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Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!
Today we have heard the Gospel from Matthew (Ìatthew, ²Õ:27-35), when Jesus went in His town and a lot of people followed Him and two blind men came to Him that He healed them. Why did they do it? Because they believed that He could help them. And these two men followed Him right into the house and asked again: "Have mercy on us, Son of David." Jesus asked: "Do you believe that I am able to do it?" They said onto Him: "Yes, Lord." Then he said: "According to your faith be it done to you." And they got the healing. They were blind and received sight. They had problems with eyes but they became absolutely healthy. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows about it."
Why? That all people from that town did not come to Him, did not take His praying time, His calmness. You can not heal everyone. If people heal themselves spiritually, they will automatically get healing from the Celestial Father. But it is possible to heal one or two to show that You are the God's Son and You have great grace and power and You can heal people. But the main thing is the spiritual healing.
It is clear that these two blind men did not listen to Jesus, they did not understand what they were told: "See that no one knows about it." They thought that He was very shy. And He had another mission. "Do not praise Me, - Jesus thought, - because if Jews find out that I have healed blind men, they will become more embittered against Me, they will not let Me sermonize, they will not let Me serve." Only three years Jesus sermonized and it is very little period of time. So huge anger rose against Him that Jews killed Him very quickly.
After that a demon-oppressed man came to Him. He was mute and was not able to ask for healing. So that two had made the advertising and this demon-oppressed man was also healed. It is clear that people were amazed that nothing like that had even happened since their birth. And embittered Jews said: "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons", i.e. he is healing by the force of devil. But how can demon do something good? Demon does only evil things. Everything is simple. But the Jews started to confuse the matter and say that He was so and so bad.
Today, we also have heard the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to Romans (ÕV:1-7), where Apostle Paul calls us to be God's children, to do good doings and to be persecuted for them. It is better to be persecuted for good doings than for bad ones. Because if we do good doings, we are sanctified, glorified and we suffer like God suffered.
But if we do bad doings and we are persecuted for them so then we are children of devil. And that is why Apostle calls us to do good doings through the patience, to grow in wisdom and love to each other “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
These two messages are very good for us, for community, because we try to follow the way of God and then we reap the fruits of our labors. Which ones? The Earth is still the throne of Devil, fallen angel; and who is serving to him that one holds power, that one has everything. Who leaves him that one must be persecuted.
And God's angels also help and protect. If you start to follow God, the reaction will be. As people say: if you have done good thing and nobody rail at you that means that God does not receive your good, He hasn't seen it. Because Devil has not even paid attention on it. And even if you think it was good, it wasn't. The good things irritate devil, he will always act against you, even through you relatives, if you will do something good: "Oh, you are so good. Oh, you are such good person" instead of saying "Thank you" or just give no answer. So evil will always react if you do good thing. That is why Jesus said that if He was persecuted, you must be persecuted too; if He was belied, you must be belied too. "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John, ÕV:20).
Do not think that a servant is greater than his master. Do not think that you can be wiser, to sermonize God's word and not be persecuted. If you sermonize Light the darkness and gloom will go against you. It is normal reaction. If they do not go against you that mean that you do not sermonize light and the darkness is calm for you. Thinks: "Ok, you can think that you are redeeming, but really you aren't."
That is why let's ask God to be wise, strong, enduring, as the Apostle said. And glorify God in your heart when you are persecuted. That is what you know: "Glory to You, God. Glory to You, God. Glory to You, God." Due to it we become stronger in prayer, in God's Angels, because a lot of them are sent on the Earth. They come and want to help. Whom to? To people who are acting in the name of God.
So many of them will come that you can't even imagine that it will be left very little space for darkness on the Earth. But for it a lot of people must appear, who are ready to go in the name of the Truth, of God. They will go, sermonize, carry, make peace and serve to God. It is clear that there must be reaction of Devil, because Ukraine is especially difficult place. It has special inheritance of Soviet way of thinking, special devils sit here and they will not leave easily. But God's will is that it is time for them to pack their suitcases and clear out.
That's why let's glorify God for everything. That God set an example of His life how to serve. The apostles also called us to right serving, that we understand that to follow God does not mean you will be carried in one's arms. It is vice versa: you are persecuted, hurt, but for truth, in which you are growing in wisdom, in spiritual strength and what is very important in all strengths, which you need to live and follow God.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Romans, 15:1-7):
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult
you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance
taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward
each other that Christ Jesus had,
6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Gospel (Matthew, 9:27-35):
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27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out,
"Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them,
"Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you";
30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.
33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
34 But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news
of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
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