exceedingly great promises": we can partake (in Greek "koinos" - the same root word as "communion") of the divine nature! For the first thousand years of Christianity, virtually all Christians believed that taking communion, the Body and Blood of Christ, is partaking of the divine nature.
But it's not only by taking communion that we are transformed into the divine nature. St. Paul wrote that our "walk" - our behavior - must match our talk, that we should speak out about and expose the darkness in modern society: "For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even expose them. For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of" (Ephesians 5:8-12). Our freedom in Christ isn't free, it sometimes is costly to defend it by speaking up, exposing the darkness of "Critical Theory" for what it is: the attempt to destroy our Christian culture by criticizing and tearing down traditional Christian morality.
The way of the law, a legalistic approach to the Christian faith, is indeed harsh and unbending. But the spiritual understanding of Christianity leads to true liberty and transformation - "But to this day, when [the law of] Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:15-18). So, what should we do? St. John wrote - "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him; for we will see Him just as He is. Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). Let us purify ourselves, so that we're ready to be transformed into His likeness when He is revealed. Not only will we be transformed, also "the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). This is the goal: true liberty, genuine freedom!
For centuries, the people of Israel in ancient times were held in slavery, first in Egypt, next under the Philistines, and then under the Babylonians and Persians. They were trapped in the mindset of captivity. But the prophet Jeremiah brought words of comfort and hope from the Lord: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope for your future. You shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will return you from captivity" (Jeremiah 29:11-14). The theme of ancient Israel's struggle for liberation from slavery has been taken up by slaves not only from times of the U.S. Civil War, but even as far back as during the Greco-Roman Empire, where approximately one-third of the entire population were slaves - simple property of their masters. Today the phrase "liberation struggle" has taken on a different meaning, but more about that later.
First, let's consider what Jeremiah the prophet actually said: Yes, he told the Israelites that the Lord had high hopes and big plans for them - He isn't a big ogre like Zeus up on a cloud who wants to zap us with a thunderbolt, or an angry pagan god like Molech who needs to be appeased by human sacrifice. God - the real God - is love! But God requires something from us: He says - "You must call on Me, and you must go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart." We must call out to God - "Save me from this slavery! I'm sorry I did some really stupid stuff and messed up my life! Forgive me, and I'll change my ways!" It's not merely wishful thinking that God will somehow wave a magic wand and sprinkle some fairy dust on us. The real God isn't a fairy tale magician, He's a Person Who wants a personal relationship with us. But we must "search for Him with all our heart" in order to find Him and be released from captivity of the slavery to sin.
The promises that Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other prophets foretold finally came true: "The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him [Jesus]. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to the captives, Recovering of sight to the blind, To deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:17-21). Christ has come - He wants to release and deliver us from our captivity!
After Christ has set us free, we need to beware of the idea that we're "free" to do anything we want - "Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). God accepts us just as we are, but He doesn't expect us to remain just as we were: God's grace is not merely a free gift, but it's also the miraculous power of God to transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.
This means renouncing the desires of the flesh: sexual lust and perversion, worshiping things instead of God, greed that leads to stealing (or even the thought of wanting someone else's property - coveting), alcoholism and gluttony, gossiping, deceiving people to get money ("working the system" - whether it's welfare or taxes) - all of these sins are quite popular today, socially acceptable and approved, and if you say anything against them you're a bigot, a sexist, a hater and/or intolerant.
But we are called to living in moderation: "Two things I have asked of you; Don't deny me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; Lest I be full, deny you, and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:7-9). Utter poverty, renouncing all possessions, is "falsehood and lies" - even monastics have their own underwear, robes, Bibles and prayer books. To be honest about it, we should seek "neither poverty nor riches" - rather, what "is needful for me" - a simple lifestyle, not so wealthy that we think we don't need God, and not so poor that we're driven to stealing and cheating just to survive.
How is this possible? Changing our lifestyle seems like a totally impossible task! But just like anything new, it takes time and making mistakes to learn something new: how many times did you fall over when you were learning how to ride a bicycle? It takes 3-10 weeks to replace bad habits with good habits, such as saying your Daily Prayers. If you miss a morning's or evening's prayers, don't give up! Like riding a bicycle, you fall down and get up, fall down and get up, fall down and get up again ...and again!
Remember, Jesus Christ has called us to freedom - "For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only don't use your freedom as an excuse to gratify the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don't consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:13-18). True freedom comes from walking by the Spirit, not following the desires of the flesh. This isn't a book of rules, "the law" as St. Paul wrote. Legalism can leave loopholes, "an excuse to gratify the flesh." Rather, freedom is serving one another through love.
Christ taught us what real freedom is - "Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, 'If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, "You will be made free?"' Jesus answered them, 'Most assuredly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn't live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:31-36). Those Jews who had believed in Jesus were still deluding themselves by saying "We have never been in bondage to anyone." What about their being slaves to the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Babylonians and the Persians? So Jesus laid it on the line: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." Sin is slavery; following Christ is true freedom!
