Feast of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr.

Feast of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr

Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell:

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus instructed that “a servant is not greater than his master” (John 13:16). Elsewhere is scripture He proclaimed, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Thus, there is an interesting juxtaposition between greatness and humility.

In our world, man often mistakenly presumes that greatness is based on status, wealth, power, and authority. Yet prominence in God’s Kingdom is predicated upon, and measured by, humility and servitude: virtues that Christ exemplified throughout His life and ministry. Everything Jesus did epitomized this fact: healing the sick, feeding the hungry, befriending sinners, ministering to the marginalized; even donning a towel and washing His disciples’ feet. Our Lord exuded humility as He poured out His entire life in service to others.

Therefore, considering the example Jesus left us, it is absurd for His followers to take offence or feel demeaned while performing down-to-earth, menial, unassuming and unrewarding tasks. If the Son of God came down to set the bar as to how we might achieve greatness in Heaven, we must adhere to His paragons and principles bu serving one another with humility and love.

Fr. John