Receive God's Love

Introduction

Let all Pious men and all lovers of God rejoice in the splendor of this feast; let the wise servants blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord; let those who have borne the burden of Lent now receive their pay, and those who have toiled since the first hour, let them now receive their due reward.  Let any who came after the third hour be grateful to join in the feast, and those who may have come after the sixth, let them not be afraid of being too late.

For the Lord is gracious and He receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him who comes on the eleventh hour as well as to him who has toiled since the first.  Yes, He has pity on the last and He serves the first. He rewards the one and is generous to the other.  He repays the deed and praises the effort.

Come you all: enter into the joy of your Lord. You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward.  You rich and you poor, dance together.  You sober and you weaklings, celebrate the day.  You who have kept the fast and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is richly loaded: enjoy its royal banquet. The calf is a fatted one: let no one go away hungry. All of you enjoy the banquet of faith!  All of you receive the riches of his goodness!

Let no one grieve over his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.  Let no one weep over his sins, for pardon has shone from the grave.  Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free.  He has destroyed it by enduring it. He has despoiled Hades by going down into its kingdom. He has angered it by allowing it to taste of his flesh.

When Isaiah foresaw all this, he cried out: “O Hades, you have been angered by encountering Him in the nether world.” Hades is angered because it is frustrated, it is angered because it has been mocked, it is angered because it has been destroyed, it is angered because it has been reduced to naught, it is angered because it is now captive. It seized a body, and lo! it discovered God.  It seized earth, and, behold! it encountered heaven.   It seized the visible, and was overcome by the invisible.

O death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen and life is freed! Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead!  For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who had fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

God shows his love in action by sending his son to die on a cross, to take the punishment for our sins. He also shows his love in action by raising his son from the dead as the first fruits of the resurrection.

God show his love for us by offering us to share in that same resurrection. And all we have to do is to love God with our whole heart. We have to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Now I know this can be difficult in this day and age. Especially since we have been taught since an early age that we must see to believe. His letter to the Colossians Paul tells us how to believe the truth of Easter. Colossians 3:1-4 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Paul says there are only two things that we must do.

Set Your Heart on Things Above

We do this because this is where Christ is seated

Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1)

This is where we look for our treasure

Where we store our treasures there our hearts will be (Matthew 6:19-21)

When we treasure Jesus above all then we will believe

If we put Christ first in everything then we will believe

Set Your Mind on Things Above

We must focus our attention on God

Paul says that when we fill ourselves with worldly pleasure then we are governed by the world, but when we focus on spiritual things we are governed by Christ.

Romans 8:5–7 NIV

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

When we focus on Christ we cannot focus on the world.

Set your mind on things above.

Dichotomy of Flesh and Spirit, turning towards one turns us from another.

Conclusion

God shows his love for us that he not only sent his son to the cross but also that he raised his son from death. And all he asks is that we love him. All he asks is that we have faith, and through that faith we are invited to share in the resurrection. God’s promise is for all to share in and all we have to do is set our hearts and minds on Christ and then we will believe. Let us pray.