WEBVTT 00:00:00.650 --> 00:00:04.650 Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory to God. In the name 00:00:04.650 --> 00:00:07.450 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 00:00:07.450 --> 00:00:14.289 Spirit. Amen. It's so nice that you've moved 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:17.890 up. There's not this big moat between me and 00:00:17.890 --> 00:00:20.949 the congregation, but we're here together worshiping. 00:00:23.070 --> 00:00:28.660 When we look at a Gospel reading, One of the 00:00:28.660 --> 00:00:31.719 accounts we hear in church or read at home, today's 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:36.039 story in particular, we might say, oh, how nice. 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:41.420 Jesus healed a blind man. He's God, so he can 00:00:41.420 --> 00:00:45.320 do that. End of the story, and we go on. But, 00:00:45.340 --> 00:00:48.079 of course, that's not all that's happening here. 00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:52.079 This is very profound, which is why we have it 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:56.159 now after theophany and before we start to prepare 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.990 ourselves for Lent. Just before the account that 00:00:59.990 --> 00:01:03.590 the deacon chanted so beautifully, we read this 00:01:03.590 --> 00:01:08.150 from Luke chapter 18. And taking the twelve, 00:01:08.430 --> 00:01:12.870 when St. Luke says the twelve, you know what 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:16.530 that means. That's the twelve disciples. And 00:01:16.530 --> 00:01:19.629 taking the twelve, he said to them, Behold, we're 00:01:19.629 --> 00:01:23.329 going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is 00:01:23.329 --> 00:01:25.329 written about the Son of Man by the prophets 00:01:25.329 --> 00:01:29.980 will be accomplished. For he will be delivered, 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:32.879 he's speaking of himself, he will be delivered 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:37.340 over to the Gentiles, that is the Romans, and 00:01:37.340 --> 00:01:40.719 will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:46.019 upon. And after flogging him, they will kill 00:01:46.019 --> 00:01:51.799 him. And on the third day he will arise. But 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:56.760 the twelve understood none of these things. The 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:01.400 saying was hidden from them, says St. Luke. And 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:05.260 they did not grasp what was said. St. Luke is 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:09.060 very clear. They didn't understand it, the saying 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:13.979 was hidden, and they could not grasp it. Jesus 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:18.379 is on the way, he's on the road. The way of the 00:02:18.379 --> 00:02:23.659 cross, this is Luke 18. He's going up to Jerusalem. 00:02:24.650 --> 00:02:28.889 He's in Jericho, 900 feet below sea level, Jerusalem 00:02:28.889 --> 00:02:32.770 some 2 ,000 feet above. He is on his way. This 00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:35.949 is just this gospel you heard today. It happens 00:02:35.949 --> 00:02:40.289 just a few days before the raising of Lazarus, 00:02:40.289 --> 00:02:45.610 which is depicted here on this west wall of the 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:49.030 choir, and then the meeting of Zacchaeus, which 00:02:49.030 --> 00:02:54.270 is up here. One has to believe that the sufferings 00:02:54.270 --> 00:02:59.969 to come were very much on Jesus' mind. So you 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:03.050 see, the church is preparing us already, not 00:03:03.050 --> 00:03:07.469 so long now, for Lent, which begins on February 00:03:07.469 --> 00:03:13.030 23rd. We'll have our Vespers of Forgiveness on 00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:17.409 Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy on the 22nd, 00:03:17.409 --> 00:03:20.129 if I have my dates correct. We'll have lunch. 00:03:20.699 --> 00:03:23.500 We'll come back here for the vespers with the 00:03:23.500 --> 00:03:26.520 rite of the ceremony of mutual forgiveness and 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:31.180 hear those wonderful hymns. Let us set out upon 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:37.039 the sea of the fast, as one says. So with this 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:42.599 account, this miracle, we should ask ourselves 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.360 a question about prayer as we look at this gospel. 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.280 It goes on to say, and as Jesus drew near to 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:53.360 Jericho with a huge contingent of people following 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.039 him, a blind man was sitting by the wayside begging. 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:00.520 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:05.780 it meant. And they told him, Jesus of Nazareth 00:04:05.780 --> 00:04:10.539 is passing by. And he cried out saying, Jesus, 00:04:10.580 --> 00:04:14.240 son of David, not Jesus, son of Nazareth. He 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:16.199 went straight for the one who could save him. 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:18.839 Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Right 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.439 away, immediately the man began to shout, Jesus, 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:25.920 son of David, have mercy on me. For we know this 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:29.040 is the only name, it says in Acts, under heaven 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.459 given among mortals by which we must and can 00:04:32.459 --> 00:04:38.180 be saved. And the man suffers all kinds of resistance 00:04:38.180 --> 00:04:42.220 and pushback. People were telling him to be quiet. 