Orthodox Metropolis of Zambia and Malawi
«Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωήν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;»
«Ρίζα πάντων των κακών εστίν ( = είναι) η φιλαργυρία» ( Ο Απόστολος Παύλος στην Α' επιστολή του προς τον Τιμόθεο κεφ. στ' στίχος 10).
Ο πλούσιος νέος δεν πίστευε μέσα του πως ο Χριστός είναι ο αληθινός μας Θεός. Γι' αυτό και ο Κύριος του υπενθυμίζει ότι «κανένας δεν είναι άγιος, παρά μόνο ένας, ο Θεός». Είναι σα να του έλεγε: «Αφού δε με παραδέχεσαι μέσα σου, ως Θεό, τότε γιατί με ονομάζεις άγιο;» Ο πλούσιος νέος είχε εφαρμόσει από τα μικρά του χρόνια το μωσαϊκό Νόμο. Τον είχε εφαρμόσει όμως τυπικά και ψεύτικα. Η καρδιά του είχε μείνει ασυγκίνητη από την αγάπη, που πρέπει ο άνθρωπος να δείχνει στο Θεό και τους άλλους ανθρώπους. Ο Κύριος για να ξεσκεπάσει την απιστία του, του λέγει: «Όλα όσα έχεις πούλησε τα και μοίρασε τα στους φτωχούς. Έτσι θα έχεις θησαυρό στον ουρανό και έλα να με ακολουθείς». Ο πλούσιος νέος δοκίμασε μέσα του μεγάλη λύπη, γιατί ήταν πάρα πολύ πλούσιος. Αφού δεν είχε μέσα του αγάπη, δεν μπορούσε να πουλήσει τα πλούτη του και να τα μοιράσει στους φτωχούς. Ο νέος μας δεν πίστευε στο Θεό, αλλ' όμως πίστευε στα λεφτά του. Τα πλούτη του ήταν γι' αυτόν ο θεός. Είχε γίνει δηλαδή ένας ειδωλολάτρης και ας εφάρμοζε το μωσαϊκό Νόμο.
Η ζωή μας είναι γεμάτη από τέτοια παραδείγματα, σαν του σημερινού πλούσιου νέου. Έχουμε δει πολλούς πλούσιους, που λάτρευαν και προσκυνούσαν τον πλούτο τους σαν θεό. Ξαφνικά όμως έχασαν όλα τα πλούτη τους και έμειναν στο δρόμο. Αυτό το κατάντημα το θυμόμαστε στην Εκκλησία μας, όταν ψάλλουμε: «πλούσιοι επτώχευσαν και επείνασαν οι δε εκζητούντες (= αυτοί που ψάχνουν να βρουν) τον Κύριον, ουκ ελαττωθήσονται (= δεν θα τους λείψει) παντός αγαθού».
Ο Κύριος μας βεβαίωσε πως είναι φοβερά δύσκολο να μπει στη βασιλεία του Θεού ένας άνθρωπος φιλοχρήματος και φιλάργυρος. Από τώρα πρέπει να προσέξουμε, ώστε να μην είμαστε φιλάργυροι και φιλοχρήματοι. Να συνηθίσουμε να προσφέρουμε με αγάπη στους άλλους από αυτό, που και εμείς έχουμε. Μόνον έτσι μπορούμε να μοιάσουμε του Θεού. Να καταλάβουμε από τώρα πως δεν είμαστε μόνον εμείς, αλλά υπάρχουν και άλλα παιδιά που έχουν ένα σωρό ανάγκες. Αυτά τα φτωχά παιδιά πρέπει να τα ανακαλύπτουμε και να τα βοηθούμε όσο μπορούμε και να δείχνουμε την αγάπη μας. Μόνον έτσι θα ξεπεράσουμε και ο μεγάλο κίνδυνο του εγωισμού και της φιλαργυρίας. Τότε μπορούμε να ζητάμε τη βοήθεια και το έλεος του Θεού για να μας αξιώσει και εμάς να βρεθούμε στη Βασιλεία των ουρανών.
