The woes Befalling those who Resist the Kingdom. In the previous chapters the evangelist our teacher St. Matthew uncovered the role played by the Pharisees, the scribes and the seduces, together with the herodians in resisting the heavenly kingdom. The Lord diverted their resistance into an opportunity to teach them, with the other people, the new concepts of His kingdom. But when they resisted Him and persisted on doing so, they fell under the woes, not because He was angry at them, but as a normal outcome to this resistance. What the Lord declared as misfortunes and woes befalling them is a normal fruit to the evil life they accepted to lead so willingly. The Lord in His speech, pointed out the fruits of their deeds, giving them a chance to reconsider. At the same time he warned his disciples lest they fall in what those resistance fell in. 1-Teaching Without anyWork 1-4 2-Asking for the Foremost Positions 5-12 3-Wronging others, whereas Still Worshipping 13-14 4-Being An Offense to others 15-16 5-The Materialistic Outlook in Worship 17-22 6-Being Literal in the Commandment 23-24 7-Appearances in Worshipping 25-28 8-Resisting the Truth Under Cover of Religion 29-36 9-The Judgment of Everlasting Disaster 37-39 1-Teaching Without anyWork: (Matt. 23:1-3) “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, Saying ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do. But do not do according to there works; for they say and do not do’”. The Lord had to declare the woes before the multitudes and the disciples, not to scandalize the scribes and the Pharisees, but so as to warn his people lest these by their actions, be an offense to them. What is more important, lest his people fall in what the others have fallen in. What is surprising is that the scribes and Pharisees as eager as they were to attack the lord, yet He in all compassion and gentleness said to them ‘Whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do!’ It was as if he urged the multitudes to submit to them not because of their attitude, but because they sat on Moses’ seat. The scribes and the Pharisees have sat in Moses’ seat, that is, they were handed his law so as to record it, read it and interpret it. What they spoke of was not of their own, and neither was it the fruit of their wicked hearts, but it was the fruit of the seat they sat on. As for their deeds, these were bitter and fatal sermons that carried the fruits of their defiled hearts. This is why the Lord encouraged the multitudes to listen to them regarding what springs from the chair, and not what springs from their hearts. This is the same case with each haughty servant who offers to others the word of God, not from his own, but from the Holy Book without profiting himself from it. As St. Augustine says “The haughty servant is counted with Satan, but as for the gift of Christ, the sermon word, this does not corrupt, but it rather overflows in purity through him. It flows as water to a fertile land, and hence the servant will be as a canal of rock, unable to offer fruits by the rocky canal of water to the flower basins in the garden.” One may ask: https://coptic-treasures.com/ How do we observe what those wicked ones are saying, whereas the Lord says on another occasion (Matt 12:34,35) “An evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things....Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things?”. St. Augustine answers saying, “The evil one gets out evil from his heart, because his heart is wicked. The Lord Jesus does not ask us to obey evil ones, because what they get out of the treasure of their wicked hearts is different than what they speak of when they are in Moses’ seat. As an example of this: at the court, the guard speaks out what the judge says. What he says is not attributed to him as long as he speaks out in the presence of the judge. What the guard says at his home is different than what he says when he is at the court room. For, he only speaks out what he has heard of the judge. The guard speaks out the penalty, whether he wants it or not, even if it is to be addressed against a friend of his. He also speaks out the innocence of so and so, whether he wants it or not, even if it is for the good of his enemy. If the guard speaks out according to his heart’s will, he would give an innocent verdict to his friend and would punish his enemy. But since he speaks out from the judgment seat, he could punish his friend and release his enemy. Such is the case with the scribes as well. If they were to speak out according to their hearts’ will, you would hear them say (Is 22:13) “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But if they speak from Moses’ seat, they would say ‘Do not kill, do not make adultery, do not steal’ Therefore, let us act according to what the official seat declares, according to the mouth of the church, and not as your heart speaks out. Hence, do not be disturbed when you hear the Lord’s words (Luke 6:44, Matt 7:16) “ For every tree is known by its own fruit, For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush”. But sometimes the grape clusters get entangled between the branches. Therefore, when you hear ‘the thorns’ do not disregard to think of the grapes, but search and you will find the roots of the thorns. You have to be able to discern them from among the grape roots. Know well that one of them points to the heart of the scribes and the Pharisees and the other points to the seat of