What is Most Precious to People?
Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council
Acts 20:16-18;28-36; John 17:1-13
One woman, a good parishioner, asked me a question:
- How do you explain, Father, that there are people who do not belong to the Church, do not want to know God, and yet they are lucky in life - in business and at home - they live luxuriously and know no sorrow?
Christ never promised anyone, and God never promised anyone through any prophet, that if people fulfill the will of God and belong to the Church of Christ, they will be more fortunate in acquiring material wealth, that they will live a richer life.
Yet, let us ask ourselves a question: What is the most secret desire hidden in people's innermost dreams?
Many people would like to live forever, eternally. Let there be sorrow and suffering, and temporary difficulties, but let life continue, and let them enjoy that life. In order for life to continue, so that people can enjoy life, people are ready to work hard, often to perform unpleasant, difficult, and unsuitable work.
In order to hang on to life, people sometimes undergo severe operations, lose arms and legs, suffer severe pain, and bear severe losses. Thus, normal people love life above all else – above suffering, pain, and any material costs.
Many millionaires who die of premature disease would give away their millions if only they could live longer. And although we turn to doctors for many of our illnesses--doctors, kings, and the poor and the rich know--life experience convinces us that they do not have mastery over human life. No human being created life, the human being itself, and no one owns that life - only the Creator, whom we call God.
God is the Lord of our lives. He, through His Son, who was sent to earth, who took on the body and image of a human being, lived and is known on earth as Jesus Christ, promised and testified that the Heavenly Father gave Him the authority to "give eternal life to all" those who confess "the only true God, and Jesus Christ," whom God the Father has sent.
Obviously, this refers to the immortal soul, not the body... A person, after dying on earth, passes to eternal life. This is revealed not as a pious wish, but as an indisputable truth:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)
God the Creator gives us this earthly, temporary life and, if we remain faithful to Him, if we were in unity with Him, He gives us yet another life -- eternal, in unity with Him. The one who proves unfaithful did not recognize Him on earth, did not want unity with the Creator through Jesus Christ, he will not receive eternal life in unity with God. This truth has been affirmed many times by Jesus Christ, and it is especially clear from the following attestation:
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)
Because the soul is immortal, where then will those souls be who did not recognize Jesus Christ and the Father who sent Him?
- They, as immortal creations, cannot perish completely. But they will exist without unity with God, without the joy of life. They will exist in the torments of conscience – that indeed is hell. They will exist, but will not live, will not feel the joy of life, because without God, without unity with God the Creator, there is no life.
Thus, this provides an answer to the question posed at the beginning – about who is fortunate in life.
To the people who know and recognize God in this life, who remain in unity with Him through Jesus Christ, a reward will be given. It will be greater and more valuable than any “business”, more than any earthly temporary success – it will be eternal life with their Creator and Lord Jesus Christ.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
So let us not judge, let us not draw conclusions about happiness, about who is fortunate in this temporary life, “For with God,” as Peter the Apostle testifies,
“a thousand years [are] as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
Christians must be aware of their greatest values, their everlasting happiness — to have the gift of eternal life from God. There are many religions that recognize God, but the road to union with God is one – through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
Neither Moses (though we acknowledge him as a great prophet), nor any of the prophets, nor Mohammad, nor Buddha can lead people to unity with God, none of them even claim to be a person of God, and none of them have the power to grant the greatest value – life. The only Lord Jesus Christ has that power:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My words and believes in Him who sent Me, has everlasting...” (John 5:24)
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.
