Sermons & Homilies
In this narration, we have the juxtaposition of the physical blindness of this man with the spiritual blindness of the teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, who are continually seeking to condemn Christ. On this occasion, Christ reveals himself as the Creator and Messiah.
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Even as we are falling into sin, cutting ourselves off from God, slaying ourselves with spiritual death; even amidst this, God speaks hope into our heart, reassuring us that there is a Savior for those who repent. This is proved to us by our Fore-Parents, Adam and Eve. For, after they sinned, they heard the Lord’s words of condemnation of the serpent-devil, but mixed with this there was the first prophecy of the coming Messiah, Christ, the Savior of the world.
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Today’s Gospel shows us two great wonders: one—a woman is healed from an affliction which she has suffered for eighteen whole years from an evil spirit; and, two—we see a hypocritical ruler of the synagogue completely blinded by spiritual delusion, earthly-mindedness and, not just numb to this miracle, but filled with indignation…bitter hatred and disgust; for whom? For God incarnate.
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According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, every passage in the whole of sacred Scripture, and above all each word of the Holy Gospel, is spoken by the Lord God directly to each one of us personally. All of the history recorded in sacred Scripture is the history of our own heart. Every prayer should be taken up as the cry of our own spirit to its Creator. The wisdom contained in it–like honey in a honeycomb–is given to each one of us for use in our own lives and for the salvation of our own souls.