We are to live "as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God" (1 Peter 2:16). There are many who distort true liberty - "uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage" (2 Peter 2:18-19). Their real motive is not liberation, it is to bring people back into bondage by promising a fake freedom.
These days many people are promoting "liberation" in various forms: Liberation Theology, Women's Liberation, Gay Liberation, People's Liberation Front, Earth Liberation Front, Animal Liberation Front, etc., etc. All of this are just false fronts, phonies, pseudo-liberation. The reality behind it is called "Cultural Marxism" and "Critical Theory" - "two Marxist theorists went to work on it [why the attempted Marxist revolutions in post-WWI Germany, Hungary and elsewhere failed]: Antonio Gramsci in Italy and Georg Lukacs in Hungary. Gramsci said the workers will never see their true class interests, as defined by Marxism, until they are freed from Western culture, and particularly from the Christian religion – that they are blinded by culture and religion to their true class interests. ... What Critical Theory is about is simply criticizing. It calls for the most destructive criticism possible, in every possible way, designed to bring the current order down." This is why it has become popular, especially in high schools and universities, to criticize absolutely everything having to do with our Christian culture. Critical Theory is Marxism in disguise, sometimes even disguised as Christian theology - called "Liberation Theology."
There is one single hidden agenda behind all these "liberation" movements: atheistic Marxist revolution. Therefore we need to be very wary when people - even seemingly Christian people - begin using the word "liberation" in cultural, economic or political contexts. They may very well knowingly or unknowingly be advocating "Critical Theory." St. Paul wrote - "Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2). Everybody wants to be transformed, but few people want to change. The vast majority of people will conform, simply go along with whatever is propagated in education, in the news and social media.
God has done His part, now it's our turn to do our part, as St. Peter wrote - "seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue; by which He has granted to us His precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become the partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4). God has given us "His precious and exceedingly great promises": we can partake (in Greek "koinos" - the same root word as "communion") of the divine nature! For the first thousand years of Christianity, virtually all Christians believed that taking communion, the Body and Blood of Christ, is partaking of the divine nature.
But it's not only by taking communion that we are transformed into the divine nature. St. Paul wrote that our "walk" - our behavior - must match our talk, that we should speak out about and expose the darkness in modern society: "For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even expose them. For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of" (Ephesians 5:8-12). Our freedom in Christ isn't free, it sometimes is costly to defend it by speaking up, exposing the darkness of "Critical Theory" for what it is: the attempt to destroy our Christian culture by criticizing and tearing down traditional Christian morality.
The way of the law, a legalistic approach to the Christian faith, is indeed harsh and unbending. But the spiritual understanding of Christianity leads to true liberty and transformation - "But to this day, when [the law of] Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:15-18). So, what should we do? St. John wrote - "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him; for we will see Him just as He is. Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). Let us purify ourselves, so that we're ready to be transformed into His likeness when He is revealed. Not only will we be transformed, also "the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). This is the goal: true liberty, genuine freedom!
(Linked to www.Hosken-News.info of 17 Apr. 2016.)
In the current political season in the U.S., we are entertained if not enticed by offers of free medical care, free higher education, free this and free that. People love free stuff! What we often fail to realize is that there's always a string attached: if you take the free education, food and housing, you'll vote for XYZ, and you will belong to XYZ. If you take the free apps and services from ABC Internet Company, your identity will belong to that company, and they can market you to all their advertisers. The free medical care, free higher education, free apps and services and so on are not the products: YOU are the product... on the auction block for sale to unknown money-changers, political power-brokers and advertisers.
Today is the "Sunday of Orthodoxy" on which Orthodox Christians celebrate the victory of Orthodoxy over the Iconoclasts. For over one hundred years around the eighth century, the icon-smashers ripped down and burned all the icons they could get their hands on, destroying not just magnificent works of art, but objects personifying Christ, as well as beloved saints and martyrs who were personally known to many Christians of that time. And the icon-smashers also murdered thousands of priests, monks and lay-people who defended the belief that we should venerate and honor the images of Christ, the saints and martyrs. So, why does it matter?
The photo here, taken from inside the dome of a church in Romania, shows the halo around Christ, in which are the Greek letters "HO ON" for "I AM", and on each side the Greek letters "IC XC" for "Jesus Christ" around it, and below "HO PANTOKRATOR" for "The Almighty." He is surrounded by the Seraphim, Cherubim and the angelic host. This gives you an inkling of understanding of the awesome greatness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ!
In June of last year I wrote an article on "
In Luke 5:36-39 we read - "Jesus also told a parable to them: 'No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, "The old is better."'"
In Matthew 13:52 we find a rather enigmatic saying of Jesus - "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder who brings out of his treasure old things and new." What does this mean? It comes at the very end of a chapter devoted to "Parables of the Kingdom" - The Sower and the Seed, The Wheat and the Tares, The Mustard Seed, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Dragnet.