Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.

Δὲν εἶναι μόνο φοβερό, κάποιες φορὲς μοιάζει τρομακτικὸ νὰ κηρύττεις τὸν Λόγο τοῦ Θεοῦ, γιατὶ ὁ Κύριος εἶπε: «Ἀπό τὰ λόγια σας θὰ κριθεῖτε».

Θὰ κριθεῖτε, γιατὶ κηρύττετε τὴν ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ μένετε ἀργοὶ κι ὄχι δραστήριοι, σ’αὐτὸ ποὺ ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει προστάξει καὶ σ’ ὅ,τι ξέρετε ἀρκετὰ καλὰ γιὰ νὰ κηρύξετε σὲ ἄλλους, τότε – πῶς, θὰ σταθεῖτε ἐνώπιον τῆς κρίσης τοῦ Θεοῦ; Κι αὐτὸ ταιριάζει ὄχι μόνο σὲ ἱερεῖς, ἀλλὰ σὲ κάθε χριστιανό, ποὺ κλήθηκε νὰ γίνει μάρτυρας, ἀπόστολος, κάποιος ποὺ φέρει τὸν λόγο τοῦ Θεοῦ στὸν κόσμο ποὺ βρίσκεται στὸ σκοτάδι ἤ στὸ ἡμίφως, ποὺ χρειάζεται τὸ θεῖο φῶς, τὴν ἀλήθεια καὶ τὴν ζωή.

Ἡ σημερινὴ εὐαγγελικὴ περικοπὴ μᾶς προκαλεῖ τόσο ἔντονα. Ξεκινάει μὲ λέξεις ποὺ μποροῦν νὰ μεταφραστοῦν μὲ περισσότερους ἀπὸ ἕναν τρόπους: «Ἀγαθὲ Κύριε – τί πρέπει νὰ κάνω γιὰ νὰ ἔχω τὴν αἰώνια ζωή; ». Καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπαντᾶ: «Τί μὲ λέγεις “ἀγαθό”; Κανένας δὲν εἶναι ἀγαθὸς παρὰ μόνον ὁ Θεός». Δὲν λέει: «Εἶσαι λάθος». Δὲν τοῦ ἀρνεῖται τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ τὸν ὀνομάσει ἀγαθό, ὅπως ὁ Θεὸς εἶναι ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἐκ τούτου, σ’ αὐτοὺς ποὺ ἔχουν αὐτιὰ ν’ ἀκούσουν, σ’αὐτούς ποὺ ἔχουν καρδιὰ ἱκανή νὰ διακρίνουν τὴν ἀνυπέρβλητη καλωσύνη τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, νὰ ὑπερβοῦν τὴν ἀνθρώπινη καλωσύνη, ὅλη τὴν ἀνθρώπινη ὀμορφιὰ καὶ ἀλήθεια- εἶναι μιὰ μαρτυρία. :Ναί, μιλᾶς στὸν Θεὸ σου, εἶναι ὁ Θεὸς σου ποὺ ἀπαντᾶ στὴν ἐρώτηση σου.

Καὶ τότε ὁ Χριστὸς μᾶς ὑποδεικνύει δύο σημεῖα. Τὸ ἕνα εἶναι: ἄν ἐπιθυμεῖς τὴν αἰώνια ζωή, τήρησε τὶς Ἐντολές. Οἱ Ἐντολὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ δὲν εἶναι μόνο κανόνες συμπεριφορᾶς, ἀλλά ὅπως ἕνας ἀπὸ τοὺς Ψαλμούς τὸ λέει, πρέπει νὰ εἶναι τὸ βάθος τῆς καρδιᾶς μας. Θὰ πρέπει ἀπὸ τὰ βάθη τῆς καρδιᾶς μας νὰ ἐφαρμόζουμε τὶς Ἐντολές· ὄχι γιατί μᾶς τὸ προστάζουν ἐξωτερικὰ, ἀλλά ἐπειδὴ ἔχουμε δεθεί μ’ αὐτὲς μὲ δεσμὰ ἀληθείας· ὄχι ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεός μᾶς τὸ εἶπε, ἀλλὰ ἐπειδὴ μὲ ὅλο μας τὸ εἶναι ἀπαντᾶμε, «Ἀμήν»! Αὐτὸ εἶναι ἡ ἀλήθεια, αὐτὸ εἶναι ἡ ζωή, αὐτὸς εἶναι ὁ δρόμος γιὰ τὴν αἰώνια ζωή.

