Who Might We Become If We walk in the Steps of Christ?

(Philippians 4:4-9)

Throughout history, people have journeyed to physical spots or destinations of spiritual significance to them. In pre-Christian times, pagan believers traveled to various cultic sites—for instance, the oracle at Delphi. Similarly, the Jewish people traveled to Jerusalem. This was the site of their temple, the privileged locus of the presence of their God. In establishing a covenant with the ancient Israelites, God commanded that they should come to Jerusalem three times a year to keep feast to Him. Every able-bodied Jew was to travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Feast of the First Fruits of the Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering, or what is now known as the Feast of Tabernacles (Ex 23:14). In the Gospel narrative from today, Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. Unleavened bread is the bread of the desert. By the time of Jesus, this feast was associated with the journey of the ancient Israelites through the desert—the Passover event. Read More

HE SHARES OUR SORROWS

I’ve never lost a close friend to death. My parents and several aunts, uncles, and cousins have passed on, but no one who I would say was an especially close friend. I can only surmise that the death of a family member affects the heart differently from the death of a close friend. Family relationships can be complicated and “messy,” so to speak. We don’t choose our family; we’re sort of “stuck” with them. Some of us may be fortunate to really enjoy the company of our families, but for others it’s painful.

Relationships with our friends are quite different. Typically, we choose our friends. Usually they share our interests, we are comfortable with them, and we may even feel free to share things with them we wouldn’t share with our immediate family, or even with our priest, for that matter. We meet them at school, in our neighborhoods, at Scout meetings, or on a baseball team. Others don’t make close friends until they get into college. Many times, we just gravitate towards each other. The greatest friends are those who, even though we may be separated from them by hundreds and even thousands of miles, and not see them for years, are still as close to us as if we lived next door and talked every day, and when we do get together we take up right where we left off.

Jesus had a close friend, Lazarus. We’re not given the details surrounding their friendship. We know that Jesus dined in his home in Bethany, which was a “Sabbath day’s journey” from Jerusalem. We have more specific details about Jesus’ interaction with Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters, than the content of any conversations between Jesus and Lazarus. The Apostle John in his Gospel, chapter 11, alludes to their friendship. Lazarus fell sick and word is sent to Jesus from Mary and Martha: “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” When Jesus receives the news from Lazarus’ sisters, He is “on the road” with His disciples. John writes that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Read More

Read More

From the eve of Lazarus Saturday until the eve of Bright Monday, Orthodoxy in Dialogue will refrain from publishing controversial content.

We will close our Facebook group to comments during the same period.

There is a time for everything. Let this be our time for prayer, forgiveness of enemies, confession of sins, renewed love for God and every neighbour, and focus on Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead.

Let us call brothers even those who hate us, and forgive all by the Resurrection.

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Pray for us especially during this holiest of times, as we in our unworthiness pray for you.