The Day Has Come

The unique power of the Orthodox Faith lies in its wisdom in making the Future present to us right now. And it is our willingness to embrace this "presence of the future" that forms us.

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I remember the preacher looking at his congregation and saying, “One day, every crooked place is going to be made straight, and every low place is going to be made high, and every high place is going to be made low!” Then he added the kicker: “Ain’t nobody going to escape coming face to face with justice! There’s going to come a reckoning.”

I confess this made me squirm in my seat.

It seems that there is embedded in the psyche of every human the notion that one day, all will be made right and justice and righteousness will prevail for all people. This hope, this dream, drives us to seek out justice and “fairness” now. We instinctively believe that “doing right” should be what everybody wants. And we have in all of human literature, especially in religious expectations, the common thread of the “Day” when everything will be good and holy, and all people will be at peace and satisfied. No one will be left out, and all will be well.

It is a beautiful expectation. It is a blessed hope. AND it is a terrifying thought!

What? Are you insane? A terrifying thought? Seriously? Yes, seriously, especially IF you take this truth seriously!

Yes, seriously. Look at our Gospel Lesson in Luke 4:16-22:

At that time, Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

You see, most folks hold this hope without fully realizing the implications of what they hope for. We are exceedingly adept at self-delusion. If there is a Day when all injustices will be corrected, if there is a Day when all hurts will be healed, all lies exposed, all mistreatments, insults, and wounds addressed and corrected. Every person I’ve mistreated, hurt, lied about, or selfishly taken advantage of will be avenged. I will stand revealed for my mistakes.

On that Day, instead of reveling in the delicious payback meted out to those who mistreated me, I will be standing in the light of the righteous judgment of my faults and mistreatment of others. Kinda casts a different light on things, doesn’t it?

Looking forward to that Day when all will be made right is wonderful. But, for those who are spiritually mature and not simply seeking a time when everybody who has hurt them is made to pay, the more profound truth of this hope is that I must work diligently NOW to repent and ask forgiveness and allow the grace of God to transform my actions toward others into righteous and peaceful love. No wonder the Church teaches me to pray for “a Christian end to our lives, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good account of ourselves before the awesome judgment seat of Christ, let us ask the Lord. Grant this, O Lord.”

St. Eustathius, before his baptism, was a prominent Roman General named Placidas. He served in the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Trajan. This decorated Roman military leader was hunting one day and saw a great white Stag with huge antlers and the Cross of Christ burning in between the antlers. Shocked by his vision, this man converted to Christ. When he returned home from this incredible experience, he learned that his wife had also had a vision instructing her to become a Christian as well. They and their children were baptized and then faced the persecution of those who followed Christ during the time when it was illegal to be a Christian. Finally, the whole family was martyred for their faith when they refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. They were martyred for Christ around the year 126 AD.

Today, let’s ask God to reveal His love for us so that we are given the grace to search our hearts for our faults and not even take notice of the faults of others. Let us become so gracious in our words, actions, and choices that when The Day comes, we will be joyous in the righteous judgments of the Lord when every motivation is brought to light, when every action, every word, is examined. Those who have already become practiced in humble forgiveness and repentance will naturally and quickly lay all their burdens and expectations at the feet of Christ and cry out, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

P.S. O blessed one, since you emulated Christ's sufferings and drank His cup with eagerness, you became a partaker and joint-heir of His glory, O wise Eustathius; and since He is God of all things, He gave you divine power from Heaven's heights.

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.