Moses. For real, let us accept the servants’ words, and not follow their weaknesses and their wickedness, as well as not judge their actions. This is for our part; but as for the servants’ part, it is appropriate for them that their actions be in accordance with their words, so that their sermons and guidance be not changed to ‘theoretical philosophy’. This is why St. John Chrysostom says, “There is nothing worse than to be philosophers in words and not in deeds”. The Lord says, ( Matt 23:4) “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers”. The commandment in itself is not impossible or tedious to perform, but when it springs from teachers who do not struggle for it, the multitudes find it too difficult to bear. The teachers have bind it not to carry it with the people, but to burden others with it. But as for them, they do not even think of moving it with their finger. As a contrast, the same commandment if provided by struggling and experienced teachers, the people are happy with it, and they are only too ready to carry it with them. This is what the Lord Jesus Himself did; when He saw the people racing after the positions, and they bind for their brothers heavy burdens which they themselves do not wish to move with one of their fingers, the Lord then leaves His glorious seat to descend to his people, carrying our burdens, and fulfilling the law instead of us. Hence, the burden is easy and light to carry. 2. Asking for the foremost positions: Those hypocrites have left God’s commandments to others, whereas their own hands stretched out not to carry out the commandment, but rather in outer appearance by https://coptic-treasures.com/ means of which they would be seen by people. As the Lord says, (Matt 23:5) “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments”. What are these broad phylacteries that cover their heads, and the borders of their expensive garments that cover up their legs, other than paying attention to their appearances from the top of their head to the tips of their toes? They labor after their expensive outer appearance which covers up a hollow inward life, and a soul that lost its life. The hypocrite is busy with his beautiful broad phylactery that covers his head and mind, and hence he does not think about his inner life affairs, and neither does he think about the salvation of his soul. He is unable to be exalted in his mind to what is heavenly, but he remains worrying about the earthly short-lived beauty and the vain praise. As for the expensive golden hems, these paralyze the movement of his feet, and so he stands stiff for onlookers to stare at him. He is unable to walk on the road which is difficult, but leading to the kingdom. He is worried about the hem of his garments on the road to the heavenly kingdom. St. Jerome says, “Everyone who behaves in such a way so people look upon him is only a scribe and Pharisee. Woe to us we miserable ones, heirs to the vice of the Pharisees. When God gave Moses His covenant, He commanded (Deut. 6:8) “you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” This is what those words mean: “Let my teachings on your hands be completed day and night.” But the Pharisees interpreted this commandment literally. They used to write the commandments on small leather strips, twist them, and bind them on their heads, to carry them everyday before people. We see this custom nowadays with the Indians and the Babylonians, who carry this crown to walk with before people. These bandages were called ‘Phylacteries’, derived from a Greek word meaning protection. According to their thinking, he who has this on, has special kind of protection. So, the Pharisees did not understand that they had to carry the commandments in the heart and not on the body. Moreover, their treasuries and their boxes were full of books, but as yet they had no knowledge of God. Hypocrisy did not only concern their clothes but it concerned all their life. They asked for human honor wherever they may be, as guests at banquets , or leaders in assemblies, or even in the market place , for the Lord says,’(Matt. 23:5-7) ‘They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the market places, and to be called by men “Rabbi, Rabbi”. Hypocrisy pulls the heart of the Rabbi from its inner depths to preoccupied with the turban he covers his head with, and also to keep him thinking of the hem of his garments. His inner life therefore is absolutely vacant; for he cannot ask about what concerns his life or the life of his brothers, he only asks what is for his vain glory. If he is invited to a banquet, instead of sharing others their joy or their grief in practical inward love, he races to the foremost seat. If he is in an assembly, he is not concerned about offering what is constructive, he is rather asking for the foremost place. If he goes to the market place, he does not consider himself like the other people, he rather asks for greetings and titles, and listen to them calling him ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’. All of this made the greatest teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ to begin His service with a wedding banquet in which He sat in the last seat so as to serve them. He offered them His overwhelming wine of His love instead of the water pots of their cold hearts. In assemblies too, He did not sit in the front seat, but in His humility He pulled the multitudes to obtaining the blessing of the truth. He humbly