Ὅταν ἀκοῦμε τὸν Χριστὸ νὰ μᾶς θυμίζει αὐτὲς τὶς Ἐντολές- πού βρισκόμαστε ἐμεῖς; Ποιός ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς μπορεῖ νὰ πεῖ ὅτι εἶναι πιστὸς σὲ κάθε λέξη αὐτῆς τῆς μικρῆς λίστας ποὺ ὑποδεικνύει αὐτὰ χωρὶς τὰ ὁποῖα δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ ζήσουμε; Ποῦ στεκόμαστε; Ἐγώ, ποὺ εἶμαι κήρυκας, ἐσὺ ποὺ ἀκοῦς, γιατί εἶναι τὸ ἴδιο ὑπεύθυνο νὰ ἀκοῦς, ὅσο καὶ τὸ νὰ μιλᾶς. Πόσο συχνὰ σκεφτόμαστε – ὅπως ὁ νέος ἄνδρας, καὶ μὲ τόσο μικρὴ ἀφορμὴ -ἐπιθυμοῦμε τὴν τελειότητα; Θέλουμε τὴν τελειότητα χωρὶς νὰ βαδίσουμε τὸν δρόμο τῶν Ἐντολῶν.

Ἀλλὰ ὁ Χριστός μᾶς τὸ λέει ἀρκετά καθαρά: «Ἄν θέλεις τελειότητα – δῶσε ὅλη τὴν περιουσία σου». Δὲν εἶναι μόνο τὰ ὑλικὰ ἀγαθὰ ποὺ μποροῦμε νὰ δώσουμε∙ ὁ καθένας ἀπό ἐμᾶς ἔχει συσσωρευμένους θησαυρούς στὸ μυαλὸ καὶ τὴν καρδιά, στὴν ψυχή του, πράγματα ποὺ εἶναι πιὸ σημαντικά γι’ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ὁποιοδήποτε ὑλικό, ποὺ εἶναι ὁ θησαυρός του. Ὁ καθένας ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς ἄς στραφεῖ μέσα του κι ἄς ἀναρωτηθεῖ: «Ποιός εἶναι ὁ δικός μου ἰδιαίτερος θησαυρός;» Ποιά εἶναι αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα, ποὺ δὲν θὰ πέταγα ἀκόμα καὶ γιὰ τὴν αἰώνια ζωή, γιὰ τὸν Θεό;»

Ἄς μὴν θέτουμε τὰ πράγματα μ’ ἕνα τόσο σκληρὸ τρόπο, ἀλλά ἄς ἀγκαλιάσουμε αὐτὰ ποὺ εἶναι τόσο πολύτιμα γιὰ ἐμᾶς, κι ἄς ἐλπίσουμε ὅτι θὰ μποῦμε στὴν Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, θὰ φθάσουμε τὴν τελειότητα∙ νὰ γίνουμε μ’ ὅλο μας τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸ ποὺ κληθήκαμε νὰ γίνουμε, αὐτὸ τὸ εἶδος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποὺ ὁ Θεὸς θέλησε ὅταν μᾶς ἔπλασε- καὶ δὲν ἔχει γίνει ἀλήθεια.

