ΤΩΝ ΔΕΚΑ ΛΕΠΡΩΝ (Λουκ. ιζ΄ 12-19)
Τῷ καιρῷ εκείνω, εἰσερχομένου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἴς τινα κώμην ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ δέκα λεπροὶ ἄνδρες, οἳ ἔστησαν πόρρωθεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦραν φωνὴν λέγοντες· Ἰησοῦ ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Καὶ ἰδὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· πορευθέντες ἐπιδείξατε ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτοὺς ἐκαθαρίσθησαν. Εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἰδὼν ὅτι ἰάθη, ὑπέστρεψε μετὰ φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρείτης. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐχὶ οἱ δέκα ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; Οἱ δὲ ἐννέα ποῦ; Οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ὑποστρέψαντες δοῦναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀλλογενὴς οὗτος; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀναστὰς πορεύου· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε.
Ἀπόδοση σέ ἁπλή γλῶσσα
Τόν καιρό ἐκεῖνο, καθὼς ἔμπαινε ὁ Ἰησοῦς σ’ ἕνα χωριό, τὸν συνάντησαν δέκα ἄνδρες λεπροί, οἱ ὁποῖοι ἐστάθηκαν λίγο μακρυά, καὶ τοῦ φώναξαν, «Ἰησοῦ Διδάσκαλε, ἐλέησέ μας». Ὅταν τοὺς εἶδε, τοὺς εἶπε, «Πηγαίνετε νὰ δείξετε τὸν ἑαυτό σας στοὺς ἱερεῖς», καὶ ἐνῷ πήγαιναν, καθαρίσθηκαν. Ἕνας ἀπ’ αὐτούς, ὅταν εἶδε ὄτι θεραπεύθηκε, ἐπέστρεψε δοξάζοντας τὸν Θεὸ μὲ δυνατὴ φωνὴν καὶ ἔπεσε μὲ τὸ πρόσωπον στὰ πόδια τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὸν εὐχαριστοῦσε· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦταν Σαμαρείτης. Τότε εἶπε ὁ Ἰησοῦς: «Δὲν καθαρίσθηκαν καὶ οἱ δέκα; Οἱ ἄλλοι ἐννέα ποῦ εἶναι; Κανεὶς δὲν βρέθηκε νὰ ἐπιστρέψῃ γιὰ νὰ δοξάσῃ τὸν Θεὸ παρὰ αὐτὸς ὁ ἀλλοεθνής;». Καὶ εἶπε σ’ αὐτόν: «Σήκω ἐπάνω καὶ πήγαινε· ἡ πίστη σου σὲ ἔσωσε».
Ὁμιλία γιὰ τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνη – Anthony Bloom (Metropolitan of Sourozh (1914- 2003))
Από την Ιστοσελίδα του Ιερού Ναού Αγίας Ζώνης Πατησίων Αθηνών, ΕΔΩ
Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος
Δέκα λεπροὶ ἦρθαν στὸν Κύριο· δέκα ἄνθρωποι ποὺ ἦταν τελετουργικὰ ἀκάθαρτοι καὶ γι’ αὐτὸ εἶχαν ἀπορριφθεῖ ἀπὸ τὴν κοινότητα τους, ἀδυνατοῦσαν νὰ παραβρεθοῦν στὴν κοινὴ λατρεία στὸ Ναό, ἀδυνατοῦσαν νὰ πλησιάσουν τὶς κατοικίες τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπειδὴ ἡ ἀρρώστεια τους μποροῦσε νὰ μεταδοθεῖ στοὺς ἄλλους: θὰ μποροῦσαν νὰ μολυνθοῦν, νὰ ἀρρωστήσουν θανατηφόρα.
