Zeal for God - Fr. Gregory - October 25, 2020

For most of us the year 2020 feels like being in a pressure cooker which is expanding each week. We are zealous about many things including wearing or not wearing masks, politics, race relations, and even football. Father Gregory helps us to understand the difference between Biblical zeal, which is a zeal for God’s righteousness vs a zeal for the cares of this world. Today is the 6th Sunday of Luke. The Epistle lesson comes to us from Galatians 1:11-19. Therein we hear Saint Paul say he is extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. Father Gregory shares several examples of Godly zeal from the Old Testament, which helps us to understand why this word zeal was firmly entrenched in the heart of Saint Paul and those who lived in Jesus’ day. The Old Testament Saints who were zealous for God include Phinehas in Numbers 25; Elijah in I Kings 19 and Mattathias in I Maccabees 2. Each of these Saints were rewarded for their zealousness toward God and we too can be, but our zeal must be redirected toward God. As Revelation 3:16 says Jesus wants His followers to be hot, filled with the Holy Spirit received in Baptism and not lukewarm, where God’s Grace has trickled out. Zeal is commended but must be for the Lord, His righteousness and His Eternal Kingdom.