WEBVTT 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:38.189 Christ is risen. Saint Paul, in writing his epistle 00:00:38.189 --> 00:00:49.289 to the Hebrews stated this, the word of God is 00:00:49.289 --> 00:00:57.990 living and powerful. The word of God is living 00:00:57.990 --> 00:01:05.569 and powerful, meaning it is active, effective, 00:01:07.310 --> 00:01:15.829 and relevant. As Orthodox Christians, we believe 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:26.489 that Christ's teachings and the ministry of his 00:01:26.489 --> 00:01:35.659 miracle healings are not simply preserved for 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:41.879 past historical records. Rather, they are words 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:50.739 of life, words of meaning, words of inspiration. 00:01:55.060 --> 00:02:01.260 And the psalmist captures that spirit of Christ's 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:05.159 compassion when he said, as the father pities 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:11.960 his children, so the Lord pities those that fear 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:22.180 him. He remembers that we are dust. You know, 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:27.400 during certain seasons of the year, we say to 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:31.949 one another as we are doing during this paschal 00:02:31.949 --> 00:02:39.750 season, Christ is risen. But during other portions 00:02:39.750 --> 00:02:44.449 of the year, we also tend to say that Christ 00:02:44.449 --> 00:02:53.430 is among us. Which means that He is an ever -present 00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:59.210 reality. He is always caring. He is always loving. 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:06.400 He is the source of every good and perfect gift 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:10.300 that comes down from above. And as the gospel 00:03:10.300 --> 00:03:15.360 tells us so clearly and so distinctly that Jesus 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:22.340 is the God -man who is the fullness of grace, 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:28.400 mercy and truth. He is the Good Shepherd. He 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:32.900 is the resurrection and the life. who raises 00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:40.719 Lazarus from the dead, who gives light to open 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:48.699 the light of those who are blind, and the healer 00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:55.360 who restores the paralytic as we have heard in 00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:00.340 today's Gospel reading. Let me briefly review 00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:07.500 that for you. During our Lord's time and they 00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:12.120 say that pool still exists There was in Jerusalem 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:17.939 a well -known pool called Bethesda and at certain 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:24.980 times of the year The water in the pool stirred 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:30.300 and it was at this time of stirring or bubbling 00:04:32.269 --> 00:04:37.449 when the waters were known to possess healing 00:04:37.449 --> 00:04:43.329 and curative powers. And at this time there was 00:04:43.329 --> 00:04:49.329 a rush of people, those infirm, the sick, disabled, 00:04:50.269 --> 00:04:52.930 all trying to get into the pool when the water 00:04:52.930 --> 00:05:00.230 was stirred. But there was at this time also 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:05.459 We are told by the evangelist John in his fifth 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:12.160 chapter that there was a certain paralytic who 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:18.459 had been by the pool for 38 years. That's a long 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:26.120 time. 38 years hoping to get into the water when 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:29.920 it stirred, but there was no one there to help 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:38.970 him to get in. And that's a sad commentary. And 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:41.850 so he remained there in this hopeless condition 00:05:41.850 --> 00:05:51.470 for 38 years. One Sabbath day, however, Jesus 00:05:51.470 --> 00:05:57.990 came to the pool and made his way specifically 00:05:57.990 --> 00:06:05.180 to the paralytic. And the Lord asked rather an 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:09.980 unusual question. He says, do you want to be 00:06:09.980 --> 00:06:21.579 made well? Now, I presume and I imagine that 00:06:21.579 --> 00:06:25.220 this paralytic who was there for 38 years said 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:30.220 to himself, why is he asking that question? Of 00:06:30.220 --> 00:06:34.560 course I want to be healed. Of course I do but 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:38.000 there's no one to put me into the pool at the 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:45.220 time the water is stirred and You know, the gospel 