Στὸ βιβλίο τῆς Ἀποκάλυψης ὑπάρχει ἕνα ἀπόσπασμα ποὺ λέει, «Ἔχω μόνο ἕνα στοιχεῖο ἐναντίον σου – ξέχασες τὴν πρώτη σου ἀγάπη». Καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ πρώτη ἀγάπη πράγματι εἶναι γιὰ τὸν καθένα μας, ὁ Ζωντανὸς Θεός, τὸν ὁποίο ὀνομάζουμε μὲ τόσους πολλοὺς τρόπους: μπορεῖ νὰ Τὸν ὀνομάζουμε «ζωή», μπορεῖ «τελείωση», μπορεῖ «εὐτυχία», μπορεῖ μὲ ὅλα τὰ ὀνόματα ποὺ σημαίνουν πληρότητα τοῦ εἶναι μας. Κάποιες φορὲς ἀντιλαμβανόμαστε ὅτι μόνο στὸν Θεὸ εἶναι ἐφικτό , κάποιες φορὲς φανταζόμαστε ὅτι μποροῦμε νὰ μεγαλώσουμε ἀπὸ μόνοι μας – ἀλλὰ αὐτὸ εἶναι ἡ πρώτη μας ἀγάπη : τὸ νὰ ὡριμάσουμε ὅσο ὁ Θεὸς ἤθελε γιὰ ἐμᾶς.

Καὶ δὲν ἀκολουθοῦμε τὶς Ἐντολὲς γιατί σκεφτόμαστε , ὅτι μποροῦμε νὰ τὰ καταφέρουμε μ’ ἕναν ἁπλὸ τρόπο· καὶ δὲν ἀποχωριζόμαστε ὅλα ὅσα ἔχουμε μὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς θὰ ἀποδεχτεῖ ἐμᾶς καὶ τὸ φορτίο μας.

Ἄς συλλογιστοῦμε αὐτὴν τὴν ἱστορία. Δὲν εἶναι μόνο μιὰ παραβολή, εἶναι κάτι ποὺ συνέβη στὸ νέο ἄνδρα. Συμβαίνει σ’ ὅλους μας, ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς λέει «Εἶσαι πιστὸς στὸν τρόπο ζωῆς ποὺ σοῦ ἔχω δώσει μὲσα ἀπὸ τὶς ἐντολές μου, στοχεύοντας σ’ αὐτὲς ὅπως κάποιος σημαδεύει ἕναν δρόμο; Θέλεις νὰ πετύχεις τὴν πληρότητα – ξεκίνα ἀπὸ αὐτὸ τὸ σημεῖο». Κι ἄν ἀνησυχεῖς, ἄν εἶσαι πιστὸς σ’ αὐτά, τότε κάνε στὸν ἑαυτό σου τὴν ἑπόμενη ἐρώτηση: ποιός εἶναι ὁ θησαυρὸς τὸν ὁποῖο δὲν θὰ ἀφήσω, ἀκόμα κι ἄν πρόκειται γιὰ τὴν αἰώνια ζωή;

Ὁ νέος ἄκουσε τὰ λόγια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κι ἔφυγε λυπημένος. Εἶχε ὑλικὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἀλλά ἔχουμε τόσα πράγματα ποὺ δὲν εἶναι ὑλικά, ἀλλὰ εἶναι τὸ φορτίο, τὰ δεσμά μας.

Καὶ ἔπειτα σ’αὐτὴ τὴν ἱστορία ἕνα πράγμα μπορεῖ νὰ μᾶς δώσει τόση ἐλπίδα. Ὁ Χριστὸς δὲν καταδικάζει τὸν νέο ἄνδρα· τὸν ἀφήνει νὰ φύγει χωρίς οὔτε μία λέξη κατηγορίας, γιατὶ ὅ,τι εἶπε ἦταν ὅπως ἕνας σπόρος σπαρμένος στὸ μυαλὸ καὶ τὴν καρδιὰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ νέου ἀνθρώπου. Τὸν ἀφήνει νὰ φύγει μὲ πληγωμένη καρδιά, προβληματισμένο, καλώντας τον νὰ γίνει ὁ ἑαυτός του μέσα ἀπὸ μιὰ πράξη ἠρωϊκῆς θέλησης καὶ παραδοχῆς, νὰ βγεῖ ἀπὸ τὸν ἑαυτό του, ὅπως ὁ Χριστὸς εἶπε, νὰ τ’ἀφήσει ὅλα καὶ νὰ Τὸν ἀκολουθήσει. Ποῦ; Ἀπὸ τὴν μιὰ στὸν δρόμο τῆς ἀνθρώπινης ζωῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλη στὴν πληρότητα τῆς αἰώνιας ζωῆς.

Ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς μᾶς λέει «Ἀκολουθεῖστε με», δὲν μᾶς καλεῖ νὰ βαδίσουμε ἕνα τρομακτικό, σκοτεινὸ δρόμο· λέει: «Ἐγὼ ἔχω περπατήσει αὐτὸν τὸν δρόμο, ξέρω κάθε στροφή του- μπορεῖς μὲ ἀσφάλεια νὰ τὸν ἀκολουθήσεις!». Εἶναι σὰν τὸν καλὸ βοσκὸ ποὺ βαδίζει μπροστὰ ἀπὸ τὰ πρόβατα του, ἀντιμετωπίζει ὅλους τοὺς κινδύνους ὁ ἴδιος γιὰ νὰ εἶναι ἀσφαλὲς τὸ ποίμνιο του».

Ὅλοι μποροῦμε νὰ ἐπιστρέψουμε σπίτι ὅπως ὁ νέος, ἴσως λυπημένοι, γιατὶ οὔτε « φυλάξαμε τὶς Ἐντολές» οὔτε εἴμαστε ἱκανοὶ ν’ἀπαρνηθοῦμε τὴν πιὸ πολύτιμη περιουσία μας: ἀλλὰ θυμηθεῖτε-δὲν εἴμαστε καταδικασμένοι, ἔχουμε μπροστά μας μιὰ τελικὴ ἐπιλογή, κι ὅσο μποροῦμε ν’ ἀγωνιζόμαστε σ΄αὐτὴ τὴν γῆ – ὑπάρχει χρόνος.

Ἀλλὰ ἄς μὴν πλανιόμαστε ἀπὸ τὴν διάρκεια τοῦ χρόνου: ὁ Χρόνος κυλᾶ, ὁ χρόνος φεύγει- ἄς μὴν εἴμαστε τόσο ἀργοὶ, ἄς στραφοῦμε στὴν ζωή, κι ἄς γίνουμε ὅλα αὐτὰ ποὺ μποροῦμε νὰ γίνουμε.

Ἡ ἀπάντηση στὴν σημερινὴ περικοπὴ εἶναι ξεκάθαρη – «Ποιός λοιπὸν μπορεῖ νὰ σωθεῖ;» Γιὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπο δὲν εἶναι δυνατὸν, ἀλλὰ στὸν Θεὸ ὅλα εἶναι δυνατά». Αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ ἐλπίδα μας: Ὁ Θεὸς εἶναι μαζί μας, καὶ τίποτα δὲν εἶναι δύσκολο γιὰ ἐμᾶς. Ἀμήν.

Ἀπόδοση στὴν νεοελληνική: www.agiazoni.gr

Πρωτότυπο κείμενο

Sunday, August 30, 1987

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

It is not only awesome, at times it is frightening to preach the Word of God, because the Lord said \”By thy words thou shall be judged.\” Judged, because if you proclaim God\’s truth and remain idle and not the doer of what the Lord has commanded, and what you know well enough to proclaim to others – then, how shall you stand before the judgement of God? This does not apply only to the priest, but to every Christian who is called to be a witness, an apostle, one that brings God\’s word to the people who are in darkness or twilight, who need divine light, and truth and life.

To-day\’s Gospel challenges us all so sharply. It begins with words that may be interpreted in more than one way: \”Good Lord – what shall I do to have eternal life?\” And the Lord answers, \”Why do you call Me \’good\’? Good is only God\”. He does not say, \”You are wrong\”. He does not deny His right to be called good as God is good; and thereby, to those who have ears to hear, those who have a heart capable of perceiving the surpassing goodness of the Lord Jesus, surpassing all human goodness, all human beauty and truth – it is a testimony: Yes, you are speaking to your God, and it is your God that is to answer your question.

