Axioms: No proof required

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An axiom is a statement or a proposition that is self-evident. It does not require proof or further explanation. The last few pronouncements from Jesus – treasures, light and riches – have been stated as axioms. And now, today’s pronouncement, Jesus says with authority. In context of axiomatic statements, you will understand the power of these words.

Thus, Jesus says, …I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Mattew 6:25-34)

Jesus once again, as he has throughout the entire Sermon on the Mount, points to the Kingdom of God and redirects our attention from the worries of the day.

We will explore these words next time. For today we pray from the 7th hour of I confess with faith, written by St. Nersess Shnorhali. Beholder of all, I have sinned against You, in thought, word and deed, erased the record of my offenses, and write my name in the Book of Life.

Choices: The Lure of Riches

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Riches

To continue with the Sermon on the Mount, today’s statement from Jesus is, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) The word mammon literally means riches, in Aramaic.

Today’s message is presented in an axiomatic manner, just as were the last two statements he about treasures in heaven and the light of the body. I would venture to say that it is because you have gone through the Advent Journey for the past month that this statement is accepted without contest. You cannot serve God and riches. Still, Jesus provides a brief argument, that given two choices, we will favor one over the other. The lure of earthly riches is so much greater than the spiritual treasures gained from serving God.

The operative word in today’s teaching is “serving.” Introspection will reveal that we often “serve” our riches, that is the creation of money for the sake of having more money.

Money only finds value in its ability to do work. A million dollars in the bank is merely a one with six zeros following it. No matter how much you serve the money and how much it grows it has no value until it is used. A million dollars in action, that is, in use, is education, books, medical care, food on the table, housing, shelter, assistance to others, etc.

To put it another way, serving money is valueless. Using money gives value to riches. Serving God gives value to your life. Using God, demeans the value of your life.

The lure of earthly riches is so much greater than the spiritual treasures gained from serving God because earthly riches are tangible and occupy our reality. Jesus has now moved the spiritual treasures into this life, so that they is tangible by the good deeds and share our reality.

For today, we pray St. Nersess Shnorhali’s 12th hour prayer as he “confesses with faith. Lord, who wills that which is good, and are the director of the will, let me not follow the inclinations of my heart, but lead me to live always according to Your good will. Amen.

 

Control of the Light Switch

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Journey – Light Switch

The metaphor of light is used by Jesus on many occasions, to refer to himself and in turn in reference to you, his follower. “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)  Accordingly, as a bearer of that light he then says, “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

There is nothing fatalistic about this statement. Your goodness is not determined by God or any other force beside yourself. You are the master of your own destiny. “Let your light so shine,” says the Lord. Control of that light switch belongs to no one else but to you.

As we continue in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ next statement is, The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)

Placed within the context of the entire Teaching of Jesus, we read yesterday the axiom that where our treasure is there are heart is also. Today the material and the spiritual are divided in terms of the light and dark.

At the end of this Journey you will be coming face to face with the Light, first in the form of a star that will guide you to the True Light. And then, you will be in the presence of the Light to receive the Light. The Advent Journey is understanding how fortunate you are to have the control of the light switch. When you walk in the light, it is because you have chosen to do so. When you are in the darkness, it is of your doing.

Let us pray from the 21st hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s Confession of Faith, Christ, True Light, make my soul worthy to behold with joy the light of your glory, in that day when you call me and to rest in the hope of good things in the mansions of the just until the day of Your glorious coming. Amen.

Cover: Gregory Beylerian, 2014

Treasures here and there

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Treasures here and there

By this point in the Advent Journey it is quite clear that what Jesus taught was not rabbinic law, nor did it resemble the Old Testament as it was taught in his time. If the difference between “what you heard” and “this is what I tell you” is not clear yet, fear not, the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount will round off the essential teachings of Jesus in a manner that logical and as a matter of fact. Today’s passage makes this very clear and is a natural follow up to what we have learned.

Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

No longer are his words argumentative, rather Jesus lays out a truth in an axiomatic manner: If your treasure is here on earth, then so is your heart. If your treasure is secured in heaven, then your heart is there as well. He forces you to think of what is important in your life. What are the treasures that you accumulate? Material wealth we all understand, but what are the treasures of heaven? Try: Compassion and empathy for the pain and suffering of others. Meekness. Purity of Heart. Seeking peace and justice. And if you need any more, remember the outline from the beginning of our journey, they are called the Beatitudes.

The benefits of treasures in heaven are self-evident. It follows that your works reflect your heart’s grounding.

St. Nersess Shnorhali offers this prayer today, from the 16th hour of his confession of faith, “My God, who opens Your hand and fills all things living with Your bounty, to You I commit my soul, do care for me and provide for the needs of my body and soul forever.  Amen.

