When the tzar and his family were under house arrest, the government would make it a point to send the most hateful and harshest of guards to keep watch on the family.  Despite the vitriol that was spilled out against them; the tzar, his wife and children, always responded with meekness, kindness, and humility.  After some time, those virtues would eventually win over the guards, and many became sympathetic and friendly to the plight of the royals. 

We certainly have our own spiritual battles that we wage…but imagine the increased spiritual warfare that Bartimeaus had to endure.  Anxiety over who would take care of him from day to day.  No doubt there might have been days where he was angry at God for his situation. Depression,  fear…perhaps even at times a lack of faith. 

Before the waters were turned back, the natural flow of the waters of the Jordan emptied out in the Dead Sea…a body of water where nothing can live.  In that sea, there are no fish and no plant life.  The fresh water that once flowed down the Jordan turns from something that is life sustaining to water that if it is swallowed in large quantities could also lead to death.

here is a particular section of this story that those that did not grow up in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Church might never have heard, because despite it being not only in the early bible texts and in the ancient Liturgical tradition of the Church, this section has sadly been removed from many Protestant Bibles.   While the three holy youths were walking in the midst of the fire, Azariah led them in an incredible prayer that I wanted to share a portion of with all of you…especially to our newest warriors for Christ who are about to embark on this incredible journey within the Church.

Whether we know it or not, our life consists of prisons, both physical and spiritual, that we allow to capture our thoughts and actions.  These prisons of our own creation reflect the condition and focus of our souls and minds, demonstrating to us and the rest of the world where the treasure of our faith truly lies.  As Jesus said, we can only serve one master (Matt. 6:24; Luke 6:13), and that decision will determine in whose prison we will live.  But by holding tightly to our “first love” in Christ, it is possible for us to break the bonds of this world and live as children of God.