SERMON XXIX.
WORLDLY CARE A HINDERANCE TO GRACE.
The Assumption of the holy Mother of God.
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.”-S. Luke x. 38.
BLESSED art thou, obscure, nay even thoroughly unknown village! for CHRIST, the LORD of glory, visits thee. Blessed art thou, poor home! For CHRIST, rich in grace, enters under thy roof. Zacchseus was perishing from the passion of covetousness; but as soon as CHRIST had visited his house, “This day is salvation come to it.” [S. Luke xix. 9.] And salvation will also come to the house of Martha, which has received the SAVIOUR, it will come undoubtedly. Blessed be every place and house which is honoured by divine visitation. But above all, blessed be the man who receives that divine visitation worthily. For if the infinite GOD visits some place it is to draw near unto man, and to take up His abode in his soul. <344>
And what means it that the Church so frequently proclaims to us the Gospel narrative of this visitation of CHRIST? Is it not to excite in our souls the thirst for divine visitations? Is it not to teach us how it is possible to attract, and to receive them worthily? Oh, thou, who art the high door of divine visitation, the living city of the living GOD, the first abode of CHRIST! Mary, thou art blessed above her who had chosen the good part,” since thou hast chosen, or better, thou wast chosen by supreme and perfect Goodness before all, but also for the sake of all who sat in darkness, “whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,” [S. Luke i. 78.] for the supreme Visitor of souls, not only visited, but dwelt in thee, and under thy roof. Departing from us through the gates of the tomb, to go up to Him and to dwell with Him in His glory, leave open to us the gates of mercy. Remind Him of the lowly village on the cross-roads of the world, which yet belongs to His kingdom,—remind him of the frail hut in this valley of corruption, which He built Himself, and for Himself. Let not a soul thirst in vain for His gracious visitations, let not the visitation of grace come in vain into that soul and find it unable to meet and receive it.
I seem to hear the soul saying: Oh, if GOD would but visit me by His gracious visitation! How could I do otherwise than receive Him reverently, fervently, even as it pleases the Visitor? <345> In answer it would be more just to say: Oh, if only thou were but able, disposed, ready to receive worthily the gracious visitation! Were it possible that GOD should not soon visit thee? The LORD, Who according to Job, “sets His heart upon man, visits him every morning, and tries him every moment.” [Job vii. 17, 18.]
But what hinders man from seeking GOD successfully, and from worthily receiving His gracious visitation? The Gospel narrative concerning Martha, who received the LORD into her house, shows for our instruction that the greatest hindrance to it is worldly care, or attachment to that which is earthly.
Martha no longer sought, or wished for a visit from CHRIST, but had already received it. “Martha received Him into her house.” She had received Him reverently, for she had called Him LORD, and being herself empowered to arrange the affairs of her own house, had begged Him to command her sister, saying, “LORD, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore.”—Martha had received the LORD with zeal, for she diligently prepared to honour Him, as did Abraham at the time of the visitation of the LORD unto him. “Martha was cumbered about much serving.” Does this not dispose us to think that she received CHRIST worthily, and in a way pleasing to Him? Do not hasten to form a decided opinion. Wait for the judgment of CHRIST. <346> What then says the LORD? He does not approve the reception which Martha offers Him, but bestows a pre-eminent blessing upon Mary, of whom Martha complained. What is the cause of this? With what can Martha be reproached? She is reproached with worldly care. “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.”
If thus worldly cares hindered the gracious visitation already received, and deprived it more or less of its fruit; will it not still more impede and harm those who are but beginning to seek GOD and His grace?
By an attentive consideration of the Gospel narrative, we may distinguish some peculiar ways by which earthly care prevents man from pleasing GOD and acquiring His grace, or from preserving it when once received. It distracts and troubles; it darkens the spiritual eye to the perception of the light of truth; it weakens the will in the choice of what is best.
Worldly care distracts and troubles. Look at Martha. CHRIST is in her house,—He, Whom to see, to hear His words, a multitude of people followed through villages and deserts,—He, Whom “many prophets and kings have desired to see, and have not seen.” [S. Luke x. 24.] "Whose day Abraham,” already acquainted with divine visitations, “rejoiced to see,” [S. John viii. 56.] and having seen from afar "was glad” He, Who was sought for, He, Who was longed for, is near to Martha, seen and heard by her. And what of Martha? Does she rejoice <347> at seeing Him? Does she delight in His presence and listening to His words? It is doubtful. She has other cares, other thoughts, and other feelings.