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THE RICH YOUNG RULER
Do I rule my wealth, or does my wealth rule me?
The year is ending and income tax time is soon approaching. We will sit down to calculate our income and expenses, wealth and liabilities. We will fill in the tax forms with our name at the top and signature at the bottom. We'll calculate the car payments, mortgage payments, and other expenses and long for the day when the payments stop and we can say, "It's mine!"
But is anything really ours? Or should another name be superimposed over our name such as "God and Father" or perhaps "Our Lord Jesus Christ"? If we really understood our Orthodox Christian faith we would respond, "Yes!" "All I have is the Lord's!" Why? Because we don't really own anything in this life. Everything we have belongs to God. From this perspective, we can better understand today's Gospel reading about the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-27).
Let's review the story. A rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells the young man to sell all that he had and give to the poor (v.22). The rich man left Jesus feeling sad.
If we know our scriptures we will recognize that Christ's command fulfills the lessons taught in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13) and the Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Mark 12, Luke 20). All three stories tell of a master who appointed servants to manage his possessions and lands, and later returned to collect the profits. In this case, the rich young ruler was asked to give an account of the wealth entrusted to him. When Jesus said that that was one thing that the young ruler still lacked (v.22), he implied that the young man should have already given to the poor.
Sometimes this does not make much sense to us. Don't we work hard for what we have? Yes, many of us do. However, the exhortation that what we have ultimately belongs to God tells us about what God is like and what we should be like too. Look at Christ for example.
When Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead, He paid a ransom to purchase us from the bondage of sin and death. He was the ransom. It's like one slave owner buying a slave from another owner. Christ bought us, but then He set us free. St. Clement of Alexandria wrote:
As a further motivation to give, remember that Jesus gave his all to save us. For each of us He gave His life. Because he gave up His life for us, He demands we give our lives for each other. If we owe our very lives to our brothers, shall we hoard our wealth and keep it away from them? Shall we keep things away from each other only to have those things burn at the end of the world? No, no! If we do not love our brothers, we are children of the devil and heading for the flames ourselves. But the true Christian loves his brothers! Love seeks not her own, but is diffused on the brother. About the brother love is fluttered, about him she is soberly insane! And as Paul tells us, love is the only thing that lasts.
If we become sad, angry, bitter, defensive, or uncomfortable when we hear the message of today's gospel, then we have not yet relinquished our attachment to worldly possessions. We are responding just like the rich young ruler did. St. Ambrose wrote:
A possession ought not to belong to the possessor, not the possessor to the possession. Whosoever, therefore, does not use his patrimony as a possession, who does not know how to give and distribute to the poor, he is the servant of his wealth, not its master; because like a servant he watches over the wealth of another and not like a master does he use it on his own. Hence, in a disposition of this kind we say that the man belongs to his riches, not the riches to the man.
Who is the alternative to rich young ruler? Who should we seek to emulate? Again the scripture shows us in the parable of the Poor Widow. We find the story in Mark 12 and Luke 21:
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had" (Luke 21:1-4).
The widow did not have much but she gave it all to God in the temple. Her offering, even though a mite is an equivalent to a penny, was generous and sacrificial. Her gift was of more value than the hundreds or thousands of dollars some might give today.
The purpose of giving is not only to help the poor, but also to allow Christ to work in our lives. If we can return our wealth to its first and proper owner, the ties that bind us to possessions can be broken and a barrier to eternal life removed. Amen.
Το ευαγγελικό ανάγνωσμα
Greek, English, Russian, Portuguese, Swahili and Arabic
Orthodox Metropolis of Zambia and Malawi
Κατά Λουκά Άγιο Ευαγγέλιο, ΙΗ’ 18-27
Νεοελληνική Απόδοση
Ο πλούσιος άρχοντας
Και κάποιος άρχοντας τον επερώτησε λέγοντας: «Δάσκαλε αγαθέ, τι να κάνω, για να κληρονομήσω ζωή αιώνια;»
Του είπε τότε ο Ιησούς: «Τι με λες αγαθό; Κανείς δεν είναι αγαθός παρά μόνο ένας, ο Θεός.