Ἦρθαν στὸν Κύριο καὶ στάθηκαν μακρυὰ ἐπειδὴ γνώριζαν ὅτι δὲν εἶχαν δικαίωμα νὰ πλησιάσουν, νὰ Τὸν ἀγγίξουν καθὼς ἔκανε ἡ αἱμορροούσα καὶ θεραπεύτηκε. Ἀπὸ μακρυὰ κραύγασαν γιὰ ἔλεος, καὶ ὁ Κύριος τοὺς θεράπευσε· τοὺς ἔστειλε στοὺς ἱερεῖς γιὰ νὰ καθαριστοῦν τυπικά. Δέκα πῆγαν καὶ οἱ ἐννέα δὲν γύρισαν πίσω ποτέ. Ἕνας ἀπ’ αὐτοὺς ἀνακαλύπτοντας καθ’ ὁδὸν ὅτι θεραπεύτηκε, ἄφησε κάθε ἄλλο ἐνδιαφέρον ἐκτὸς ἀπὸ τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνη σ’ Ἐκεῖνον ποὺ τὸν κατέστησε ὑγιῆ ψυχικὰ καὶ σωματικά. Ἐπέστρεψε καὶ εὐχαρίστησε τὸν Κύριο, καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο μᾶς λέει ὅτι ἦταν Σαμαρείτης, ἕνας ἄνθρωπος ποὺ δὲν ἀνῆκε στὴν Ἑβραϊκὴ κοινότητα, ἕνας ἄνθρωπος δίχως δικαιώματα στὸν λαὸ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ἕνας ἄνθρωπος ποὺ δὲν ἦταν μόνο ξένος ἀλλὰ ἀπορριπτέος.
Γιατὶ – ὁ ἴδιος ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν ρωτᾶ – γιατὶ συμβαίνει καὶ οἱ ἐννέα ἀπ’ αὐτοὺς δὲν σκέφτηκαν νὰ ἐπιστρέψουν; Ἐπειδὴ ἔνοιωσαν ὅτι τὴ στιγμὴ ποὺ καθαρίστηκαν ἐπανῆλθαν πλήρεις ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ Ἱσραὴλ· δὲν χρειάζονταν τίποτα περισσότερο, εἶχαν τὰ πάντα.
Ὁ Σαμαρείτης ἤξερε ὅτι καθαρίστηκε, ὅτι θεραπεύτηκε, ἀποκαταστάθηκε δίχως νὰ ἔχει κανένα δικαίωμα στὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ σὲ τούτη τὴ πράξη τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Δὲν εἶναι ἀλήθεια ὅτι ἡ εὐγνωμοσύνη ἀνθίζει στὶς καρδιές μας πιὸ δυνατὰ ὅταν αὐτὸ ποὺ δεχόμαστε δὲν τὸ ἀξίζουμε, ὅταν εἶναι ἕνα θαῦμα θεϊκῆς καὶ ἀνθρώπινης ἀγάπης; Ὅταν νομίζουμε ὅτι ἀξίζουμε κάτι καὶ τὸ δεχόμαστε, τὸ δεχόμαστε σὰν νὰ μᾶς ὀφείλεται· αὐτὸ ἔκαναν καὶ οἱ ἐννέα Ἑβραῖοι. Ἀλλὰ ὁ Σαμαρείτης ἤξερε ὅτι δὲν εἶχε δικαίωμα στὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ, στὸ θαῦμα τῆς θεραπείας, καὶ ἡ καρδιά του γέμισε μ’ εὐγνωμοσύνη.
Αὐτὸ δὲν ἰσχύει καὶ σ’ ἐμᾶς; Πράγματι! Πράγματι ἔχει νὰ κάνει μ’ ἐμᾶς δυστυχῶς, ἐπειδὴ ὅλοι μας νοιώθουμε ὅτι ἔχουμε δικαίωματα: δικαίωμα στὸ ἀνθρώπινο ἐνδιαφέρον, δικαίωμα στὴν ἀγάπη, σὲ ὅ,τι μπορεῖ νὰ μᾶς δώσει ἡ γῆ καὶ οἱ ἀνθρώπινες σχέσεις, δικαίωμα στὴν φροντίδα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ στὴν πρὸς ἐμᾶς ἀγάπη. Καὶ γι’ αὐτὸ, ὅταν δεχόμαστε ἕνα δῶρο εἴμαστε ἐξωτερικὰ εὐγνώμονες, λέμε ἕνα ἐπιπόλαιο «εὐχαριστῶ»· ἀλλὰ αὐτὸ δὲν μεταμορφώνει τὴ σχέση μας, εἴτε πρὸς τὸν Θεό, εἴτε πρὸς ἐκείνους ποὺ ὑπῆρξαν ἐλεήμονες πρὸς ἐμᾶς. Τὸ δεχόμαστε ὅπως μᾶς ἁρμόζει καὶ εἴμαστε εὐγνώμονες σ’ ἐκείνους ποὺ ἔπαιξαν καθοριστικὸ ρόλο στὸ νὰ μᾶς ἀποδοθεῖ αὐτὸ ποὺ «ἁπλῶς» εἴχαμε δικαίωμα νὰ ἔχουμε.
