“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” -Genesis 50:20
St. Joseph the Righteous, as he is called in the Orthodox Church, is one of the earliest examples of Holy Youth, if not the earliest mentioned in the Bible.
Joseph is a great example of how God can use youth to do extraordinary things. We see this in that he was granted the gift of prophecy at the age of 17 when he had the dreams of the 11 sheaves bowing down to his, and also the dream of the sun, the moon, and the 11 stars bowing down to him. Also he had the gift of interpreting dreams, which he used when he interpreted the dreams of the butler, the baker, and Pharaoh. But we are focusing on his virtues.
The first of Joseph’s virtues that we see is his obedience, specifically his obedience to his father. “And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come I will send you to them.’ So he said to him, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.’ So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem” (Genesis 37:13-14). This obedience was very strong because what Jacob asked Joseph to do was not easy; it required a lot of walking, miles, and walking alone too. But Joseph answered, “Here I am.”
We also see that God was with him. In Genesis 39, when Joseph began his service to Potiphar, to whom he was sold, it says that “The Lord was with Joseph” or “with him,” four times. This brings us to a very important subject in Christianity which is synergy. Synergy is derived from a Greek word which means “working with.” Synergy in Christianity means working with God. This is as simple as it gets, without God we can do nothing! Jesus confirmed this when he told His disciples the night before He was crucified, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING” (John 15:4-5). In order to get to this level where God will work with us we must devote as much time as we can to prayer. Prayer that thanks and glorifies God, deep prayer in which God starts to reveal Himself to us and we see His works in the Creation more and more clearly, where we contemplate the wonderful things He has done, from the Creation itself, to virtue, to all the works of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the Incarnation to the Ascension.
Joseph had a very strong relationship with God and this is what caused the Lord to be with him. We see the words prosper or success come when it says “the Lord was with Joseph.” This comes before even the first psalm was written which says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly… but his will is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by streams of water that produces its fruit in its season, and his leaf shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1). This strong relationship Joseph had with God caused God to work with him (synergy), and this is what led to the rest of his virtues. Pope Shenouda III talks about synergy in his book Holy Zeal, talking about partnership with God, “Another example is that of an electric light and an electric current. You can find electric lights which are very beautiful, very powerful and of quite an exquisite type, which emit a light that gives people great joy to see. But in actual fact, such lights can only give light as long as they are connected to an electric current. If they are cut off from the electricity supply then they cease to work; their usefulness, beauty and attractive shape are worth nothing. So too will all your zeal be in vain if you are far away from God, who is the source of power.”
Joseph was also trustworthy. We see that Potiphar made Joseph the overseer of his house and everything in it because he “saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority” (Genesis 39:3-4). Even the unbeliever saw God working in Joseph, and because of this he exalted him to the position of overseer. We also see that “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake” (Genesis 39:5). Synergy causes us to be filled with God’s Spirit as Christians and through this God’s power rests on everything we are entrusted with. Joseph’s trustworthiness also caused the keeper of the prison to have Joseph oversee the prison, and not just any prison, the prison of Pharaoh’s prisoners, “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper” (Genesis 39:21-23).
This trustworthiness leads to faith in a person, and this faith will lead those who deal with us to believe in God because they will see us reflecting God who is the Most Trustworthy. It even led Pharaoh to commit all Egypt into Joseph’s hands and he confessed Joseph’s God saying, “And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.’ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ So he set him over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:38-43).
Joseph was also humble. When the butler and the baker asked Joseph if he was able to interpret their dreams he answered, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8) And also when Pharaoh told Joseph that he had heard that he interpreted dreams, Joseph answered, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:16). We can learn from this because today, unfortunately, we tend to exalt ourselves instead of giving God the glory. We say, “I did this, I did that,” and such. An interesting thing, the word for “I” in Greek is “Ego.” Humility is not only making nothing of ourselves, but more than that it is giving God the credit and glory. Many times if we parade a virtue or talent we have, God might take it away to teach us a lesson, then we will know what we had after it is gone, but our eyes will be on God because then we will know that he was the one giving that talent or virtue to us.
