“Whenever we think about the miracles performed by the Lord, such as the healing of this woman (Luke 13:10-17), let us remember that Christ is God, that He is omnipotent, that He can do whatever He wants, which we cannot, and that everything He does, He does for the sake of our salvation,” said today at the Holy Liturgy in the Church of St. Nicholas, the hierarchal vicar of Kotor-Tivat, the parish priest of Kotor, and the archpriest-creator Nemanja Krivokapić, interpreting today’s Gospel passage about the Lord Who healed the paralyzed woman on Saturday. The synagogue leader was there to object to why he was helping her on a non-working day, while the Lord saw through his hypocrisy.

“However, in this description the emphasis is on something else, namely how those who saw what happened reacted. Some are overjoyed, first of all the woman and the people who saw the miracle, but not all. The synagogue leader saw the same thing as the others, but despite the fact that he saw a miracle, something that does not happen every day, he is more interested in the fact that He did it on the Sabbath, breaking the law, and not that He performed a miracle for the benefit of one of the people present. Christ responds to him with “hypocrisy”. He understands very well that this is not ignorance but hypocrisy. Hypocrites are those people who pretend to respect certain moral principles, rules, but do not respect them in essence, but only in appearance, that is, only so that people can see. And that is what Christ rebukes,” said Fr. Nemanja, recalling that the Pharisees were known for pretending to respect the law, but it was more important to them that the form be respected, so Christ directly says that a hypocrite is one who does not recognize the essence.

The fact that we hear in the Gospel how Christ rebukes an elder is a warning to all of us, adds Fr. Nemanja, emphasizing that by rebuking the Pharisees, all those who put form above essence are being rebuked.

“Listening to the rebuke of the synagogue elder makes us think about getting ourselves together. It is a lesson for all of us because we are all hypocrites sometimes when we put form above essence. Now, Lent is underway, a wonderful period that the Church has arranged for us to focus on ourselves, on our salvation, our soul, on what is useful for us to be on the track that leads to the right path. It is a wonderful period that is useful for our salvation, but also slippery terrain because we often know that we fall into the temptation that today's Gospel speaks about, and if even in fasting we put form above substance," said Fr. Nemanja.

He emphasized that the most important thing in fasting is our relationship with God, with our neighbors, and thus with ourselves.

"The essence of fasting is to arm ourselves with good deeds, with mercy, with forgiveness... Because what is the essence of fasting? Fasting is actually the exercise of our free will," said Fr. Nemanja, pointing out that the first fast is actually the one we see in the Holy Scriptures, back in Paradise, when God created Adam and Eve, giving them both what they were allowed and what they were not allowed to eat.

The Church has determined what, for the sake of a higher goal, should not be done, and by fasting we exercise our free will, just as Adam was given the freedom to take the fruit from the tree.

“So when we fast, we voluntarily give up one type of food for the sake of a higher goal, that is, the highest possible, which is communion, receiving the blood and body of Christ. We consciously give up something because we have a greater goal. That is the essence of fasting,” said Fr. Nemanja.

First of all, it is necessary to strengthen ourselves in our virtues during fasting that lead us to the Kingdom of God.

“All virtues are useful and good, but love is the first and the basis for all others. Forgiveness, understanding of one another and above all, works of mercy… We are in vain if we do not help those next to us, and we can. May the Lord God grant that, listening to these gospel words, we may remember ourselves where we are, which path we are on, and that we may correct ourselves to the one who leads to salvation, amen,” said Fr. Nemanja, among other things.

( Luke 13:10-17 .) -

10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11. And behold, a woman was there who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over, and could not lift herself up at all.

12. And when Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.

13. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and glorified God.

14. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, answered and said to the people, There are six days in which work ought to be done; on those therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.

15. And the Lord answered him and said, You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water?

16. And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

17. And as he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.