Ὁ πρῶτος Μακαρισμὸς μᾶς μιλάει ἐν προκειμένῳ ξεκάθαρα: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, διότι σ’αὐτοὺς ἀνήκει ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ποιοὶ εἶναι «οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι;» Δὲν εἶναι ἐκεῖνοι ποὺ εἶναι ἁπλῶς πτωχοί· ἡ φτώχεια δὲν προκαλεῖ τὶς μεγάλες ἀρετὲς ἀπὸ μόνη της· «πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι», εἶναι ἐκεῖνοι ποὺ στὴν καρδιὰ καὶ στὸ μυαλό, μ’ ὅλο τους τὸ εἶναι, γνωρίζουν ὅτι δὲν κατέχουν τίποτα ποὺ δὲν εἶναι δῶρο καὶ δὲν ἀξίζουν τίποτα ἀπ’ ὅ,τι μᾶς δίνεται δωρεάν. Ἄς τὸ σκεφτοῦμε λίγο αὐτὸ.
Δὲν ἀποκτήσαμε ὑπόσταση ἀπὸ δική μας θέληση· ὁ Θεὸς μᾶς ἔδωσε ὕπαρξη, ὄχι μ’ ἐντολή, ἀλλὰ μὲ μιὰ πράξη ἰσχύος. Ἀπὸ μιὰ πράξη ἀγάπης, ἐπειδή μᾶς ἀγάπησε τόσο ὥστε μᾶς ἔδωσε ὑπόσταση. Μὲ αὐτὴν τὴν πράξη μᾶς λέει: Σᾶς ἀγαπῶ! Δίχως ἐσᾶς ὁ κόσμος ποὺ δημιούργησα δὲν θὰ ἦταν ὁλοκληρωμένος στὰ μάτια μου· ἀλλὰ ἔχω πίστη ὅτι δὲν θὰ προδώσετε τὴν ἐμπιστοσύνη μου. Ἐλπίζω στὸ καλὸ ποὺ ὑπάρχει μέσα σας. Ἡ ἀγάπη μου δὲν θὰ λαθέψει ποτέ, ἡ πίστη καὶ ἡ ἐλπίδα μου σ’ ἐσᾶς θὰ παραμείνουν ἀκλόνητες – ἀνταποκριθῆτε σ’ αὐτὲς. Τὸ θαῦμα εἶναι ὅτι, ὅσο λίγο κι ἄν πιστεύουμε στὸν Θεό, Ἐκεῖνος πιστεύει σ’ ἐμᾶς. Αὐτὸ δὲν εἶναι θαῦμα; Καὶ ὑπάρχουμε μόνο ἐξαιτίας αὐτῆς τῆς πίστης τοῦ Θεοῦ σ’ ἐμᾶς, ἐξαιτίας αὐτῆς τῆς ἐλπίδας καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ποὺ μᾶς περιέβαλε.