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:45.649 Get back. Jesus doesn't want to see your dirty 00:04:45.649 --> 00:04:49.529 body. You're embarrassing us and whatever else. 00:04:49.589 --> 00:04:55.850 Shut up, basically. Stop yelling. I wonder, did 00:04:55.850 --> 00:04:59.269 these people think that this man must be blind 00:04:59.269 --> 00:05:03.810 and begging and poor because he was such a sinner? 00:05:04.170 --> 00:05:08.399 That was probably in their head. But in his desire, 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:12.240 in his persistence, in his need, the blind beggar 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.839 takes the moment. He grabs hold of the moment. 00:05:15.980 --> 00:05:18.620 He shouts out for mercy, and according to the 00:05:18.620 --> 00:05:21.939 gospel, he is shouting out persistently and repeatedly. 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:25.139 He is grabbing that moment with all his force, 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:29.199 like Jacob wrestling the angel, which is Christ, 00:05:29.300 --> 00:05:32.779 there in Genesis, wrestling and grasping the 00:05:32.779 --> 00:05:38.120 Lord for his own. And Luke says very specifically, 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:45.660 Jesus standing still. Jesus stopped. He was standing 00:05:45.660 --> 00:05:51.819 absolutely still. He's passing by, yes. But the 00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:56.339 prayer causes him to stand still. This is a great 00:05:56.339 --> 00:06:01.660 lesson for us. He's no longer passing by. Time 00:06:01.660 --> 00:06:05.079 suddenly stands still, as surely as Joshua's 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:07.660 son. Maybe you know that story. You know, we 00:06:07.660 --> 00:06:11.060 can traverse all kinds of distance with cars 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:16.480 and airplanes and our feet, but time is absolute 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:21.439 in this life. And it is extremely precious because 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:25.980 of that. I'd like to have a quarter. I used to 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:28.660 say a nickel, but inflation. I'd like to have 00:06:28.660 --> 00:06:32.120 a quarter. For all the times I've let Jesus pass 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:36.220 me by in this life, I would be rich. But rich 00:06:36.220 --> 00:06:43.199 in this world only. This man who gives this prayer, 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:46.500 this blind man, he is essentially saying what 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:53.959 we now say, the Jesus prayer. That we can cultivate 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:57.459 In the heart. It's the prayer of the one who 00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:03.019 knows he is blind. For me, spiritually. But knows 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:07.240 there is also a light. A light has dawned, as 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:10.160 we heard last week. In the place, the region, 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.420 and darkness. The region of death. It's dawned. 00:07:13.420 --> 00:07:16.300 It's coming. It's there. This man has persistence. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:20.579 And then, after that persistence, comes the hope 00:07:20.579 --> 00:07:23.810 from that desire. And the prayer to have that 00:07:23.810 --> 00:07:27.649 light. That vision of Jesus Christ in the heart. 00:07:27.709 --> 00:07:31.910 I'm speaking of us now. None of us here are blind. 00:07:33.550 --> 00:07:38.470 Except perhaps spiritually. But how blind? The 00:07:38.470 --> 00:07:40.850 vision of Christ in the heart. My dear brothers 00:07:40.850 --> 00:07:43.310 and sisters, this is what Pascha is all about. 00:07:43.410 --> 00:07:49.769 The risen Christ in the heart. To see that light. 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:52.740 to know that light, to have the kingdom of heaven 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:56.319 there in the heart, God's dominion, God's throne, 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:59.279 his rule, his peace, his love, his mercy, his 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:03.259 dominion, the kingdom of God is at hand. It's 00:08:03.259 --> 00:08:06.060 a strange way to say it, but it means I can grasp 00:08:06.060 --> 00:08:11.040 it then. This prayer that the blind man says, 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:16.000 which we now use as the Jesus prayer, is yes, 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:19.509 to see that light, but first, We have to see 00:08:19.509 --> 00:08:22.009 our own sins. And to be able to say with St. 00:08:22.069 --> 00:08:29.730 Paul, without a sense of debilitating psychotic 00:08:29.730 --> 00:08:38.370 guilt, that I am the chief among sinners. Then, 00:08:38.370 --> 00:08:44.009 being at hand, we can grasp Christ too. Like 00:08:44.009 --> 00:08:47.350 Joshua, like this blind man. And he will stop 00:08:47.350 --> 00:08:52.470 before us. But we have to pray. We have to notice 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:58.429 when he is there. He can come. Behold, I stand 00:08:58.429 --> 00:09:01.850 at the door and knock. And we've got other noise 00:09:01.850 --> 00:09:05.669 going, so we don't hear the knock. And then the 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.610 Lord maybe passes by for a while, so we do not 00:09:08.610 --> 00:09:12.230 feel that he is with us. It's an amazing thing 00:09:12.230 --> 00:09:14.429 that this man is teaching us about the importance 00:09:14.429 --> 00:09:21.940 of persistence in prayer. To see this one thing 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:28.139 first. We do. We should. We must. We must pray 00:09:28.139 --> 00:09:31.139 for many things. Think of the litanies the deacons 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:35.600 are praying. The many petitions that they chant. 