FATHERS OF THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OR SEVENTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA

Title

Protect them from the World

Outline

Our world honors men and women of ambition

Some are those of honorable ambition - to deliver their people or corporation or organization

Some are those of worldly ambition - to make money, obtain power and the like

Some are those of diabolical ambition - the gangster who is the hero of a movie, the dark hero

But the world honors all of those, while despising those who serve or those who do not “look out for number one”

This is the opposite of the values of our Lord

Jesus came to give life to others: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”

Jesus came to bring honor to his Father: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do”

He will indeed be glorified or honored, but will do this through death, death for others, and thereby he will return to his Father (resurrection and ascension)

But that is what Jesus uses his control for

And here lies the danger for the disciple of Jesus

They are not “of the world” - different source or origin and different set of values

Like Paul they serve others rather than themselves: “33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Like Jesus they know that there is a need for divine protection from the world: “9  I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours; 10 all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11  And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

Paul puts the need in two forms:

(1) Protection from attacks, philosophical, psychological, or physical from outside: “29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;”

(2) Protection from defectors inside: “30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

They will want gold, silver, and clothing; they will not labor to care for others; they will want disciples who will honor and support them

Rather than saying as Paul, “I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” They will distort the divine word, to make disciples their inheritance.

Brothers and sisters,

We each have a flock, be it a community, friends, spouses (remember that marriage is not strictly private, but is a lived witness to the world), or children, for which we must “28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians,”

To help us our Lord in ascending has prayed for us that the Father would keep us from being overwhelmed by the world

And to help us the Father and the Son will send the Spirit to communicate themselves to us, although this comes next Sunday

For now, as we gaze upward to our Lord, let us do three things: (1) remember his words and example, which Paul followed, (2) request his help and protection, and (3) take seriously our responsibility to others to life and teach Christ before them and so show up the falseness of the world for what it is.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 6-13-2021: Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council or Seventh Sunday of Pascha

EPISTLE

Acts 20:16–18, 28–36

16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the Church. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the Church of the Lord which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

GOSPEL

John 17:1–13

17  When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; 5  and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

6 “I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; they were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; 8 for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9  I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours; 10 all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11  And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 6-13-2021: Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council or Seventh Sunday of Pascha

PENTECOSTARION

FATHERS OF THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OR SEVENTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA

Bright Vestments

Matins Gospel John 21:1–14

Epistle Acts 20:16–18, 28–36

Gospel John 17:1–13

Our Venerable Father Theodore, disciple of St. Pachomius; Ss. Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, martyrs