I recently listened to a homily on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women by Fr. Peter Heers. It started off well enough and was delivered with eloquence, it promised to be a good sermon. But, at the halfway point, it took a turn into eisegesis — working one’s favorite issues into a Gospel pericope that had nothing to do with the passage prescribed for the Sunday. Because it delves into issues which trouble the American Orthodox churches, I felt a need to offer a generalized critique of Fr. Peter Heers’ homily from a traditional, but not rigorist, Orthodox perspective, inspired by patristic approaches to the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. There are five areas of concern that occurred to me as I listened to the message:
1. Eisegesis and the Gospel Message
Fr. Peter Heers’ homily, which frames the story of the Myrrh-Bearing Women as a lesson to reject rationality and public health measures during the COVID pandemic, is a clear example of eisegesis-reading one’s own issues into the Gospel text rather than drawing out its authentic meaning. The Church Fathers do not use this pericope to teach an anti-reason or anti-obedience message, nor do they apply it to contemporary disputes about public health or ecclesiastical responses to pandemics.
2. The Patristic Approach: Faith, Love, and Courage
The Fathers and traditional Orthodox commentators focus on the virtues of the Myrrh-Bearing Women: their devotion, sacrificial love, courage, and faithfulness in the face of uncertainty and fear. They went to the tomb not because they rejected reason, but because their love for Christ compelled them to act despite practical obstacles. Their question, “Who will roll away the stone?” is not a rejection of reason, but an honest reckoning with difficulty, which they entrust to God. The patristic lesson is to imitate their faith and love, and to ask ourselves, “Who will roll away the stone of my own sins?”-not to judge others or ecclesiastical authorities for prudence in times of crisis.
3. Reason and Faith in the Fathers
The Church Fathers do not set faith and reason in opposition. St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and other patristic voices recognize that the women’s actions were bold and perhaps “impractical,” but they were not reckless or irrational — they were motivated by conscience, love, and a desire to fulfill God’s commandments[1]. The Orthodox tradition values both faith and sober discernment, especially in matters affecting the health and well-being of the community.
4. Historical Precedent and Obedience
Historically, the Orthodox Church has responded to plagues and pandemics with both prayer and practical measures, including temporary restrictions and adaptations for the sake of the flock’s safety. It is easy to be critical of what was done in hindsight, but at the time, we were not sure what we we dealing with and many of our Orthodox hierarchs chose prudence and prioritizing concern for neighbor. To judge entire jurisdictions or hierarchies as “barely Orthodox” or “on the road to hell” for following such measures is not only uncharitable but also contrary to the spirit of humility and obedience that the Fathers uphold. The Church has always taught that obedience to one’s bishop and concern for the neighbor are essential Christian virtues.
5. The Danger of Conflating Contemporary Issues with Gospel Truth
Fr. Heers’ tendency to conflate contemporary political or social issues, such as pandemic protocols or vaccination, with eschatological warnings or accusations of apostasy is not rooted in the Gospel or the patristic tradition, but in a rigorist and conspiratorial mindset that divides the Church and distracts from the true message of the Resurrection.
In Summary
The Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women calls us to self-examination, repentance, and the imitation of sacrificial love and faith, not to polemics or judgment against others. The Fathers would have us ask, “Who will roll away the stone of my own heart?” rather than weaponize the Gospel against those with whom we disagree. The Orthodox path is one of humility, discernment, and love, not fear-mongering or rejection of reason.
“Their great zeal, sacred reverence, and courage of soul passed over all the Jews’ obstacles, and all the guards at the Tomb did not shake their resolve. But one thought, but one desire led their minds and hearts — to serve the funeral of their dear Savior with fullness of faith and with reverence.”[1]
This is the lesson the Church Fathers drew from the Myrrh-Bearing Women, and this is the lesson we should strive to embody.
POSTSCRIPT- An excellent resource page for patristic and traditional Orthodox approaches to exegeting the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women can be found here: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/04/sunday-of-myrrhbearing-women-resource.html.
Citation:
[1] https://orthochristian.com/78920.html