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.759 All the things that we pray for. But how does 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.580 it start? In peace, let us pray to the Lord. 00:09:43.700 --> 00:09:46.720 For the peace from above and for the salvation 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:50.379 of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. For the 00:09:50.379 --> 00:09:54.259 peace of the whole world and for the salvation 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:57.059 of all, let us pray to the Lord. That's the first 00:09:57.059 --> 00:10:00.539 thing we pray for before everything else. Because 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:04.539 you might be healed of whatever ailment you have, 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:06.899 but if you do not have that peace, what do you 00:10:06.899 --> 00:10:09.940 have when you depart this life? You don't even 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:12.330 have peace. The recovery of your body because 00:10:12.330 --> 00:10:16.850 it's going to die. It's the peace from above. 00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:21.330 And this prayer, the Jesus prayer, is not something 00:10:21.330 --> 00:10:23.950 we just repeat over and over and over again, 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:27.590 vainly. No, each one counts. Each one means something. 00:10:27.789 --> 00:10:30.549 Each one, we're trying, we're yelling to the 00:10:30.549 --> 00:10:36.009 Lord, stop, Lord, let me see. It shows our true 00:10:36.009 --> 00:10:40.139 desire to not be discouraged. which you will 00:10:40.139 --> 00:10:44.100 be, which we will be, I can guarantee, because 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:48.620 I'm there often, the difficulties of life, the 00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:51.639 difficulties of the day, the hopelessness. If 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:57.100 you are new to the faith, full of zeal and desire 00:10:57.100 --> 00:11:01.019 to know God, to serve God, to want the light 00:11:01.019 --> 00:11:04.419 of God, to love him and your neighbor, to pray 00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:07.399 and to worship, if you're new to the church, 00:11:08.029 --> 00:11:11.149 Or perhaps, like me, you've grown up in the church 00:11:11.149 --> 00:11:17.110 and you take things for granted. I promise you 00:11:17.110 --> 00:11:22.629 there will come two sorts of resistance. The 00:11:22.629 --> 00:11:27.049 first from inside you. Thoughts, difficulties, 00:11:27.429 --> 00:11:35.909 this is too hard, temptations, anxieties, laziness. 00:11:37.740 --> 00:11:41.159 And outside of you, like this man, experience 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:44.679 the noise, the distractions, the people telling 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:47.740 you this is stupid, the people telling you it's 00:11:47.740 --> 00:11:50.419 false, it's narrow -minded, it's to this, it's 00:11:50.419 --> 00:11:55.720 to that. When the blind man receives his sight 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:58.620 after his persistence, so keep your persistence 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:03.120 in prayer, no matter what. This is how we show 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.480 our love for God. This is how we acquire that 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.720 peace that St. Seraphim is telling us. He tells 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.820 us, you know, every time we walk in this church, 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:17.440 read that. He's talking to you and to me. He's 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.960 saying, don't forget, acquire the spirit of peace. 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:24.059 Acquire the spirit of peace. Acquire, yell like 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:29.320 this blind man with all your heart. Because time 00:12:29.320 --> 00:12:32.720 is going. It's going away. And when the blind 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.980 man receives his sight, the first thing he sees 00:12:34.980 --> 00:12:39.740 is what? It's Jesus, his Lord, his creator, his 00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:44.019 savior, his creator. And the first thing he does, 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:48.860 and I would say the miracle of this story, despite 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:52.000 the noise against him and despite how long he 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:55.080 had been poor, begging, and blind, the first 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:59.559 thing he does, he follows Jesus. That's what 00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:04.149 it says in the text. He follows Jesus. Immediately, 00:13:04.309 --> 00:13:08.710 where is Jesus going? He's going to the cross. 00:13:10.029 --> 00:13:14.690 But before Jesus continues on that dusty road 00:13:14.690 --> 00:13:18.049 out of Jericho, I'm assuming some of you have 00:13:18.049 --> 00:13:20.250 been there. There's a large banner. There was 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:24.769 when I went in 2009 over the city. It says, the 00:13:24.769 --> 00:13:29.789 oldest city in the world. You could tell by the... 00:13:30.190 --> 00:13:40.110 and the public restrooms. Before he follows Jesus, 00:13:40.289 --> 00:13:42.750 but before Jesus continues on that dusty road 00:13:42.750 --> 00:13:45.470 out of Jericho, he will look up into a tree, 00:13:45.590 --> 00:13:47.929 happens to be a sycamore tree, and there's a 00:13:47.929 --> 00:13:52.450 short little man up there, a notorious man, Zacchaeus 00:13:52.450 --> 00:13:56.649 by name, up in that sycamore tree. We'll talk 00:13:56.649 --> 00:14:01.490 about him next week. Now to the King eternal, 00:14:01.830 --> 00:14:06.370 immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, 00:14:06.570 --> 00:14:09.809 be honor and glory, now and ever and unto ages 00:14:09.809 --> 00:14:11.370 of ages. Amen.