THE SOWER AND THE SEEDS In this chapter, St. Mark the Evangelist took interest in portraying the Lord Christ as a Teacher who teaches incessantly, sowing the words of His practical love wherever there is good soil to receive His work and expecting to produce fruit. There might be some other soil, although, that does not respond and does not produce fruit. He is a persistent Sower, who never stops working, sowing His word, wishing that all would be fruitful. He sows divine, active seeds, yet not compelling us to respond to it against our will. 1- Encountering the multitude by the sea 1. 2- His divine labor as living seeds 2–20. 3- His divine labor will never be hidden 11–25. 4- The continuous divine labor 26–29. 5- The divine labor and the mustard seed 30–34. 6- The divine labor and the opposing wind 35–41. 1- ENCOUNTERING THE MULTITUDE BY THE SEA “And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.” (1) If the sea, with its waves, refers to the nations and people that lived among the currents of paganism, then the Lord Christ has come to them, entering the boat of His Church, and sitting on the sea as if on a throne. St. John Chrysostom believes that the Lord did not do that without purpose. He sat on the boat, facing the multitude who sat on land, to have all people in front of Him and none of them behind Him1. He came down, to proclaim His care for us, demanding to meet us face to face, so that we may enjoy seeing Him. Here, through faith and hearing the word of His preaching, we behold Him, and have fellowship with His glories. 2- HIS DIVINE LABOR AS LIVING SEEDS The Lord Christ told the multitude the parable of the sower who went out to sow. Some of the seeds fell by the wayside, some fell on stony ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on good ground, where they increased and produced, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred. St. Matthew the Evangelist, mentioned that same parable (13:1-23) and it was also mentioned by the Evangelist St. Luke (8:5-15). The following points are to be noticed: a- The Evangelist St. Mark presented the continuous labor of the Lord Christ, as a Minister to humanity, that was faced by persistent opposition, yet, along with that opposition, there had been growing fruit. Indeed, there are souls that are similar to the wayside fallen seeds, where the birds of the air came and devoured the seeds. There are souls that are more like seeds that fell on the stony ground, where, though the seeds grew up fast, yet were scorched by the heat of the sun. There are souls that are choked by the thorns of the world. Yet, there are also souls that are like good ground, receiving the seeds to produce a crop that is pleasing to the heart of God. 1 In Matt. hom 41. 5 b- St. John Chrysostom1 explains that, when the Lord Christ says, “A sower went out to sow,” he means by saying “went out,” the divine incarnation. As the Word of God, the true Sower, is omnipresent, He does not go out to a certain place. Through divine ordinance, He adopted a body, as though to come out to us, we who were rejected, to reconcile us with His Father, and to let us enter anew into the divine presence. We exited from Paradise, as He who inseparable from the Father, “went out” to us, the sinners, to bring us back to the bosom of the Father and bring us to union with Him through remission of our sins. The expression “went out” probably means God’s initiation of love. He is always coming out to man with love, while man, in his weakness, is unable to encounter his God or to enter into His divine presence. The Lord Christ is addressing the Jews, His own people, whom He came to. By saying “went out,” He probably means proclaim His imminent going out to the Gentiles, having been rejected by His own. c- The Lord Christ, Himself, presented an interpretation of that parable to His disciple; and we have already paraded some of the sayings of the Church Fathers concerning that divine interpretation2. Here, I shall have to limit myself to certain quotations from sayings by St. Cyril the Great: [The Savior says that the sower went out to sow. Who is that sower? He is without doubt the Lord Christ, as He is the One who sows the good things. By Him and for Him, spiritual fruits are harvested, according to His saying: “I am the vine, you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (Jn.15:5). You have to notice, how the sower goes around, sowing seeds all around, some falling by the wayside, some on the stony rocks, some among the thorns, and some on good soil. Those that fell by the wayside, were trampled on; what fell on the rocks, immediately sprang up, then withered away; what fell among the thorns grew up, and were choked; while those that fell on the good soil, increased and produced a rich crop, estimated to be hundredfold... Why were the seeds on the wayside wasted? Because of the hardness of earth, being solid earth was unsuitable for agriculture. These were trampled on by those coming and going, which caused the scattered seeds to be devoured by the birds of the air. Such is the case with “hard headed” people, characterized by arrogance and stubbornness. When the divine words of God fall on them, they will go nowhere, and will not give fruits of God’s