Red Sunday: The Will of the Father and the Son, and Our Call to Become Like Christ

Good morning everybody. And of course, I would like to wish all of our mothers who are present, especially Yedetskin Betty who’s with us here today. God bless her. Mother of not only three beautiful boys, but also many grandchildren and spiritual mother of this church, having been the Yedetskin who was in charge when our parish was, when this building was constructed. So wonderful to have you here and congratulations and blessed Mother’s Day to all of our mothers who are present here today. Now this Sunday in the Armenian church is also known as Red Sunday, the red signifying the blood of the martyrs. And so I ask you not to read too much into both of those events happening at the same time, Mother’s Day and the celebration of martyrdom. However, there is some overlap, I think, in the recognition of these important roles. This Sunday is called Red Sunday because we remember all of the martyrs whose lives were essential in terms of building up the early church. And if you’re following along with the daily reading schedule of the Armenian Apostolic Church throughout recent days, we’ve been reading, for example, in the book of Acts of the crucial role that, for example, St. Stephen and others played. And of course, the disciples and apostles, many of whose lives were given in sacrifice for their faith and for the establishment of the Christian church. So this is why today is called Red Sunday in the life of the Armenian church. And as such, we’re going to remember in our hearts all of those who gave their lives throughout generations and generations for the sake of the Armenian Apostolic Church, up to and including, of course, the martyrs of the Armenian genocide, who we remembered not just a week and a half ago.

Անուն Հոր և Որդվո և Հոգվույն Սրբո, ամեն։ Ինչպես այսօր հիշեցի, այսօր կոչվում է Կարմիր կիրակի, և կհիշենք բոլոր մեր եկեղեցու նահատակներին, որոնք տվել են իրենց կյանքները ի նպաստ հայրենյաց և, իհարկե, հավատո։ Եվ կհիշենք վաղ եկեղեցու այդ ժամանակաշրջանի նահատակների մասին, և այդ արյունը, որ իրենք կոչված էին՝ չեմ ուզեր ասել ստիպված էին, որովհետև որոշում ունեցել են, բայց կոչված էին այդ արյուն թափելու եկեղեցու կյանքի համար, մենք այսօր կհիշենք Կարմիր կիրակիով։ Եվ նշելի է նաև, որ այսօր մեր Աստվածաշնչի ընթերցումը նույն ընթերցումն է, որ մենք կարդում ենք, երբ որ ուղարկավորության թաղման կարգը կատարում ենք՝ ոչ թե եկեղեցու մեջ, այլ երբ որ գերեզմանի մոտ ենք, մենք կարդում ենք նույն հատվածը Հովհաննու Ավետարանի, երբ որ մեր եկեղեցու հավատացյալներից մեկը պատրաստում ենք թաղելու։ Եվ այս հատվածը շատ հետաքրքիր է, որովհետև նրա մեջ ինքը ասում է, որ՝ «Ճշմարտապես, ճշմարտապես կհայտարարեմ ձեզի, որ Որդին ինքն իր մեջ ոչինչ կարող է անել, հապա միայն ինչ որ տեսնե, որ Հայրը կանի, որովհետև ինչ որ ան կասի, նմանապես որդին էլ կանի այդ բաները»։ Հետաքրքիր է, որովհետև երբ որ կկարդանք, ասիկա շատ անգամ են, վստահ եմ, որ շատերդ լսում ենք, որ մի ձևով Հիսուս սահմանափակված է, որովհետև ասում է, որ ինքը չի կարող անել ոչինչ, եթե այն բան չէ, որ ինքը տեսնում է Աստծուց։ Ուրեմն, չտեսնելով՝ չի կարա անի։ Ուրեմն, մի ձևով մենք կարդում ենք սա և լսում ենք հնազանդություն կամ մի ձևով ինքն իրեն իր հնարավորությունները պակասում է, և այսպես, և այստեղ կարող ենք տեսնել որդիական իր դիրքը Սուրբ Երրորդության մեջ արդյոք, բայց երբ որ խորապես կարդանք Հովհաննու Ավետարանը ընդհանրապես և հաշվի առնելով նաև այդ նույն հատվածը, որ կարդացինք, երբ որ խորանից իջավ, առաջին գլխից, ինքը ավելի խոսում է Սուրբ Երրորդության մասին և ինչպես Հայրը և Որդին նույն էությամբ են։ Ասիկա որևէ ձևով չի պակասում նրա կարելիությունը և հնարավորությունը, ընդհակառակը, ինքը ասում է, որ իր բնությամբ ոչինչ չի կարա անի, եթե Աստծո կամքը չէ, որովհետև Աստծո կամքը և Որդին կամքը նույնն են։ Աստծո էությունը և Որդին էությունը նույնն են։ Ուրեմն, դրա համար ինքը այսպես բացատրում է այն ժամանակ հրեաներին, որոնք այն ժամանակ դատապարտում էին, որովհետև ինքը ասաց, երբ որ ինքը բժշկում էր հիվանդ տիկնոջ, որ ինքը Աստծո որդին էր, որ իսկապես որդին է, և ինքը չի տարբերվում Աստծուց Հորից։ Աստորեն նույն էությամբ են, նույն կամքով, նույն բնությամբ իրենք աշխատում են։ Եվ ասիկա շատ կարևոր է, որ այսօր հիշենք, որովհետև մեր նպատակն է, որպես քրիստոնյաներ նույնպես ապրել, ինչպես Հիսուս ապրեց։ Ասիկա կկոչվի Աստվածանմանություն, որովհետև այսօր ես ու դու, մենք Աստծո նման չենք, բայց մեր կյանքի նպատակն է, որ սովորելով, իմաստ առնելով և սուրբ կյանք ապրելով եկեղեցու կյանքի ներսում, որ մենք ավելի նմանենք Աստծուն և զգանք այդ կաթիլ, այդ բաժին իր էությունը, որ մեր մեջ է նաև, որ դա դառնա ավելի ղեկավարող մասը մեր հոգիի՝ Սուրբ Հոգու միջոցով, որ մենք նմանենք Հիսուսին։ Երբ որ մենք որոշում առնենք կամ քայլ առնենք, կուզենք մտածել՝ ես ոչինչ չեմ կարող անել, եթե Աստծո կամքը չէ։ Ո՛չ, որովհետև հնազանդ եմ, որովհետև իմ էությունը, իմ ներքին կյանքը, իմ հոգին կնմանի Աստծուն։

