Translated sermon by Fr Loka Sidarous: https://soundcloud.com/username-for-me/held-in-powerful-hands-fr-loka-sidarous
“For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20)
The One who bought us with His precious blood will preserve every soul. We became His, and He became responsible for us.
It is Finished!
Our part is very small, and that is to seek shelter in Him, and His part which was very large was to say “It is Finished”! At the moment when an athlete steps over the finish line, he exclaims proudly “It is Finished”! And after the finish, there is nothing else left to do. There is nothing left after the cross, after the salvation by which He defeated death and crushed the devil. His part was completed with absolute perfection.
What is my part then?
My part is suitably small. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy: Cling to Him! For without Him, man is lost. My part is to observe His commandments. He said whoever loves Me hears Keeps My commandments. (John 14:15)
His commandments aren’t heavy. He said take My yoke upon yourself, and learn from Me. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)
For many of our holy martyrs like St George, by the love of Christ, they were able to lose everything and bear everything. Don’t think that when we say that the mighty St George is very brave, that he is unlike you and me. Rather, his love for Christ gave him bravery with which he overcame the world.
So then, what makes us weak? What makes us weak in front of the world other than its temptations, lusts, and greed?
You see, love is not manifest in the heart only, but rather, when you love someone, you are prepared to sacrifice everything for them. The works that seems very daunting, with love become simple. The work feels burdensome when the person does not love. The one who loves gives himself joyfully. If we loved the Lord from the heart, His commandments become easy.
For the love of Christ…for His sake
Do your works for the sake of Christ. Bear for His sake. For we do all the works that He strengthens us to do for His sake…for His sake. Believe me, even the actions that seem very lowly or trivial, and worthless, if done for the sake of Christ, then they have a great value.
St George bore great pains of torture for seven years and then gave his life for Christ. By comparison, we haven’t done much! Even if people praised St George during his trials, he will answer “have I even done anything?” It’s only for the sake of whom gave Himself for me. It’s for the sake of Him who was nailed on the Cross for me, bore the shame, was hung naked and bore the mockery, smacked and flogged, all that while being God!! What is all this for you ask? For me!
Tell me then, what shall we give in return? Ask yourself, what do I pay back to God for His great goodness to me? I am ready to give everything and consider everything rubbish for the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord? Yes, I shall bear all things with patience/forbearance and thanksgiving!
We are under His Watchful eyes
Not a hair on your head will fall. (Luke 21:18)
We must live a life of thanksgiving. If we experience pain, we are wise to remember that we are under His watchful eyes. Pains do not befall us haphazardly, but rather it is precisely measured on God’s scales. He does not allow you to be tempted above what you can bear ever (1 Corinthians 10:13). For we are of His body. He considers the measure of pain for every one of us, and in exchange gives us glory beyond comprehension!
If we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him. For this reason, I tell you to live a life of thanksgiving even in the most difficult of situations. Why? Because of what Christ said in the garden. He said the cup that the Father gave me, I drink (Luke 22:44). And of the sins He bore on the cross, He said “for He who did not know sin, it pleased the Father to bruise Him with grief (Isiah 53:10). If we are then in the hands of the Lord, everything that happens is good.
Many matters, my beloved, we do not understand, and cannot interpret, but we give thanks nonetheless. Why? Because there are many things that a person cannot comprehend, but we are certain that we are in His hands. He said “and those in My hands, no one can take them away from the hands of my Father”.
Look at the peace that comes to you when you know that you are in His hands. “I have scribed you on my hands” (Isiah 49:16). “he who touches you touches the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). This is our assurance, our life, and our faith, that we are watched and protected.
When we live this faith and confidence and joy, all the worries of the world will not cease to count for anything. We are confident that our presence on this earth is for mere days. Even if one received a lot of glories while in the world in that time, it’s still days.
Throw yourself in front of God. There is no problem that does not have a solution. For in Christ, all things are possible, but with people, it is not possible. We think and think and ask ourselves is this thing that is seemingly impossible even possible?! Does this problem have a solution? Think of the impossible like walking on water. Is it possible? Is raising the dead possible? Is opening the eyes of a blind…possible? They are the works of Christ. The impossible, with Him, is possible.
Even if you think with your mind that it doesn’t have a solution, have faith. The man whose son was sick asked Him: can you do something for him? Jesus replies: can you believe? The man bowed to the ground and said: Lord, my faith is weak, strengthen my faith, and he healed his son. When my faith weakens, what do I tell Him? I tell him, help! My faith is weak! I then place myself with my weakness and my sins along with my situation and problems that I feel are without a solution in front of Him, and all will be solved.
Christ, nothing is impossible!
Hold on to Him and observe His commandments.