Reflection by Archpriest Viacheslav Reznikov (d. 2011) on John 1:35–51 and Acts 2:22–36. Christ is Risen! The Gospel today spoke about the first disciples of the Lord, and the book of the Acts of the Apostles spoke about how they first went out to preach. There is a little over three years between these two events. All this time, the Apostles were inseparably with Christ, they heard a lot, saw a lot, and they themselves were honored by the grace of God to heal the sick and cast out demons. But still, it cannot be said that they have changed noticeably over these three years. All the time they have doubts, bewilderments, misunderstandings, and disputes. And in the last chapters there is even fear, cowardice, and renunciation. But a few more days pass, and the disciples boldly go out into the street and preach Christ in front of a crowd of thousands. And these are already different people. They do not look back, they are not afraid of threats or suffering. They don't even care about death itself. What happened during these few days? What happened was what the services of Holy Week and the following bright days were dedicated to. The teacher was condemned, killed and buried. Suddenly, on the third day, he appeared resurrected! And not like the son of the widow of Nain, or like Lazarus, who received only a temporary reprieve. Christ rose again so as not to die ever again; appeared in a new, spiritual body, to which nothing can harm. “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” the Apostles undoubtedly believed in their own coming resurrection. They got rid of the fear of death that made them slaves. They went out to the whole earth, proclaiming that “God has raised up this Jesus, of which we are all witnesses.” For the Apostles, Christ was truly risen, and therefore they became truly different. Therefore, people believed them and answered: “Truly Christ has risen!” And when you and I say: “Christ is risen,” we hear in response: “If He is truly risen, then why don’t you yourself live according to His commandments?” We say: “Christ is risen,” and they answer us: “If He is truly risen, then why are you experiencing the death of your loved ones with such immeasurable sorrow?” We say: “Christ is risen,” and the answer is: “If He is truly risen, then why are you no less attached to earthly things, to perishable things, to the comforts of life, to things”? - And we have nothing to answer. We turn out to be liars to people because we proclaim the greatest event, but we ourselves live as if it never happened. Bishop Theophan the Recluse writes: “The words of the Angel ‘go preach to the world’ in relation to us means live so that your life be a single word: ‘Christ is risen,’ and so that, looking at you, all people can say: ‘Truly is risen.’ ‘- because apparently He lives in His followers.’” Christ is Risen!
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Archpriest Viacheslav Reznikov, Polnyi krug propovedei, "Svetlaia sedmitza". |
