Homily Two for the Eighth Sunday of Matthew
(8th Sunday of Pentecost)
By St. John of Kronstadt
(8th Sunday of Pentecost)
By St. John of Kronstadt
When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late; send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15–16).
Once the Lord sailed alone to a deserted place for prayer; the people, hearing of it, went after Him on foot from the cities. When Jesus came out of the boat, He saw a great multitude and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When evening came, His disciples approached Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late; send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." What? What are you saying, Apostles of Christ? That the people should abandon their Lord for food and drink, depriving themselves of the sweetest conversation with Him, more delightful than honey? Is it not He who said: "Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink? Is not life more than food?" (Matthew 6:25); "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Oh no, the people will not forsake the Lord: what do they care for food and drink? Food and drink are always with them; yet the Lord in the flesh is not always present, and He Himself is their food and drink. Behold how eagerly they listen to every word of His, how they fix their eyes upon His Divine countenance: oh, for them it is true delight to see and hear the Lord Himself; and they have forgotten about food and drink. Indeed, He will prepare for them a wondrous feast.
This Gospel teaches us that listening to the word of God and caring for the enlightenment, sanctification, and strengthening of the immortal soul is of utmost importance to a person, whereas food and drink are of secondary concern and will be provided to those who seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness: "for the laborer is worthy of his food" (Matthew 10:10). Thus, in the desert, the Lord fed everyone with a wondrously prepared feast as a reward for their labor in listening to His word. Furthermore, the Gospel instructs us to share even our last good with those in need among us, and to avoid greed and stinginess, affirming that a person requires very little to satisfy hunger and thirst – merely daily bread and perhaps something more substantial; that various delicacies and drinks do not constitute our essential sustenance and may only be consumed occasionally; otherwise, they will weaken our body and soul.
Our soul, dear brothers and sisters, is immeasurably more precious and noble than the body: it is the image of God, that is to say, in simpler terms, it is as if God’s portrait, and it is immortal; endowed with reason and free will, capable of being sanctified by God's grace, ascending higher and higher on the steps of virtue, becoming increasingly like God, being deified, and attaining the greatest blessedness in God. The body, however, is dust and decay, destined to die and return to the dust from which it was taken; at the resurrection of the dead, it will rise again as a spiritual body. Meanwhile, our soul is in a state of the most pitiable fall, in a condition of darkness, separation from God, and bondage to the devil, sin, and passions. She perishes in sins and may perish forever, suffering in unquenchable fire. What, then, should we all be more concerned about in this temporary journey on earth? About the enlightenment of the soul, about its salvation, about drawing closer to God, from whom we have distanced ourselves through sin, about the truth that we have violated, of which we have become estranged, about holiness in all of life and the rejection of a deceitful existence. This is what we should focus on; and then, if we must, on food, drink, and clothing – but let us concern ourselves moderately and impartially, as with secondary and temporary matters.
Let us, brothers and sisters, not distort God's order; let us take greater care for the enlightenment, nourishment, comfort, and salvation of our souls, and only then for earthly so-called goods – food, clothing, shelter. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
