DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Thursday,
December 21, 2006 Nativity Fast
Virgin-Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia
Kellia:
Exodus 32:1-7
Epistle: Titus 1:5-2:1
Gospel: St. Mark 10:17-27
The Faithful
Word: Titus 1:5-2:1, especially vss. 7,
9: “For a bishop must be blameless... holding fast the faithful word as he
has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
convict those who contradict.” From bits of information in St. Paul’s letters, one learns
a good deal about the process the Apostles used to establish churches. With clear goals for the communities
they planted, they fostered fellowships capable of nurturing souls to live purely
within a society rife with lying, inhumanity, laziness, and gluttony (vs. 12).
The Apostles knew that if the churches they
were founding were to thrive they would require blameless leaders capable of
holding “fast the faithful word”(vs. 9) while teaching and manifesting the Lord
Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that men and women would be
refashioned as saints. Hence, they
sought as “stewards of God” those able “both to exhort and convict,” men of sound
doctrine and mature in “holding fast the faithful word” (vss. 7,9).
It is always difficult to raise up godly
leaders for the Church, for the world too often accepts insubordination and
self-indulgence. Today’s reading
encourages the selection of clergy from men of evident virtue and integrity, capable
of healing various sorts of degradation in their people. St. Paul knew that “there [were] many
insubordinate in the churches, both idle talkers and deceivers...whose mouths
must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought
not” (vss. 10,11), and so he reminds Titus: “For this reason I left you in
Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint
elders in every city” (vs. 5).
Christian leaders must always be marked by holiness, justice,
and blamelessness (vss. 6-8).
Further, each one must be “the husband of one wife, having faithful
children not accused of dissipation or insubordination” (vs. 6). In his heart, a leader must be
submitted to Christ as Lord, displaying true virtues: being fair and just in
all things, sustaining a faultless life, remaining faithfully with the wife of
his youth (Mal. 2:14,15) and raising up “fair children,” free of
insubordination. Especially, those
selected for leadership should have the capacity to grow in and exhibit these
virtues within the context of the immoral world surrounding them. These are the sort of men the Church
still requires to serve as Presbyters (Priests), Bishops, and lay leaders.
St. Paul yearned for Titus to understand the
causes of insubordination as well as its opposite, blamelessness. True Christians purge themselves of
quick-temper. They resist
addiction to wine, violence, stubbornness, and greed (Titus 1:7).
Just as in the contemporary world, so also in
the first century there were many who enthusiastically promoted all kinds of
things they ought not to teach, “for the sake of dishonest gain” (vs. 11). Desirable leaders in every generation
need to be self-denying, even-tempered, sober-minded, peaceful, and lovers of
what is good (vs. 8). Purity of
heart is the goal of every true Christian, that all may be blameless, but for
Christian leaders holiness is an absolute essential: “To the pure all things
are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but
even their mind and conscience are defiled” (vs.15). The pure of heart “shall see God” (Mt. 5 :8), and follow and
manifest the Lord, being qualified “for every good work” (Tit.1:16).
Has not the Lord Himself taught us: “Ye shall
know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:16)?
It is not accidental that men who hold “fast the faithful word” are
“able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (vs.
9). How often the Lord Jesus’
opponents tried to silence Him with contrary teaching (see Lk. 20)! Always, He silenced them by His
faithful word. Likewise,
Christians are victors when we speak “things...proper for sound doctrine”
(Titus 2:1).
Grant, O
Lord, to Thy Priests, by Thy Holy Spirit, pureness of life and unswerving
faith.
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