Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast. Memory of our Holy Father John Climacus

Divine Liturgy of St Basil

Ambon Prayer 16

The Holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria

Title

Trusting God in the Dark

Outline

A lot of people leave the faith in the dark

They have a burning question that the priest cannot answer or answers poorly and the doubt raised turns into a conviction.

They face tragedy or trauma and wonder where God was or is; the sky seems like brass and their prayers seem to be getting nowhere. Is the whole faith a myth.

They have prayed for their children and they still leave the faith, they have prayed for loved ones and they still die, and they have prayed over their own life situation and they get no answer. Could it be that God is a good dream, not a reality?

Our readings present a scriptural answer

Hebrews says we can trust God because he promised

The text comes after (1) “you are a priest according to the order of Melchizedek”/ “you are my son” telling us of the fulfillment of promise and (2) a warning text that if one turns away from the faith there is no other hope.

Now we see Abraham who trusted God’s promise, one confirmed by an oath for Abraham’s sake, not God’s, who continues to trust God even when there seems to be no way that the promise could be fulfilled. Yet if one knows the Torah the promise was indeed fulfilled.

Well, we have more than Abraham, for we have the resurrected Christ, the son, as a high priest, in the very presence of God. That is what we keep our eyes on and that is whom we trust.

Mark tells us we can trust Christ because of who he is

This comes after the transfiguration revealed the reality of Christ, ending with “listen to him” and then a passion prediction on the way down the mountain which the witnesses heard, but did not understand.

Now we meet a man with a son who has demon-caused severe epilepsy and the disciples who did not go up the mountain cannot heal him - they were not strong enough. Jesus later says it would have needed prayer and fasting - a closer relationship to God.

Doubt hangs heavy in the air, so Jesus says, “O faithless generation.”

They bring the boy to Jesus and as the demon triggers a show of force to terrify Jesus and the crowd the father explains the situation, ending with, “if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” The “if you are able” expresses doubt that Jesus can do more than his disciples; it is not “if you will.”

Jesus calls for trust, as is needed in many situations of demonization. He was there (and we have been told by God who he is) and willing to act so “All things are possible to him who believes.” This is not a general rule - if you work up enough “faith” all is possible - but if one trusts in Jesus and thus in what he has promised there is no barrier to his acting.

The man responds with faith and repentance: “I believe; help my unbelief!” His will, his faith, was engaged.

Jesus commands and the spirit leaves, but not without a final threat, leaving the boy seemingly dead. This was a real battle.

Now note what Jesus says to his disciples: they will face an even darker crisis of trust: “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” Trust for the resurrection despite having seen a crucifixion. That is a test the disciples will basically fail.

So, brothers and sisters, press forward towards Jesus

Prayer and fasting brings us through the veil into the presence as we control the passions through fasting and focus on God in prayer.

Be aware that dark times will come both for the good of the world as God works out his mysterious plan and for our good, to grow our faith and draw us closer to him

When tempted to distrust God or turn from the faith, pull on that anchor rope that will let you come within the veil and see him who is our security, our trust, and our hope, our High Priest, and the Son himself.

We may not understand, but we will know who is really God and resting in that reality we can ride out the storm.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-26-2023: Fourth Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint John Climacus

EPISTLE

Hebrews 6:13–20

13  For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. 16 Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, 20  where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-26-2023: Fourth Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint John Climacus

GOSPEL

Mark 9:17–31

17 And one of the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a mute spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23  And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; 31  for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (3-19-2023: Fourth Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint John Climacus)

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-26-2023: Fourth Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint John Climacus

FOURTH SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT OR SUNDAY OF SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS

Bright or Dark Vestments

Matins Gospel John 20:11–18 (41st Sunday)

Epistle Hebrews 6:13–20

Gospel Mark 9:17–31

Violet Gold