February: Day 2: Teaching 4: The Reception of the Lord

February: Day 2: Teaching 4:
The Reception of the Lord
 
(On the Motivations for our Precise Fulfillment of God’s Law)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Evangelist Luke, describing the Reception of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem Temple, which is now celebrated (Luke 2:22-39), says that at this event the earthly parents of the Savior did everything as was prescribed in the Old Testament law of God. They went to Jerusalem with the newborn Jesus Christ when, after His birth, the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, that is, forty days (Lev. 12:1-4); they brought this firstborn of theirs to the Jerusalem Temple to present or dedicate Him to the Lord, because in the law of the Lord it was prescribed that every male child who opens the womb, or the firstborn, should be dedicated to the Lord (Ex. 13:2). Then, again according to the law of God, they sacrificed two young pigeons (Lev. 12:8). In short, it was only when they returned from Jerusalem to their city of Nazareth that they had done everything according to the law of the Lord. So respected did they respect the law of God and so strove to fulfill it in everything!

II. If the Mother of God and her righteous betrothed so revered and strove so hard to fulfill the Old Testament law of God, which was only a shadow of the good things to come (Heb. 10:1), or a prototype of the gracious Kingdom of Christ, then all the more should we, brethren, honor and fulfill the most perfect law — the moral law of God, explained by our Savior in His revealed word. We are impelled to this by the greatness of the lawgiver — God — and our complete dependence on Him, the importance of God's commandments and their beneficial nature for us, the great reward for fulfilling them and the terrible punishment for violating them. See how many incentives there are to sacredly honor and faithfully fulfill the law of God! Let us consider them in order, so that all may better understand their force and thereby more vividly feel how necessary it is for us to fulfill the law of God with all precision.

a) There is one lawgiver — God, says the Apostle (James 4:12); by His right hand the moral law is inscribed both in our hearts and in the revealed word of God. And who is God in Himself and in relation to us? This is the most sublime and most perfect being. This is the omniscient and all-wise mind, the omnipotent and boundless power; ineffable goodness, inexpressible holiness, immutable truth, unwashable righteousness. This is our Creator, Who has given us all we have — body, soul, and all our blessings. This is our Provider, Who constantly watches over us, provides everything necessary for our life, protects us from evil, and directs everything for our good. This is our Judge, to Whom we will one day have to give a strict account of all our deeds, words, thoughts, and desires, and from whom we cannot hide any of our sins. This is our future Rewarder, Who will generously reward us for good deeds in accordance with His holy law, but will severely punish us for evil deeds, for transgressing His commandments. Such is our God — the Lawgiver! Now, who does not see that all His creations, and especially we humans, so beloved and blessed by Him, must reverently heed His word and faithfully fulfill all His commands? Who would dare disobey Him whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is the earth (Isaiah 66:1)? Who would dare disobey Him before whom the angels and all the heavenly hosts tremble? If we willingly heed and follow the advice of prudent men, then how much more should we listen to and fulfill the commands of the all-wise God. If we are wary of offending our earthly parents and benefactors by contradicting them, then all the more should we not anger our Heavenly Father by violating His holy commandments. If we fear doing evil before those who might punish us for our evil deeds, then all the more should we not sin before God, Who can destroy us for our sins in the fiery Gehenna (Matt. 10:28).

b) We should also be moved to the faithful and exact fulfillment of the law of God by the fact that the law of God, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, is holy, that every commandment of God, according to the word of the same Apostle, is "holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:12). And truly, can anything imperfect and unimportant come from the lips of the most wise, most good, and most holy Creator — anything that can be disregarded as unnecessary and useless for us? No, no; all the words of the Lord "are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63), all of them with high reason inspire us with what is necessary for our good in this and the future life. If you wish to be further convinced of this, examine God's commandments, and you will indeed not find a single one among them that is superfluous or useless. On the contrary, you will clearly see that they are all very necessary and beneficial for us. For example, in the first two commandments of the Ten Commandments, the Lord commands us to acknowledge Him alone as God and not to worship idols. Who does not see how necessary these commandments are for protecting us from destructive polytheism and pagan errors? In the fifth commandment, the Lord commands us to honor our parents, and under their name, He instructs us to show due respect to those who, like them, care for us, such as the sovereign, our superiors, and our spiritual shepherds. Is it not clear that this is required for the good of the family, the Church, and society? In other commandments, the Lord commands us not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to encroach on the life, honor, and property of others. Oh, what would happen in the world if these commandments did not exist and people did not fulfill them! Then people, like fierce beasts, would tear and devour one another, then the world would become a den of murderers and robbers; then it would become worse than Sodom and Gomorrah in debauchery, and it would be impossible for honorable people to live in it! In short, each commandment of God is very necessary and beneficial, because it inspires us with what is beneficial for ourselves and for others. And from this it is clear, brethren, that we must sacredly fulfill the law of God not only out of obedience to the Creator and Lawgiver, but also for our own good, and not only temporary, but also eternal.

c) Yes, we must carefully fulfill God's law not only for our temporal but also for our eternal good: for the just God promises us a great reward in eternity for fulfilling it, but threatens us with severe punishment for violating it. The Lord, says the Apostle, will repay each according to his deeds in the day of righteous judgment. "Then shall tribulation and anguish come upon every soul of man that does evil: but glory, honor, and peace shall come to every one that does good" (Rom. 2:5-10). Do you sense, brethren, the full force of the urge contained in these words to do good, to fulfill God's law? What prudent person would not strive to fulfill God's law now, even if it meant some labor, so that he might later enjoy eternal blessedness in heavenly glory and honor? And who would be so foolish as to decide now, for the sake of the temporary pleasures of sin, to transgress God's law, so that he might later suffer for his sins in the flames of Gehenna? If such foolish people are found among us, they are truly worthy of pity.

III. Remembering this, brethren, let us carefully observe the holy law of God and in every way avoid that which is contrary to Him. This is not difficult for us, for the Lord says: "My yoke is easy and My burden is light," and the Holy Apostle testifies that His commandments are truly not grievous (Matt. 11:30; 1 John 5:3). If they ever seem difficult for our weakness, or if sinful passions overwhelm us, let us fervently pray to the Lord that He will strengthen our weakness and help us fulfill His commandments. The Merciful One will hear the voice of our prayer and send us His all-powerful grace to help us overcome the attraction to sin and do righteousness according to His law, for the salvation of our souls. The Lord will certainly do this: for this is why He came to earth, why He taught people, why He gave them His commandments, and why He shed His blood for them, in order to make them virtuous and to save sinners like us, brethren. Amen. 

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.