All The Same Fire

As we enter this sacred time of year, we are confronted with the inevitable clash of Light and Dark. The Darkness cannot comprehend the Light and this "punishing" reality cannot be avoided!

St. Paul called the Word of God a “two-edged” sword.

In other words, the Word of God cuts both ways. It gives life, and it strikes down darkness.

Just as the surgeon’s knife wounds AND heals, so the wisdom of God wounds me and heals me all at the same time.

But too many people focus on only one side of reality, which causes all kinds of problems for us. As with all things in the Faith, a sober balance is key if we are to truly reap the benefits of God's wisdom.

And that balance is hard work in a world that rewards excess and shallow thinking!

Today is Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent, the last Friday before Palm Sunday. Tomorrow is Lazarus Saturday, when we celebrate the raising of Lazarus from the dead, foreshadowing the Resurrection. And as we approach Palm Sunday and the bright beauty of Holy Week, we will once again get to see just how much the Father loves us as He gives us His Son as the Great Champion Who destroys death by death.

Wisdom! Let us BE ATTENTIVE!

Today’s Lesson: Isaiah 66:10-24

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.” For thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. “For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the LORD. “For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the LORD. “And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Yikes! Such language from our dear St. Isaiah!

Talking about fire and dead bodies and undying worms.

Pretty scary language.

And yet, how else are we supposed to describe the slamming together of Uncreated Light and shallow darkness? It can’t go very well for the darkness in that clash. In fact, coming into God’s Light and Love unprepared always feels like Judgement and Anger, but it is neither.

It is the consequence of living an inattentive life, and that’s on me!

What Can We Take From This?

First, God’s fire is His presence of pure light and love, not anger or vengeance.

“For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh.”

St. Isaiah uses some graphic language about fire and judgment. But this fire isn’t anger or vengeance as much as it is God’s presence, which is all light and no darkness.

Of course, darkness will think the Bright Light of His Presence is “punishing” because it is to the darkness. But the same “fire” that torments the sinner purifies the saint.

God is love. But that pure and unfiltered love to the rebel is tormenting.

It all depends on whether you are willing to be transformed by the “fire” of God’s love and set free to return His love with the love of your own heart. Are you willing to allow the “fire” of God’s love to burn away everything that isn’t like Jesus in your life?

Jesus said it best: “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

You’ve been in the “fire” of Great Lent for six weeks. Fasting. Prayer. Repentance. This fire has either been purifying you or tormenting you. Which has it been?

If you’ve embraced the disciplines willingly, with love, they’ve been purifying. If you’ve resisted, resented, or rebelled against them, they’ve been tormenting.

The same fire. Different response. Different result.

Are you being purified by God’s fire of love? Or tormented because you’re resisting His light?

Next, the final encounter with God’s light will either comfort or devastate, depending on how you’ve prepared.

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass... And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched.”

Notice the contrast: “I will comfort you... your heart shall rejoice” versus “their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched.”

The slamming together of Uncreated Light and shallow darkness is always seen by the darkness as punishing. That’s why Darkness hates Light.

And that is just what it is for those unprepared by love and wisdom to face such an encounter. No wonder the prophet uses such language. The final tally of lives lived in the foolish slavery of self-deceit can’t expect that the consequences of such choices won’t be painful and devastating!

It’s just not reality!

St. Isaiah is using language meant to wake up slumbering lives, hoping to get just 5 more minutes of oblivious delusion before the piper has to be paid! And he uses the only kind of language that will break through the stupor of self-imposed delusion. And it ain’t pretty.

But what is a loving God supposed to do? Just let you drift along in the fantasy of your own darkness?

No. God loves us, dearest, and He refuses to let us pass, undisturbed, into the Light of His presence unprepared or at least unwarned.

Are you preparing for the encounter with God’s light? Or drifting in the fantasy of your own darkness?

Finally, God loves you too much to let you destroy yourself, so He warns and offers the fire of His love to set you free.

“For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory.”

