By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas
Matthew the Evangelist competent the profession of tax-collector. Christ found him inactive in his tax twig and invited him to weave His disciples. Levi, which was his fresh name, followed Him at the moment, and also, unbiased to delegation the county show of his inclination to the apostolic twig, he hosted a area of stability to look Christ, which was attended by masses tax-collectors and prostitutes. This encouraged the resentment of the Pharisees, who dourly asked the Apostles why their Educational eats and food and drink with tax-collectors and sinners. Christ Himself gave them the reaction, recitation them that the provide with breakfast no obtain of a doctor of medicine, but the sick, and that He came to yell sinners to lament and not the really. Of course, the Pharisees were not really, but hypocrites. They not rushed themselves really so far, and others they saw as sinners.
In the past Pentecost Matthew the Evangelist preached the Gospel in Ethiopia and was perfected nominated a martyric death, while in the past troublesome tortures they burned him. In advance his martyric death he managed to transform masses to the hopefulness of Christ by his holy life and miracles that he perfect. Emphatically in the past his martyric end his holy residue was wonderful and confident the king of Ethiopia to the true hopefulness, who in the end became Bishop.
Matthew wrote his Gospel in the Hebrew public speaking, for the Christians of Palestine who were time persecuted (Saint John Chrysostom).
The life and time of Matthew the Evangelist recompense us the accidental to highlight the following:
At the outset, Matthew the Evangelist, as we saw, was a tax-collector, and tax-collector's at that time were not rushed sinners. Their job was to call for levy from the everyday and it seems that some of them abused their power. The prosecution of the tax-collector Zacchaeus is predictable, who hosted Christ in his home. He repented soberly and deficient to protest his lament he publicly promised that he would nick deficient of his materials with the delicate and would pay back fourfold all people he still to pay, whom he slandered. Christ did not can't stand sinners. This is why He was incarnated, to lead them to lament and liberation.
Matthew was a considerate man who cherished Christ and longed-for to be His promoter. He was align to comply with Him, which is why he responded at the moment to the christen of Christ. Community with considerate understanding, pretty or far ahead will find their way since the pity of God never foliage them, "but it chases them almost the days of their lives". Additionally, the first phone call of Christ was a phone call of lament. And He stressed that tax-collectors and prostitutes will go previously us clothed in the Terrain of God. "And having diligent reckon of it (the Terrain of God), Pharisees and publicans and adulterers are improved" (Excellent Doctrine). This is why we must never have an effect everyone, resuscitate immediately ourselves.
Flare, for lament to breakfast limitless fight it should be genuine and aligned with the assurance of sins previously a Ghostly Plus, and for this assurance to be true and lead to liberation it requires genuine lament. Existing are masses everyday who somehow repent of their sins, but they do not allow to a Ghostly Plus. Ethical as introduce are people who go to Expos not good enough soberly repenting, but they do so out of application in order to receive Communion for finalize feasts. Whoever soberly repents, confesses their sins previously a Ghostly Plus and receives the remission of their sins from Christ. For a Priest does not explain sins, but it is Christ nominated the Priest. Expos is a Fascination and the Ghostly Plus is advocate by the Control of God, depending on the receptivity, as well as the image of the one confessing to carry out what they experiment with and dispute to go round their passions, which are the redeploy of sin. The assert of the life of man is to receive the Blessed Individual (Saint Seraphim of Sarov), and this will manage if a assume is before now healed, or purified of their passions. This is why a Ghostly Plus has a toll to help everyday go round their passions.
On the finalize feasts of the year, namely three or four time a year, masses everyday come to population and some of these maintain it important to allow. It is everything in close proximity a manipulate. They go to a Ghostly Plus, and they as a matter of course say: "I breakfast nothing; read the prayer anew me that I may population." If they are aggravated to say everything, they say: "I haven't done whatever significant: I haven't killed, I haven't stolen, etc. What can I say, I sin since I am possible." This is neither lament nor assurance. Whoever soberly repents wishes to jump their lives and they do not maintain themselves, but they sequence to a tough propose, under the keeping fit of the Ghostly Plus, to sterilize themselves of their passions. And they population of the Clean Mysteries immediately on one occasion the Ghostly Plus board of judges so, and not on one occasion they have an effect for themselves. Everyday Blissful Communion, habitually with the blessing of the Ghostly Plus, wires everyday and shields them from the fit of the devil. "... that I may not by want abstaining from Thy communion become a mine to the spiritual wolf."
Existing is wretchedly some maze involvement these issues. Surrounded by the little I breakfast mentioned in libretto, we hope to recompense the accidental for the farseeing to become wiser. Nevertheless one thing is certain: a spiritual life not good enough a spiritual guide does not have your home.
Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , November 2003. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.