Orthodox Sermons & Articles

Sadly, in this state of "spiritual blindness" our weak human nature provokes even more transgressions that in turn also settle solidly upon what was once the good soil of our heart. No sin is counted small in the process of hardening of our hearts. If we work out the soil in our garden and then start to place small stones on top, it will leave a small, but definite imprint. Additional small stones will leave more imprints; and if we add even heavier stones, our garden eventually will become a desert. We rarely would do such damage to our gardens, but, instead, we pick up any rock and try to keep the soil soft. Why is it that we often fail to clean the much more important garden of our soul using the best tool ever given to us by God, "Penitence"?

 

Today’s parable reveals to us how God cares and loves us, because He tries to forewarn us about the virtual division of humans into four inadequate parts and as such, He tries to prevent us from perishing.

 

Some people might say that they do not have to have good soil all the time: In response to such thinking, Jesus mentioned two more categories of people who actually listen to the words of God or accept the good seed into their hearts. "The seed that fell into the rocky soil and seed that fell among thorns had given a sprout". Jesus Christ explained here that people who failed to properly maintain the soil of their hearts at all times either "in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:13) or "are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14).

 

The Orthodox Church teaches that results are supreme, not the time of the growing. Every tree is known by its fruit (Matt.12: 33). Therefore, we need to produce good fruit in order to be known as good followers of Jesus. Some say that it is very hard to grow up spiritually and not to undergo decay. This is true. Nevertheless, we have the best substance to fight decay: repentance. Tears of a penitent heart smooth this spiritual decay and a sincere life in Christ renews the diseased spot bringing to it the saving flow of the Holy Spirit. We need to keep this in mind and always seek relief through repentance because there is no other way to fight the "rocky" soil of our hearts.

 

First, we need to check immediately as to which category we belong now. This check up has to be honest, sincere and truthful because on it will depend our course of action and our final position. A clear vision of our inner disorder is vital.

 

If a farmer has bad sight and does not see stones on his farm, he might damage not only his machinery but also his reputation because every respectful farmer keeps his fields clean. Although we take good or relatively good care of our land and property that will be left behind us one day; however, we in most cases neglect the only imperishable possession we have – our souls. We have to realize it clearly and start to change the way we look after our own soul and ensure that it progresses from the "rocky soil" into "good soil" with the promised reward.

 

This cannot be done without firm faith in Jesus Christ, which inspires us to do only good and love all people with the same sacrificial love. Some people are reluctant to change their way of life only because they favor the idea that faith is not really that important in our lives and therefore is not really required. All we have to do is just to be good residents of the town or country and try to do good work. St. Paul the Apostle opens this discussion and shows that we definitely need faith in Jesus Christ in order to ensure that our works would be salvific for us.

 

In the days of St. Paul some of the Christians were driven away from the truth of Christianity by those who wanted to take the church back into Judaism, and subject her to the Law of Moses. They taught that we Christians need to fulfill the Law fully as only through it they can find salvation.

 

Therefore, St. Paul wrote: "…a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ… for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Gal. 2:16). Faith in Jesus Christ is essential for our salvation. Only through faith can we die for the law and resurrect with Christ. Only by faith can we soften the rocky soil of our heart and produce the good fruit resulting from Jesus’ preaching. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we call God "our Father" because no one comes to Father except through Jesus. Therefore, let us not be ignorant to the way we live and to the deeds we do. Let us enliven it with faith and the works we do in the name of faith and by faith will be accepted by our Lord and our God. Let us take care of our inner field as seriously as we take care of our land or our house and then we will receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Our soul is as real as we ourselves, therefore let us take care of it and prepare it for the meeting with our Savior. Let us follow St. Paul the Apostle who said in today’s epistle reading about his life: "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Let us like Paul make our faith as essential for us as breathing through which we keep alive our bodies because by faith we keep alive and fertilize our souls. May the Lord our God help us to become good soil for His word. Amen.