In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. Christ has Ascended!
It feels strange, to look around here in church, and see faces covered by masks. There’s just a few of us here, maybe around 20 of us? This is much better though, than how it was a few weeks ago. Even on Pascha! Me and two or three other people here! How strange that was! But we’re making a little progress! Instead of three people here, we are at least allowed to have 25! When the Lord walked this earth, he kept company with 12. Just 12! He of course had more people who were interested, and followed Him. But many of those later abandoned Him. Our Church has its beginnings in very difficult times. Nothing, absolutely nothing was easy for them in those days. Remember the story of the woman at the well? How many of us have to go to a well to get our water? Remember the story of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem? He road on the foal of a donkey! (I won’t use the other commonly used term!) How many of us have to get around town on a donkey? Then there’s the well-known story of Jesus feeding the 5 thousand, with a few loaves of bread and some fish. How would we complain today, if we went to all that trouble to go someplace to hear a speaker, and all we were offered for a meal was fish and bread?! Oh, and fresh caught fish, that we had to clean and cook ourselves! Don’t forget the scrape off those scales!
What kind of service was that? And yet, the Church grew. Why? And how? Well, of course I’m kidding a little. the food and conditions I mentioned were simply commonplace back then. That was normal, everyday stuff. We have come so far from those days, that if we were to find ourselves suddenly transported back there into that time, we probably would suffer some pretty serious shock! In comparison, we have it pretty easy these days, at least in terms of material possessions and conveniences. But what about in terms of faith?
The Church began in such dire circumstances, in hostile environments. If Christians weren’t being harassed and persecuted by the Jews, they were harassed and persecuted by the pagan Romans, or whoever else happened to be there. But the people responded to the message of the Gospel. The people were thirsty for the message of Jesus Christ, the message of Resurrection, the message of Eternal Life. And because this message was true, and those who were delivering the message were authentic, their preaching was often accompanied by wonderful signs and miracles. In spite of the challenges and difficulties, God intervened Remember, when Jesus Christ left the Apostles side, and arose up to Heaven, He told them,
“I am with you always, until the end of the age”! And so because Christ was really with them, their words were always confirmed by their works. Tremendous results came from working for Christ, in total cooperation with Christ. So much so that in Acts we are told, “Every day, the Lord added to the Church those who were being saved.”
Cleenewerck, L. (Ed.). (2011). The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible: New Testament (Ac 2:47). Laurent A. Cleenewerck.
And “41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added on that day.”
Cleenewerck, L. (Ed.). (2011). The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible: New Testament (Ac 2:41). Laurent A. Cleenewerck.
“4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and their number came to be about five thousand.”
Cleenewerck, L. (Ed.). (2011). The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible: New Testament (Ac 4:4). Laurent A. Cleenewerck.
By the grace of God, in spite of very difficult circumstances, the Church grew by leaps and bounds. People responded to the simple Gospel message, and the godly lives of the people who were delivering it.
It was the bold message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that people were responding to. Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, the prophesied Son of God, is offering all forgiveness of sins and eternal life! And the apostles accompanied their teaching by healing the sick and many other signs and wonders, in the name of Jesus Christ.
As the Church grew and grew, so did various persecutions and problems. Many believers suffered greatly for the sake of Christ. The Church was seen as a threat to the pagan Emperor, who after-all, was an earthly deity. This tandem growth, and persecution went on for centuries! Can you imagine how difficult life must have been? But the people persevered, and did not lose their faith or give up hope. And finally in the early 4th century, a new era dawned for the Church. The end of persecutions came. But other difficulties remained.
As we heard in today’s epistle reading this exhortation from the Apostle Peter:
28 Therefore, keep watch over yourselves and over the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers! Be shepherds of the Church of the Lord and of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you and they will not spare the flock. 30 From among your own group, men will arise who will speak perverse things in order to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore, keep watch!
Cleenewerck, L. (Ed.). (2011). The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible: New Testament (Ac 20:28–31). Laurent A. Cleenewerck.
Peter is rightly concerned about the teaching of the faith, that it’s contents remain pure. Later on, as we remember on this day there would be the need for councils, with many members of the Church working together with the Holy Spirit. The council we remember today, was held so closely to the time of the persecutions, that many of the clerics, bishops and priests who came to the council still bore the marks of torture on their bodies. As you know, also, there were a few eminent members of the Council, including our own St. Nicholas of Myra. Also there was St. Spyridon of Tremythous, and Athanasios the Great.
Together with the rest of the 318 Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council, they confronted the very damaging doctrine taught by Arius. The teaching of Arius was basically that Jesus Christ was a created being. He taught this because he assumed that if Jesus was uncreated, that would make Him God, then there would be two Gods, but God is one! But the council defended and articulated the teaching and belief of the Church, that Jesus is the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, uncreated, eternally with God, equal to God. Just as it talks about Christ in the beginning of the Gospel of John:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was {what} God {was}. 2 This one was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him, nothing came into being that has come into being.”
Cleenewerck, L. (Ed.). (2011). The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible: New Testament (Jn 1:1–3). Laurent A. Cleenewerck.
If Christ is not Divine, and uncreated, then our faith is in vain. A created being could not save us, only God Himself. Jesus Christ, as He said of Himself, is one with God the Father, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And apart from Him, there is no way to the Father.
Just as the Holy Spirit worked through the Apostles in the book of Acts, so did He work through the Fathers at the 1st Ecumenical Synod to express and clarify the teachings and understanding of the Church about Jesus Christ. And we can see through this account, that even in the most difficult circumstances, the Lord can work in those who want to listen to Him. The Lord can even use difficult circumstances to strengthen and increase the Church!
Let us too, take heart in the example given to us of the early Church, that through all the difficulties we go through today, they are really not that bad. And also, God can use all these situations that we believe are bad and negative, and turn them into blessings and great victories. And remember that Christ wants us to “have my joy fulfilled in themselves”. Do not let worry overcome you, remember the Risen and Ascended Lord is ALWAYS close by your side.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. Christ has Ascended!