There are things in life that we need and desire. However, what we need most, and to seek above all, is Christ Himself. To trust Him above all else means reordering our priorities in relation to Him and considering all things relative to our relationship with God. It means to put our will and our lives, as it were, in the palm of His hands.  The story of the rich young ruler appears in the middle of two other stories that teach complete dependency upon Christ. In the preceding passage, Christ teaches us that we should trust Him, in total dependence, like children. The passage after shows how the Apostles trusted Christ and left everything to follow Him. In this passage, Christ teaches the rich young ruler and us all to set our hearts on Him above all else. The rich young man is called a “ruler,” that is, he is a member of the Jewish religious leadership. Like his peers, he was trying to learn about this Teacher performing miracles and preaching about eternal life. He comes to Jesus and asks, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This is the most essential question we can ask because to inherit eternal life, ”the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14). The young ruler approaches Jesus out of his desire to find the way to salvation. He is a faithful young man whose heart burns to please God. Yet, He approaches Christ as a mere man, not realizing He is both God and Man. Christ says, “only God is good,” as if to say, “trust in Me as God, and not as a mere man.” The rich young ruler stands before the Son of God Himself, the Source of goodness, and asks what one needs to do to inherit eternal life. The answer is to sell all he has, to give up all that comes between him and God, and to rely entirely on God so that he can inherit eternal life. This is an essential lesson for the rich young ruler because it presents him with a challenge to consider his own life from a different perspective — the perspective of eternity. A child needs a provider, but the rich young ruler is utterly self-sufficient. A child relies on their parents, but he relies on his wealth and virtues. In other words, a self-reliant mindset and a supreme desire for things of this world make us unlike children. Consequently, this mindset can take us far from the Kingdom of God because God calls us to trust Him as children trust their parents. Christ teaches us to cast all our cares, worries, and burdens on Him. He tells us to come to Him and find rest in Him. We come to Christ through prayer, rest in Him through prayer, and experience His peace that surpasses all understanding through prayer. The more we pray throughout the day, the more space Christ has in our hearts and life, and the more He can take care of our worries for us. Forming and deepening a conscious connection with Christ will make it easier to trust Him, as we will see how His hand guides us in each circumstance. The Saints teach us to trust God and to imitate Him. For example, when counseling a rich man, Saint Kosmas Aitolos did not ask him to give alms to the poor, which would have been very easy for him. Instead, Saint Kosmas asked the man to fast since he had to deny himself and keep from the readily available gourmet food. By contrast, when counseling a poor man, Saint Kosmas did not ask him to fast, which was easy because he had little food, but instead to give alms out of his poverty. God always provides us with what we need as a loving father provides for his beloved children. The rich young ruler is self-sufficient, and Christ calls him to become like a child, to desire nothing but God Himself, and to trust Him fully. This is how the young man can inherit eternal life — and how we can inherit eternal life. Sometimes, we are pleased with our accomplishments, especially with the notion that we keep the commandments and are “good Christians.” We may even think that we are entitled to salvation. However, while it is relatively easy to follow rules, they do not grant us the Kingdom of God. Childlike obedience, trust in God, and complete dependence on Him can bring us to His Kingdom. The rich young man desires to please God but also greatly desires his riches. In this way, he is conflicted, seeking to serve two masters. Christ is full of mercy, love, and compassion for him. Jesus teaches us that, although we are all struggling daily with worldly matters, we can give everything to God, including our struggles. To give everything to Him, in a sense, means to “Let go and let God.” We see many examples of this in the lives of the Saints. All the Saints gave up their lives for the love of God. Martyrs were not afraid to die rather than deny their faith in Christ. Monastics left riches, family, friends, and every worldly bond behind to dedicate themselves to the teachings of the Gospel. Holy hierarchs and priests lived to offer the Holy Sacraments and spread the “Good News” of a loving God for the salvation of this world. Holy women taught the Gospel with their exemplary lives. All of them were human beings like the young ruler and like us. They struggled and continually redirected their hearts to Christ whenever they would go astray. God was their highest priority. The difficulty for the rich young ruler was not that he had riches, but that he trusted in them above all else. Saint Basil the Great says, “He does not tell us to sell our goods, because they are by nature evil, for then they would not be God’s creatures; He, therefore, does not bid us cast them away as if they were bad but distribute them; nor is anyone condemned for possessing them, but for abusing them.” We misuse our goods when we desire them more than God. We slowly overcome our desire for things of this world through prayer. If we put a little effort into knowing God personally, then we stop desiring the things of this world to the same degree. If we have Christ in our hearts, everything else takes second place. If we connect with Christ in our hearts, we experience eternal life, even in the midst of all our worries. The image of a camel going through the eye of the needle is a simple analogy of impossibility. However, it is not the riches that create the impossibility, but the love of wealth. Apart from the love and grace of God, we cannot find eternal life. This is true whether we are rich or poor, because when we prioritize things — anything — over the God who loves us, we can become disconnected from Him. What is impossible with man is possible with God because this is the will of the God who loves us and has redeemed us. To trust the Lord in all things is to have a treasure in Heaven. What is possible with God is what God desires, which is to save us and unite us with Him. He is our Father in Heaven, Who gives us all we need.

We welcome you to worship with us on Sunday and whenever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Matins begins at 9:00 am and the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.

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DIRECTIONS TO THE DORMITION CHURCH FROM THE NORTH:

1. Proceed south on Interstate 81 South heading toward Winchester
2. Take exit 317 for VA-37/ US-11 toward US-522 N/ US-50 W/ Winchester/ Stephenson (0.3 mi)
3. Turn right at US-11 S/ VA-37 S/ Martinsburg Pike, Continue to follow VA-37 S (3.8 mi)
4. Take the ramp to US-50 E/ Northwestern Pike (0.2 mi)
5. Turn left at US-50 E/ Northwestern Pike, Continue to follow US-50 E (0.6 mi )
6. Turn left at Omps Dr, Continue to entrance of the Church`s parking lot (100 ft)
7. Turn left into the Church`s parking lot.

DIRECTIONS TO THE DORMITION CHURCH FROM THE SOUTH:

1. Proceed north on Interstate 81North heading toward Winchester
2. Take exit 310 for VA-37 toward US-11/VA-642/ Winchester/ Kernstown/ US-50/ US-522/ Berkely Spgs/ Romney (0.2 mi)
3. Turn left at VA-37 N (5.2 mi)
4. Take the US-50 ramp to Winchester/ Romney (0.3 mi)
5. Turn right at US-50 E/ Amherst St (0.5 mi)
6. Turn left at Omps Dr, Continue to entrance of the Church`s parking lot (100 ft)
7. Turn left into the Church`s parking lot.