Learning from the Life of the Apostles

In the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus

The Orthodox Churches, both Oriental and Eastern, along with Catholic Churches after celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, are going through a period of fasting known as the Apostles’ Fast (also known as Fast of the Holy Apostles, the Fast of Peter and Paul, or sometimes St. Peter’s Fast), which culminates with the Feast of St. Peter and Paul on 29th June of every year. The Indian Orthodox Church observes this fast for a period of 13 days, each day remembering each of the Apostles of Jesus Christ and the last day for remembering the last of the Apostles, St. Paul.

The scriptural foundation for the Fast is found in the Synoptic Gospels, when the Pharisees criticized the apostles for not fasting, Jesus said to them, “Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” In the immediate sense, Christ was referring to his being taken to be crucified; but in the wider sense it is understood in terms of his Ascension into heaven and his commission to preach the Gospel, which can only be accomplished with prayer and fasting.

It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church, though it has subsequently been forgotten in the West. The Fast is thought to have been instituted as a thanksgiving to God for the witness of the apostles of Christ. With this Fast, the faithful believers express their thanks for the apostles’ endurance of persecution during their mission. For faithful Orthodox today, the Fast of the Apostles can be an occasion for reflection upon the lives and example of the Holy Apostles. 

Let us also take this opportunity to reflect upon their lives and learn from them.

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.

1 Corinthians 4:9

Coming out of the comfort zone

When we look at the life of the Apostles before they met Jesus and the life they led after they received the Holy Spirit, we see a dramatic change in the life they led. As we all know, majority of the Apostles were illiterate men and they were fishermen by profession. There were tax collectors also in their midst. We also see a person who was engaged in persecuting the followers of Christ, change his ways and become one of main proponents of Christianity. We see that the love they had for Christ constantly took them out of their “comfort zones” into places where it really cost them to serve their Master.

The Apostles were called to spread the Good News not only to the Jewish community, but they were also sent to the Gentile community around them. Many among the Apostles went across the then Roman Empire and one among them was also able to evangelize to communities in China, Sri Lanka and India. They went to places where others were not willing to go and to places where there was danger to their own lives.

In the same manner, a true follower of Christ is so transformed by the love of God that s/he does not hesitate to go to places where they would face outright hostility and a risk of great suffering because of her/his stand for the Kingdom of God.

To be fools and to be dishonored for the sake of Christ

Today, it is very easy for a minister of Christ to gain recognition and fame in places where the Good News is well received and it is very much possible for them to enjoy a lot of earthly benefits. But if one goes out in a new stream of ministry, there will be a mixture of appreciation and scorn coming along the way.

When we look at the Apostles, they were willing to become fools for the sake of Christ and scorned for their ministry, not just by the religious and political leaders of their day, but also by their families. They were willing to be dishonored in the society they lived in and be considered weak. How many among us, ministers or otherwise, can claim such lofty titles for themselves? Today, we find many ministers and lay leaders holding onto their positions for the sake of power, prestige, fame and wealth that comes their way.

A true follower of Christ does not preach to gain fame and prestige and wealth for themselves, but they should proclaim the Good News to glorify their Master. The fame and wealth that comes through the ministry should not be used for ones own betterment, but it should be used for the betterment of the community and society where one dwells. Just as the Apostles did in their time. The wealth they gained were used for uplifting the poor and the weary in their midst.

To disregard our personal interests

Many among us find it perplexing to find ourselves in situations where there doesn’t seem to be any provisions for the ministry, whereas we know that God is able to provide abundantly for our needs in such situations. It is almost considered a given that God would never send us into a situation in which we would have to suffer lack. Many a times, budding ministers are counselled to abandon their work of God if money was not forthcoming. But we need to understand that while God does supply accourding to our need, there will always be times of delays and lack of funds even for God’s choicest ministers.

The life of the Apostles is an example for us all ministers who face such situations. They never lost their confidence in God, but they submitted all their requirements unto Him through prayer. There were times when the Apostles found themselves hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, beaten and homeless. But, as St. Paul says in his first letter to Corinthians while claiming spiritual fatherhood in Christ Jesus, “Imitate him”.

Imitate the Apostles by going out to spread the Word of God and sacrifice ourselves for the people, even when we find that we don’t have any financial gain from the ministry and neither is their any comfort in life.

Placing primary importance to the Great Commission

Finally, when we look at our personal and social lives, what importance do we give to the Commission given to each and every follower of Christ? Most times, we view the commission as a matter of secondary importance and consider it to be someone else’s problem.

When we look at the overall life of the Apostles, they placed great importance to the Commission given to them by their Master Jesus Christ, to preach the Good News to the four corners of the world. They strove in their ministry of reconciliation, where they preached Christ crucified and resurrected, and brought people of various background to proclaim Christ as their personal Master and Messiah. The love of God drove them to go out and proclaim the Good News with no regard for their own comfort and considered the commission of greatest importance in their life.

In the same manner, the love of God should enable us to not only preach, but also show forth the Presence of God in our own lives and imitate the Apostles even when

• we might hunger and thirst
• we might be poorly clothed
• we might be beaten
• we might be without a home
• we might have to do manual labor in addition to preaching and healing
• we might be reviled and scorned
• we might be persecuted
• we might be defamed
• we might be viewed as the lowest of the low

As we come towards the end of the Apostles’ Fast, let us carry the true spirit of Apostleship in our lives. It is to give the utmost importance to the Great Commission given to us by Christ and to go out of our comfort zones as representative and ambassadors of Christ.