Homily on the Third Sunday of Matthew (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 Third Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 6:22-33

By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

Christian Listeners! Why do we have so many dissatisfied people today? A lot of dissatisfied! Dissatisfaction becomes almost a common disease. Who is happy now? The peasants are mostly dissatisfied; the burghers, merchants are also dissatisfied, and the richest of them are dissatisfied; nobles, officials and all employees are mostly dissatisfied; even we who are spiritual are not always satisfied. But how many conveniences for life are now, all sorts of improvements, transformations for the better in all parts!

So, why do we live no better than before, despite all the improvements in life? This is why, listeners: we forget the main thing. What? God, God's kingdom, God's truth. Yes, what do we want for ourselves, what do we care about, what are we looking for? Just so that we have a place to live, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear and how to have fun. But about God, about attaining His Kingdom, about justification before Him, about this main thing, we don’t consider and don’t think about even a little, as if we are born and baptized in order to live to have fun only. The Kingdom of God is within us, that is, our peace, our contentment is in our soul, and in it we do not have peace, contentment, because we do not have enough of it. Our real, true food, which really nourishes us, is spiritual food: God, His Kingdom and justification before Him, and we mostly feed on earthly, sensual food. Yes, yes.

Why, it seems, should rich, noble people not be satisfied? They have all the conveniences for life, but they are very, very dissatisfied - more dissatisfied than us poor people, sometimes more dissatisfied than the poorest of us. This is precisely because their soul, these rich and noble ones, is not satisfied, because their soul is not full, they do not give it spiritual food, that is, they do not think about God, they do not seek the Kingdom of God, they do not seek justification for their predicament. God cares. Jesus Christ said for all people, for all times: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you," that is, mainly seek the Kingdom of God, desire to be right before God, try, take care - and you will always be full, calm and happy with everything in life. Without it, never.

Yes, the reason for our dissatisfaction with life is in ourselves. From all the current improvements, we are no better than before, because in our souls we do not improve, we do not become better.

Therefore, first of all, seek the Kingdom of God, and primarily live in the right before God, then you will be satisfied with your earthly kingdom; then you will not be upset by human untruth. Our discontent is a sickness of our soul, and nothing else. Amen.