2nd Sunday of Paope: The Creation Obeys Its Creator
Introduction
During the Coptic Month of Paope, we learn on the four Sundays about Christ's Authority.
Why does the creation obey Christ? What does that reveal about Him?
In the Beginning
Creation is made to serve humanity (Genesis 1-2)
- God created the heavens and the earth and declares His creation is good. He created light on the 1st day, then the sky and waters on the 2nd day, then the land with all its vegetation on the 3rd day.
- Then, He created the Sun, Moon and Stars to reflect the light of day 1, then populated the sky and waters of day 2 with birds and fish, then populated the land of day 3 with all of the animals
- Finally, God created man
- Man is different from the other animals
- Sometimes in school, we are taught that we are animals... we are different. We are made in the Image and Likeness of God, we receive the breath of God. We can reason. We have freedom. We have dominion.
- God gave man some commandments:
- "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
- Man is the CROWN of God's creation. And when He sees His creation after making man, He says "It was very good"
- God brings the animals to Adam one by one to see what he would call them - Adam gives each animal its name. He gives Adam his first task to exercise his authority and dominion over nature
Humanity was meant to live in communion with God and exercise their dominion over creation under God's authority. But there's a condition - obedience to God.
Fall of Man
Instead of man having dominion and authority over the creation, being submissive to God, man submitted to the creation and put himself under it
- He submitted to the words of the serpent - an animal
- He submitted to the desires of the eyes and of the flesh and ate the fruit of the tree
- He forsook his trust of God, leaning, instead, on his own understanding
Thus, entered into the world: sin, death, and corruption
God's response:
- “Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19) - Now, instead of man having authority over the Creation, there is a separation between man and Creation. Now, man will struggle with the creation and labor to produce from the creation. Instead of the creation serving man, man has to struggle with the creation
There is a separation from Man and the Creation
- "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." (Romans 8:19-22)
OT: God's Authority over Creation
- Ten Plagues
- Water turned into Blood
- Frogs
- Lice
- Death of the Cattle
- Hail
- Locusts
- Thick Darkness
- Splitting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-28)
- Sun Standing Still (Joshua 10:12-14)
- Joshua prayed to the Lord and commanded the sun and moon to stand still and it stood still for a full day as they were fighting the Amorites
- Elijah and the Rain
- Elijah told King Ahab that it would not rain and for Three and a half years it did not rain until Elijah prayed.
- Psalm 148 (Fourth Canticle)
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl
Today's Psalm: "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. All the earth shall worship You." (Psalm 65:1, 2)
NT: Christ's Authority over Creation
In the New Testament, we see Christ - born of a Virgin. Born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth. The son of a carpenter. He looks ordinary by all accounts - he grows up and gets older.
He begins His ministry, and as He preaches, He performs great miracles and wonders. Things that have never been seen before. And we see in these miracles that He has authority over creation!
- Catching the Fish
- Calming the Storm
- Walking on Water
- Water into Wine
- Feeding the Multitude
Why does the creation obey Christ? Because the One commanding it, is the One who created it! Because He is God! When He says "Peace, be still!" to the sea and the wind, it is still.
Me: Submit my life
I am part of God's Creation. I am part of the Natural World. Does God have authority over me?
Where Adam failed, by God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we can succeed.
St Paul reflects this in today's Pauline Epistle: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
How do I submit my life to the Lord's authority?
Fulfilling His Word
- "Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling His word"
- Adam fulfilled the word of the serpent instead of the word of God. What about me?
- He commands us to forgive, but we hold on to resentment
- He commands us to love our enemies, but we hold on to anger
- He commands us to purity, but we entertain impurity - of our senses, of our thoughts
- He commands us to humility, but we insist on being right
- The wind does not argue with Christ, the sea does not negotiate with Christ, the fish don't tell Him that His request is unreasonable. They just obey His commands. They fulfill His word.
- Story of Jonah? The sea obeyed, the wind obeyed, the great fish obeyed, the tree obeyed, the worm obeyed... it was only the prophet of God who did not obey. Why? Because He didn't agree with God's command.
- When Christ's word challenges my preference, my comfort, my feelings, my experiences, my desires - will I obey Him?
Governing My Desire
- Adam was supposed to exercise dominion over creation, but he could not even govern himself (his own passions).
- The fruit was "pleasing to the eyes and desireable for wisdom" (Genesis 3:6)
- Will I rule over my desires? Or will they rule over me?
- I cannot control the wind... but (by God's grace), I can control my thoughts, my temper, my anger
- I cannot command the sea... but (by God's grace), I can control my senses - my eyes and my tongue and my ears
- I cannot command the fish... but (by God's grace), I can control my body... where I go and what I do
Trusting God's Will
- Adam did not trust God's will. He leaned on his own understanding.
- This is the opposite of St Peter in today's Gospel
- Although he used his own understanding and experience to fish all night, when it came time for it, "Nevertheless at Your word I will let down my net." (Luke 5:5)
- I am not in control
- "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:27)
- We cannot command the wind to stop, we cannot guarantee our health, our future, the success of our plans, or the decisions of other people.
- But we know the One who commands the wind
- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;" (Proverbs 3:5)
Conclusion
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He gave man dominion over creation, but man rejected the authority of God. Instead of submitting to the Creator, he listened to a creature. Sin entered the world and all the creation was subject to corruption.
Do I recognize my Creator? Does He have authority over me? Do I submit my life to His authority?
We took three points:
- Fulfilling His Word
- Governing Our Desires
- Trusting His Will
May God's grace work in us, that we may submit our life to His authority.