fear, or of heavenly virtues. Such people make themselves like the wayside seeds, to be trampled on by the unclean spirits, and even by Satan himself, leaving no place in them to proclaim the holy fruits. I wish the people, whose hearts are barren, would wake up, and open their minds to the holy seed of truth, to produce in them the fruits of pure life! Be sure to watch over your thoughts, and to close your doors firmly, to keep out thieves and robbers. Chase away flocks of birds of the air, to protect the seeds and to produce a rich and plentiful crop. Let us now contemplate on the seeds that fell on the stony ground, or rather the people who, when they hear the word, immediately accept it with gladness, but stumble when tribulation or persecution arise. Such people do not enter into the crucible of temptations, interested only in empty words, but are distance themselves from meditating 1 PG 57: 467-472. 2 .301- الإنجیل بحسب متى، ص 294 6 on secrets of heaven. Their piety is therefore, mere nonsense, as they lack any deep roots in a fertile soil. They cheat the Church, by showing gladness in what they hear from the preacher, pouring on him a flood of compliment, without any comprehension or discernment, but out of impure will and unsound heart. Once they leave the threshold of the Church, they forget altogether what they heard, and resume their twisted ways; they do not keep anything that may grow or give fruit. If the Church is safe, in peace, and not passing through any temptation or persecution, they show off their faith to a certain extent, yet, if there is any change of circumstances to the worse, bitter persecution starts by the fierce enemies of faith, these people refrain from taking part in the strife, as they are devoid of spiritual zeal and divine love. Rather, they are more inclined to cowardice. Why do you run away, O feeble ones and cowards, from a fight you are prepared for, and where would your pride and glory be? Stand fast, and lay bare your spiritual swords, as beyond your steadfastness, there would be glory and honor... If we suffer in defending our faith in Christ, we will get honored with the crowns of victory and glory. Let us know, that, to die with honor, would be far better than a life of shame, as expressed by the Savior to His holy disciples: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell” (Lk. 12:4). Did the Master demand from us to suffer, while He was not willing to do the same Himself? No! He gave Himself up for us, and purchased the whole world with His blood; We do not own our souls; we belong to the Redeemer who saved us, as expressed by the apostle Paul: “For to this end Christ died and rose and died again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Rom. 14:9) Let us be steadfast and daring, so that, if the storms of temptation blow against us, we will be able to overcome difficulties by graceful patience and perseverance. Let us rejoice in confronting afflictions and tribulations, for in them there is the chance of revealing goodness by our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let us contemplate on the truth of that parable, as far as the thorns that choke the divine seeds; The Savior says: “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (18, 19). The Redeemer sows the seeds, and they fall on hearts that seem to be strong and fruitful; Yet, after a while, they get choked by the cares and deceitfulness of life, which dry up and wither the seeds; or as said by the prophet Hosea: “They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; it shall never produce meal. If it should produce, aliens would swallow it up” (Hos. 8:7). We should know, that the divine seeds will not blossom, unless we drive away, from our minds all worldly cares, and all pride in vain riches; “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7) What would be the benefit for us to possess corruptible things; when, “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked” (Prov. 10:3). Didn’t you notice that, in circumstances of evil, we get choked by greed, drunkenness, foul play, pride, as expressed by the apostle John, the beloved: “For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who 7 does the will of God abides forever” (1 Jn. 2:16). The good ground is that one that produce a hundredfold; People usually compliment their ground when it gives them a rich crop. A saintly prophet described such fertile soil, saying, “And all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land; says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:12). The word of God, if hearkened by a mind, pure from thorns, will grow and produce a rich crop of fruits. St. Matthew says, concerning this chapter, that the good ground was of three grades: “Some (producing) a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Mt. 13: 23). Take notice, that as the Lord Christ showed three grades of loss, He showed also three grades of wins and benefits. The seeds that fell on the wayside were devoured; those that fell on the stony ground dried up: those that fell among the thorns were choked; while those that fell on good ground, produced rich crops of hundred-, sixty-, and thirty-fold. or, as said by the wise apostle Paul: “Each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that” (1 Cor. 7:7). Not all the saints have the same success. We are instructed to seek the good work, to choose the best that pleases the Lord Christ, to whom, and to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, be praise and authority, now and forever, Amen.] If it is the same Sower, and the same seeds on all grounds, let us not fall by the wayside, open to evil spirits, so that the seeds may not be devoured by the birds of the air, for we would be robbed of the divine fruit. And let us not be with a stony heart, devoid of love for God, and fellow men, so as to give the seeds the chance to have deep roots in us. Let us not allow the thorns, the cares of this world and the deceit of riches, choke the word, but let us surrender our lives into His hands, to make of them a good soil that receives His word, producing good crop. d- Someone may ask, why did the Lord sow the seeds on the wayside, on the stony ground and on the thorny places, and did not sow them all on the good ground? 1- A scholar1 believes that we cannot understand that parable, unless we know two things: First, in the land of Palestine, they used to begin by sowing the seeds, then plow the ground with a wooden plow2. Thus, any ground that receives the seeds would produce fruits, if it got plowed after that, to turn it into good agricultural land. We can also add, that the seeds are given to all, as the word of God is offered free to all, but he who accepts in his life, the wooden plow, that is the cross, will enjoy the fruit of the word in him. But he, who persists on leading his spoiled life, will have the birds of the air devour the seeds. They are called the birds of the air, because the evil spirits were originally spiritual and heavenly, before getting corrupted through falling into the sin of pride. The “stony ground” represents the limestone that is covered by a thin layer of soil, which is common in the region of Galilee. So the sower sows the seeds on an apparently good soil, not knowing that it hides a core of stone. 2 - Acknowledging human freedom, God offers His word to all. Thus, although there are three kinds of ground, that do not produce fruit, though there is a fourth one that produces an amazingly rich crop: a hundredfold, a sixth-, and a thirty-fold. This refers to the exalted glory to be enjoyed by the believers in inheritance. About that plentiful fruits, that pleases the heart of God, the prophet Isaiah says: “Those who come, He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6, 11). Therefore, we should not worry 1 D.E. Nineham: Saint Mark, p 134, 135. 2 Sherman E. Johnson: The Gospel According to St Mark, 1977, p 88. 8 about the seeds that are sown all over the various kinds of grounds. e- He began His parable by saying, “Listen’ (that is Shema in Hebrew) and ended it by saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (9) It is as though, when the Lord speaks of the kingdom of God, He is speaking about the secret of God’s work in souls. There is the need for spiritual ears, capable of hearing His voice and responding to it. In the old time, as God presented His Law, He started by saying: “Now, O Israel, listen...” (Deut. 4:1; 6:4); But, as Israel did not have circumcised ears, he could not listen to the commandment in the depth of his heart, nor comprehend its secrets and respond to it. He is like Eli, the high priest, representing Israel, who could not hear the divine voice heard by the child Samuel, representing the Gentiles (1 Sam. 3). That is why Christ came, not only to present the commandment, but also to change the nature of the ears and to circumcise them by His cross. The Master said, “Who has ears,’ not, “Who has an ear.” This figure of speech, according to St. Augustine, refers to (love). He, who has a single ear, hears only what conforms with his own benefit, while he who has two ears, joyfully hears what glorifies God and edifies people. He is a lover of God and of humanity! f- In his encounter with the twelve, who asked Him about the parable, the Lord said: “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that, ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them” (11,12). This response, raised a lot of questions from many scholars: How could that be? Doesn’t the Master wish for all humanity to understand His teaching, to enjoy His salvation, and to have their sins forgiven them? Did not the evangelist, himself, say in the same chapter, “And with many parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it” (33)? Does the Master not desire that all would be able to comprehend the mysteries of His kingdom? He had said: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Mt. 11:25, 26). 