 

The Art of Pointing

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Three Fingers Back

The three elements of Christian faith expression are Charity, Prayer and Fasting. I asked that you make a note of the word hypocrite your Advent journal because Jesus uses this word as the adversary in each of his teachings about the faith expressions. He cautions and warns us, “Do not be like the hypocrites who want their expressions to be noticed by others. And so, their motive is skewed.

In the case of the Charity, Jesus cautions, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. For prayer, he says do not use extra words and make a show of your religion before others. And in the case of fasting, he warns not to disfigure your outward appearance to gain sympathy from others. And in each case, Jesus’ caution is followed with the assurance, that the hypocrite has already received his reward.

Your relationship with God is yours. It is intimate. It is between you and God. In your acts of charity, prayer and fasting, you stand before God and no one else. The hypocrite is identified by Jesus as someone who is more concerned with being seen by others.

Before moving any further, I wish to give you an Armodoxy rule: Jesus has the right to call people hypocrites, we don’t. Jesus is sinless. One of the temptations in Christianity is to join Jesus in his call out of the hypocrites. That is reserved for Jesus. Remember, when you point to someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you.

Jesus is pure and sinless. He can call out the hypocrite. You will notice Jesus tolerates every person, every type of sinner and the manner of their sin. The one person he cannot tolerate, and the only one he calls out is the hypocrite. As we move forward in the Essential Teachings of Jesus, it is necessary remember this rule: Ours is to follow Jesus and to notice the finger which points back to us. In other words, be clean first, and strive for God’s kingdom.

Let us pray from the eleventh hour of St. Nersess Shnohali’s Confession of Faith, Jesus, wisdom of the Father, grant me wisdom, that I may always think, speak and do that which is good in Your sight, save me from evil thoughts, words and deeds. Have mercy upon your creatures and on me a sinner. Amen.

 

A Christmas Non-Break

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Christmas

On this day of our Advent Journey we encounter Christmas. December 25 is widely accepted as the day of Christmas. For us, we will continue in the period of Advent considering our target is January 6, the Theophany. Tragically, no one can say with certainty what is the feast of Christmas today. For some it is the Birthday of Jesus, for others it is a purely secular holiday with holly leaves and beautiful ornaments. Between the religious and the secular celebration there are many different degrees and categories of the festival. Some agree that it is Jesus’ Birthday, but it’s not necessarily tied with any religious significance; Jesus was a good man, nothing more. Others define themselves as Christian because on this day. They decorate a tree and attend a Christmas service. Indeed, there are many different degrees and categories of the festival. And every one of those expressions can argue, on legitimate grounds, that they are celebrating Christmas.

We are content to call today, Christmas. In contrast, the name we use to express the holiday is Asdvadzahaydnutiun  which literally means God’s Revelation, or Theophany, explains the position of the Church. It is for the Theophany that we are preparing ourselves on this Advent Journey. The Creator of the Universe and the Author of Life is revealed in our midst! And while we officially recognize the original date – January 6 – as the day to celebrate the Theophany, as Christians we must be ready, willing and able to celebrate the Revelation of God every day, January 6, 7 and 8. February 11, 12 and 13, April 14, 15 and 16 and every day and every opportunity we have to proclaim our joy and thankfulness for the life we enjoy through Jesus Christ.

It is for this reason we are on this Advent Journey, so that when we arrive at January 6, we understand the Essential Teachings of Jesus and apply them to our life every day we breathe and live.

Merry Christmas, today and tomorrow. Celebrate the Birth, and enter now into the 12 days of Christmas to January 6. Far from pipers pipping, lords a leaping, maidens milking and a partridge in a pear tree, these next 12 days will conclude for you the study of the Essential Teachings of Jesus so that, as promised, on January 6, when you say “Christ is Born and Revealed” the words will have meaning for your life and the world you touch with your love.

A Christmas wish for you and our world…

May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary,
and the peace of the Christ child
be yours this Christmas.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

Trinity of Expression: Fasting

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Fasting

Today’s passage talks about the third member of the trinity of faith expressions. In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about acts of charity, then about prayer. And today, he continues with…

When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:16-18)

Fasting is the third expression of faith that Lord explains is between you and your Creator.

Fasting is a physical deprivation of food. Like prayer and acts of charity, fasting is one more necessary element in the life of the Christian. Not only did Jesus teach it, he practiced fasting, most notably during his 40 day period of seclusion in the wilderness following his baptism and prior to beginning his ministry.

