Imagine…

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Imagine

These last couple of days on our Advent Journey we have spoken about Jesus’ commandment to not resist evil. The champions of good, by virtue of that title, are the heroes of folklore, history and even fantasy. All of them have left their mark by opposing and fighting evil, hence, the great disconnect between the good guys in our life and Jesus’ commandment to not resist evil. In Jesus’ case, his opposition to evil is not defined by increased violence. His opposition to evil came without inciting more evil.

John Lennon, in a song widely regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time, challenged us to Imagine, there’s no heaven… above us only sky… people living for today. Imagine countries… nothing to kill or die for… no religion… no possessions, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man… Imagine all the people sharing all the world… and the world will live as one.

This song was written in opposition to the Vietnam War (1971) and Lennon himself regarded it as an “ad campaign for peace.”

In our encounter with Jesus’ commandments, and in particular with this one which asks us to not resist evil, we are understand that opposition to evil cannot come by adding evil to the equation. Evil + evil will never equal an absence of evil. We can’t fight fire with fire when it’s only reasonable (and preferrable) to fight it with water.

“Whoever slaps you on your right cheek,” Jesus instructs, “Turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” (Matthew 5:39-41)

Absence of evil is love and so “love your enemies” is a natural next step, and a necessary step on the road to peace.

Within the Armenian Church, the phrase “Peace unto all” is repeated often in its seven hours of worship, and most notably during its Divine Liturgy. Imagine that, a people that have not known peace, and at the same time have possessed no military power or elaborate military strategy, and yet they proclaim and offer peace.

We pause today with an invitation and an Advent challenge, in preparation for Christmas, can you imagine an alternative to evil to resolve evil? Jesus’ call to “Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48) implies that there are means that require us to use our God given talents to overcome the tragedies we identify as evil.

The Advent Journey is about preparing ourselves for the great Theophany, the Revelation of God. That preparation is through the struggle to understand – “imagine,” if you will – our existence as children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

We pray a prayer by Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind; in whom to dwell is to find peace and security; toward whom to turn is to find life and life eternal, we humbly beseech Thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, Thy saving health unto all nations. We also pray for Thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by Thy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to Thy Fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed in mind or body. Give them patience under the suffering and power of endurance. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

Resist Not Evil (2of2)

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Armodoxy for Evil: The Advent Series – Resist Not Evil, 2

Resisting Evil. In studying and learning the commandments of Jesus, his instruction to resist evil is the most disturbing of them all because it goes against our fundamental sense of justice. Good should be rewarded and evil must be punished to prevent it and/or stop it. If we do not resist evil, the argument goes, then evil will continue. We might even believe that not opposing evil is the same as rewarding it.

As children we are introduced to rewarding good and punishing evil with the friendly visitor at Christmas. Whether we call him St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, Gaghant Baba, Papa Noel, or Kris Kringle, he exists and functions on this temporal plain. He knows if we’ve been naughty or nice and dishes out rewards or punishments accordingly.

God is not Santa Claus. Think of all the kids who did not get the rewards that were due to them. It usually turned them against Santa Claus. And while they may grow out of their feelings of disappointment, they may never regain a belief in the good man from the North. What happens when we have expectation of God that are not met? Many end up with loss of belief and faith.

As we have learned on this journey, God’s Universe is large, and His children are all. By our human standards the measures of good and evil are defined by our circumstances and known reality. Going beyond these parameters, things might be and will be perceived differently.

Torrential rains, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes wreak havoc throughout the world. We agree that these are horrible examples of destruction. They all take place within the atmosphere of Earth. Should we then curse the atmosphere? What is the alternative? Take a look at the Moon and you’ll see a world without these disastrous weather patterns, for no other reason than the Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere. Consequently, no atmosphere means there is no life! Even more, no atmosphere permits space debris to pelts it, leaving the craters and the Moon’s iconic pock-marked surface. There is “evil” in both spheres – the weather conditions on Earth, and the crashing of meteors and the lifeless Moon, and that “evil” is a condition of the system. Let us agree, some systems do not even allow for the resistance of evil.

Today on our Advent Journey, we are asked to look beyond evil, to the conditions that give rise to it. Yes, we do want to control and eliminate evil, but is it possible that the system that gives rise to evil is in need of an overhaul?