1- A scholar says1 that we should comprehend the words of the Lord Christ, with the theological mind of the early Church. The words of the Master distinguished between two groups of people: those belonging to Him, together with the twelve, and those who are outside (10, 11). The mystery of the kingdom of God, was not only revealed to the twelve, but also to those who gathered around the Master in His Church. As to those outside, they are the Jews who refused to believe in Him. The individual who enjoys the Church life, and becomes a follower of the Lord, will enjoy an open heart that can comprehend the mystery of the kingdom of God. The individual who stays outside will not be able to comprehend the mystery in depth, but would deny himself the living knowledge of faith. Also, he that may see by his physical eyes and hear by his physical ears, will be unable to sea nor hear the depths of meaning, thus, he does not turn to the Savior, and his sins will not be forgiven him. 2- The Master offered His teachings to everyone. Yet, there is the need to be able to enjoy the proclamation of the mystery given to every soul that comes from the Master, together with the twelve, to meet Him alone and to enjoy His hidden work in it. If the kingdom of God is likened to a pearl of high value, God would not deny it from anybody 1 D.E. Nineham: Saint Mark, p 136-7. 9 who seriously comes to Him to ask for it. The word of God is given for free; yet it is not proclaimed except to him, who eagerly seeks the knowledge of “the mystery of the kingdom of God.” This is something that we strongly recognize in the life of our teacher the apostle Paul, who says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” (1 Cor. 2:7). And he calls the gospel “the mystery” (Ephes. 6:19). With the same thought, we find the Lord Christ presenting His life, laid publicly on the cross; yet no one can comprehend the mystery of the cross, except the individual, who wishes to meet with Him, in order to acknowledge the power of His resurrection. The episode of the cross took place before the whole world, but the resurrection would be experienced only by those who seek to enjoy its work in them; those who ascend, with the disciples to the upper room of Zion, to wait for His appearance! 3- The Jews used to consider the Gentiles “outsiders,” having not enjoyed what the Jews did of Patriarchs, prophets, holy Law, and divine covenants. Now, in this parable, the Lord reveals to them, that the outsiders, are the Jews, who, having enjoyed these blessings, refused to enter into the mystery of the kingdom. Thus, as said by St. John Chrysostom that when they see the Lord Christ casting out the demons, they say, He is possessed by Satan; and when they behold those raised from the dead (like Lazarus), instead of prostrating to the Lord, they plot to destroy Him. 3- HIS DIVINE LABOR WILL NEVER BE HIDDEN If the Lord Christ has come to the world to minister to it by His practical love, without seeking glory for Himself; yet, His glory would never be hidden. He set for us a plan to labor for inner glory, away from appearances or worldly dignities. While so laboring in His Spirit, He would be glorified in us publicly; thus He says; “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but it should come to light” (21, 22). In this Divine saying, the following should be noticed: a- That saying came directly following His explanation of the parable of the Sower and seeds to His disciples. He probably meant to tell them, that His words are “a shining lamp,” that common people hear without spiritual comprehension, thus putting them under a basket or under a bed. But as for His disciples, He set them, as a lampstand, to carry the divine Lamp, to give light to the world. Fr. Theophlactius says, [The Lord exhorts His disciples to become light in their life as well as in their talk; saying to them, that as a lamp emits light, so also is everyone looking up to their life. That is why they ought to practice a good life, and should not sit idle, but should turn into a lamp, that would not emit light if put under a bed, but should be put on a lamp-stand; that is to say, it has to be set upon good and exalted life. A lamp should never be put under a basket, that is under things that enter into the mouth; nor under the bed, that is idleness. For no one who seeks the desire of his mouth, or leads an idle life, can emit light to others.] b- So, the word of God is light that should shine upon all, and if we put it under a basket or under a bed, we would deny its effect upon others. What is a basket, but the human worldly measures, that lead man to lose his faith in God, whose actions are far beyond all human boundaries? What is a bed, but the body that leads a life of idleness, not caring for eternity? In other words, let us receive the word of God in us, as a lamp that lifts us above all earthly thought, and all lusts of the body! 10 c- At the beginning of this book, we noticed how the Lord Christ used to conceal His true mystery by various ways; Yet this concealment was to be just to a certain limit. For the mystery of Christ, or indeed the mystery of His gospel, even His disciples were unable to comprehend, until after His resurrection and ascension “His Holy Spirit, who would teach them all things, and bring to their remembrance all things that He said to them” (Jn 14:26). That is why the apostle Paul says, concerning the mystery of God, “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:10, 11). St. Didymus the Blind says, [It is impossible for anyone to gain the grace of God, unless he has the Holy Spirit, in which are all the gifts of God1.] d- The Lord says, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light... With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (22-25). Whatever