Homily: St John Climacus

Homily: St John Climacus – The Ladder (Mark 9:17-31)
In the Name of the Father, …
As a child, Sunday was one of the few times that my parents, my brother and I all spent ‘quality time’ together. We didn’t watch as much TV in those days instead we would play board games. We always had great fun – just so long as my Dad won!!!
One of the first games I remember was this… (VISUAL AID) SNAKES & LADDERS. I’m sure most, if not all of us, have played Snakes & Ladders and I’m sure you remember how it goes; You roll the dice and move your counter along the board. Land on a square containing the foot of a Ladder and up you travel moving closer to the last square. But, land on the head of a snake and down you go! Descending back down closer to where you started.
It was a quiet a few years later when I began to think that life, was a little like Snakes and Ladders. Life has its ups and downs, it’s snakes and its ladders and I’m sure that we have all encountered those we considered to be ‘Snakes in the grass’ , those we felt to be treacherous and have knocked us back. And those who, like ladders, have raised us up!
 
But it was many years later that I began to see that the spiritual life is also like ‘Snakes and Ladders’ -  although the spiritual life is NO GAME!
 
We can journey through the spiritual life making steady progress. Then suddenly, there are those rare and precious moments when seem to surge upwards – much like moving up a ladder in the game!
 
However, more often we find ourselves being brought down to earth! Usually through our own doing; because we have been flirting with snakes! And it is when we are at the tip of the snake’s tail that we become aware of our sinful nature.
 
Of course, it’s all there in the Holy Scriptures; The enemy is portrayed as a serpent, the tower of Babel, a Ladder to reach Heaven; Then there is the ladder in Jacob’s dream, with angels ascending and descending. It seems that there has always been a desire for a ladder. A way up and out; A link from earth to heaven.
 
Today, the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, we remember St John Climacus. St John was born 579 AD, and died 649 AD. Whilst living the hermitic life in the Sinai Desert St John provided us with a Ladder; ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent`
 
This is a book, which is traditionally read during Lent and has become one of the most influential and important works used by the church to guide the faithful to a God centred life. The aim of St Johns ‘Ladder’ is to guide us to a life completely and wholly devoted to God.
 
 
 
 
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Please take some time, to take a good look, at the icon on the central analoy today.
We see St John beautifully presented writing his treatise and being guided and instructed by angelic beings. And we see a Ladder on which the faithful are ascending to our Lord. Look carefully to the right of the Ladder, Again, we see angelic beings helping the faithful to climb the ladder.
 
However, look to the left of the ladder and we see the forces of the enemy trying, and in some cases, succeeding to pull the faithful off the ladder. And look what happens to those who fall from the ladder; We can see them being devoured by a serpent, a snake, the enemy himself.
 
Notice where the greatest concentration of angelic and demonic beings is to be found!

At the bottom of the ladder. Think for a moment why that might be
 
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Now, what about our Gospel reading today? Does this have anything to do with Snakes and Ladders? Well, I think it does.
 
In Mark 9:17-31 we read how the father of an ill son, who had a dumb spirit, came and beseeched Jesus to help him. Jesus, who has just joined His disciples, responds to the father’s plea and heals the demon possessed boy.
 
“Come out of him and enter no more into him” Jesus commands and the spirit cries out, convulses the boy and leaves him”. An exorcism – We are dealing here with snakes!
 
But if we look at the verses preceding our reading we see that Jesus has joined his disciples having descended a mountain. Not just a mountain, but the mountain of the Holy Transfiguration. Where the eternal and the temporal meet – The top of the Ladder!
 
The whole purpose of our life is to find union with God. On Monday evenings, at our ‘Enrichment of faith’ meetings we have been looking at our ‘10 Principles for Orthodox living’; 10 rungs, of yet another ladder, that will help us to move closer to God. As Christians we have made the decision to put ourselves on a spiritual ladder. Once on the ladder we have a further decision to make;
Which direction do we want to travel? Do we want to climb and ascend the ladder; and in doing so move closer to God? Or, do we want to descend the ladder; and move away from God? It is a choice that we must make, we cannot stand still on the ladder! If we try to stand still we will block the way for others and become easy targets for the enemy!
 
So, as we journey together toward Pascha let us support and help one-another; and ascend together toward our union with God!
Holy Father John, prayer to God for us.  Amen