Do not resist evil. We’re still not through, but for today, we pray a prayer from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  O God, we thank you for the lives of great saints and prophets in the past, who have revealed to us that we can stand up amid the problems and difficulties and trials of life and not give in. We thank you for our foreparents, who’ve given us something in the midst of the darkness of exploitation and oppression to keep going. Grant that we will go on with the proper faith and the proper determination of will, so that we will be able to make a creative contribution to this world. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray.

 

Resist Not Evil (1of2)

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Armodoxy for Today – The Advent Series – Resist Not Evil 1

On this Advent Journey we reach a major hurdle which will also be a milestone for us. Jesus’ command to not resist evil is one of the most difficult statements to digest because inherently we wish to fight and eliminate evil. For this reason, it is a hurdle, and it is a milestone in our journey because so much rests on our acceptance of this commandment.

Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Before placing this into the category of weakness, pull out your Advent journals and refer to the lessons on harnessed energy, the discipline that turns our inner strength into focused power. The night that Jesus was born the heavenly hosts proclaimed, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14) The Will of God is proclaimed for all of humanity with the birth of Jesus Christ. For there to be peace, the Prince of Peace advocates for nonviolent resistance to evil. It is the only solution and the only means of bringing about Peace.

The common misconception then, in the time of Jesus, as well as now, is that violence and more evil brings about peace. Mathematically we can formulate this as a + a = -a. It is just as absurd in theory as it is in practice.

Thinkers have pondered these words of Jesus for centuries and have argued pro and con to the subject. Heavyweights like Tolstoy have written volumes on the subject, as well as non-Christians, such as Gandhi have patterned the plan for liberation on nonviolent resistance. Third world countries, liberation theology and of course the Civil Rights movement in America have used Jesus’ teaching as a foundation and model on the path to equality and justice. According to Gandhi, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” to which Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. added, “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”

We’re not through with the topic. It is the foundation for Jesus’ life and ministry. For today, let us pray a prayer offered by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.: O God, make us willing to do your will, come what may. Increase the number of persons of good will and moral sensitivity. Give us renewed confidence in nonviolence and the way of love as taught by Christ. Amen.

Oaths

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Armodoxy for Today: Advent – Oaths

By this time, still in the early part of the Sermon on the Mount, we are understanding that what we are hearing, is uniquely Jesus Christ. “Those of old” have heard one thing, but today, we are hearing, “But I say to you.” And thus far, the message plain and simple, is about the sincerity of our expressions.

Jesus was reacting to the times. Religion had become mechanical, non-relevant and therefore meaningless. Matthew records that the religious elite, the Pharisees, were criticizing Jesus on multiple fronts. On one occasion (chapter 15), Jesus’ disciples were eating in a manner not prescribed by the Law of the Jews. Jesus taught that it was not, “what goes into the mouth [that] defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

The words we speak reflect the purity of our heart. And so, the next teaching we encounter in the Sermon on the Mount is about oaths, the words that come from our mouth, and thus proceed from our heart.

Jesus says, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

An oath is the ultimate statement of one’s sincerity. To this day, oaths are taken to mean a person’s complete commitment to his or her promise. It is a vow solidified by some higher power. For this reason, often public oaths are taken on the holy scriptures, in sanctified spaces, or in the presence of a representative of ruling authority.

Jesus’ commandment is that we refrain from oaths that we cannot keep. Thus far, he has given a higher standard of living than what the religious community was handing out. Remember, murder is not only killing, but it is defined by anger. Likewise, adultery is the lustful conditions leading to the act. Jesus’ standard is a higher standard, and he cautions that we be honest and say nothing more than yes or no.

Let us pray, from the 17th hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer, You who bring back the wanderers, turn me from my evil ways to good ones and imprint upon my soul the recollection of the dreadful day of death, the fear of hell and the love of Your Kingdom that I may repent from my sins and do righteousness. Have mercy on me. Amen.

 

For Women

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – For Women

In the previous sessions, we’ve learned the need to take control of our lives, emotionally and spiritually as much as physically. In addressing murder and adultery, Jesus separated the thought from the action. In controlling our desires, or lust, we find the necessity to structure our physical urges. Marriage is the vehicle by which we take control of our powers, and you would assume Jesus’ next statement would be about the sanctity of marriage. Well, it is, in a rather roundabout way. Jesus speaks next about divorce.