Among other things Joseph was wise (40:38-39), which Pharaoh confessed was because God was with him. But the most important virtue which Joseph had was his forgiveness. Even after all the things that his brothers did to him; betraying him and selling him to the Ishmaelites and causing him to bondage for more than 13 years when he was a slave to Potiphar and later a prisoner, up until the time Pharaoh appointed him over Egypt, he forgave them. He said to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph is a great example of all the things we should be, even youth, because he kept his eyes on God all the time, which is why even after his brothers betrayed and sold him, he said what God did, which by far was greater, “to save many people alive.” And as it says in the Epistle to the Romans, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
So we should pray to God and ask him to be examples to others that our youth isn’t a stumbling block, but a great chance to witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, like St. Paul exhorts St. Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
And glory be to God both now and ever and unto the age of all ages. Amen.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Holy Youth: Saint John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist is a great example for us youth on how to lead our lives in virtue. Jesus bears witness of John saying, “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (Luke 7:28).
John the Baptist is the Forerunner of Jesus Christ as it says in the Book of Malachi the Prophet, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1). His birth happened by a miracle, like that of Samuel the Prophet. It was announced to his father Zacharias by Gabriel the Archangel while he was in the Temple serving at the altar of incense. Gabriel told Zacharias about John saying, “He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15-17). And afterward in the same chapter we see how he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb when he leaped in her womb for joy. And his mother was filled with the Holy Spirit afterwards.
From here we begin to see where his virtue lies, and that is in bearing witness to Christ. This great Saint’s focus is solely upon the Savior Himself. From the beginning, even while the two were in the womb, John the Baptist bore witness of Christ. When this Saint began his public ministry, he was no older than 30 years old, maybe even younger than that, and he was able to attract thousands to repentance. By this he was doing what was prophesied in the Book of Malachi which says, “and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6) and through this, by causing the hearts of the people to be virtuous they could be prepared to meet the Lord as Gabriel also prophesied, “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
The next thing we see in John is that he recognized Christ when he saw Him. Jesus came to be baptized in the Jordan not because He needed repentance because He alone is without sin, but through His Baptism he set the way for our baptism by sanctifying the waters of Baptism and giving us the example for life. When He came to John, John immediately recognized Him and “tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:14-15). Today it is so hard for us to hear the voice of God because of all the worries of the world and all the things we desire from it, but John who had spent all his life in the deserts until he was manifested to Israel, recognized Christ because he had spent a life of prayer in the deserts. Let us pray for this virtue of recognizing the Lord when He comes to us.
Out of this passage we also see that St. John the Baptist had the virtues of obedience and humility. Because he recognized Jesus when He came to Him, and knew that He was sinless and didn’t need baptism, He tried to prevent Him knowing that he should be baptized by Jesus, not knowing exactly what it was that Jesus was trying to fulfill, but knowing that this One who was standing in front of him was the Son of God and Lord of all, he baptized Him himself. And because of this virtue, it was granted to Him to witness the Theophany (Epiphany); when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove and remained upon Him, and God the Father spoke saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). If this one act of obedience alone granted John the Baptist to see this wonderful event, what else will we see and experience if we obey our Fathers of Confession when they advise about something in the faith?
After he fulfilled this first part of his ministry which he knew and applied to himself, citing the prophecy of Isaiah, “He said: ‘I am “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD”’” (John 1:23), he began to lead people to Christ Himself, beginning with his two disciples, Andrew and John. After they heard John say “‘Behold the Lamb of God!’… they followed Jesus” (John 1:36-37). We could learn a lot from his virtue of evangelism. How many times are we afraid to share our faith with the people around us because we don’t know what they will do to us or how their reactions will be? But this wasn’t the end of his evangelism, there was more, and we see his humility come out even further afterward. John’s disciples came to him after a dispute began to arise, and they were worried that Jesus was baptizing and bringing all people to Himself. John answered them saying, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:27-30).
He also taught us repentance without which we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. He taught those who were just hearers to become doers of the word. This even got to Herod as it is written, “Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (Mark 6:20). But hearing gladly is not enough as Jesus says, “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble” (Mark 4:16-17). And that is exactly what happened to Herod, he was afraid of his brother’s wife, whom he had taken unlawfully, she was like the thorns that the third group of seeds sown fell into, and he had put himself into the trouble by promising her daughter anything she wanted up to half the kingdom, and because of this fear of not keeping his word, he killed John the Baptist.
This brings us to the last of his virtues, the great love of God that he had. He became a martyr because he spoke the truth and those who heard it, namely Herod’s wife, whom he had taken unlawfully, didn’t like that he rebuked her for the unlawful marriage and taught repentance, so she had him imprisoned, then eventually killed through Herod. Martyrdom is the greatest expression of love for God, as Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). And Jesus who is God calls us friends (John 15:14-15).