went to the market place to be among the people as one of them, https://coptic-treasures.com/ carrying them on His shoulders for being His sheep, that can talk but are still sick. He embraced them in love and released them to the heavens. The Lord Jesus goes on speaking about the rejection of earthly honors ,saying (Matt. 23:8-12) “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’, for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father , He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Does the Lord Jesus want us merely to cancel the titles ‘teacher, father, rabbi’ regarding the spiritual people?. The Lord Jesus says not to call ourselves a father on earth. It is as if He wanted us to cancel our outlook on spiritual leaders considering them as fathers on earth, that is, according to the body of dust. The Lord Jesus, when He came down on earth in our human nature, He wished our vision to be open towards heaven and not earth. Also our relation with everyone, particularly the spiritual leaders, is not linked to the earth but to heaven, and be blessed with them in Christ Jesus our Lord. We therefore are not to know for us any earthy physical rulers or fathers or teachers away from Christ, but we should rather know them as spiritualists in Him. Although the Lord said not to call anyone on earth ‘father’, yet the apostle says (1Cor. 4:15) “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” He is proud of being their father, because in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel! One more time, the apostle is not considered a breaker of the divine law when he is proud to call Onesimus a spiritual son to him, for he says, (Phil. 10:12) “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains...my own heart.” In the power of the Spirit St. John calls his people ‘My children’, (1 John 2:1, 3; John 3:4). When away from Christ, the priest loses his spiritual fatherhood, and his call would become inauthentic. But when in Christ, he carries God’s fatherhood to His children, He is hidden behind God himself, and he offers his people what is God’s, and not what is for himself.What we said about fatherhood, we say it again regarding the naming of the spiritual leaders as ‘teachers’, for One is your Teacher, the Christ, so as not to understand these words literally, but rather so as not to accept from man his personal teachings. We do not call him a direct teacher to us, but to accept him when he comes to us hidden in the teachings of Christ the Truth, He does not teach from himself, but he rather declares the word of Christ, His gospel, His testimony and His life. This is why the Lord Himself tells His disciples (Matte 28:20) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Lord gave them the right to teach by saying, ‘teach them’. They are called ‘teachers’ but they do not teach away from Christ, but rather ‘teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you’. This is by means of ‘I am with you always’. They are real teachers as long as they teach for the account of the Lord, and in His name. It is not for their own account or of their own invention. It is not considered breaking the law, that the apostles confirm the existence of teachers in the church as long as they are hidden in the Lord. The apostle says (Rom. 12:7) “He who teaches , in teaching”, and he calls himself a teacher (2 Tim 1:11) “To which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” https://coptic-treasures.com/ Likewise is it concerning the calling of others ‘my lord.’ There are people, due to category differences, at that time, the apostles set in the spiritual spirit of the gospel and in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have set commandments for the lords and the slaves. This is not to confirm the differences, but rather to testify of the truth, and to proclaim the spirit of brotherhood with the lords towards the slaves. Also the spirit of submission from the slaves towards their lords ,but yet, in the Lord. In all of this, every body acts trough the view of the Lord Jesus (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22; 1Pet. 2:18). By means of the Spirit, it was possible for the humanity to break down slavery, and for people to accept each other as brothers, members as one to the other. As for the spiritual leaders, the Lord Jesus did not wish them to have authority over the people, unless it is in the Lord through the Holy Spirit. The apostle St. Paul writes to St. Philimon saying to him in authority but yet in the Lord ( Phil. 8,9,19) “Therefore , though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting , yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you....not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.” He is the Lord to give order, but He asks it in love. The two apostles St. Paul and St. Sila were not embarrassed when the jailer at Philippi told them (Acts 16:30) “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’’ This title was not a title to flatter them with, but it was because he realized their power in the Lord. As for the apostles, they did not care about the title, but they were rather concerned about the man’s salvation and his own household. When the spirit of the ‘kindled spiritual life’ is prevalent, titles are fearless in the shepherd’s life. His eagerness for saving every soul fills his heart, and hence there is no hypocrisy or pride in him. In brief, we say that the Lord Jesus did not mean