Καὶ ἄν πᾶμε λίγο πιὸ πέρα, δὲν ὑπάρχουμε ἁπλῶς- εἴμαστε ζωντανοὶ μὲ τὴν ἀναπνοὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ποὺ μᾶς κάνει ὅμοιούς Του, ἱκανοὺς νὰ Τὸν γνωρίζουμε! Καὶ ἀποκαλύφθηκε σ’ ἐμᾶς μὲ τόσους πολλοὺς τρόπους, ἀλλὰ ἐν τέλει στὴν Ἐνσάρκωση Του: ὁ ἴδιος ὁ Θεὸς ἔγινε ἄνθρωπος γιὰ ἐμᾶς γιὰ νὰ δοῦμε πόσο ἔχουμε ἀγαπηθεῖ ἀπὸ Ἐκεῖνον, πόσο σπουδαῖοι εἴμαστε στὰ μάτια Του, καὶ πόσο πραγματικὰ σπουδαῖοι εἴμαστε ἐν δυνάμει στὴν ἀνθρώπινή μας φύση. Κοινωνοῦντες τὸν Χριστὸ μποροῦμε νὰ γίνουμε ὅλοι υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες τοῦ Ζῶντος Θεοῦ, μέτοχοι τῆς Θεϊκῆς φύσεως. Καὶ γιὰ νὰ τὸ ἐπιτύχει αὐτὸ ὁ Χριστὸς μᾶς πρόσφερε τὴ ζωή Του, τὴ διδασκαλία Του, τὸν θάνατο Του, τὴν συγχώρεση ποὺ ἔδωσε σ’ ἐκείνους ποὺ Τὸν σταύρωσαν: «Ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τὶ ποιοῦσι!» Αὐτὸ μᾶς ἀφορᾶ συνεχῶς, μέρα μὲ τὴν μέρα, ἀπὸ τὴν Ἀνάστασή Του καὶ τὴ διακήρυξη τῆς ἀνθρώπινης δόξας μας, ἀφοῦ κάθησε στὰ δεξιὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέει ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος. Ἄν θέλεις νὰ ξέρεις πόσο σπουδαῖος εἶναι ὁ ἄνθρωπος, κοίταξε στὸ θρόνο τοῦ Θεοῦ – θὰ δεῖς τὸν Ἄνθρωπο καθισμένο στὰ δεξιὰ τῆς δόξης!
Δὲν εἶναι σ’ μᾶς ἀρκετὸ νὰ εἴμαστε εὐγνώμονες ἐνώπιον ὁποιασδήποτε ἄλλης δωρεᾶς ποὺ μᾶς παραχωρήθηκε: ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πιὸ κοντινῶν μας προσώπων καὶ ἄλλων ποὺ νοιάζονται, ἡ ἀσφάλεια τῆς ζωῆς, τῆς τροφῆς, τοῦ ἀέρα, ἡ ὑγεία. Ἀλλὰ ὅλοι μας τὰ θεωροῦμε δεδομένα· δὲν εἴμαστε «πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι» – θεωροῦμε σὰν νὰ μᾶς τὰ ὡφείλουν· γιατὶ νὰ εἴμαστε εὐγνώμονες ποὺ μᾶς δίνεται ὅ,τι δικαιούμαστε; Γιατὶ δὲν μᾶς δίνει ὁ Θεὸς ὅ,τι ἔχει ὑποχρέωση νὰ μᾶς δώσει; Αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ στάση μας, δὲν τὸ διατυπώνουμε τόσο ὡμά, ἀλλὰ ζοῦμε ἔτσι!
Ὁ Σαμαρείτης δὲν ἔκανε τὸ ἴδιο· δὲν εἶχε κανένα δικαίωμα νὰ μοιραστεῖ κάτι ποὺ ἦταν δικαίωμα τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ- καὶ τοῦ δόθηκε! Καὶ ἡ εὐγνωμοσύνη του ἦταν φλεγόμενη, λάμπουσα!
Δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ μάθουμε κάτι ἀπ’ αὐτόν; Κι ἐπίσης, δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ συνειδητοποιήσουμε πόσο ὑπέροχο θὰ ἦταν ἄν ἀπὸ εὐγνωμοσύνη ζούσαμε κατὰ αὐτὸν τὸν τρόπο ὥστε νὰ δώσουμε χαρὰ στὸν Κύριο, τὴ χαρὰ ὄτι δὲν μᾶς δημιούργησε μάταια, ὅτι δὲν πιστεύει μάταια σ’ μᾶς, ὅτι δὲν μᾶς ἐμπιστεύτηκε μάταια, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ποὺ λάβαμε εἶναι τώρα σαρκωμένη, ὄχι μόνο συναισθηματικά, ἀλλὰ στὴν πράξη!
Ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος λέει ὅτι εἶναι μεγαλύτερη χαρὰ νὰ δίνεις ἀπὸ τὸ νὰ παίρνεις· εἶναι αὐτὴ ἡ στάση μας; Ἄν εἴμαστε ἀληθινὰ εὐγνώμονες γιὰ τὰ χαρίσματα ποὺ εἶναι δικά μας- πόσο γενναιόδωρα, μὲ πόση χαρὰ θὰ προσφέραμε στὸν καθένα γύρω μας μέσα ἀπὸ μιὰ πράξη ἀγάπης ποὺ θὰ ἦταν τὸ μερίδιο μας στὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἄν συνειδητοποιήσαμε ὅτι ὅλα ποὺ ἔχουμε στὴν ψυχή, στὸ σῶμα, σὲ καταστάσεις τῆς ζωῆς συμβαίνουν ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς μᾶς ἔστειλε στὸν κόσμο σὰν ἀγγελιοφόρους Του νὰ φέρουμε τὴν θεϊκὴ παρουσία μὲ τίμημα ἄν χρειαστεῖ τὴ ζωή μας- πόσο εὐγνώμονες θὰ εἴμασταν καὶ πῶς θὰ ζούσαμε ἔτσι ποὺ ὁ Θεὸς ποὺ θὰ κοίταζε τὸν καθένα ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς, θὰ ἔλεγε: νὰ ἕνας μαθητής μου ποὺ κατανόησε τὸ θέλημα μου καὶ ζεῖ σύμφωνα μ’ αὐτὸ!
Ἄς προβληματιστοῦμε· ἄς μάθουμε νὰ ζοῦμε μ’ εὐγνωμοσύνη, μὲ τὴ χαρὰ ὅτι ἀγαπηθήκαμε μέσα ἀπὸ τὴν κοινωνία μας μὲ τὸν Θεό, ἀλλὰ γνωρίζοντας ὅτι πρόκειται γιὰ μιὰ πράξη εὐγνωμοσύνης, χαρισμένης γενναιοδωρίας, δὲν ἔχουμε δικαιώματα καὶ ὅμως κατέχουμε τὰ πάντα. Ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος εἶπε τοῦτο: Δὲν ἔχω τίποτα καὶ ὅλα τὰ κατέχω. Ὁ καθένας μας θὰ μποροῡσε νὰ εἶναι τόσο πλούσιος μέσα στὴν ἀπόλυτη πτωχεία, πλούσιος ἀπὸ τὴν ἀγάπη, τὴ δύναμη καὶ τὸν πλοῦτο τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Ἄς προβληματιστοῦμε καὶ ἄς προσφέρουμε στὸν Θεό, μὲ μιὰ πράξη εὐγνωμοσύνης ὄχι μόνο στὰ λόγια, ποὺ ἀμυδρὰ νοιώσαμε, ἀλλὰ ἔμπρακτα στὴ ζωή μας: ἄς τοῦ δώσουμε τὴ χαρὰ καὶ τὴ βεβαιότητα ὅτι δὲν μᾶς δημιούργησε μάταια, δὲν ἔζησε καὶ δὲν πέθανε μάταια γιὰ ἐμᾶς, ὅτι εἴμαστε ἀληθινοὶ μαθητές Του ποὺ ἔχουμε καταλάβει καὶ θέλουμε νὰ ζήσουμε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιό Του. Ἀμήν.
Ἀπόδοση στὰ νεοελληνικά: www.agiazoni.gr
Πρωτότυπο κείμενο SERMON ON GRATITUDE
17 December 1989
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Ten lepers came to the Lord; ten men who were ritually unclean and therefore, ritually rejected by their community, unable to attend the common worship of the Temple, unable to come near the habitations of men; and unclean also in the eyes of men because their sickness could be transmitted to others: others could become impure, others could be sick unto death.
They came to Christ and stood afar off because they knew that they had no right to come near, to touch Him as had done the woman who had an issue of blood and who had been healed. From afar off they cried for mercy, and the Lord healed them; He sent them to the priests in order to be ritually cleansed. Ten of them went, and nine never came back. One of them, discovering on his way that he was healed, let go of every other concern but his gratitude to Him that had restored him to wholeness. He came back and thanked the Lord, and the Gospel tells us that this man was a Samaritan, a man who was outside of the Hebrew community, a man who had no rights within the people of Israel, a man who was not only a stranger, but a reject.
Why is it – and Christ Himself asks the question – why is it that nine of them never thought of returning? Because they felt that now that they were clean they were restored to the wholeness of the people of Israel; they needed nothing more, they had everything. The Samaritan knew that he had been cleansed, healed, made whole without having any right to this love of God and this act of Christ.