Τις εντολές τις ξέρεις: Μη μοιχέψεις, μη φονεύσεις, μην κλέψεις, μην ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, τίμα τον πατέρα σου και τη μητέρα σου».
Εκείνος είπε: «Αυτά όλα τα φύλαξα από τη νεότητά μου».
Όταν το άκουσε τότε ο Ιησούς, του είπε: «Ακόμα ένα σου λείπει: πούλησε όλα όσα έχεις και διαμοίρασέ τα σε φτωχούς, και θα έχεις θησαυρό στους ουρανούς, και έλα ακολούθα με».
Εκείνος, όταν άκουσε αυτά, έγινε περίλυπος. γιατί ήταν πάρα πολύ πλούσιος.
Όταν ο Ιησούς τότε τον είδε, που έγινε περίλυπος, είπε: «Πόσο δύσκολα εκείνοι που έχουν τα χρήματα μπαίνουν στη βασιλεία του Θεού!
Γιατί είναι ευκολότερο μια καμήλα να εισέλθει από τρύπα βελόνας παρά πλούσιος να εισέλθει στη βασιλεία του Θεού».
Είπαν τότε όσοι άκουσαν: «Και ποιος δύναται να σωθεί;»
Εκείνος είπε: «Τα αδύνατα για τους ανθρώπους είναι δυνατά για το Θεό».
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Luke 18:18-27
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
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От Луки 18:18-27New Russian Translation (NRT)
Разговор Иисуса с богатым начальником
18 Один начальник спросил Его:
– Благой Учитель, что мне делать, чтобы наследовать вечную жизнь?
19 – Почему ты называешь Меня благим? – ответил Иисус. – Никто не благ, кроме одного Бога. 20 Ты знаешь заповеди: «не нарушай супружескую верность», «не убивай», «не кради», «не лжесвидетельствуй», «почитай отца и мать»[a].
21 – Все это я соблюдаю еще с дней моей юности, – сказал он. 22 Услышав это, Иисус сказал ему:
– Одного тебе еще не хватает. Продай все, что у тебя есть, и раздай деньги бедным, и тогда у тебя будет сокровище на небесах. Потом приходи и следуй за Мной.
23 Когда начальник услышал это, он опечалился, потому что был очень богат. 24 Иисус посмотрел на него и сказал:
– Как трудно богатым войти в Божье Царство! 25 Легче верблюду пройти сквозь игольное ушко, чем богатому войти в Божье Царство.
26 Те, кто это слышал, спросили:
– Кто же тогда вообще может быть спасен?
27 Иисус ответил:
– Невозможное человеку возможно Богу.
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Lucas 18:18-27
O jovem rico
18 E perguntou-lhe um certo príncipe, dizendo: Bom Mestre, que hei de fazer para herdar a vida eterna? 19 Jesus lhe disse: Por que me chamas bom? Ninguém há bom, senão um, que é Deus. 20 Sabes os mandamentos: Não adulterarás, não matarás, não furtarás, não dirás falso testemunho, honra a teu pai e a tua mãe. 21 E disse ele: Todas essas coisas tenho observado desde a minha mocidade. 22 E, quando Jesus ouviu isso, disse-lhe: Ainda te falta uma coisa: vende tudo quanto tens, reparte-o pelos pobres e terás um tesouro no céu; depois, vem e segue-me. 23 Mas, ouvindo ele isso, ficou muito triste, porque era muito rico.
24 E, vendo Jesus que ele ficara muito triste, disse: Quão dificilmente entrarão no Reino de Deus os que têm riquezas! 25 Porque é mais fácil entrar um camelo pelo fundo de uma agulha do que entrar um rico no Reino de Deus. 26 E os que ouviram isso disseram: Logo, quem pode salvar-se? 27 Mas ele respondeu: As coisas que são impossíveis aos homens são possíveis a Deus.
