3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 5:1-10; Matthew 6:22-33

Apostle Paul writes: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, " (Romans 5,1)

A person has a body that needs care and maintenance. As a corporeal being, a person has had much to worry about to satisfy his/her corporeal needs: in food, clothing, housing, means of transportation, and these days, also in the purchase of washing machines, various kitchen appliances, radios, televisions, stereos, etc.

We also buy books, newspapers, magazines, which are intended to satisfy our aesthetic and spiritual (not only religious) needs. All this requires means of material support, material grounds. Essentially, to meet material needs, a person needs to work constantly. Some are inclined to complain about such a state; yet it is good that a person needs and can work, for otherwise one might fall into despondency... Work can make a person healthy both physically and morally and spiritually.

Our trouble is that often material needs, focusing on material needs, can distract us from satisfying spiritual needs, the needs of our soul. People sometimes have neither time nor desire for that; because of that, the direction of some people's life is distorted - people do not see the goal in life - life in unity with God the Creator.

But the Lord Jesus Christ tells us to first of all seek the "Kingdom of God and His truth", and all else that we need in life will be added to us. (Matthew 6:33)

In our worries about material things, we often fail to notice that God made provision for the existence of those creatures that could not survive the long winter: some birds fly away, and other animals are given to sleep for long months so that they can continue to live. Some creatures are born and can immediately move about, find food for themselves, others are dependent on maternal care, and still others are born in the form of an egg and actually have two births...

The manifestation and maintenance of life by various creatures is most diverse. The Creator also acted, and created that diverse foresight, undoubtedly, so that we would understand His greatness and limitless comprehensiveness.

So-called wise men from various sects sometimes inventively think of and declare that the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Christ will come together with the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth, but the falsity of such reasoning is obvious. In the 25th chapter of Matthew (31-46), the Lord clearly tells us that in His second coming He will judge the living and the dead (He will resurrect the dead), and then some "will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mat. 25:46)

We must build the kingdom of God on earth according to the gospel of Christ, to help each other in love: "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom.14,17) We should build our relations on these apostolic definitions; and because of that, the Kingdom of God can be among people in different places - it is not limited in some space, not limited by some people, or some certain time.

"‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’" (Luke 17:20-21)

In our daily prayer, we also ask:

"Thy kingdom come, both in heaven and on earth."

Therefore, the earthly Kingdom of Christ, of God, we build and thereby create conditions for inheriting the Kingdom of God in heaven - the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God on earth is not a sudden change, but a gradual evolution of life. If love and harmony prevail among us, if we share joys and sorrows with our neighbours, if we love our neighbours as ourselves, then we have already attained the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Apostle Paul testifies: "And as we have borne the earthly image, so shall we bear the heavenly image." (1 Corinthians 15:49)

Therefore, while living here on earth, we must first care about the building of God’s Kingdom - that is our first spiritual calling or vocation, and that we need many things for material life, the Lord knows about this, as He knows that many things are needed by various beings. That is why the Lord affirms that the latter will "be added" to us (Mat. 6:33).

As mentioned at the beginning, we, having obeyed Christ and His instructions, find peace and tranquility in God. We are not bothered, we do not worry if we have insufficient time for one thing or another, for the Lord can turn all events to our good. We are focused upon and directed to the main goal - therefore peace to us from God. Hope in God "will not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom. 5,5)

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.

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