Isn’t it true that gratitude springs up in our hearts more powerfully, more gloriously when what we receive is undeserved, when it is a miracle of divine and human love? When we think that we deserve something and receive it, we receive it as our due; so did the nine Jews. But the Samaritan knew he had no right to the mercy of God, no right to this miracle of healing, and his heart was filled with gratitude.
Does this not apply to us? Indeed, it does! Indeed it does so sadly, because all of us do feel that we have a right: a right to human concern, to human love, a right to everything which the earth and human relationships can give, ultimately, a right for God’s care and love for us. And therefore, when we receive a gift we are superficially grateful, we say a perfunctory ‘thank you’; but it does not transform our relationship, either to God or to those who have been merciful to us. We receive it as our due, and we are grateful to those who were instrumental in conveying to us what ‘naturally’ we had a right to have.
The first Beatitude speaks to us in that respect very clearly: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God……Who are the poor in spirit? It is not those who are simply poor; poverty does not call out the great virtues simply by itself; the poor in spirit are those who in their heart and mind, in their whole self, know that they possess nothing which is not a gift, and deserve nothing of what gratuitously is given to us. Let us reflect one moment on this.
We did not come into being of our own volition; God brought us into being, and not by command, by an act of power. He brought us into being by an act of love, He loved us into existence. By doing this, He says to us: I love you! Without you, the world which I have created would be incomplete in my eyes; but also, I have faith in you that you will not betray my trust. I put my hope in all the good there is in you; My love will never falter, My faith and hope in you will remain unshaken – respond to them! The wonder is that however little we believe in God, God believes in us. Is not this a marvel, a wonder? And we exist only because of this faith of God in us, because of this hope and love He has vested in us.
And if we think further we have not only existence – we are alive, alive with the breath of God that makes us akin to Him, capable of knowing Him! And again, He has revealed Himself to us in so many ways, but ultimately in the Incarnation: God Himself has become man for us to see how much we are loved, and how great we are in His eyes, and indeed how great we are potentially in our humanity; we can all become by communion to Christ the sons and daughters of the Living God, partakers of the Divine nature. And to achieve this Christ has given us His life, His teaching, His death, the forgiveness He gave to those who crucified Him: Forgive them, Father, they don’t know what they are doing! This applies to us also, all the time, day in, day out, of His Resurrection, and the manifestation of our human glory by His sitting at the right hand of God, Saint John Chrysostom says, If you want to know how great man is, look up to the throne of God – you will see Man enthroned at the right hand of glory!
Is not that enough for us to be grateful, to be grateful before any other particular gift is bestowed: the love of our closest, and of other people that care, the security of life, food, air, health! But we all take this for granted; we are not poor in spirit – we take it as our due; why should we be grateful that we are given what is our right? Why shouldn’t God give us all that is His obligation to give. This is our attitude, we don’t formulate it so crudely, but we live by it!
The Samaritan did not; he had no right to share anything that was the right of Israel – and he was given it! And his gratitude was aflame, aglow! Can we not learn something from him? And also, can we not realise how wonderful it would be if out of gratitude we lived in such a way as to give God joy, the joy of knowing that He has not created us in vain, that He does not believe in us in vain, that He has not put His trust in us in vain, that His love has been received, is now incarnate, not only in emotion, but in action! Saint Paul says, It is a greater joy to give than to receive; is that our attitude? If we are truly grateful for the gifts which are ours – how generously, how joyfully we would give to everyone around us in an act of love which would be our sharing in the love of God… And if we realised that all we have, in body, in soul, in circumstances of life, even in the tragedies of life, comes because God has sent us into the world as His messengers to bring divine presence at a cost, if necessary, of our lives – how grateful we would be, and how we would live in order that God should look at us, each of us, and say, Here is a disciple of Mine who has understood, and who lives accordingly!
Let us reflect on this; let us learn to live out of gratitude, out of the joy of being loved, out of our communion with God, but knowing that it is an act of gratuitous generosity, that we have no rights – and yet we possess all things. Saint Paul said that: I have nothing, and I possess all things. Each of us could be such a rich person in our utter poverty, rich with all the love and power and richness of God.
Let us reflect, and let us give God, in an act of gratitude not only spoken, not only dimly felt, but lived in every action of our life: let us give Him joy, and the certainty that He has not created us in vain, not lived and died for us in vain, that we are truly disciples who have understood and who want to live His Gospel. Amen.