Cheesefare Sunday, as the last day before entering Great Lent, has as its central theme the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, reminding us of humanity’s fall due to sin and the need to return to God through repentance and asceticism. The Gospel reading from the Gospel According to Matthew (6:14-21) serves as a spiritual guide for this journey, focusing on forgiveness, fasting, and laying up treasures in heaven. According to the interpretive tradition of the Orthodox Church, this passage is not merely moral teaching, but a revelation of the divine economy, calling humanity to imitate Christ and participate in His salvation, transforming everyday life into a space of communion with God.
The first verses (14-15) focus on forgiveness: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Here, the Lord inextricably links human forgiveness with that of God. In Orthodox theology, forgiveness is not a legal act, but an expression of God’s love, revealed on the Cross. Humanity, as the image of God, is called to become a partaker of this love, freeing itself from the bonds of resentment. Adam’s sin introduced discord and death, but forgiveness restores unity, preparing the heart for Lent as a period of reconciliation with God and neighbor. Without it, prayer and asceticism become empty, for divine grace dwells only in a heart purified from enmity. Thus, the passage reminds us that salvation is a communal matter, not an individual achievement, and Great Lent begins with mutual forgiveness, as seen in the Vespers service of this Sunday.
Next (verses 16-18), the Lord speaks about fasting: “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance… But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place.” Fasting, in the Orthodox tradition, is not external formalism, but an internal discipline that cleanses the soul from passions and unites humanity with God. The hypocrites, who fast for human glory, lose their reward, because true fasting is hidden, directed toward the Father who sees the secrets of the heart. This teaching connects to the expulsion from Paradise, where greed led to the fall; fasting, in contrast, is a return to self-control, an imitation of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness, and preparation for the Resurrection. In Lent, fasting becomes a means of deification, restricting bodily desires to make room for grace, and is combined with prayer and almsgiving, forming a triptych of spiritual life.
Finally, verses 19-21 exhort: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Here, the passage reveals the transitory nature of earthly goods, which are destroyed by moth, rust, and thieves, in contrast to heavenly treasures, which are eternal. In Orthodox interpretation, these treasures are virtues, love, humility, and works of mercy, stored in heaven through the Divine Liturgy and sacramental life. The heart, as the center of existence, follows its treasure, and attachment to material things leads to spiritual rust, like Adam’s covetousness. Lent calls for detachment from earthly things, so that the heart may turn toward God, transforming exile into a journey toward Paradise.
Overall, this passage illuminates Great Lent as a time of return: forgiveness heals relationships, fasting purifies the body and soul, and heavenly treasures direct the heart toward eternity. Through these, the faithful imitate Christ, transcending the fall and entering into the joy of the Resurrection.
+ Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong and South East Asia
