ABOUT THE LAW OF LOVE. SERMON ON THE DAY OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST – Иверский Орский женский монастырь
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ABOUT THE LAW OF LOVE. SERMON ON THE DAY OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST

ABOUT THE LAW OF LOVE. SERMON ON THE DAY OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST. January 13, 2022.

            I CONGRATULATE YOU WITH THE DAY OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST!

Why does Our Lord derogate Himself so much that He not only becomes a human, but also observes the law to the letter, and on the eighth day He gets circumcised like any male child in Israel? 

 Why does God need to obey the law if He is above the law? 

The law is established for those who need to know the right directions. Our Lord doesn’t want to rule the sons of men by means of law, but He gives us hints through it: if you should go this way you will achieve spiritual success. But God Himself has no need for those directives. 

And so, the law applied to slaves releases them from penalty or mistake.  The law applied to the children of God, those who are already free from sin, is not about avoiding punishment, but it is about acquisition of joy. As when I obey the law as a slave, the only purpose I pursue is to avoid punishment or get a reward. Whereas I obey the law as a free man, as a child of God, I don’t do it for fear or profit.  The only thing I want is to make My Parent happy and thus, be happy about it myself. It will surely happen when I’ll perceive through my conscience and heart that I fulfilled the law. And it won’t be the law regulating one’s conduct, it will be the law of Love. 

The Apostle somewhere In the Acts says that love frees from the law. Nevertheless, I’d like to specify that love frees from the law of slavery, mercenarism, but it doesn’t free anyone from the law of Love. On the contrary, Love imprisons and enslaves more. A person fallen in love is not a free one. He or she becomes a prisoner of Love and is ready to lay down his or her life for that Love, and feels happy about that.  That is what the Apostle means talking about freedom, he talks about freedom from slavery, but not about freedom from Love. 

A person having overcome slavery and mercenarism enters upon a new law – the law of Love for God. Some secular people wonder: “What kind of slavery are you talking about? It is humiliating to say: “I’m a servant, a servant of God”, and at the same time you speak of Love”. This is not any more the law of fear or profit, this is the law of Love for the One you love! And this IS slavery, but a perfect, absolutely happy, clear and dignifying one, bringing happiness and joy to its slave. 

And you’d like to fall into this slavery so hard and serve as a slave in Love for Our Beloved Sweetest Jesus Christ! 

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