She thinks of and cares about flour and oil, about bread and fish. The divine Teacher of truth, the Giver of grace, almost exists not for her; for “Martha was cumbered about much serving.” Displeasure against her sister, who shares not these cares, directs her at last to the LORD; but even of Him she seeks help only that she might increase care and distraction, and involve others in them. “And Martha came to Him and said, LORD, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.”
Think, O Christian, that CHRIST the LORD, either actually visits the house of thy soul, or is standing at the door, and waiting for thee to “receive Him into thy house.” If this seems incredible, we assure thee of it, and not by our own word alone. Listen, how He speaks of Himself to all of us. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” [Rev. iii. 20.] Shall we say at this, we see Thee not, O LORD, standing, we hear not Thy knocking? What idle contradiction! The LORD deceives us not, He is “justified when He speaks.” [Psalm li. 4.] How can it then happen that He stands at the door and we see Him not; that He knocks and we hear Him not? Even as the <348> same happened to Martha. Worldly care draws us from one occupation to another, from one care to another, and as our cares for the most part meet not with the success which we desire, failure troubles us, the want of help afflicts us, obstacles on the part of others irritate us; our desires and passions grow tumultuous as the wind, as the waves; we rage and imagine vain things; we are tossed about to our own harm and danger; the soul overwhelmed both outwardly and inwardly, perceives not the meek presence, hears not the still small voice of blessed and saving grace.
Worldly care darkens the mind to the light of truth and grace. Such obscurity of mind the LORD reproves in Martha when He says to her, “but one thing is needful.” How was it that even before that admonition she had not understood that truth of herself, if not profoundly, then at least in the simple and open sense of the words? Granted that she could not at once raise herself to the comprehension how it is that the one thing needful is GOD, His word, His kingdom, as it is said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD?” [S. Matth. iv. 4.] Add again, “But seek ye first the kingdom of GOD, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you,” [S. Matth. vi. 33.] But, having received CHRIST into her house, and consequently having some knowledge of Him previously, how had she at least not understood that He Who had said, “My <349> meat is to do the will of Hint that sent Me,” [S. John iv. 34.] and for Him who fasted forty days and nights, for Him Who fed many thousands of people with a few loaves, there was no need of many kinds of food and drink? How did she not perceive that He Who was come into the world, “that He should bear witness unto the truth,” [S. John xviii. 37.] He Who names Himself the Bread of Life, Who calls to Himself those who thirst, was not to be pleased with a perishable food that should be abundantly offered unto Him, but rather by receiving from Him incorruptible food, living water, the word of truth and salvation? No, she understood it not, she who was cumbered about many things,—understood it not for the very reason that she was cumbered about many things; because the habitude of busying herself with earthly things, of caring for earthly things, weighed like lead upon the wings of her mind, suffering it not to rise to the comprehension of that which was spiritual.
Is it not so with some among us, Christians, who although they are under the same roof with CHRIST, as in reality it is with them who are in His Temple, although they almost see Him in the Sacrament and hear Him in the Gospel, yet know not how to profit by and how to enjoy such high gifts? The Gospel is not clear enough to us; the sacraments are too closely veiled; prayer is wearisome. We know not how to find in the Gospel Divine light; in the sacraments <350> Divine power; in prayer Divine joy, and bliss, and heaven. And why is not this spiritual understanding and pure contemplation granted to us? Because worldly care binds our mind, weighs it down by heavy earthly desires, covers it by the darkness of thoughts sensual, vain, and impure; and the eagle who was destined to soar on high, to look upon the Sun of spiritual and Divine truth, is changed into a mole, burrowing the earth, amidst the dust and corruption of works worldly, carnal, and alien to the spirit.
Worldly care weakens the will in its choice of that which is best. “Mary hath chosen that good part,” says the LORD, and what she has chosen is to sit “at JESUS’ feet, and to hear His word.” Why did not the other sister also choose the same part? did she not wish to draw nigh to Jesus? yet this desire was manifested by her still earlier than by Mary, when “Martha received Him into her house.” Why then did not one and the same seed of desire bring forth and bear the same fruit? Because in the heart of Mary it grew up freely; whereas in the heart of Martha it was choked by the tares of worldly care: “She was cumbered about much serving.” By the will of the spirit she aspired to the LORD and drew Him to herself: by the inclination towards that which was worldly, she was distracted from serving Him in the spirit by serving Him in the body, and thus she apprehended not His gracious presence.
At every time and in every place we may note how <351> differently the desire of grace and salvation works in the soul, according as it is free, perfect, and entire, or divided, impeded, weakened in its working by some earthly desire or worldly inclination. We see men who during many years are ever but beginning the work of their salvation, and who never bring it to perfection; they for a long time seek GOD, but find Him not; see some dawn of grace above them, and cannot await the time when its noonday will brighten their hearts. Why is this? Because although they have begun the work of salvation, yet being passionately attached to the earthly and the worldly, they leave not altogether their perishable works; they seek the Creator, yet are not willing to lose the creature; they hope for the consolation of grace, but are unwilling to part with the comforts of corrupt nature. We see on the contrary, some who begin later to serve GOD, and yet succeed therein more than others. The prodigal son progresses more rapidly than his elder brother in his father’s goodwill. Magdalene from the depth of sin, nay, almost of hell (for a part of hell dwelt in her) ascends to a degree equal to the Apostles. Saul, the persecutor, becomes suddenly transfigured into Paul the Apostle. “The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of GOD before" [S. Matth. xxi. 31.] those who deem themselves the born sons of this kingdom. How are such miracles accomplished? By a strong, resolute, all-conquering will, and by the desire of grace and salvation. <352>
Therefore does the Word of GOD powerfully protest against the commixtion of worldly cares and passions with the desires and aspirations of the spirit. “No man can serve two masters,” [S. Matth. vi. 24.] it says. And thus, if thou art the slave of worldly care, then how canst thou he at the same time the servant of GOD? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” [S. Matth. vi. 21.] And thus, if “ thy treasure,”—that which thou desirest, lovest, that about which thou art passionately anxious, —is upon earth, how is it possible that thy heart can be in heaven with GOD? “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” [2 Tim. ii. 4.] And therefore, if thou acknowledgest inwardly that thy soul is yet strongly attached to the worldly, then how canst thou flatter thyself that thou pleasest thy Captain, CHRIST, Who has overcome the world?
He who is attentive to the saving ways of Divine Providence will perceive not without fear, how sometimes GOD Himself, preparing man for a peculiar visitation, or unto some gift of grace, “with a strong hand and a stretched out arm” [Ps. cxxxvi. 12.] breaks the bonds which bind him to the world and to the earth. What wonderful visitations GOD granted to Abraham! But also what sacrifice did He require from him! “Get thee out,” was said unto him, “of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house,” [Gen. xii. 1.] <353> Why should not GOD’S visitation and blessing come down upon Jacob when Isaac had blessed him in his house? But he was taken from the arms of his pious parents, and brought through dangers, without help, without fellow-travellers, to an unknown place; he laid his tired head upon a stone of the desert, and here he found for himself the house of GOD, GOD’S Presence, and GOD’S mighty blessing. What path led Joseph to the grace of becoming an interpreter of mysteries, and to the glory of a saviour? The path of Egypt, wandering, slavery, a prison. When and where did GOD reveal Himself most to the people of Israel? At the time when they were torn from Egypt, and yet not in possession of the promised land,—there, where the soil offered them no earthly attraction, but sent them back to heaven in quest of everything.
What do we expect when we delay to renounce our worldly desires? Is it that GOD should draw us unto Him “with a strong hand, by special, powerful attraction, as with Abraham? But were not such a hope daring and illusive? Or that GOD should bring down upon us His “stretched out arm,” and by involuntary sacrifices, misfortunes, sorrows, strokes, should break the glittering fetters wherewith the world and the flesh bind us? But ought we to await this, and should we not rather anticipate it? Is it for rational and free beings to be like “those which have no understanding, and wait until their mouth be held <354> in, guided with bit and bridle, because they come not near unto thee.” [Ps. xxxii 9. The Slavonic version differs somewhat in this quotation from the English, in which the horse and the mule are “held in by bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee;” while in the Slavonic the action of the animals it reversed, hence the quotation becomes applicable.]
Let us no longer, my brethren, linger or delay; but let us hasten to deliver ourselves from the burden, whose weight we, perhaps, insufficiently know, because we have not yet tried to walk without it,-from the burden of worldly desires. Let us put aside in the common works and exertions of life, superfluous solicitude, over-anxious and vain care, proceeding from immoderate desire, from an exaggerated estimation of things, from a want of faith in GOD and hope in His Providence. And as we are called peculiarly to Divine works, to prayer, to the study of GOD’S Word, to spiritual struggles in the acquirement of the grace of GOD, let us put aside every worldly care, that we may receive in our soul and heart the visitations of the LORD, and see and find in Him “the one thing needful,” and “the good part which shall not be taken away from” us, either in time or in eternity. Amen.
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