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Luka 18:18-27
18 Kiongozi mmoja akamwuliza Yesu, “Mwalimu mwema, nifanye nini ili niurithi uzima wa milele?”
19 Yesu akamjibu, “Mbona unaniita mwema? Hakuna mtu aliye mwema ila Mungu peke yake. 20 Unazifahamu amri: ‘Usizini, usiue, usiibe, usishuhudie uongo, waheshimu baba yako na mama yako?”’ 21 Akajibu, “Amri zote hizi nimezishika tangu utoto wangu.”
22 Yesu aliposikia haya, akamwambia, “Bado unahitaji kufa nya jambo moja. Nenda ukauze vitu vyote ulivyo navyo, uwagawie maskini, nawe utakuwa na hazina mbinguni. Kisha njoo, unifuate.” 23 Aliposikia hayo alisikitika, kwa maana alikuwa tajiri sana.
24 Yesu alipoona yule kiongozi amesikitika, akasema, “Jinsi gani ilivyo vigumu kwa tajiri kuingia katika Ufalme wa Mungu! 25 Ni rahisi zaidi kwa ngamia kupita katika tundu la sindano kuliko tajiri kuingia katika Ufalme wa Mungu.” 26 Wale waliosi kia hayo wakauliza, “Kama ni hivyo, ni nani basi awezaye kuoko lewa?” 27 Yesu akajibu, “Yasiyowezekana kwa binadamu yaweze kana kwa Mungu.”
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ﻟﻮﻗﺎ 18:18-27
عائِقُ الغِنَى
18 وَسَألَهُ أحَدُ قادَةِ اليَهُودِ: «أيُّها المُعَلِّمُ الصّالِحُ، ماذا يَنبَغي عَلَيَّ أنْ أفعَلَ لِكَي أنالَ الحَياةَ الأبَدِيَّةَ؟»
19 فَقالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: «لِماذا تَدعُونِي صالِحاً؟ أتَعرِفُ أنَّهُ لا صالِحَ إلّا اللهُ؟ 20 أنتَ تَعرِفُ الوَصايا: ‹لا تَزْنِ، لا تَقتُلْ، لا تَسرِقْ، لا تَشْهَدْ زوراً، أكْرِمْ أباكَ وَأُمَّكَ.›» [a]
21 فَقالَ لَهُ: «أنا أُطِيعُ كُلَّ هَذِهِ مُنذُ صِبايَ.»
22 فَلَمّا سَمِعَ يَسُوعُ هَذا قالَ لَهُ: «يَنقُصُكَ شَيءٌ واحِدٌ بَعدُ، بِعْ كُلَّ ما تَملِكُ وَوَزِّعِ المالَ عَلَى الفُقَراءِ، فَيَكُونَ لَكَ كَنزٌ فِي السَّماءِ، ثُمَّ تَعالَ وَاتبَعْنِي.» 23 فَلَمّا سَمِعَ هَذا حَزِنَ كَثِيراً، لِأنَّهُ كانَ غَنِيّاً جِدّاً.
24 فَلَمّا رَأى يَسُوعُ أنَّهُ ذَهَبَ حَزِيناً قالَ: «ما أصعَبَ أنْ يَدخُلَ أصحابُ الأموالِ مَلَكُوتَ اللهِ! 25 أنْ يَمُرَّ جَمَلٌ مِنْ ثُقبِ إبرَةٍ، أيسَرُ مِنْ أنْ يَدخُلَ غَنِيٌّ مَلَكُوتَ اللهِ.»
مَنْ يُمكِنُ أنْ يَخلُص
26 فَلَمّا سَمِعَ النّاسُ هَذا قالُوا: «فَمَنْ يُمكِنُ أنْ يَخلُصَ إذاً؟»
27 قالَ يَسُوعُ: «ما هُوَ مُستَحِيلٌ عِندَ النّاسِ مُمكِنٌ عِندَ اللهِ.»
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