Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early Churchনমুনা

Sin tries to fill the void that only God can fill in our lives. It’s like the wooden shape blocks for children – you can’t force the circle shaped wooden block into the square shaped wooden cutout, no matter how hard you try. The lie Satan tells us about sin is that it can fill the void, and that’s the illusion, it only creates a void in our lives that will never be satisfied even by sin, you will keep wanting more and more.

Rejecting evil, as was yesterday’s theme, is only half the solution to getting back on track with God. Rejecting evil is important but without replacing it with good will result in our efforts and struggles being fruitless. God earnestly desires that we stop trying to force the circle shaped wood block into the square shaped wooden cutout. To reject evil and not hold on to good will result in us reverting back to our evil ways - stopping any bad or sinful habit and is not replaced with a good one will always, sooner or later, result in us relapsing, but to reject evil and fill our minds with God’s word, goodness and love is to be “squared away” with God; it is to know by the “width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” [Ephesians 3:18-19]

“But how does Christ dwell in the hearts? Hear what Christ Himself says, ‘I and my Father will come unto him and make our abode with him.’ He dwells in those hearts that are faithful, in those that are rooted in His love, those that remain firm and unshaken.” [St. John Chrysostom, the 4th century Archbishop of Constantinople and a “doctor of the Church”]When we reject evil, fill our minds with God’s word and hold on to Him, we become more like Him, more in His likeness; we become holy, as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7). It is then, unsurprisingly, that Christians are called to love and to give freely, as God does. We should note that, unlike the world and society we live in, loving and giving isn’t to be done based on certain metrics, those that are “worthy” or even for those that meet minimum requirements deserving of our love and charity. Everyone, those that love us and those that wish us dead, is deserving of God’s love and charity, much like we, although unworthy sinners, do not deserve the grace of God, His love and His charity. As we have freely received, we should also freely give (Matthew 10:8).

Does a candle lose anything of itself by sharing its light with another candle? By sharing what it was freely given it is able to bring a change - it is able to bring more light to a dark room. The same is true of Jesus and His followers - He says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” [John 8:12] and He also says in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The moon has no light in it of itself, but merely reflects the light from the sun, we Christians ought to do the same – as the Son has given grace freely and showed us love, we ought to love and give freely because “He first loved us” [1 John 4:19].

“Love is commanded when it is said, ‘Love your enemies,’ so that the saying which was uttered already before the church may be fulfilled: ‘Set in order love in me.’ For love is set in order when the precepts of love are formed. See how it began from the heights and cast the law underneath the backs of the gospel’s blessing. The law commands the revenge of punishment. The gospel bestows love for hostility, benevolence for hatred, prayer for curses, help for the persecuted, patience for the hungry and grace of reward. How much more perfect the athlete who does not feel injury!” [St. Ambrose, 4th century Bishop of Milan]