Our Strength is in Similarity and Unity with God
17th Sunday after Pentecost
2 Corinthians6:16-18; 7,1; Matthew 15:21-28
In the first book of the Bible, it is written that man was created "in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). God spoke through the prophet, but it was expressed very clearly: it is not stated that people were created “like Me", but that they are similar to a plurality - "according to Our likeness."
For ages It was not clear - why does everywhere God address Himself in the singular, yet here, where the similarity of man to God is mentioned, He addresses Himself in the plural. Only when, in Christianity, God revealed his fullness in the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - the pronouncement in the book of Genesis also becomes clear, it becomes clear that the fullness of the Holy Trinity participated in the creation of man.
In the New Testament, this unity is repeated again: the God-man Jesus Christ was born of man, but conceived "by the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20). The grace of the Holy Spirit appeared again in the form of fiery tongues over Christ's disciples-apostles to sanctify the birth of Christ's Church, in which we are all, by the grace of God, members.
And again: each of us, during the performance of the Sacrament of Anointing, receives the "Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit." In that way, we are all deified - we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the apostle Paul faithfully edifies us with and from God:
"…do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Whoever bears in mind that one is filled with the Holy Spirit, one can always possess firm faith and accomplish great works of God. We can all be filled with even greater faith, like the Canaanite woman mentioned in The Gospel, because God is not only somewhere, but the grace, the power of God is within us. Let us not lose our connection with God, let us not sully our soul, which has great sanctification from the Creator.
Let us not be deceived by the speculations of the godless, who say that we, humans, therefore dominate all animals, because our brain is the largest, the most developed. In uttering such pronouncements, a bait has been cast for our self-love, with which they strive to acquire a person; a similar bait was cast before the people long ago by the devil (Genesis 3:5). However, we now understand, unlike those from times past, and it is available for us to us to know that to possess, to rule over all created things, especially over all animals, that this dominion has been given to us from the beginning of our creation by our Creator (Genesis 1,28).
Research by biological scientists tells us that it is not man who has the biggest brain. Whales, elephants, and dolphins have brains much larger than humans, although the ratio between the total body weight and the brain is the largest in humans. But wild animals (such as a lion, a tiger, a leopard) would not be biding their time until the brain of a human being developed and increased in size; however, human beings--regardless of whatever state their development or technology or civilization—had dominion over the largest and strongest animals, because they received that capability from God.
Biologists tell us, however, that a dolphin's brain is more developed than a human's; it has a larger number of nerve cells... Dolphins also have a language, can communicate with each other and transmit different information to each other. Scientists have recorded the language, conversations of dolphins, and they say that it is much more complex than that of humans-- more intelligent, and people cannot discern it...
And it should be noted that materialists claim that humans have developed brains because they started walking upright... Dolphins have never walked upright, but their brains are extremely developed. However, they do not have dominion over people; they are not created in the image of God and they are not given the gift of power over other creatures.
Dolphins also cannot change their existence, their activities; they cannot influence or change the lives of other creatures, although their brains and minds are highly developed.
Let us be sensible of our human aspirations for the sublime: in poetry, in songs, in chants, in music, in our fairy tales, in our visual arts, architecture, even in the arrangement of our homes, streets and squares...
And this is not only a ritual affirmation during the Divine Service: "Let us raise our hearts to heaven!" - We constantly strive to raise our aspirations to the heights, to God, above ordinary everyday life--that is why we have endeavoured to build our churches-temples so that they rise above all our homes through their architecture and art.
Dolphins may have existed ten thousand years ago, and may have been as intelligent as they are now. The same may be the case with elephants and other animals - none of them develop, improve, strive for some kind of perfection, beauty or justice.
So, although we are physically similar to animals in many respects, yet, spiritually, intellectually and in the general direction of life - man is not similar to any of the animals - only to his God the Creator.
That is why God, when He came down to earth, took on a human body in order to resemble the most perfect creation of God, which He created in His own image.
Jesus came to earth among people to restore the unity of people with their Creator, to deify them and lead them to salvation. In essence, the salvation of "His people from their sins" (Mt. 1.21) was the purpose of Jesus Christ's coming to earth, His taking on human form.
It is interesting that the Apostle Paul, in order for us to understand our unity with God through Jesus Christ, cites words from the Old Testament:
" ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ " (2 Cor. 6:16-18)
That appeal of God is always in front of us - we must direct our efforts to maintain constant unity with our Creator, who has shown the will to be in unity with us through his Son. Being in constant union with our Lord, we will thereby be endowed with the divine power of the Holy Spirit and will be in a pure and holy faith. Then we will always be invincible, not taking into account all the tricks of the devil, because we will be able to "escape the snare of the devil", as the Apostle Paul testifies. (2 Tim. 2, 26).
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.