Let us learn from the example of this great Saint, of whom Jesus bears witness and says, “He was the burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35). Let us emulate his focus on Jesus Christ. May his prayers be with us all and glory be to God both now and ever and unto the age of all ages. Amen.
John the Baptist is the Forerunner of Jesus Christ as it says in the Book of Malachi the Prophet, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1). His birth happened by a miracle, like that of Samuel the Prophet. It was announced to his father Zacharias by Gabriel the Archangel while he was in the Temple serving at the altar of incense. Gabriel told Zacharias about John saying, “He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15-17). And afterward in the same chapter we see how he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb when he leaped in her womb for joy. And his mother was filled with the Holy Spirit afterwards.
From here we begin to see where his virtue lies, and that is in bearing witness to Christ. This great Saint’s focus is solely upon the Savior Himself. From the beginning, even while the two were in the womb, John the Baptist bore witness of Christ. When this Saint began his public ministry, he was no older than 30 years old, maybe even younger than that, and he was able to attract thousands to repentance. By this he was doing what was prophesied in the Book of Malachi which says, “and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6) and through this, by causing the hearts of the people to be virtuous they could be prepared to meet the Lord as Gabriel also prophesied, “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
The next thing we see in John is that he recognized Christ when he saw Him. Jesus came to be baptized in the Jordan not because He needed repentance because He alone is without sin, but through His Baptism he set the way for our baptism by sanctifying the waters of Baptism and giving us the example for life. When He came to John, John immediately recognized Him and “tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:14-15). Today it is so hard for us to hear the voice of God because of all the worries of the world and all the things we desire from it, but John who had spent all his life in the deserts until he was manifested to Israel, recognized Christ because he had spent a life of prayer in the deserts. Let us pray for this virtue of recognizing the Lord when He comes to us.
Out of this passage we also see that St. John the Baptist had the virtues of obedience and humility. Because he recognized Jesus when He came to Him, and knew that He was sinless and didn’t need baptism, He tried to prevent Him knowing that he should be baptized by Jesus, not knowing exactly what it was that Jesus was trying to fulfill, but knowing that this One who was standing in front of him was the Son of God and Lord of all, he baptized Him himself. And because of this virtue, it was granted to Him to witness the Theophany (Epiphany); when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove and remained upon Him, and God the Father spoke saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). If this one act of obedience alone granted John the Baptist to see this wonderful event, what else will we see and experience if we obey our Fathers of Confession when they advise about something in the faith?
After he fulfilled this first part of his ministry which he knew and applied to himself, citing the prophecy of Isaiah, “He said: ‘I am “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD”’” (John 1:23), he began to lead people to Christ Himself, beginning with his two disciples, Andrew and John. After they heard John say “‘Behold the Lamb of God!’… they followed Jesus” (John 1:36-37). We could learn a lot from his virtue of evangelism. How many times are we afraid to share our faith with the people around us because we don’t know what they will do to us or how their reactions will be? But this wasn’t the end of his evangelism, there was more, and we see his humility come out even further afterward. John’s disciples came to him after a dispute began to arise, and they were worried that Jesus was baptizing and bringing all people to Himself. John answered them saying, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:27-30).
He also taught us repentance without which we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. He taught those who were just hearers to become doers of the word. This even got to Herod as it is written, “Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (Mark 6:20). But hearing gladly is not enough as Jesus says, “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble” (Mark 4:16-17). And that is exactly what happened to Herod, he was afraid of his brother’s wife, whom he had taken unlawfully, she was like the thorns that the third group of seeds sown fell into, and he had put himself into the trouble by promising her daughter anything she wanted up to half the kingdom, and because of this fear of not keeping his word, he killed John the Baptist.
This brings us to the last of his virtues, the great love of God that he had. He became a martyr because he spoke the truth and those who heard it, namely Herod’s wife, whom he had taken unlawfully, didn’t like that he rebuked her for the unlawful marriage and taught repentance, so she had him imprisoned, then eventually killed through Herod. Martyrdom is the greatest expression of love for God, as Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). And Jesus who is God calls us friends (John 15:14-15).
Let us learn from the example of this great Saint, of whom Jesus bears witness and says, “He was the burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35). Let us emulate his focus on Jesus Christ. May his prayers be with us all and glory be to God both now and ever and unto the age of all ages. Amen.
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