The passage that we read on this day, which we call Red Sunday, as I mentioned already, is somewhat apropos and may be familiar to some of you who have recently participated in a funeral rite of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Because the passage today from the Gospel of St. John is the same passage that we read at the beginning of the burial rite. So not in the church, but we’ve already performed the church portion of the service and with the faithful and with the remains of the faithful, we go to the gravesite. And one of the first things that we do after arriving at the gravesite is we read from this passage from the Gospel of John. And when we read from that passage, of course, it is appropriate because it speaks about the nature of judgment. Christ says at the end of this passage, for as the Father has life in himself, so he’s granted the Son to have life in himself. And he’s given him authority to execute judgment also because he’s the Son of Man. Don’t marvel at this, he says, for the hour is coming and now is when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth and those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment is just because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. So this speaks to judgment and life everlasting in the hope of the resurrection.

I’m going to divert from the main point of today’s passage. I’m going to speak about that concept of resurrection because I often talk about this with the faithful, maybe not always from the pulpit, but it comes as a surprise to some of them. But we should all know and understand this, that the resurrection is not something that we only speak about in terms of Jesus Christ. But in fact, Jesus Christ’s resurrection is a preview of the resurrection that has been promised to those who are his flock. So we also live in the hope of the resurrection to come in our own lives, those of us who, as has been stated already in this passage, awake to the judgment of life. And so this is an essential part of who we are as Christians, hoping for resurrection for ourselves one day, praying for and preparing ourselves for this event. Now, I want to speak about this in terms of burial because this is also an important part of our own rite. And one of the reasons that the Orthodox Church encourages bodily burial, because it is an expression of our values as Christians that we hope for bodily resurrection one day. This body means something. It’s important. It’s blessed. And it’s something that God gave to me. This is my body. It’s nobody else’s. And it’s very important to me. And it’s important to God, too. So when we bury people, we’re doing this with this hope and with this faith and with this, again, kind of value statement of this is something that we hope we can be a part of in the future by virtue of God’s grace.