we sow here, we shall reap. So if we sow the heavenly things, we shall enjoy their glories, with much more added, and if we collect dust, we get double corruption... Eternity is, an extension of a life, chosen by man for himself, and lived in the depth of his heart. And as St. John Saba says, [Everyone has his inheritance in him, and his inheritance within him2.] “Whoever has, to him more will be given, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (25). In other words, whoever chose the spiritual riches, more will be given to him; and whoever is negligent in his spiritual life will get poorer. Jews, with their denial of the Lord, what they already had, had been taken away from them; while those who received Him, have been granted grace on top of grace. In our spiritual life, if we reject the labor of God, even what we have been given by nature, or by natural law, will be taken away from us, leading man to walk on a level fit only for animals, or even less than that. As for he who strives to be faithful, he will be granted exalted blessings, beside what he enjoyed through nature that God has given him. 4- THE INCESSANT DIVINE LABOR The disciples might have found it difficult to comprehend how they would present light to the world. That is, why the Lord confirmed to them that the ministry work is a divine and a continuous labor, that would have its activity in the life of others, even in moments of weaknesses, through which a minister may pass; saying, “The kingdom of God is, as of a man should scatter seeds on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seeds should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself “ (26-28). a- Who is He, who scatters the seeds on the ground, other than the Son, who surrendered Himself to death saying, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (Jn. 10:18). He surrendered His body, as though He slept and then woke up. Yet the seeds of ministry sprouted and grew, to become a plant: first a blade, then a head, after that a full grain in 1 De Spir. Sanc. 9. مقال 2 .2 11 the head (28). By His death and resurrection, He granted the Church incessant fruits. As for us, if we are ministering, we are presenting Him, who, with His divine labor, is never ceasing to set up the souls, until He consummates the elect to enjoy together with Him the communion of His glory. As to His saying, “he himself does not know,” this refers to the mysterious nature of His hidden labor in the hearts that He sets with Him, in a way beyond our comprehension. b- Some scholars call this parable (the Patient Sower)1; The Lord scattered the seeds, not worrying, but positive that His kingdom is no doubt coming. The harvest, surely, will be fulfilled, and the ground will carry fruit. Indeed! We, likewise, should not worry, but be sure in faith, of the activity of the seeds He granted us; that they are capable of getting heavenly fruit from the earthly man, and raising him to sit together with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies (Ephes. 2:6). c- The Lord is sending the sickle for reaping, and He is raising our hearts to His second advent, to see that the harvest is completely ripe. The angels, as reapers, are coming with their heavenly sickles to reap joyful fruit for the Kingdom of God. That was what the prophet Joel saw, saying, “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe” (Joel 3:13). And what St John also enjoyed seeing: “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped” (Rev. 14:15, 16). d- Pope Gregory, (the Great), says, [Man sows the seed in the ground, as he harbors the good will in his heart; then he sleeps indeed, feeling comfortable in his hope for the good work. Yet, he rises day and night, as he progresses in growth with struggle, even though he does not know how that is realized; and is unable to measure the magnitude of his growth. Thus, as we harbor the good will, we have sown the seed in the ground; and as we start the good work, the seed indeed becomes a plant; and as we grow to the perfection of good deeds, we would reach the stage of the head; and as we abide in perfection in the same work, the head would be full of grains2.] 5- THE DIVINE LABOR AND THE MUSTARD SEED That is the third parable given by the Lord Christ in this chapter: The first is the parable of the sower, that gives us hope; so as not to worry about the seeds that fell on the ground and did not produce fruit; as there are other grounds that produce hundred-, sixty-, and thirty-fold The second is the parable of the sower who does not know how the seed grows; God is the One who labors, even though the missionary work seems like a seed in the middle of the ground, surrounded by darkness. The third parable is that of the “mustard seed;” that teaches us not to worry, if we see the missionary work, at its beginning, so tiny like a mustard seed; for it will, eventually, grow to become a big tree where the birds of the air nest under its shade. In this parable we notice: a- In the old times, a great kingdom was referred to as a tree in the middle of the earth, under which the beasts of the field find shade, in whose branches dwell the birds of heavens (Dan. 4:10-12; Ezek. 31:6), as would the kingdom, so wide, includes countries 1 S.E. Johnson: The Gospel According to St. Mark, 94. 