Near and Far to Proclaim

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God is one. Amen

The readings today are about two remarkable evangelists who brought Christ to many people—Photini, the Samaritan at the well, whose name means “The Enlightened One” and Barnabas, a Jew from Cyprus, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4.36). Each of these evangelists began their work with a small, but significant, act. Photini asked Jesus, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4.9). Barnabas “sold a field which belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4.37). Neither Photini nor Barnabas were seeking fame nor fortune nor celebrity status. Both were simply trying to understand who is Jesus Christ and how to serve Him. They would be greatly surprised to learn that in their lives they would both become known as “Equal to the Apostles.” Why were they such outstanding evangelists?

Photini and Barnabas each sought to draw closer to Christ. Photini asked Jesus how He was going to get “the living water” that he was offering her when the well was deep and He had “nothing [with which] to draw” up the water. Barnabas, by selling his field and giving the money to the new community being formed by Peter and John, was indicating that he, as a person of some wealth, was willing to share that wealth with those in need. Just as Photini went back to her local village and urged her neighbours to come to Jacob’s well to meet and listen to Jesus, so Barnabas reached out to his neighbours and offered help to those in need. Both Photini and Barnabas did something quite important when they discovered Christ—they sought to share their new-found joy of knowing Christ with their friends, locally. Just imagine how the world would be if each of us reached out to our local communities and friends and sought to share our own joy in knowing Christ. If some of our non-Christian friends are surprised that we mention Christ, that’s OK. You will find out who wishes to know more about the joy of knowing Christ.

Having confronted her village with Christ, Photini then focused on her own family. She drew her four sisters and her two sons to Christ; and then travelled with her son Joses some 2,300 miles from Samaria to Carthage, preaching the faith. Like Photini, Barnabas also travelled far after witnessing in his neighbours. He was sent by the Apostles from Jerusalem to Antioch, some 300 miles away, to find out how and why so many people in Antioch were becoming Christians. [The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church, Vol. 3, pp. 625-626 and Vol. 5, pp. 452-453].  So, both Photini and Barnabas came to Christ in their hometowns, witnessed for Him there, but then were called far from home to preach the Good News they had found. Perhaps we too can begin our evangelism where we are, within our families and among our friends, and then wait to see how the Lord guides us.

At first, neither Photini nor Barnabas had any idea that their growing commitment to Christ would lead to such long journeys. What initially impressed Photini and what she told her fellow villages was simply, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4.29). St John Chrysostom reflects that Photini asked many questions and was certainly puzzled by why Jesus Christ would talk to her—a Samaritan woman—but, and I quote: “She neither laughed nor mocked, but doubted for a while” [end quote] [Homily 31, cited in The Orthodox New Testament: The Holy Gospels, Vol. 1 (Buena Visa, CO: Holy Apostles Convent, 2000), p. 492)]. If such an outstanding evangelist as Photini can begin her journey to Christ by sincerely asking questions and even “doubted for a while,” we too can, if necessary, ask questions and not be sure of precisely how Christ is present in our lives. As we ask questions, we will understand more deeply how we can draw closer to Christ.

Reflecting on the persecutions that would be experienced by the early church which led both Photini and Barnabas to martyrdom, St John Chrysostom preached, and I quote: “The persecution [of the early Church] turned out to be [an important] benefit, [because] ‘to those who love God, all things work together for good to those called according to a purpose’” [end quote] [cited for this epistle in The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox: Daily Scripture Readings and Commentary for Orthodox Christians edited by Joanna Manley (Monastery Books, 1990), p, 83]. St John is citing the words of Romans, chapter 8, verse 28; and the translation I have given here is from the Orthodox scholar David Bentley Hart [See The New Testament: A Translation (Yale University Press, 2017)].

Dr Hart’s translation fits well with the preaching of the Church Fathers seeking to understand how God works for good. In the fourth century, Abrosiaster reflected on how God “teaches [us] what ought to be given to people who love God.” Ambrosiaster wrote, and I quote: “This is what the Lord says in the Gospel (of St Matthew, chapter 6,verse 8), ‘For your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him.’” [Commentary on Paul’s Epistles cited in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture [ACCS], New Testament, Vol. VI Romans, InterVarsity Press, 1998, p. 233]. St John Chrysostom explains, and I quote, that “‘all things’ [means] even the things that seem painful. For if [troubles] or poverty or imprisonment or famines or deaths or anything else should come upon us, God can change them into the opposite. For this is one [example] of [the greatness] of His power, that He can make painful things appear light to us and turn them into things which can be helpful. [In the book of Romans] Paul talks about being called ‘according to His purpose’ in order to show that the calling itself is not enough…. The calling was not forced on anyone, nor was it compulsory. Everyone was called, but not everyone obeyed the call,” concluded St John Chrysostom [Homilies on Romans 15, as cited in ACCS, NT, Vol. VI, pp. 233-234].

Preaching on today’s epistle from the Book of Acts, chapter 11, St John Chrysostom reflected, and I quote, “Notice how all these things were accomplished through small means; how the preaching grew; and how, similar to [the disciples] in Jerusalem, [Barnabas and his colleagues] bestowed their care on everyone, treating the entire world as a single household” [ACCS, NT, Vol. V, p. 147]. That is a powerful phrase—“treating the whole world as a single household”—and today, in the midst of this pandemic, there is a deep sense of “we’re all in this together” … provided of course we all do our bit to pull together.

Now, it requires much prayer to work out precisely what God is calling each of us to do. St Cyril of Alexandria offers helpful advice, and I quote: “To be called according to God’s purpose is to be called according to THE will. But is this the will of [God] who calls or the will of those who are called? … Christ Himself once said [in John, chapter 6, verse 44] ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him.’” Nevertheless,” concluded St Cyril, “it is not wrong to say that some are called according to [BOTH] God’s purpose AND according to their own intentions as well” [Explanations of the Letter to the Romans, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, Vol, VI, p. 234].

I find the Gospel and epistle readings today quite inspiring. Saints Photini and Barnabas were each called by a combination of “God’s purpose and according to their own intentions as well. They each decided to go on the journey of life with God, bringing Christ to others. They began as evangelists with their own families and friends first, and then wherever God called them. It is good for us to reflect on the example they have given us.

And so, we ascribe as is justly due all might, majesty, dominion, power and praise to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Father Emmanuel Kahn