Monday. [II Thess. 1:1-10; Luke 12:13-15, 22-31]

   Who made Me a judge or a divider over you? the Lord said to the man who asked Him to divide between him and his brother. Then He added: take no thought (Matt. 6:33), about what to eat and drink, or what to wear. Earlier He taught: leave the dead to bury their dead; another time he suggested that it is better not to marry. This means that the attention and heart of Christians turning aside from everything worldly, and freedom from worldly talk and bonds, make up one of the traits of a Christian spirit. That the Lord blesses marriage and supports its integrity, which effectually renews the commandment regarding the relationship between parents and children and attaches significance to civic powers and order, is not a negation of this trait and does not give Christians the right to avoid preserving and cherishing it in their hearts. Compare both things and you will see that you have a duty to keep your heart unworldly amidst worldly routines. How can one do this? Figure out your life yourself; in this is all practical wisdom. The Lord guides one towards solving this with the following rule: seek ye first the kingdom of God. Direct all your concern towards having God reign in you, and everything worldly will lose its binding and burdensome spell over you. Then you will conduct your affairs outwardly, but inwardly your heart will be possessed with something else. But, if on account of this, the resolution arises to cut off this outer relationship to worldly things—you will not lose out: you will come closer to the goal which the faith of Christ will give you.

Tuesday. [II Thess. 1:10-2:2; Luke 12:42-48]

   The parable about the steward shows how a Christian should behave with relation to worldly things. A steward diligently does his work, but in his heart he is not attached to anything, he is free from all bonds, he relates to everything outwardly. So also must a Christian be in relation to all worldly things. But is this possible? It is possible. As there exists outward piety without inner piety, so worldliness which is only outward is possible without inner bonds. But in such a case, will everything around us turn into a single lifeless form, emitting coldness like a marble statue? No; in the midst of worldly things another life will develop which is more attractive than the fullest worldliness. Worldly things, being worldly things, truly will remain as the form, while that which warms the heart will start to proceed from another source, and whosoever drinketh from this source will no longer thirst. But then, is it better to drop everything? Why? Even one who outwardly drops everything can still be attached in his heart, and one who does not outwardly drop everything can be free from bonds. Of course it is more convenient for one who outwardly renounces everything to control his heart. Choose what is more convenient for you; just be disposed as the Lord commands.