2 In Ezek. Hom 2: 3. 12 and nations, which it protects against any foreign aggression. As to the tree mentioned here by the Lord, it is a spiritual kingdom that drew through the cross, nations and peoples, to find in it a place of comfort. We have already dealt with the mustard seed, and its relation to the passion of Christ and His gospel1. b- The Lord used the “mustard seed” in particular, as a reference to His heavenly kingdom for two reasons: The first, that the benefit of that seed, is better demonstrated when it is squeezed or pressed; and it becomes a tree if buried in the ground, as if carries a reference to the passion and burial through which the Lord would pass. The second is that, it was well known among the Jews (in Palestine) that it is the littlest of the seed, so the Lord used it to reveal the mystery of His kingdom. c- We have already expressed views of certain Church Fathers concerning the relation of the mustard seed to the kingdom of the Lord Christ2. As for examples of the views of Pope Gregory (the Great), St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and of St. Hilary of Poitiers, we shall include here only some words by St. Cyril the Great, in this concern: [The analogy is superb; as it is very fitting to present them with what would happen to the Holy divine missionary work, concerning the gospel, which He calls the kingdom of heaven; as through it we are granted the right of fellowship in the kingdom of Christ. That missionary work was, at the beginning, presented to few persons, and on a small scale, to extend later on to cover all nations. It was first preached only in Judea, where the blessed disciples were very limited in number. Then, as the Jews rejected it, the command came to the saintly disciples to, “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...” (Mt. 28:19). Thus, as the mustard seed is very tiny in its size compared to the seeds of other plants, it grows much higher than other normal herbs, to become a shelter for many birds. So it is with the kingdom of heaven, whose message started by being presented to few people, to grow rapidly to become a shelter to nations and peoples to nest under its shade, considered as birds, as the human affairs are reckoned small, when compared to God’s. The Mosaic Law was given to the Israelites; and as the populations of the earth could not get salvation through the shade of the Law and its materialistic ministry, there was the need for the missionary message to set forth through the gospel, the giver of salvation, and to spread everywhere under heaven. That was what the Mosaic Law proclaimed through a certain sign: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the assembly, and for directing the movement of the camps’” (Num. 10:1). That was followed by: “The sons of Aaron, the priest, shall blow the trumpets, and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations” (Num. 10:8). From that, we can understand the preparatory nature of the Law (for the gospel), and the perfection which we get in Christ through the evangelic life. The prophet Isaiah also referred to that name by saying, “So it shall be on that day, that the great trumpet will be blown” (Isaiah 27:13). Actually, the great trumpets were blown through the voice of the saintly apostles, who did not disregard the first “trumpet.” Rather, they included it, always proving what they said concerning 1 .313- الإنجیل بحسب متى، 1983 ، ص 308 2 .315- الإنجیل بحسب متى، 1983 ، ص 308 13 Christ, from the Law and prophets, using the testimonies of the ancient times. Thus, there were two trumpets, of hammered silver; the silver referring to exalted, as the word of God is glorified, free of any of the darkness of the world. Hammering the mineral shows that the Holy divine trumpet - that is to say, the old and new preaching - grows and progresses, because what is hammered extends in length and width. By the resurrection of Christ, for the sake of the people of the earth, the old Law progressed through its spiritual interpretation, as we preach it, we, who have got the spiritual enlightenment in Christ. The message of the gospel likewise, progressed and extended to embrace the whole world. The Law instructed the priests to use the trumpet to teach their congregation; Lord Christ on the other hand, presented the ministers of the new proclamations, namely, His saintly apostles, to preach about Him and His commandments. They proclaimed His mystery, as though by using two trumpets to preach about Him; being, “those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (Lk. 1:2), confirming, through their words, the true testimonies of the Law and the prophets. It is not difficult to see, how the message of the gospel was preached at the beginning, limited in its magnitude, to extend later on greatly, as was proclaimed to us by the Lord, through the voice of Isaiah: “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the water covers the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) The message of salvation everywhere, would inundate like the sea, and its work would not be opposed. That was likewise, clearly proclaimed by the Lord, through the voice of His prophet Amos: “Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24) He gave the names ‘justice’ and ‘righteousness’ to the message of the gospel; and gave us the confirmation that that message would run, in the world, like water and flood; no one would be able to stand in the face of its mighty currents. Likewise the analogy of the kingdom of God to a little yeast, is very fitting; the yeast is little in its quantity, yet, it holds the whole dough, quickly reacting to give it its own characters. In the same way, the word of God works in us; it acts within us to turn us into blameless saints; infiltrating our minds and our hearts, to make spiritual people out of us; as expressed by the apostle Paul: “May your whole spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Thess. 