We are delighted to share a guest blog post by a dear friend, Fr. Joseph Abraham, a Coptic Orthodox Priest at Christ the Savior American Orthodox Church in Chatsworth, California. In his post below, he shares some thought provoking parallels between the empty tomb and miracle of Christ and Lazarus and how the parallels may help guide our journey through the week of Pascha. Beautiful parallels that remind us that Christ defeated death and through Him we can too. As another tool to help with Holy Week, please check out our free Holy Week resources! BtO wishes you a blessed Holy Week!
In many areas of our life, whether it be advertising, work, politics, or social gatherings, a message can be heard by many, but received by few. The problem is not that the message is too hidden, it's that we need better ears. Christ's parables often ended with "for those who have ears to hear let them hear!" and these days it seems we can understand what He meant more than ever. When things matter to us, we listen, when we do not, well.... Its a scary thought that we may not "hear" because we do not care, but honestly - it might be as simple as that. Christ's parables are filled with imagery, layers, practical lessons. They were easy to understand, easy to place yourself in them, and hard to forget... at least for those who had ears to hear.
