In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mark 2.1-12
At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”-he said to the paralytic-“I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Today we celebrate the second Sunday of Great Lent. How quickly time passes! It is a good milestone on our ascetical journey, for it marks that we are a fair distance on the road to Pascha. It serves as a reminder to those who began their Lenten struggle at the beginning to stay strong. And it cries out to those who have been less watchful to open their eyes and begin now; we may usefully recall here the parable of the workers in the vineyard and its message that even those who come late may yet receive a good reward.
That, I hasten to add, is not a recommendation to spiritual laziness! I think that it is unlikely that a person would be truly repentant of their neglect of the early days of this holy season if they have had from the beginning the cynical intent to in no way to join in the contest until the very end and only then step forward and attempt to claim for themselves the prize.
On this Sunday we also celebrate St Gregory Palamas. This is regarded by the Church as being a continuation, in a way, of the Triumph of Orthodoxy which was celebrated last week. That Sunday, you will recall, marks the rejection of the terrible heresy of iconoclasm. St Gregory was also a great champion of the Orthodox Faith, making it clear that while God was unknowable in His Essence, He was knowable in His Energies, and that those Energies are uncreated.
The theology behind the issue is complex and I do not think a short reflection is the proper place for such complicated matters, being more likely to confusion in its brevity than to enlighten. It is perhaps sufficient here to mention that the matter became known as the Hesychast Controversy, because the instigator of the dispute, Barlaam, considered it heretical that his opponents believed that not only was God knowable in His Energies, but that it was possible for these Energies to be experienced, albeit by a rare and blessed few, by means of the Jesus Prayer.
Barlaam, it should be noted, while he was ethnically Greek and identified himself as being Orthodox, was born and raised in Italy, was heavily influenced by Western theological thought, and, having failed to convince the Eastern Church of his position, departed for the Western Church where he was made a bishop.
The wrongness of Barlaam’s belief that God is unknowable is made particularly clear in today’s Gospel. In it we see God not only made flesh but wanting people to know that God is made flesh. The God who makes Himself known to us in such a way is far from unknowable.
Why does the Church place such an emphasis on the rejection of heresy during the holy season of Great Lent? At this point, it is useful to recall what the word heresy means. Literally, it means choice, or to choose, or to take a particular course of action. In its theological sense it means to choose a belief other than the Orthodox one; with the word Orthodox, of course, meaning right belief.
Lent, as you know, is a time of prayer and fasting. There is a purpose to that prayer and fasting. It is done that we may grow spiritually, that we may grow closer to God. How do we become closer to One who is unknowable? And how do grow closer to God if we reject the truths He has revealed to us through His Son, Sacred Scriptures, and the Holy Traditions of His Church? The answer is that we do not.
Therefore, the Church reminds us of the dangers of heresy at the beginning of Great Lent. And our response to that reminder, I would suggest, should be that as we pray and fast we also must study the truths of our faith, so that we may make rich spiritual gains during this holy time and grow ever closer to God. Amen.
The Holy Orthodox Order of St George the Great Martyr works tirelessly to help those in need. We focus particularly on our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Holy Land and those who suffer because of their Christian faith. However, we strive to help all in need. Funds are desperately needed at this time to help those facing the horrors of war in Gaza and Lebanon. Please help if you can by making a donation to the Order. And please keep all those who suffer in your prayers. Thank you and may God bless you.