5:23) 1] 6- THE DIVINE LABOR AND THE OPPOSING WIND The Lord Christ, having likened His divine labor to extend His heavenly kingdom, to the seeds sown on the ground, proclaiming the continuity of His imperceptible work. Now, as the evening had come, He intended to reveal to His disciples those capabilities, in practice, through rebuking the opposing wind, proclaiming His authority even upon the sea. We have already studied the episode of calming the wind and waves by the Lord Christ (Mt8: 23-27)2, through the writings of the Church Fathers; where the Church appears as a boat in the middle of the waves of this world, suffering the temptations and afflictions; but never wavering, because her Bridegroom is within her. Our message is to awake our Christ within us, as He, alone can order to be obeyed. That, and through our union with Him, and abiding in Him, we acquire authority, to live in the fullness of inner 1 In Luc. hom 96. 2 .205- الإنجیل بحسب متى 201 14 victory. Beside what we have already said, in our interpretation of the gospel according to St. Matthew, the evangelist, we can add: a- The Lord Christ used to repose, as our representative, in one of three places: Either in a “solitary place,” referring to our encountering the Father in a retreat, or on the top of a mountain, referring to our rise to the exalted life by Christ Jesus, the true mountain, on whom Zion would be established, or upon a pillow inside a boat, as we see here. If the boat refers to the Church, the Lord Christ reposes in it, through the believing souls, as a comfortable pillow, on which He finds a place for His head. If the boat refers to the Cross, His true comfort is in reposing on His Cross for the sake of our salvation. b- The Lord allowed for that fearful experience. “The waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling,” (37) This happened to proclaim, that His presence in the boat, would not keep His disciples out of temptations, but would deliver them, if they wake Him up inside them; that is to say, proclaim their faith, and beseech Him by continuous prayers. St. John Saba says: [The reward of standing fast in wars (temptations), is far greater than that of good deeds consummated in comfort1.] c- That experience let them enter into a new experience, revealing to them the Person and authority of the Messiah, as, “They feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” (41) With that experience, we were granted to have the Messiah within us, to have His work and His authority, not to rebuke the sea and the wind, but to live above the winds of the world, and overcome Hades and all its fears. St. John Chrysostom says: [Behold! You could, not only see Him, but also follow His example, that is if you are filled with zeal! I wish we would not delay to gain that; for He is ready to respond to the lips of the meek and the long-suffering, much more than to prophets, saying: “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name?!... And then I will declare to them, I never knew you.” (Mt. 7:22, 23) But, the lips of Moses, who was “very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12: 3), were acceptable and beloved to Him. It was said, that He used to talk to him face to face, and mouth to mouth, as one talks to his friend. As for you, if you are not rebuking the demons now, you will eventually rebuke the fire of Hades. If you keep your mouth like that of Christ, you can order this fire saying: “Be still!” with great confidence. You can step into heaven, and enjoy the kingdom granted to you by God, with the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, and His love for mankind2.] d- Many scholars see the water, as where the dragon dwells; That is why in Epiphany, the early Church believed that the Lord Christ descended to destroy the dragon in his dwelling place. So, if the Lord set forth with His disciples in the boat, to cross over to the other side (35), that refers to Him, setting forth, through His Church in this world, to face Satan, the great dragon, to grant the church victory over him. Setting the Church forward to eternity, in a true cross-over. St. Jerome quotes the prophet David, “Your way was in the sea” (Psalm 77:19), to say: [Through the waves, through the bitter water, where the dragon dwells..., You are in heaven, and you descend to earth... The fountain of life came to transform the bitter and dead sea into sweet waters3.]
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