I wanted to take a second to explain that. But now coming back to the main thrust of what we’re talking about here in judgment, when he speaks about not being able to do something unless it is the will of the Father, we read that sometimes and it seems like, wow, this is a unique moment when Christ seems to be limiting himself. He’s talking about what he can’t do. At the beginning of the passage, it says, surely I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself. But what he sees the Father doing, for whatever he does, the Son also does in a like manner. And I don’t know about for you, but for me, sometimes I read that passage and unfortunately I read it often because like I said, I read it every time I do a funeral. And there’s this kind of moment that I stumble as I’m reading, is, well, Christ has told us all the things that he can do throughout the gospel. And then he takes this opportunity to tell us what he can’t do. What he can’t do is whatever isn’t God’s will. Now, it’s easy for us in a human context to assume that this is him being obedient, for example, or modeling for us or exemplifying for us what it means for us to be good Christians by seeking to do God’s will all the time. So his obedience perhaps is a choice that he’s showing us for us to try to emulate in our own lives. However, when we read the church fathers, for example, St. Augustine or St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. Athanasius, and especially those that talked about the Holy Trinity and the nature of the natures of Jesus Christ, that it’s important that in this passage, he’s not speaking about his limitations. He’s actually speaking about his role in the Holy Trinity, that he’s not separate from the Father. He’s of the same essence as the Father. He is one and the same as the Father. Now, how could he do that which isn’t the Father’s will if he shares the essence with him? He’s revealing a very important truth about who Jesus Christ is in this moment in time. And that’s another thing that we are proclaiming during our burial rite is we’re remembering that the will of God and the will of Jesus are one and the same. This is why they can’t do things that are separate or not aligned with each other’s will, because they’re so closely aligned, they are the exact same thing.

And when we see Christ, we are meant to understand that this is the same essence as God. Now, he’s speaking in this moment in time to a group of people that are condemning him. There’s a group of leaders, Jewish leaders, that come to him at the beginning of this passage, and they’re condemning him because he worked a miracle in Bethesda, having healed an ailing woman, and he said at that time that he is the Son of God. And so they said, “Oh, this guy, he’s insane. He’s a blasphemer. He’s saying all of these crazy things.” And they come to him with this accusation and condemnation, and this is the way that he responds to them. “I can’t blaspheme, okay? Because I and the Father are one. I can’t blaspheme against myself. I’m doing the Father’s will, and the Father’s will is mine. So to understand God better, you must understand me better.” Now, I wanted to emphasize this portion of the passage today, both because this is really essential for us to understanding Trinitarian theology, but also because it’s an important part of who we are as Christians. Because our job as Christians is to try to become more like Jesus Christ, and to become more like Jesus Christ means to try to align that part of our souls, that part of who we are, that essence that we have in us that is the image of God, closer and closer to God’s essence throughout our lives. To grow in accord with his will and an understanding of his vision for our lives so that we get to a point, like Jesus Christ, we could say, “You know what? It’s hard for me to not do God’s will.” Now, that’s a very difficult place for us to get to as Christians, but this is what we’re called to do. We are called to emulate Jesus Christ, but we’re called to amplify, to feed, to grow that voice within us, the Holy Spirit that’s guiding us to be more like him and to align ourselves with that will that God has for us and for the world.

And today, speaking to our mothers, I want to say it would be a lot easier if our kids shared the same will and essence with us as we have. They would probably be a lot more likely to listen to us. I get that. You’d want to have your kids say, “I can’t do what is not my mother’s will.” But that’s not the case. That’s not how motherhood works. That’s not how humanity works. We have our own distinct wills. Nevertheless, I want to remind you that you’ve been given this blessed opportunity, and I hope that you read this part of our Tertig today, which is called “The Candle That Did Not Go Out” — I found it to be very inspiring — to remind ourselves that we have a mission in our lives to do just like Christ is, to exemplify the way that we live our lives in such a way so that we try to not diverge from God’s will in whatever it is that we do, so that our children can find their own paths to be in that same blessed position. For the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.