The passage in question comes from Matthew 5:31 and 32, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

This passage is an addendum to his commandment on adultery, if for no other reason than to save the virtue of the women, or what we may call today, Woman’s rights. At the time of Jesus, women did not have many rights, in fact, they were not accounted for unless they were married or had sons. By adding this passage to the adultery commandment, Jesus is standing up for the rights of those who had no one to advocate for them. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus addresses the plight of the widows and women. In today’s passage, by addressing divorce without first discussing marriage, Jesus once again champions for the voiceless.

Like I said earlier, his message about marriage is via a comment on divorce and more importantly about the commitment the man makes to his wife. Another marking and note for our journal through Advent.

Let us pray from the 16th hour of the prayer of St. Nersess Shnorali, O 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. Have mercy upon Your creatures and on me, a sinner. Amen.

 

Suffering: Not a Response to Sin

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Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – Evil is no response to sin

During the Sundays of the Advent period, the Armenian Church points us to certain Gospel passages that prepare us for the Revelation at Theophany. One such passage comes from the Gospel according to St. Luke chapter 13. Here, Jesus explains that disaster, or evil, does not come upon a person because of his or her sins. Jesus brings up two incidents where people died a suffering death, one was the story of Galileans who made a sacred gesture to the Lord which was desecrated by the Roman governor, Pilate. And the other was a catastrophe involving a tower which fell and killed18 people.  Regarding the victims of these tragedies, Jesus says, “Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The details of the stories are not the focus of Jesus’ message to us. These two tragedies of the Galileans and the tower had meaning for the people of the time but are inconsequential for us today separated by 2000 years from the events. In place of these tragedies to which Jesus alludes, you may substitute the Covid-19 pandemic or the destroyed Twin-Towers of 9/11 – two events that are part of our common memory and history – and hear His voice ask the same question, “Do you think they – the victims if Covid-19 – were more guilty than everyone else? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The lesson that comes to us from Jesus reminds us that catastrophes or human sufferings are not judgments of God upon us. As many believe today, so too, in the times of Jesus, when evil or suffering comes upon a person, especially the seemingly innocent, there are many who believe it is God’s wrath that is being played out on their sins. Whether it is a person who suffers from cancer, a person blind-sided by a drunk driver, or the innocent children bombed in a war, Jesus says emphatically: No! It is not because they sinned! Rather, listen attentively to his warning, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Plainly, He is saying, Stop blaming God for the suffering you cause in the world! Unless you repent… unless you stop polluting your environment, unless you stop driving under the influence, unless you stop the wars… yes, you too will perish!

A small, but important reminder during our Advent journey, about personal responsibility and truly, the remarkable and unique message delivered to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray, from the 15th hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer, “Christ, the guardian of all, let Your Right Hand guard and shelter me by day and by night, while at home and while away, while asleep and while awake, that I may not fall. Have mercy on me on all your creatures and on me, a sinner. Amen.

Control

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Armodoxy for Today: the Advent Series – Control

Yesterday we discovered that Jesus’ teaching about adultery is about fidelity in the context of a broader demand for sincerity. Jesus separates action from thought – what we may refer to as premeditation – the thoughts that lead to actions.  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus continues, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

Jesus uses hyperbole, for sure, in an attempt to draw attention to the difficulty of disciplining the senses. As we learned in the preamble to the Sermon on the Mount, that is, in the Beatitudes, harnessing our power is essential to spiritual growth. The struggle between the physical and spiritual life is ever present and Jesus refers to this duality throughout his ministry. Most glaringly in the Garden of Gethsemane, he challenges the disciples to stay awake with him as he prays, but he also knows the physical weakness they will succumb to and identifies it as, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

The teaching on adultery, is an invitation to take control of our most innate and powerful physical urges. It is a call to open ourselves to the honesty and control of our expression and to the limits of our physical abilities. The sin is not the physical act alone, but losing our control to the lust that draws us to the physical act. Herein is the challenge to rise and ascend to the spiritual realm, where lust is controlled to prevent the sinful act. In honesty and control we find purity. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

We pray today from the 8th hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer, O Searcher of secrets, I have sinned against you, willingly and unwillingly, knowingly and unknowingly. Grant me forgiveness for since my birth from the baptism font to this day, I have sinned before you Lord, with all my senses and with all the members of my body. Have mercy upon me, a sinner. Amen.