the wiping out of titles in a literal fatal sense, but He rather wished us to meet the spiritual leaders through Him personally. They would accept Him as spiritual ones in heaven, and not to get related to them through hypocrisy and sweetly coated words. This is why He goes on (Matt. 23:12) “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and who humbles himself will be exalted.” What is dangerous is that the leaders seek leadership instead of service. They exalt themselves so as to fall. But as for the humble leader, titles do not increase or exalt him; but he rather increases in his feeling of meekness, and a sense of responsibility and more love in his heart so as to serve everyone for the Lord ‘s sake and not for people. St. Jerome says, “There is a great difference in calling someone naturally a father or a teacher, and in it being for flattery alone. When we call someone a father, this is in reverence and respect to his age. And when we call him teacher, it is only because he shares the real Teacher.” 3. Wronging Others yet practicing Worship: Hypocrisy extends not only to attract the servant to the vain worldly glory, but also it wrongs the widows and needy ones so as to satisfy himself. His actions are covered in these appearances of worshipping and prolonging prayers.. The Lord says (Matt. 23:13,14) “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.” In this way when the ‘ego’ is increased, the shepherd does not only ask for honor, but he also goes after materialism on the account of his congregation, and hence he becomes filled with it. He is unable to enter the hingely road, the narrow and hard one. He rather stands outside, blocking the way to others, and as result is obstructed, as well as https://coptic-treasures.com/ obstructing others. As the prophet said (Hos. 6:9) “As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way to Sheehem; surely they commit lewdness.” St. Jerome says, “At any rate the teacher who stands in offense to his disciples through his wicked actions, he shuts the heavenly kingdom before them.” 4. Being an offense to others: (Matt 23:15) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” The hypocrite exerts much effort in traveling and hardship so as to win one single proselyte. But when he wins him to the faith, the proselyte discovers in him a lot of hypocrisy, so his trust in the Pharisee or scribe becomes shattered. He comes to be aware of the false appearance of his teacher, and he is no longer attracted to his words. He rather focuses his attention on the hidden and evil deeds of this Pharisee, and he decides to leave him with no return whatsoever. He no longer opens his heart to any other preacher of the faith, even if the latter is a good man, for the first experience has destroyed the proselyte. This proselyte may go another way: even if he does not leave the faith openly, yet in his practical behavior this is implied, for he has been influenced by his hypocrite teacher and hence he follows spiritually this example. He could become even worse, and as a result the hypocrite shepherd could push the proselyte to the fire of eternal darkness. St. John Chrysostom connects on the previous statement, saying, “The accusation here springs from two aspects. The first one is your uselessness in saving others, for they require a lot of money to save one person. The second aspect is their carelessness about keeping safely this one they have won over. They are not only known for negligence, but also for betrayal, as they offend him by means of their evil life. They could even make him, by means of their wicked life, worse than themselves. The proselyte does not stop at the evil of his teacher, but if he sees his teacher a good person he either follows him as his example, or if he sees him as a wicked one, he then overrides him in wickedness, due to the evil tendencies of man towards evil.” As St. Jerome says, “They struggled to make one proselyte out of the honest people, and boeing him to God’s congregation. But if this proselyte looks upon his teachers, and he realizes their deeds destroy their teachings and go contrary to them, the proselyte goes back to the first state he was in. By returning to the Gentile state, he is considered ungrateful, and he therefore deserves a worse punishment than the state he was in before his acceptance of the faith.” 5. The materialistic outlook in worshipping: Hypocrisy destroys the vision of the teachers. Instead of judging spiritually, even in the materialistic matters, they judge from a materialistic point of view even in the spiritualities. They see the temple gold better than the temple itself, and the oblation of more value than the altar itself. He who swears by the gold of the temple or the oblation is committed to the vow, or, he who swears by the temple itself or the altar itself is of no importance. In this way when the inner vision is dimmed, it becomes blind, and the soul is attracted to the holies and it asks for what is materialistic only. St. Jerome sees they behave not in the fear of God but in their desire for riches. He who swears by the gold or the oblation is committed to paying the gold and the oblation, which is of profit to the priests. But he who swears by the temple or the altar, and is too miserly to be committed to the vow, this means nothing to them in their hearts. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6. Being literal in the commandment, and spiritless: They appear when carrying out the commandment, to be extremely meticulous “For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith.” The former things are planted in very small quantities in homes for individual usage only, but they leave out the weightier matters of the law. For the sake of appearances, they fulfill the trivial matters under the cover of being meticulous, but as for the hidden commandment essence, this is untovehed. They have hatred in their hearts, jealousy and envy, and they leave out truth and faith. But as yet, they appear as lovers of the truth, and its defenders, as if they are pure doing no one any injustice and are pious. As the Lord says (Matt 23:24) “Blind guides, who strain out a grate and swallow a camel.” St. Jeremy thinks this is greed in the part of the Jewish leaders. They care about the tithes concerning the vegetables of little value because they get them into their homes. But as for the commandments concerning mercy towards the poor, the widows and the orphans, and the love of God, these are disregarded. As St. Cyril the great says, “They are meticulous in the commandment that serves their material purpose, and their greed, and they are careless in the commandments that concerns their relationship with God, and their spiritual life. This is despite the fact that breaking any commandment is breaking breaking the entire law. For it is said (James 2:10) ‘For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all, for he makes it with no law.” If any of these important commandments is disregarded, what words will he find will enable him to get rid of the punishment he deserves? This is what the Pharisees deserved as cruel remarks of shame, for the Lord has judged them (Luke 11:42) “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herb, and passby justice and the love of God.” They are more covetous than others, and are eager for ugly gain, and so they commanded the necessity of observing the law of the tithes very accurately and literally, so they would not cancel from their accounts the least of these matters, and the seeds that are of no value, whereas they disregard what had to be observed as the important commandments by Moses. This is such as the truth that implies justice in the verdict and the love of God. The Spirit has rebuked them in the voice of king David (Ps. 82:1) “God stands in the congregation of the mighty: He judges among the gools. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” He also accused them as said by Isaiah, who asked how the honest city Zion has become a prostitute, totally blame-worthy. “Justise used to dwell them, but now murderers; its silver is now cheated, and its traders mix wine with water. The rulers of the city are rebellious and partners of thieves. Each of them loves borbery and follows donations. They do not side the orphan, and the call of the widow does not reach them. Judging unrighteously is not the work of the lovers of brothers.” St. Ambrosios comments on speaking of the Pharisees as ‘blind’! He explains they are inexcusable. They have seen the Lord Jesus but it was according to the physical blind spiritual vision, for the literal worshipping has dimmed their hearts. He said, “The Jews did not see Him although they saw Him.” But the men of faith who became before them have not seen the Lord physically, but they have witnessed Him spiritually, for these had the enlightened vision. This is why the Book says that the congregation witnessed the voice of God (Ex.2:18).The saint comments saying, “It is evident the voice is heard and not seen, for the sound is nothing but waves the ear hears and the eye does not see. This is a deep concept that urged Moses to confirm that man sees the voice of the Lord. He can see it in the heart where the inward eyes can perceive Him. Abraham had seen Him, as it https://coptic-treasures.com/ is written (John 8: 56) “Abraham rejoiced to see My day.” He saw the Lord although he did not see Him physically. Those who cried out “Crucify Him, crucify Him “ these have not seen Him, because if they had known He was the King of glory, they would not have crucified Him {1Cor.2;8 ). 7. Appearances in worshipping, yet with no life. For people’s sake, they appear as being meticulous, not only in carrying out the commandment, but also in the rituals. They were very concerned about the cleanliness of the cup and the plate from the outside, yet they did not care what they carried inside for it was unseen. Then therefore seemed like beautiful white graves from the outside, but from the inside they were full of rottenness and every defilement. Indeed, it is very dangerous for man to be concerned about the outer appearances in worshipping, without encountering the Lord Jesus Himself, the essence of our worship and mystery of our life. In this case worshipping will not be a cup for salvation, but it will rather carry death for the soul and hardship for the body. Man’s life will be transformed to a beautiful grave from the outside, described by people as spiritually beautiful and pure, for it is painted, where as in its inside it contains a dead and defiled soul, where Christ cannot find a dwelling for Himself in. As St. Jerome says, “Just as the saint is God’s temple, likewise is the sinner who makes of himself a grave.” 