በቀዳሚ ገብረ / በቀዳሚ ገብረ እግዚአብሔር ሰማየ ወምድረ

18 ሓምለ 2019 · 2027-07-25

The Letter to the Hebrews defines faith as confidence in what is hoped for and conviction concerning realities that are not yet seen. Through faith, believers understand that the universe was created by the Word of God. Creation is therefore not without meaning or direction. Heaven, earth, clouds, rain, human life, and history exist through the wisdom and power of the Creator. Abel worships God through faith. Enoch walks faithfully with God. Noah obeys God before the flood becomes visible. Abraham leaves his homeland without knowing every detail of the journey because he trusts the One who called him. Faith does not mean understanding everything in advance. It means obeying God because His character and promises are trustworthy. Saint Peter warns that false teachers will secretly introduce destructive doctrines and exploit others. God’s patience should not be mistaken for approval. The Lord knows how to rescue the faithful from trials and how to judge persistent wickedness. The Church must therefore remain spiritually alert. Not every impressive teacher, popular message, or religious claim comes from God. True teaching leads people toward Christ, holiness, humility, obedience, and love. In Athens, Saint Paul sees a city filled with idols. He begins with the people’s altar to an unknown god and proclaims the God whom they do not yet know. The true God created the world and everything within it. He does not depend upon temples built by human hands, nor does He need anything from humanity. Instead, He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people. Paul calls his listeners to move beyond images made of gold, silver, or stone. God now calls everyone to repentance because He has appointed a day of judgment and has confirmed this by raising Jesus from the dead. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that no one knows the exact day or hour of His coming. The proper response is not endless calculation but faithful readiness. The faithful servant continues performing the responsibility entrusted by the master. The unfaithful servant behaves as though the master will never return and begins abusing others and living carelessly. The Sunday of the Cloud reminds us that much of God’s work remains hidden from human sight. Nevertheless, the Creator remains faithful and history is moving toward fulfilment in Christ. We prepare for the Lord by walking in faith, rejecting idols and false teaching, fulfilling our responsibilities, treating others justly, and remaining awake in prayer. Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds faithfully completing his work.