32. SERMON OF PATRIARCH MOSES ON THE DAY OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, 12.07.2009
The Birth of John the Baptist
I congratulate you on the Birth of John the Baptist!
You see, when a good person comes to the earth it is a holiday for all the people. And the Church celebrates in the honor of this person. When a bad person comes to the earth it is a misfortune for everyone.
John the Baptist was the holy man. He didn't demand anything. He didn't demand the government's help, he lived in the desert. The Lord nourishes him on wild honey and locusts - the wild grasshoppers. And maybe he found some berries, olives something like that and he felt rather good.
It is clear that he was sunburnt maybe even too tanned when you conceive him as a person. Maybe, he didn't comb his hair, because he had no comb, he may find some spines to comb his hair. It is clear that he was dishevelled and unshaven.
But he liked such way of life because he loved the Lord. All other things didn't trouble him.
He had no television in the desert, no mobile phone that could disturb him. But he heard the voice of the Lord, and he went to people to preach because it was the time to prepare the Lord's children, not the Devil's, to meet the Saviour, the Christ, Messiah whom the Jews waited for.
And we know how the birth of the John happened. Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias and said: "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son"(Luke, I:13). And the man answered: "For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years"(Luke, I:18). So he contradicted a little bit. The Angel said that this child would be grander than other people, he would not drink, smoke, and he would not watch television. He will be higher than another people and he will prepare the way to the person who will come after him and who will be stronger. And at the same moment the Angel comes to Mary and tells that she will give the birth to the child from the Lord. And so it goes, Mary became pregnant in 6 months. She went to Elizabeth. Elizabeth being inspired by the Holy Spirit greeted the Mary and said: "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke, I:43), that is why is such joy and honor is granted?
Why did she tell that? Because the child in the mother's womb was glad. She felt the child and the Angel sent her the information that Mary bearing Jesus the Christ.
Mary was on visit to Elizabeth for three months. On the fourth month she came back to Nazareth to Joseph to wait for the birth of the child.
The Holy Spirit spoke through the John the Forerunner, because the man was strong, filled with the spirit of Elijah, he was led to the desert. He lived in the desert, gained the spiritual strength. No one taught him, no one preached to him. But in his heart he knew those things that he preached to the people. When he preached hundreds, then thousands went with him. Even tax collectors, came to him and asked: "What should we do?" And he answered, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do"(Luke, III:13), that is take only those things that are allowed and do not take more. That is all.
They came to him for advice, and he gave it: "Make straight the way of the Lord"(John, 1:23) - in other words, make straight your life for God, repent, improve yourself, deny the sin, because he is coming whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He preached right about him, about Jesus. He was his relative. We may say he was cousin or second cousin.
So John said, when he saw Jesus: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" As I have already said, this tradition had to happen for people. He saw that Jesus was mighter than he. And he preached to people "I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I," in other words I ask you for repentance. Water washes the body. Water is a symbol of purification. "I baptize you with water" - baptize you - ask you to repent, "but he who is mightier than I is coming... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire"(Luke, III:16). He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. This means that when Jesus preached, he did it inspired by the Holy Spirit. His words were very pleasant for the heart: warm and hot, from his words the warmth of God, and tears went to people. People felt that that was from God.
So John says: "I baptize with water"(John, I:26), "bear fruits in keeping with repentance (Luke, III:8)," is coming "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit"(John, I:33), by the Holy Spirit, that is fire, because the energy is very strong.
John the Baptist, nobody paid attention to this fact, but you should understand it, could become one of the Jesus followers, but he was also a leader and it prevented him from being the follower of Jesus. He was a small leader, but he was. And he had formed his disciples before the Jesus came. His disciples were more aggressive than the followers of Jesus. They were able to kill or cut off the heads. At that time, such aggression was reasonable, because the evil prevailed, and they could not go out without a knife. All the disciples of John walked with small knives, they called them swords. Even Jesus' apostles had the swords. We know that Apostle Peter cut off the ear of the servant who stretched his hands to Jesus. Jesus asked: "hide your swords". He put the ear back and prayed, and the ear was healed. But this miracle did not stop the Pharisees from crucifixion of Jesus.
I believe that the one, whose ear was healed, left them immediately. He contemplated his life and perhaps, later he became one of the bishops of the Church and was persecuted.
John preached a lot. He did it well, he offended Herod, irritated him. John could try not to affect the governor, and the governor would not imprison him. He would better not provoke Herodias. She was a revengeful woman and wanted to see the preacher dead.