And then Christ gives us two indications. The one is: if you wish to have eternal life, keep the Commandments. The Commandments of God are not only rules of behaviour (although, of course they are such), but as one of the Psalms puts it, should be in our inmost hearts. It should be from the depths of our heart that we accomplish the Commandments: not because we are commanded from outside, but because they have reached us with the ring of truth; not because God has spoken, but because with all our being we have answered \”Amen!\” This is true, this is life, this is the way into eternal life.

When we hear Christ mentioning these Commandments – where are we? Who of us can say that he was faithful to every word of this short list that indicates that without which we cannot live? Where do we stand? I, who am preaching, you who are hearing, because it is as responsible to hear as it is to speak. How often do we think – as this young man, and with how little reason – that we want perfection. We want perfection without having first trod the road of the Commandments.

But Christ says to us quite clearly: \”If you want perfection – give all you possess.\” It is not only material things which we can give: every one of us has treasures hoarded in his mind and heart, in his soul, things which are more important to him than anything material, that is his wealth. Each of us should turn inward and ask himself, \”What is there which is my peculiar treasure? What are those things which I will not give away even for life eternal, for God?\”.

We do not put things in such a crude manner, but we hug those things which are so precious to us, and still we hope that we will enter the Kingdom of God, we will reach perfection, we will become in all fullness what we are called to be, the kind of persons of whom God dreamed when He created us – and it is not true.

In the Book of Revelation there is a passage that says, \”I have only one thing against you – you have forgotten your first love\”. And this first love, indeed, for each of us, is the Living God, Whom we call in so many ways: we may call Him \’Life\’, we may call Him \’Fulfilment’, we may call Him \’Happiness\’, we may call Him by all the names that mean that we should reach the fullness of our being. At times we know that only in God it is possible, at times we imagine that we can outgrow ourselves – all the same, this is our first love: to become as great as God has dreamed us, willed us.

And we do not follow the Commandments because we think that we can achieve it in a simpler manner; and we do not give away all we have, that is: the only thing we are not prepared to give away, in a hope that God will accept us, and our burden.

Let us reflect on this story. This is not even a parable, it is something that has happened to a young man. It happens to all of us when God says, \”Have you been faithful to the way of life which I have described to you in terms of commandments, outlined in these terms as one can outline a road by milestones? Do you want to attain fullness – start at that point.\” And if you are aware of having been faithful in these things, then ask yourself the further question: what is the treasure which I will not give away, even for eternal life?

The young man heard the words of Christ, and went away sad. He had earthly possessions, but we have so many possessions which are not material and which are our burden, our fetters.

And yet, there is in this story one thing that can give us so much hope. Christ did not condemn this young man; Christ let him go without a word of reproach, because what He had said was like seed sown into the mind and heart of this young man. He let him go wounded at the heart, puzzled in his mind, called to be himself by an act of heroic will and surrender, let go of himself, as Christ said, give everything away and follow Him. Where to? Along the road of human life on one hand, on the other hand – into the fullness of life eternal.

When Christ says to us \”Follow Me\”, He does not call us to walk a frightening, dark road; He says, \”I have trodden all this road, I know every meander of it – you can safely follow! I am like the good shepherd that walks in front of his sheep, meeting all dangers himself, so that the sheep may be safe.\”

We all will go home like the young man, perhaps saddened, that neither are we keeping the Commandments, nor are we able to give away our most precious treasure: but remember – we will not go condemned, we will have been faced with an ultimate choice, and as long as we can struggle on earth – there is time.

But let us not be beguiled by the length of time: time flies, time goes – let it not be too late, let us turn to life, let us become all we are capable of being.

The answer to to-day\’s Gospel is so clear – \”Who then can be saved?\” – To man it is not possible by our own strength; but to God, all things are possible.\” That is our hope: God is with us, and nothing is too much for us. Amen.