Comments on: To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. Freely you have received, freely give. Hunters for humility. http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/ McKinney TX Homilies, scripture commentary, spiritual reflections Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:12:34 +0000 hourly 1 By: Deborah http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2021 Deborah Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:58:23 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2021 Father, Bless, Continuing to think about your post...it seems to me that another reason for Christ beginning His ministry with the Jews is that the Jews were His family, His people. "Charity begins at home" as the saying goes.."To the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles" as Paul said several times. Father, Bless,

Continuing to think about your post…it seems to me that another reason for Christ beginning His ministry with the Jews is that the Jews were His family, His people. “Charity begins at home” as the saying goes..”To the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles” as Paul said several times.

]]> By: Natalia Arzhantseva http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2020 Natalia Arzhantseva Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:35:53 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2020 Yes, indeed! more than that - we cannot hang on to ourselves down here! Yes, indeed! more than that – we cannot hang on to ourselves down here!

]]> By: Deborah http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2019 Deborah Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:26:57 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2019 One of my favorite quotes, written by a man who was martyred not long after he wrote this in his journal is "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose." By releasing into the hands of God, the good things that He has given to us and that are so dear to us, we are storing them up as lasting treasures in Heaven. To attempt to hang on to them down here is to simply watch them turn to dust in our hands. One of my favorite quotes, written by a man who was martyred not long after he wrote this in his journal is “He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose.”

By releasing into the hands of God, the good things that He has given to us and that are so dear to us, we are storing them up as lasting treasures in Heaven. To attempt to hang on to them down here is to simply watch them turn to dust in our hands.

]]> By: Natalia Arzhantseva http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2018 Natalia Arzhantseva Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:19:57 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2018 "makes it easier to give things back to God when the time comes." Dear, it is so difficult for me!!! All my nature protests against this return. The more precious His gift is, the more greedy I am. I appropriated the most dear gifts, especially one....and I can hardly imagine what'll be when the time comes...I just hope He will help me to survive & give Him what is really His. I realise this is of my poor faith (which is tested in such moments as well). But maybe the feeling that whom we love belong to us eternally is a revelation of our realisation of the Eternal Life. May God help all of us not to forget about it when the time comes. “makes it easier to give things back to God when the time comes.” Dear, it is so difficult for me!!! All my nature protests against this return. The more precious His gift is, the more greedy I am. I appropriated the most dear gifts, especially one….and I can hardly imagine what’ll be when the time comes…I just hope He will help me to survive & give Him what is really His. I realise this is of my poor faith (which is tested in such moments as well). But maybe the feeling that whom we love belong to us eternally is a revelation of our realisation of the Eternal Life. May God help all of us not to forget about it when the time comes.

]]> By: Deborah http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2017 Deborah Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:07:56 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2017 To hold all that we have with an open hand not only makes it easier to freely give to others, but it also makes it easier to give things back to God when the time comes. When my fist is tightly clenched around something I do not wish to let go of, not only is the process of prying each finger off of it, incredibly painful, but it also makes it difficult for me to receive the next thing that God is going to give me. Blessed be the name of the God who in His loving wisdom gives and takes away. Natalia, I really like your analogy of parallel lines and Lobachvsky's theorem. To us, in this present life, it does seem impossible that all that we are and all that we desire to become will ever converge. Blessed be the name of the God who unites the parallel lines of our wills and His. To hold all that we have with an open hand not only makes it easier to freely give to others, but it also makes it easier to give things back to God when the time comes. When my fist is tightly clenched around something I do not wish to let go of, not only is the process of prying each finger off of it, incredibly painful, but it also makes it difficult for me to receive the next thing that God is going to give me. Blessed be the name of the God who in His loving wisdom gives and takes away.

Natalia, I really like your analogy of parallel lines and Lobachvsky’s theorem. To us, in this present life, it does seem impossible that all that we are and all that we desire to become will ever converge. Blessed be the name of the God who unites the parallel lines of our wills and His.

]]> By: Natalia Arzhantseva http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/06/24/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-gentile-freely-you-have-received-freely-give-hunters-for-humility/comment-page-1/#comment-2013 Natalia Arzhantseva Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:10:47 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=960#comment-2013 Really, we all know how hard it is, sometimes grievously, to learn to be god & humble, when it takes to reinforcing our heroic inentions with practical actions! "It is possible to be kind when we do not feel kindness, to help when we do not want to help, and to hold our peace when our thoughts are not peaceful"- possible, but it takes a constant work on ourselves, which is impossible without our Holy Church & our participation in all that takes place there. As we cannot change ourselves withiout Christ. I sometimes have a feeling that I'd continue forcing myself for kind actions & incerting good thoughts into my poor head (at least pacify the bee-hive of the great variety of contradicting thoughts that are nesting there all the time) all my life long and it'll end in nothing. But i fight with this thought, I know I shouldn't give in! It occured to me that the theorem of Lobachevsky of 2 parallel straight lines may be an illustrative example: of this. He states that they finally cross in the space (though it's hardly believable, but he proved it - as far as I know...). Thus we can also observe this in our life: our intentions & thoughts & readiness is one line, and our deeds (or the lack of them - depends) is the other one. But we should go on, and believe that some day they will cross. God unites them, if we remain faithful & persistent... Really, we all know how hard it is, sometimes grievously, to learn to be god & humble, when it takes to reinforcing our heroic inentions with practical actions! “It is possible to be kind when we do not feel kindness, to help when we do not want to help, and to hold our peace when our thoughts are not peaceful”- possible, but it takes a constant work on ourselves, which is impossible without our Holy Church & our participation in all that takes place there. As we cannot change ourselves withiout Christ. I sometimes have a feeling that I’d continue forcing myself for kind actions & incerting good thoughts into my poor head (at least pacify the bee-hive of the great variety of contradicting thoughts that are nesting there all the time) all my life long and it’ll end in nothing. But i fight with this thought, I know I shouldn’t give in! It occured to me that the theorem of Lobachevsky of 2 parallel straight lines may be an illustrative example: of this. He states that they finally cross in the space (though it’s hardly believable, but he proved it – as far as I know…). Thus we can also observe this in our life: our intentions & thoughts & readiness is one line, and our deeds (or the lack of them – depends) is the other one. But we should go on, and believe that some day they will cross. God unites them, if we remain faithful & persistent…

]]>