So, fire it is. Fire that can purify now or torment later, but fire nonetheless!

God loves you too much to allow you to destroy yourself with intoxicated and untamed desires. He warns. He calls. He offers, over and over again, the “fire” of His love to set you free from a too-small life.

This is what Great Lent has been. Six weeks of God warning you. Calling you. Offering you the fire of His love through fasting, prayer, and repentance. Six weeks of opportunities to be purified now instead of tormented later by a “fire” meant to purify you!

“I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory.”

Everyone will see His glory. Everyone will encounter the fire of His presence. The question is: will you be comforted like a child on a mother’s hip? Or will the fire that purifies the saint torment you because you’ve lived in rebellion?

Is this what it’s going to take to wake you up?

If so, not to worry. Your Creator loves you so much that if this is what you need, here it is! Unambiguous language that says the choice is clear: Learn to embrace the fire of His love now and be purified, or wait until this very same fire torments you!

Are you embracing the fire of His love now? Or waiting until it’s too late? Don’t be foolish.

St. Joseph the Hymnographer

Today we commemorate St. Joseph the Hymnographer, a ninth-century monk, priest, and composer who wrote hundreds of hymns for the Church, including many of the beautiful canons we sing during Holy Week. He was imprisoned and tortured for defending the holy icons during the iconoclast controversy, but remained faithful.

St. Joseph understood what Isaiah teaches in today’s passage. He embraced the fire of God’s love through persecution and suffering. The same fire that might have tormented others purified him because he was willing to be transformed by it.

He knew God’s presence is light and love, not anger or vengeance. He prepared himself through prayer and faithfulness for the encounter with God’s glory. He didn’t wait for the fire to torment him but embraced it now to be purified.

And his hymns for Holy Week help us do the same. They prepare us to encounter the fire of God’s love as we watch the Great Champion destroy death by death.

That’s Normal Orthodoxy. Understanding that God’s fire is His presence of pure light and love that either purifies or torments, depending on your response. Preparing for the encounter with God’s light instead of drifting in darkness. Embracing the fire of His love now to be set free instead of waiting until it’s too late.

Your Response Today

Today is Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent, the last Friday before Palm Sunday. Tomorrow is Lazarus Saturday. Sunday is Palm Sunday. Monday begins Holy Week.

Is this what it’s going to take to wake you up? Graphic language about fire and judgment and undying worms?

If so, here it is. Unambiguous language that says the choice is clear: Learn to embrace the fire of His love now and be purified, or wait until this very same fire torments you!

Stop drifting in the fantasy of your own darkness. Stop hoping for just 5 more minutes of oblivious delusion. Stop living in the foolish slavery of self-deceit.

Start embracing the fire of God’s love that He’s been offering you for six weeks through Great Lent. Start preparing for the encounter with His glory. Start being transformed by His pure light instead of resisting it.

God loves you too much to allow you to destroy yourself. He warns. He calls. He offers the fire of His love to set you free from a too-small life.

It would be better to be Orthodox on Purpose.

As we approach Palm Sunday and the bright beauty of Holy Week, we will once again get to see just how much the Father loves us as He gives us His Son as the Great Champion Who destroys death by death.

The same fire. The same light. The same love. Will it purify you or torment you? It all depends on whether you’re willing to be transformed by it and set free to return His love with the love of your own heart.

Good strength to you as we enter this amazing and sacred time.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means understanding that God’s fire is His presence of pure light and love that either purifies or torments depending on your response, preparing for the encounter with God’s light instead of drifting in darkness, and embracing the fire of His love now to be set free instead of waiting until it’s too late!

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P.S. St. Joseph the Hymnographer, you embraced the fire of God’s love through persecution and composed hymns that prepare us to encounter His glory during Holy Week. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

As we step into Holy Week, please know you will be in my prayers, and I ask your prayers for me as well. This annual spiritual labor is worth it, so don't miss it! Have a fantastic weekend, and I'll see you on Holy Monday!

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV