Luke 9: 7-9

One of the most quoted phrases in the Old Testament, especially by the pessimists and the non-believers, is the reading from the book of Ecclesiastes, where he says: “Vanity of vanities. All things are vanity!” In this phrase Ecclesiastes shows a strong Hellenistic thought. To the Greek poets, human life does not move in any direction or toward any purpose, but only in circles in endless tragic and comic repetitions. It views the cycle of nature and nothing is new under the sun. In other words, he views everything as absurd. Nothing is new. Nothing is absolute.

In the gospel today we find someone who views everything and existence in a similar pessimistic view. His name was Herod, the Tetrach. Here was a man of great influence, a ruler who does not believe in anything but himself. But when he heard about Jesus and what he was doing, he was one of those perplexed, and he wanted to know more about him.

Sometimes, in our own life – we act or pretend to be Herod. At times we find life and existence to be absurd. Like Ecclesiastes, we feel as if nothing is new under the sun. Sometimes we have our own doubts, our own uncertainties about our life and our faith. Sometimes we raise questions which do not have any definite answers. Sometimes we simply feel pessimistic about everything. At times we feel that life is simply vanity.

My dear friends, if we only look at this life – then, indeed, everything is just vanity. Our existence, our life has only meaning and purpose if it is grounded in our Lord. If we are cut off from him, then everything becomes vanity. Then our life becomes meaningless. It is said that we can only find true meaning and true happiness in Christ.

Today, if we look around us, we find so many people who are unhappy, whose life has no purpose – precisely because they have been looking in the wrong place. If we can only realize that true happiness is found in Christ. Only by loving God and our neighbors can we discover true meaning to our existence.

In God we find our destiny. Therefore, let us not lose our focus to the One who gave us life and meaning. Otherwise, everything becomes vanity.