DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Saint Luke 9:44-50
(10/19)
Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week after Pentecost
Anointed III ~ To Exalt to Lowliness: Saint Luke
9:44-50, especially vs. 48: “...For
he who is least among you all will be great.” The
Theotokos sings of the reign of the kingdom of her
Son and God in the canticle, Magnificat: “He
has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly” (Lk. 1:52). And
God expects us to take our place with ‘the lowly’ in His
kingdom. The Lord affirms this
place for us in the present passage: for the “...least among you all will
be great” (Lk. 9:48). The only difference between the
statements of Mary and of the Lord is the context within which they were
spoken. The Virgin speaks
prophetically, anticipating the nature of the kingdom of God. The Lord utters His statement that we
might be converted ‘to’ the work of His kingdom of humbly casting
off inertia, ceasing to act superior toward the lowly, and abandoning the need
to be in control. Examine what the
Lord says concerning each of these.
In Saint Luke 9:18-27, the reason given for the Lord
anointing by the Father are disclosed: to actualize the kingdom of Life in the
world through His suffering, His saving Passion, and His disciples’
struggles. As Christians and human
beings, however, we meet inertia in ourselves, an insidious lethargy that
side-steps pain or struggle. Our
sluggishness resists the call of the Lord for many reasons: ignorance, sinful
darkness, or lives captivated by the cares, riches and the pleasures of this
present existence (Lk. 8:14). The results of any of these are
avoidance of suffering and intense effort (Lk.
9:45). Still, our Savior speaks of
suffering as the way of the kingdom, and begs, “Let these words sink down
into your ears...” (vs. 44). He wishes to awaken us from any inertia
in which we are immersed. As the first disciples heard the Lord’s prediction of His
Passion (vs. 44), their present comfort made them “...afraid to ask Him
about this saying” (vs. 45).
We consciously united ourselves to the Lord in Baptism, and
by that act we also united ourselves to His Passion and Resurrection (Rom.
6:5). However, traces of lassitude
linger within us. May the Lord strengthen
our hearts to trample down all the carnal languor that impedes us.
But, inertia is only a symptom of our true problem - our
need for deeper conversion to lowliness.
Consider the spiritual impoverishment of the disciples described in
today’s reading. They heard
the prophecy of Christ’s Passion, but fear prevented them from asking
about such an unpleasant prospect.
Instead, they disputed among themselves “...as to which of them
would be greatest” (vs. 46).
Foolishly, we concern ourselves with our importance in this world!
The Psalmist and Prophet Asaph
knew this tendency quite well: “ For I was
jealous of the transgressors, when I beheld the peace of sinners. For they make no sign
of refusal in the time of their death, and they have steadfastness in the time
of their scourging. They are
not in such toils as other men...” (Ps. 72:3-5). He knew that spiritual death comes with
the desire for recognition: “Surely for their crafty dealings Thou hast
appointed evils for them, Thou hast cast them down in
their exaltation” (Ps. 72:17).
We need the consciousness of a tiny, dependent child: Lord, give us the
heart of a child that we may love all that is simple and lowly on earth!
Finally, we want things to go our way. That desire surely obstructs entering
deliberately into the struggles for the kingdom. How ready we are to ‘cast out the
demons,’ direct parish activities, or determine our affairs our way. The Lord was forced to order the
disciples to cease preventing a man who was not a disciple from doing the work
of the kingdom (Lk. 9:50). Determine to give control to the Lord
Jesus, and thank Him for the guidance of His Holy Spirit.
I, who was robed with the glory of immortality, have become
like one dead. O Thou,
mantled in compassion, Who didst create me from the earth, recall, and save me
from bondage.
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