Sharing in the Joy of God
One of the distinctive features of Apostolic Christianity, compared with many other philosophies and religions, is its profoundly positive view of creation. Both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions have often regarded the material world as something inferior. In their pursuit of spirituality, many came to see the physical world as evil, as the product of conflict among lesser deities, or simply as the result of limitation and imperfection.
For example, in Platonic and Pythagorean philosophy, the body was viewed as the prison of the soul. Later, these ideas attempted to enter the Church through the Gnostics and the Manichaeans. By writing numerous books under the names of the Apostles, they sought to spread teachings that were not truly apostolic. They taught that holiness was attained primarily through extreme outward ascetic practices—wearing distinctive clothing, eating only herbs and fruits, and imposing severe disciplines upon the body.
Against these teachings stood the holy Apostles, especially St. Paul and St. John, together with great Fathers of the Church such as St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. A.D. 137–200) and St. Athanasius of Alexandria. Through their theological witness and by establishing the canon of Holy Scripture, they defended the Apostolic Faith. Among the errors they firmly rejected was the Gnostic claim that creation is inherently inferior and that the human body is incapable of sharing in the glory of the resurrection.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church likewise proclaims the goodness of creation. In the Apostolic Confession of Faith used in our liturgical tradition, we confess:
"We declare that marriage is pure, and that childbearing is not defilement, for God created Adam and Eve so that humanity might multiply."
This echoes the testimony of Genesis:
"God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good."
Creation is good. Nothing that God has created is evil by its very nature. Therefore, the Church praises her Creator through His creation.
During the rainy season, she sings:
"The sound of the rain is heard; when the rain falls, the poor are satisfied."
When the rains have passed, she sings again:
"The rain has gone; blessing remains; the flowers have blossomed."
These hymns are an echo of that first proclamation heard at the beginning of creation, when God looked upon all He had made and declared, "Behold, it was very good."
As the Church proclaims the goodness of creation, she also proclaims the eternal joy of God. She invites us to enter into that joy through her hymns. Through the Scripture readings, she teaches us to look at creation and, through it, to examine ourselves.
That is why today's readings speak about seed (1 Corinthians 15), rain (James 5), and fruit (Luke 8).
"Those Who Keep the Word with an Honest and Good Heart"
In the Gospel, the Greek word used for those who hear and keep God's word is katechousin (κατέχουσιν), a word closely related to katechoumenos (κατηχούμενος), from which we derive the word "catechumen." Both come from the verb katechō (κατέχω), meaning "to hold fast," "to keep," or "to retain."
This reminds us that those preparing for Holy Baptism are not merely to hear God's word but to hold firmly to it.
The first mark of a Christian, therefore, is to possess a good heart.
A good heart is one that desires what is truly good, seeks what is good, and delights in what is good. Because it sincerely longs for goodness, it rejoices when it hears the good seed—the Word of God. And because it recognizes its goodness, it clings to that Word, follows it, and serves it.
The holy women who followed our Lord are beautiful examples of this:
"Certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, Susanna, and many others—provided for Him out of their own means."
These women sought what was good, and they found the Good One Himself. Having tasted the goodness of God revealed in Christ Jesus, they followed Him faithfully wherever He went. Those with good hearts do not let go once they have found what is good.
Likewise, a good heart carefully guards the good seed that has been planted within it. It does not allow its attention to be scattered by passing gossip or the latest headlines. It does not permit the good it has received to be trampled by wandering thoughts, nor does it allow the passing "birds" of temporary distractions to snatch away what God has planted.
A good heart seeks what is truly good. When it finds it, it holds on tightly. Then the good Word of God bears fruit within it. Just as good soil drinks the rain and produces a harvest, so the person with a good heart bears the fruits of righteousness in daily life.
(Here we should note carefully that "good" does not mean whatever people happen to call good, or whatever seems good in our own eyes. God alone is truly Good, and He is the measure of all goodness.)
"Bearing Fruit with Patience"
Holding firmly to the good Word, however, comes at a cost.
Even though the good soil receives and keeps the seed that has been sown in it, the "birds"—the urgent distractions and passing concerns of life—will still try to scatter our thoughts and steal the good seed from our hearts. The thorns of worldly anxiety and the love of comfort will also seek to grow around it. And sooner or later, the scorching sun of trials and suffering will rise.
Therefore, the Christian life requires vigilance. We must drive away those "birds" through prayer so that they find no place to rest within us. We must also uproot the "thorns" through daily repentance, lest they choke the good seed that God has planted in our hearts.
Whenever the Word of God begins to take visible form in our lives, trials inevitably follow. These trials may come through people we know and love. They may come through strangers who seem to have little concern for us. They may even arise from a society built upon self-centeredness and worldly values. Such trials are like the scorching sun that dries up plants without deep roots.
But those who have taken root in Christ do not wither.
Instead, they plant themselves firmly in the Church, where the gifts of the Holy Spirit continually flow like the living water that nourishes the seed already beginning to bear fruit. Having built their lives upon the Word of God, they are not shaken by storms or violent winds.
Rather, day by day they stretch out their roots beside the river of life so that they may continue to hold fast to the seed first planted within them.
They do not separate themselves from the Holy Scriptures.
They do not separate themselves from the Holy Mysteries.
This is how they remain steadfast.
Just as the holy women heard the Lord's word and faithfully followed Him, so too believers today hear His Word and remain united to Christ, who dwells in His Holy Church through her Sacred Mysteries.
The Lord whose gracious words they first heard, they now continue to taste each day in the Holy Mysteries. They go from strength to strength.
Because the good Word echoes within them, they go forth to do good works. They bear fruit—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. They do not grow weary in doing good.
They trample underfoot the serpent and the scorpion—the powers that seek to keep them from bearing fruit—and they do not lose heart.
Indeed, the Lord is not ashamed to call them, "My mother and My brothers," for they are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.
Questions for Reflection
As we leave today's Gospel, let each of us prayerfully ask:
Am I good soil for the Word of God?
Do I truly hold fast to His Word?
Has His Word borne the fruit of good works in my life?
Am I continually nourishing that seed by receiving Christ, the true Living Water, through the Holy Mysteries of His Church?
May God grant us good hearts that receive His Word, steadfast faith that preserves it, and patient endurance that bears fruit for His glory.
Amen.
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