The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends in Christ,

In today's Gospel reading (St. Matthew 9, 18-26), Jesus raises the ruler's dead daughter back to life. It is profitable for us to consider death frequently throughout our lives here on earth. To God, death is like sleep. He can awaken the dead with a simple word. "And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw, the ministrels and the multitude making a rout, He said: Give place; for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth."

"They laughed Him to scorn" because they did not believe or understand that Jesus is God. After Jesus raised her to life, the event's news spread throughout that country.

Death is not something new or surprising. It has been with us since the fall of Adam. "Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return" (Gen. 3. 19). Death is a debt that we must all pay. Why should there be sadness when a debt is paid? On the contrary, we should be happy. St. John Chrysostom speaking on the occasion of someone's death, says: "If we know that our fathers and our forefathers have gone by this way of death, if we have heard that even the patriarchs and prophets, from Adam the first created, did not leave the world save by way of death, let us uplift our spirit from this deep of sadness: for what this man owed, this man has paid."

St. John Chrysostom continues: "But since it [death] is the firm, immutable decree of God, we grieve in vain, asking ourselves why he should die, since it is written: To the Lord God belong the exits of death (Ps. 67. 21)… Excessive grief is contrary to reason and also full of peril. But, you will say, I know that this is the common lot. I know that he who is dead has but paid a debt. But I recall past happiness; I think of those he left; I miss his company and affection. If you are grief-stricken because of those things, you are deceived; you are not being led by reason. For you should know that the Lord Who gave you that happiness can give you another and even more perfect one and that He Who bestowed on you this relationship can replace it in due time. You should think of his gain who has died, as well as of your own. For so it was expedient for him; as it is written: He was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For his soul pleased God. Therefore, He hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities (Wis. 4. 11, 14). …"

"But if delight and present advantage or mutual love are things of this world and its fleeting joys; and if because of them you are downcast in spirit and sorrowful in soul, take care this does not become a deadly weakness. Repeating it, I say again and again: The sorrow of the world worketh death (II Cor. 7.10). How does it work death? Because too much grief is wont to lead either to doubt or to ruinous blasphemy."

Before Jesus came to this earth and showed us the resurrection, there was reason to grieve. Since the Gospel has reached us, we must put away all undue sentimentality and morning over the loss of this earthly life. St. Paul teaches us: "And we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope" (I Thess. 4. 12). St. John Chrysostom speaking on this passage from St. Paul says: "O wondrous proclamation of the Apostle! In one sentence, and before he utters his teaching to us, he commends to us the resurrection. For he speaks of the dead as them that are asleep, so that saying they are asleep, he testifies that they shall, without doubt, rise again. They who have no hope are stricken with grief, but we who are the children of hope, we rejoice. What our hope is, he tells us: If we believe that Jesus died and rose again: even so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with Him (5. 13). While we live this life, Jesus is our salvation; departing from it, He is our life. For to me, he says, to live is Christ; and to die is gain (Phil. 1. 21). Clearly, gain because of the distresses and tribulations that go with a longer life, death making haste, he gains."

In our love for God, we should, with St. Paul, long for death. However, death must never be self-inflicted. Our life is, in reality, a simple journey through a strange land. Our home, our destination, is Heaven with Jesus. We are pilgrims, and pilgrims have no specific dwelling. We struggle and toil, walking paths fraught with treachery, difficulty, pain, etc. Today Jesus has shown us that death is not the end; it is like sleeping, and we will rise again one day.

May we rise to the heavenly glory of the saints rather than the sorrow and suffering of the damned. This we can do if we closely follow Our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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