On Seeking Earthly Glory

 

            Today’s blog is going to be about something that has been on my heart for a while now, and something that is important to understand in this trying time in the world. We recently just had the Olympics and the Paralympics and watching those athletes was a sight to behold. I was .5 seconds from the Paralympics and know all so well how hard it takes to train, eat and become the champion so many want to become. I never made it. For reasons that are now not so important in my life, but nevertheless I am happy where life has led me and to the people God has placed in my path. So, it is fitting that we should be discussing earthly glory today, and what a Christian should do about it.

            A lot on this blog has dealt with Arius and Nestorius, two early heretics whose teachings have permeated the realms of Protestant and Roman Catholic thought and have largely been rejected by the Church though some still cling to these falsehoods. While both Nestorius and Arius tried to bring down Christ in their rational and logical minds to make God in their own image, we know the Church has preserved the truth about Christ and his divinity for these 2000 years. It is Christ’s divinity that makes it possible for our salvation. Had Christ been a simple man, a good teacher, he would have fallen into the same corruptions that people across the world are falling into today. Whether it be the latest fashion trend, the latest food craze or even among the younger generations the latest TikTok dance, people are drawn to fame and glory like a magnet.  Christ wasn’t. Christ was sent to bring man out of the perpetual cycle of pride that it had fallen into for all those centuries. Christ was sent by God to give us life, hope and fulfillment in Him. We were to be like a bucket of water, filled not with water from the well, but from the living well, that is Christ. People today, they want faster cars, more money, more power, larger titles, larger offices, and to be respected among society. But as we know from the scriptures, Christ never sought this, in fact he told the scribes in Matthew 8:20, “Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus didn’t come to seek a glorious earthly kingdom or money. He came to bring people to himself. People today want followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, not because they have something wonderful to share with the world, no it is because it is seen as a status symbol and a sense of pride for the person. When I mentioned Jesus didn’t seek an earthly kingdom I was instantly reminded of the conversation between Pilate and Jesus at his trial that reads, “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.” “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason, I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” (John 18:36-37) Even then Jesus only came to testify to the truth.  John later speaks in his first universal epistle about seeking earthly glory when he says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Seeking the things of this world is a dangerous game, one in which we play at the expense of souls.

While not all of us can be monks and live our lives in quiet solitude, it is the goal of each of us to sit and to focus on those things that is holy and pure, St. Paul says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8) Christ also says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” St Paul says in Hebrews, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Again, we are called to a higher purpose, a better purpose, one that has been ordained for us from God, not of our own devices. In fact, 2 Corinthians speaks of this when St. Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  We should throw off the yoke of servitude that we do to service ourselves and begin to serve God with the same vigor that we put into making YouTube videos, and planning for expensive vacations.  We should be focusing on raising awareness for the poor, for the needy, for our fellow man. We should be in our churches day and night praying for the salvation of all mankind. Holding vigils, saying an Akathist, and reciting the Jesus Prayer. Time after time, we get caught up in the pleasures and life of this world and forget the next. I personally, do not want to spend my eternity in the place of eternal torment, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. I want to spend my eternity in the light of Christ, in the Heavenly Liturgy. I may not make it. I may not have the strength to embrace Christ as much as I can in this life. But I pray that God’s grace be poured out not for me, but for those around me. I know that I am weak, and God sees my weakness. I am as much preaching to myself on this issue as I am to all of you.

We have come full circle once again as I wrap up yet another blog article where I judge myself harder and harder the more, I write these. Seeing my own failings is a difficult thing, because we want to be light on ourselves. Yes, as I sit down to play Madden 22 for the 3000^th time this year it would have been nice for God to allow me to be a famous football player for my New York Giants, or to have made the Paralympics and won a medal. But God did not see fit to bless me with those gifts. I no longer wish to seek any earthly glory, and I am content with where I am placed in life. I pray that all of us, whether given much or given little will seek to use what we have, to glorify God and not ourselves. Earthly glory will pass away but Eternal Glory lasts forever.

Amen.