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:48.720 does not say that Jesus helped him into the pool 00:06:48.720 --> 00:07:01.819 But what he does say Is arise Take up your cot 00:07:02.089 --> 00:07:07.290 and walk. Something that this paralytic could 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:13.310 do for all of his life. But there was a reason 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:19.509 Jesus asked that question. It was to stimulate 00:07:19.509 --> 00:07:27.230 his spiritual thought. Now the scriptures do 00:07:27.230 --> 00:07:31.689 not specifically state the following, but certainly 00:07:32.430 --> 00:07:36.509 When Jesus looked at him and gave him this advice 00:07:36.509 --> 00:07:43.250 He also told him Man stop looking at the pool 00:07:43.250 --> 00:07:46.949 as if the water in the pool was the answer to 00:07:46.949 --> 00:07:56.170 your physical problems Look at me Look at me 00:07:56.170 --> 00:08:03.129 with your with faith Don't waste time waiting 00:08:03.129 --> 00:08:07.769 for the so -called right time, right condition, 00:08:08.709 --> 00:08:14.689 or right opportunity. Don't let life pass you 00:08:14.689 --> 00:08:27.509 by. God is available 24 -7. He is available constantly. 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:33.259 Now is the time, Jesus said, Now is the time 00:08:33.259 --> 00:08:37.600 for your healing and your salvation. And so take 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:46.480 up your cock, rise and walk. And the scriptures 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:55.320 tell us, in a glorious way, he got up. The paralytic 00:08:55.320 --> 00:09:01.720 stood up, moved with sureness. that he had not 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:11.480 had for 38 years. And we are told something which 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:19.460 sometimes we forget to overlook. And I want to 00:09:19.460 --> 00:09:24.000 read the 14th verse of that chapter, chapter 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:33.169 five. Afterward, Jesus Found him in the temple 00:09:33.169 --> 00:09:41.230 What a glorious place to be after one is healed 00:09:41.230 --> 00:09:48.450 To go to the temple to express thanksgiving to 00:09:48.450 --> 00:09:54.389 God for his mercy Now there are other aspects 00:09:54.389 --> 00:09:59.419 of this gospel which need to be commented but 00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:02.340 because of the constraints of time, it could 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:04.500 be done at another occasion. I'll leave that 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:11.139 for Father Lawrence. One of the implications 00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:17.440 of the Gospel and Epistle readings that we hear 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:26.559 throughout this period of Pascha, we find the 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:34.610 word rise. That's a rather expressive word rise 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:41.929 More than anything else it relates and expresses 00:10:41.929 --> 00:10:51.230 the power of the Word of God rise In healing 00:10:51.230 --> 00:10:57.610 the paralytic Jesus used the word rise and in 00:10:57.610 --> 00:11:03.250 the epistle that we heard today from the book 00:11:03.250 --> 00:11:08.929 of Acts written by Saint Luke. We are told that 00:11:08.929 --> 00:11:18.070 Peter healed Ananias with these words, Ananias, 00:11:18.230 --> 00:11:25.549 Jesus heals you, rise, take up your bed and walk. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:34.320 And with the same words, Jesus Peter used at 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:41.279 Joppa when he was confronted with another infirm 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:48.580 individual, Tabitha. He said, rise. Jesus has 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:55.470 the power to rise, to make us rise. to raise 00:11:55.470 --> 00:12:03.070 us up from spiritual lethargy. He has the ability 00:12:03.070 --> 00:12:08.250 to make us rise and free us from our insecurities, 00:12:09.330 --> 00:12:17.950 to free us above all from our sins. And in that 00:12:17.950 --> 00:12:23.590 14th chapter, 14th verse, When he found the paralytic 00:12:23.590 --> 00:12:29.190 in the temple he says behold thou art made well 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:35.309 Sin no more Lest a worse thing can come unto 00:12:35.309 --> 00:12:45.049 thee So Jesus is saying to you and to me Lay 00:12:45.049 --> 00:12:52.629 aside Whatever bothers you your anger, your hostility, 00:12:53.129 --> 00:12:59.009 your unforgiveness. Live in peace. Rise. Live 00:12:59.009 --> 00:13:06.870 a life of trust in God. Live a life of faith, 00:13:07.330 --> 00:13:11.330 knowing that God so loved the world that He gave 00:13:11.330 --> 00:13:18.750 His only begotten Son. Rise. Leave behind your 00:13:18.750 --> 00:13:23.879 negative feelings. walk into the future with 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:29.879 me. Get up from your cot of unbelief and self 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:41.659 -love and pity. Rise and go your way. Your faith 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:44.620 has made thee well. Christ is risen.