Fasting strengthens the will and resolve of an individual. During a fast, an individual feels hunger, sometimes accompanied by pain. It is at those moments of physical yearning that we understand the words of Jesus during his 40-day fast, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

A call to fast and prayer is a call to learn about your strengths and limits. It is necessary to prepare and strengthen your inner self for spiritual warfare. Behind all the physical wars out there, there are even bigger spiritual battles that cannot be escaped. Often, people look outside of themselves for the solutions to their fears and problems. Each of us has it within us to be a part of the solution.

Let us pray, Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Before you started your holy ministry here on earth, you secluded yourself and fasted. You taught us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. May those words satisfy our hunger for righteousness and strengthen our soul and conscience to stand upright for peace and understanding. We thank you along with the Father and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Conditions (or not) of Forgiveness

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The Forgiveness Imperative

In the “Our Father” there are very few requests we have of God. We ask for our daily bread, forgiveness of our sins, to be spared from temptation and ultimately from evil. It’s a short list with huge demands. Of these, the forgiveness of sin stands out from all others because it is the only request that is conditional. As Jesus teaches the prayer, the words he uses are “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Our debts, or sins, are forgiven by the same standard upon which we forgive the debts, or sins, of others! In fact, this is such an important aspect of the Our Father prayer, that Jesus reinforces it with a statement following the prayer in verses 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Our sins are forgiven as we forgive others their sins. Forgive a person only half of their debt, be certain that God will forgive only half of your debts, or sins.

More important than figuring out percentages of sins and fractions of forgiveness, Jesus is asking us to take responsibility for harmony in the world.

The greatest obstacle to living a good, meaningful and fulfilling life is our sin. In the Church we define seven “deadly” sins: Pride, Anger, Envy, Greed, Lust, Gluttony and Sloth. Today, take a moment to identify the reasons and obstacles to living a godly, good life. You’ll find that one or several of these noted sins are at the root of your difficulties. You have it within you to be forgiven of your sins. The condition is singular, forgive others. In other words, Jesus asks us to live in harmony with everyone.

There is no one who does not sin. Only Jesus is sinless. As such, only Jesus has the right to judge others, but he chooses not to. Now the turn is ours. Forgive.

Let us pray,
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Now is the Solstice of the Year

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – The Winter Solstice

In the midst of Advent, an important astronomical event takes place in the Northern Hemisphere. Its importance is connected with our journey and with Christmas. The event is the Winter Solstice, and it usually takes place on December 21 or 22. It is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth. For several years now, the day has been set aside to honor the memory of all those who have lost their lives while without shelter. It is used to focus attention on the homeless population because it is the longest night of the year and signals the beginning of Winter.

On the Day after the Winter Solstice the days begin to grow longer. In several cultures the Solstice is celebrated because longer days mean more light and more heat. It is known as the celebration of the Sun. Our Sun starts appearing for longer and longer spurts on the days following the Winter Solstice. You can imagine that in a time before electricity, how important and vital longer days were to survival. There were festivals celebrating the Birth of the Sun!

Interestingly enough, the celebration of the Birth of the Sun was on a collision course with the celebration of the Birth of the Son, but they wouldn’t conflict with one another until the 4th century, when the date of Christmas was pushed back 12 days, from January 6 to December 25. More on that later. For today, we pray a couple of verses from St. Nersess Shnorhali’s Avarod Louso

Morning of light, O thou righteous Sun, shed on me thy light. O Father’s Spirit, pour forth from my soul, words pleasing to thee. Treasure of mercy, of thy hidden wealth, make me a finder. The door of mercy, open thou for me, with angels rank me.  Amen.

Father Approachable

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – The Our Father

We are at the halfway mark of our Advent Journey. Jesus’ voice is now heard teaching us the manner in which to practice our faith. He cautions us to avoid hypocrisy by being sincere in our motives. Today he teaches us to pray concisely.

In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

This prayer which is often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” is more appropriately titled “The Our Father” for, in fact, the novelty of the prayer is in its reference to God as “Our Father.” Jesus defines an intimate relationship with God. Henceforth, he instructs us to refer to God, and therefore understand God, as “Father.” This was revolutionary in his time and even more revolutionary today. The distance between God and man has been shortened. God is love and as Our Father has an infinite capacity to love and care for us.

In this prayer, we acknowledge the holiness of our Father and the sacredness of his name. We understand ourselves as participants in the Kingdom by being the functionary – the means by which His Will is done on earth (just as it is in heaven.)

We request of our Father our daily bread, the forgiveness of our sins and the deliverance from evil.

For today we conclude with a prayer that comes from the Armenian Church’s Divine Liturgy, God of truth and Father of mercies, we thank you, who has exalted our nature, condemned as we were, above that of the blessed patriarchs, for you were called God by them, whereas in pity, you have been pleased to be named Father by us. We forever thank you. Amen.