Our Gospel Lesson is a powerful reminder that Lazarus and the Rich Man were separated by a chasm that made it impossible for Lazarus to go to where the Rich Man was. The revelation of St. Paul telling the Galatians that he is crucified over the world and the world is crucified to him. The challenge of the Faith is confronting the choice we are confronted with by the Orthodox Christian Faith.
Fr. Barnabas Powell
About Author
Fr. Barnabas is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, Georgia. He is also host of Faith Encouraged Live on Ancient Faith Radio and author of the Faith Encouraged podcast.
1 Comment
Linda Vogt Turner
Thank you Father Barnabas Powell. Good reminder and good point. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. My first encounter with the Greek Orthodox was 40 years ago. At dinner the Greek introduced me to his Greek friend Dimitri a Roman Catholic Priest from the Vatican. That encounter set me straight. There was no arguing with him. I had suggested the Burning Bush was not an actual bush but a person, a wise sage or an exciting loophole in the law. The Priest drove his point home dripping with silver looking straight into my eyes, into my soul (Psalm 12:6) with these words: “Moses said he heard God speaking to him from a burning bush, and I believe him”. It was as if he was saying. “Do you really need anymore proof than that?” But I was not aware then that Paul had been crucified to the world and the world to Paul (Gal 2:20). Nor had I truly listened intently to and heard the words of John 4:10 for if I had, I would have known the Gift of God “and” who it was who had asked me for a drink.