8. Those Resisting the Truth under the Cover of Religion: The scribes and the Pharisees were concerned about building the graves of the prophets, and decorate the graves of the righteous people. But by doing so they testify what their forefathers have done to the prophets and the righteous, for they have killed them. Here, too, they were going on in their fathers’ measurements, plotting to kill the Lord Jesus Himself St. Jerome speaks to them according to Christs’ own words, “In your turn fill up the measurement of your forefathers, for, what they were unable to fulfill, you continue. They have killed the servants, and here now you are crucifying the Teacher. They have killed the prophets, and you are crucifying Him who was prophesied of by the prophets”. In this way hypocrisy drives man to commit one evil deed to the next until he finally resists the truth totally. They offer the blood of the innocent a cheap price in their eyes. He warns them of this detrimental disease which is hypocrisy that has driven them to the whirlwind of vain appearances and earthy temporary honor. This led them to usurping the rights of the widows, and covering themselves behind the preaching motto, and hence they make the proselytes enter hell fire. Behind the curtain of the commandment they provide what is apparent, and break the essence of the matter. In this way, they are wrapped with the appearances of worshipping, and truly they condemn themselves of death, in their body coverage. Finally, here they are plotting to kill the only begotten Son of God as a price for keeping their position and authority and honor under the cover of defending God’s glory, the law and the prophets. The Lord continues His words to them (Matt.23:33-35) “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore indeed, I send you prophets, wise men and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city . That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth , from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar”.Who is Zachariah son of Berachiah ? https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. Jerome thinks that in his time there were three options: 1- The prophet Zachariah was one of the minor prophets, even though his father’s name is in the accordance with the Lord’s words. But the Book did not mention anything about the shedding of his blood between the temple and the altar, particularly because the temple at his time was merely in ruins. 2- Some others think he is Zachariah John the Baptist’s father, who has been killed because of his prophecy about the Saviors’ coming. But St. Jerome does not accept this suggestion. 3- He is Zachariah killed by Joach king of Judea as mentioned in (II Chronicles 24:21). But his father’s name is mentioned in the Holy Book was Jehoioda. St. Jerome thinks Berachia means ‘blessing’ or ‘blessed from the Lord’, and Jehoiada means ‘holiness’, and that the man had two names. This is why St. Jerome supports this opinion. 9. The Judgement of Eternal Destruction : They pretended to be zealous for the Lord’s glory, the temple, the old law and the prophets, and they regarded the Lord as One resisting all of this. They pushed themselves in with the multitudes to the eternal destruction by their distortion of the truth. They therefore carry the fruit of their deeds, as well as their fathers’ deeds. The Lord says ( Matt.23:36-39 ) “ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say : ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord !’. The Lord wept over Jerusalem when He drew near to it, and He said (Luke 19:42- 44) “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation”. The Lord Jesus still weeps over every soul that receives Him as Jerusalem, and has become the temple for Him, then it returned to be defiled and resist Him. The scholar Oreganus says, “Actually, we are the Jerusalem that Jesus wept over it. After we came to know the mysteries of the Truth, and the Gospel words, and the church edification, and after we have seen the Lord’s mysteries, we still commit sins ! The Lord wept over our Jerusalem due to its sin, for the enemies besiege it, and ruin its buildings in it, and they leave no stone one on top of the other. This is what is happening now; for, after a man lives an absolute monastic life for long years, he is defeated before the physical attraction and is unable to tolerate the necessary things for purity. Then, man becomes defiled, and leads an undefiled life, and it is as if he does not leave one stone on top of the other. At another place we read (Ex.18 :14) that all his righteous deeds are disregarded, but he would die because of his betrayal and the sin he has committed. This is the Jerusalem that should be wept over. St. Cyril the great says, “Here you can see that for real, He often asks them to grant them His mercy, but they rejected His help. Therefore God’s holy law has condemned them and has detached them of the membership in His spiritual home.’’ St. Jerome says, “I came as a hen to protect them, but they received Me in hatred and betrayal, I came as a mother, and they assumed I came to kill them, so they killed Me.’’ https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. Augustine thinks the Lord drew the similarity between Him and the hen, because when it embraces its eggs, or little ones, her body is greatly weakened, and its feathers drop off, due to her care of her little ones. It is as if this is a symbol to the work of the Lord Jesus, who came down for us, carrying our frailties in His love and divine care.
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