John told his disciples: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John, I:29), that is "He is the Son of God. Follow him and listens to him!" They followed Jesus, not all of them, but some went with him. Andrew and John were the first to follow Jesus, "Teacher, where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and you will see" (John, I:38,39). They really felt that He was the Saviour and John affirmed it. And then John the Apostle went and called his brother Andrew, and said: "Stop fishing, come with me and listen, listen by yourself". Philip called Nathanael, who came and said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John, I:46). Nazareth at that time was not the decent place. And when he saw Jesus, he said, "Yes, You are the Son of God" (John, I:49). The Jesus said to him: "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit"(John, I:47). Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." He tells him the thing that is known only to the Lord. How could he know that he was the Son of the God? Immediately Nathanael believed and followed Him...
Thus John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. John prepared his disciples for Him. But later, when his disciples followed Jesus, he lived in a cave and he doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. Nevertheless he was imprisoned by Herod. And there the evil spirits are concentrated in such a big proportion that they activated the black angel and uncertainty appeared: "Whether Jesus is really the Son of God or not." He saw the signs; felt with his heart, but John the Baptist began to doubt. Each of us is on the way of John the Baptist. But we should not do this; we should not allow any doubts. When you feel - than keep it, thank to God that He conferred it to you: to feel and to know and to be with God.
John was in a doubt. And as we see in the Gospel, he sent his apostles to asked Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Luke, VII:19) Jesus said: "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up"(Luke, VII:22). That is judge by my acts. It is important that spiritually blind receive spiritual sight.
In such a way Jesus answered. And meanwhile, for all doubts it was allowed to the devil to cut off the head of John the Baptist. He died a martyr's death. His death was fair, it crowned his life. No one is able to think logically, why his head was cut off and he is the saint? People do not realize that he doubted and left the territory of God, where there are no angels, but the evil spirits. He was absorbed in it; he had to pray more, to trust more in God, to glorify God for everything. But he did not know that he had to glorify God.
We should learn: John doubted about Jesus, he would betray Him and the disciples would betray Him too, then they left Jesus, Andrew, John and others. How complicated would be the work of Jesus on the Earth. So, because he doubted - they cut off his head. But his soul went to Heavens. John the Baptist in the Church is always drawn after the Mother of God and takes honourable place on the icons.
So each of you when you work in the name of God, believe in him, you should go to the end and have no doubt, in order not to lose your glory that is prepared for you in Heaven. Each of you has his icon in Heaven. So when you go with God, this icon is drawn, and when you go away from God, this icon is erased as well as your good deeds on the earth. And for it not to be erased at all, not to be defamed, your head will be cut off. It will be allowed to the evil angels to behead you when you allow any doubt, and then the betrayal, and denial of God. Do you understand? And your soul will not be happy. The soul is not happy; because the evil spirits will take her, tear her up. The Lord says "And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire".
And so John the Baptist in such a distressing way left this world. We ask John to pray for us, so that in difficult moments not to lose our faith in God, and follow Him. In the serious moments a person loses his/her faith in God. And in very great moments a person loses her faith in God. Therefore, life must be based on tests, regular examinations, and in these exams we will find a time for the rest. Do not worry. The Lord will take care of everything: you have rest - and then you should work. At this time they glorify you, and at the next moment they persecute you for you not to relax.
Is it clear? You should live bravely, live with God, and then they are afraid of us when we are with God, because God is always with us. And everything in our life is under control, and we choose the best option, even if we are persecuted. We ask God to behead us before the time we do something bad. Is it clear?
Let us pray in such a way: John the Baptist, pray the Lord for us to be even better than you was on the earth and to serve the Lord without being beheaded. We should go to the end, as God blesses us, to serve here on the earth till we feel bored. He then takes you where you will feel bored. Agree? You come to work, serve and glorify the God and build His kingdom here on the Earth.
I congratulate you on the Birth of John the Baptist!
May God bless and protect you.
Think about the things you have heard. There is a lot to think about.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Congratulations!
Epistle (Romans, XIII:12-Õ²V:4)
13
12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let
uscast offthe works of darkness andput on the armor of light.
13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and
jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to gratify its desires.
14
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to
quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak
person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and
let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has
welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It
is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for
the Lord is able to make him stand.
Gospel (Luke, ²:5-25, 57-68, 76, 80):
1
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest
named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly
in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and
both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his
division was on duty,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by
lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside
at the hour of incense.
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on
the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell
upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John.
14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice
at his birth,
15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink
wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from
his mother's womb.
16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
their God,
17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of
Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people
prepared."
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
19 And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the
presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good
news.
20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until
the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled in their time."
21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were
wondering at his delay in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and
they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making
signs to them and remained mute.
23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his
home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five
months she kept herself hidden, saying,
25 "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked
on me, to take away my reproach among people."
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore
a son.
58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had
shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And
they would have called him Zechariah after his father,
60 but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
61 And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by
this name."/p>
62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted
him to be called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is
John." And they all wondered.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed,
and he spoke, blessing God.
65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things
were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts,
saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with
him.
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit
and prophesied, saying,
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and
redeemed his people
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most
High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was
in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
