We have heard again today in the Gospel reading several words, which express the whole meaning of Christian life: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near (or at hand). This is how Saint John the Baptist taught, and with these words Christ began to preach today.

The Savior came out to preach after John the Baptist was imprisoned: first, people themselves had to do everything they could! And John the Baptist is representing all the people.

John the Baptist, the one who bore the signs of repentance on and in himself, completed his ministry, and then the time has come for God, who became Man, to start acting.

And now Christ from Judea, where He appeared as One of the Trinity, at the Jordan at Baptism, goes to Galilee, and preaches there. Why?

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles…”

He goes to those who are more open to His word.

“The people who sat in the darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

The Galileans were simple people, they were less taught of the Law of God, but there was less distance between what they knew and what they did. That is why Christ begins his preaching among them. (We know that all twelve apostles and almost all of Christ’s disciples during His earthly life were from Galilee [ˈgælɪliː]. This fact is actually sad, isn’t it?)

So, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’

Repent means change. The word repentance means change of mind, change of heart; and only from there does life itself changes, that is, our actions, words and deeds.

But “repent” also means – to see, as we should clearly see, what we should change, or rather should let the Lord change it in us!

If these words were said to the Jews, that means, they had already had the way to see. That means they have already been given the eyes to see.

What are those eyes?

First of all, these are the commandments they had been given!

“Painstaking fulfillment of the commandments teaches man about his weakness” (4:9) (It does not sound too simple, does it? So, let’s take a look.)

We can see that the vision of St. John the Baptist (or the vision, the spiritual eyesight of St. Mary of Egypt) led them to the wilderness, the dessert of repentance.

But the “healthy” (cf. Mt 9:12) have no need of a physician, and no need of Christ. The vision of the “healthy” (or, spiritually self-sufficient), though they saw and had the same commandments, led them to the cursing of Christ, to the council that betrayed Christ to the Romans for crucifixion… The “healthy” crucify Christ.

We could also try to remember and listen what St. John replied to those who asked him what to do to repent. The advice written in the Gospel (and also read during these days) is as follows:

“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” And:

“Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Two things: temperance in our life and mercy to our neighbour…

We do not get rewards from God for doing the commandments of God, or for living according to our conscience (which is however quite weak), or for being loving to those who hate us (maybe just at the moment of their or our weakness…). They can be self-rewarding, but they can as well be kind of a hard temptation…

What the fulfillment of the commandments does is open our spiritual eyes, and enable us to really see who and where we are. There is no other way to recognize our infirmities — no one can simply “teach” us about them. On the contrary, many (of this world) would try to blur our spiritual sight… , and we are often not at all inclined to resist it.

The fulfillment of the commandments reveals the ailments (diseases) of the soul and spirit.

Without this foundation, no other virtues are possible. Moreover, virtues themselves, without spiritual poverty, can lead a person into a very dangerous state—into vanity, pride, and other sins…

On the other hand, the words that we have heard today sound so simple, as if this (this foundation) is the only thing necessary, and the Kingdom of Heaven is as near as at hand for those who repent. Amen.