 

Fidelity & Sacrifice

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Armodoxy for Today: Advent Series – Fidelity & Sacrifice

The second of the “But I say to you” instructions address adultery. As in the case of murder, once again, Jesus moves the sin from action to thought. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus’ wish for sincerity is even more accented this time around with this commandment. It is the thought that gives way to action. We see this played out in our lives as well as on the world stage all the time, whether the prejudicial ideas that lead to racism or the unbridled hatred that leads to war, Jesus calls to nip the diseased flower at the bud. However, in context, Jesus was reacting to the hypocrisy that was displayed by the religious elite. Very plainly, he was calling out those who said one thing but lived by another standard. Now, in our hearing, we join the group of “those” and understand he speaks to us all.

After he spoke the Sermon on the Mount, we read the following incident takes place:

… Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’… ” (Matthew 9:9-12)

Jesus demands mercy as a condition of love. He reminds us that God is a God of mercy and compassion: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6) Sacrifice is an action, a show-thing, mercy comes from our innermost self. And now the turn is ours, to push ourselves to a higher consciousness where our thoughts are controlled to thereby thwart evil actions.

As we move further on the Advent journey, your journal becomes a referencing tool for the teachings of Jesus. Without this first step of mercy, compassion is not sincere. Without sincerity of heart, love and loving is merely an act and lacks fidelity.

Today’s prayer comes from our Eastern Orthodox tradition. As I read it, contemplate the number of times the phrase “Have mercy” is said. Consider it as the fundamental and most basic prayer that we, as humans, may offer.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for laying aside all excuse, we sinners offer to Thee, as to our Master, this supplication: Have mercy on us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. O Lord, have mercy on us, for in Thee have we put our trust.

Cover: Luna & Gregory Beylerian 2023

Greater than God

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Armodoxy for Today: Advent Series – Greater than God

During this period of Advent, we are encountering the Essential Teachings of Jesus as he expressed them in the Sermon on the Mount. Today we continue to look at the harsh contrast between the Old and New Testaments, especially as it is presented in this passage about murder. Jesus equates murder with anger. “You have heard that it was said to those of old,” Jesus says, “‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” For Jesus, sincerity of heart is of primary importance. But the contrast twixt Old and New is perhaps nowhere so pronounces as when Jesus offers the solution to our anger.

He continues, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.”

Truly this prescription is in stark contrast to the Old Covenant. In the Ten Commandments, the code of the Old Testament God is not to be overshadowed by anyone or anything. The first two commandments, articulated by God are as follows:

“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God….” (Exodus 20:3-6)

For Jesus, our reconciliation with one another is more important than God! “… leave your gift there before the altar,” he instructs, “and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Lip service did not interest Jesus. Actions were necessary to back up the words of our mouth. The love we have with one another is our expression of the love we have for God. This was so central to Jesus’ teaching that it was codified, in a sense, in the writing of St. John the Evangelist.

Today, we leave with a mediation from the Letter of St. John, chapter 4:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. … Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. … If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (4:7-20)

Cover: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

 

Harsh Contrast: Old to New Testament Shift

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Armodoxy for Today: Advent Series – Shifting from Action to Thought

The contrast between New and Old Testament is harsh, at least it is when you follow the teaching of Jesus. In this next section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus accents that contrast by quoting the old law and then instructing with “But I say to you…”  As we read through these new rules, remember the lessons of the first week of Advent. They have prepared us to decipher through the harsh contrast twixt the law of old and the moral imperative as presented by the One who pronounced the spirit of the laws.

Jesus begins, You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ (an insult equivalent to calling him ‘empty headed’) shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Whether you are hearing this for the first time or have heard it 100 times before, the shock level is not diminished. Jesus has equated murder with anger. Think of the implications of this shift. Judgment is not on your actions but on your thoughts. For Jesus, your innermost thoughts, the desires of your heart are what betray you to sin. Jesus was demanding the purity of heart. And, he lays out the consequences of our insincerity in detail, from judgement to sentencing to the punishment.

Journal your immediate reaction to these verses. We are only in the second week of Advent. Compare those reactions in a few weeks as we get closer to the Theophany.

Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, you came because of the Love of the Father. Your only demand on us was sincerity, that is, a rejection of hypocrisy. You asked us to come to you with the purity of heart. “Blessed are the pure in heart,” you said, “For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Keep me from evil thoughts, which lead to words and deeds, so that I may strive for the goodness you have placed in my heart since my mother bore me. Amen.