OPPOSITION IN JERUSALEM The Lord Christ entered into Jerusalem to bear the Cross for our sake. But the evil leaderships gathered together against Him because He frankly revealed their corruption and their love of authority. But, in the midst of that difficult atmosphere, an unknown widow was found, who opened her simple heart in love for God, to give far more than all: Two mites, all of her livelihood. 1- The wicked vinedressers 1–12. 2- A question concerning paying taxes 13–17. 3- The Sadducees and the resurrection 18–27. 4-The scribes and the commandment 28–40. 5- The loving widow and the two mites 41–44. 1- THEWICKED VINEDRESSERS Having put His opposers in a corner, by asking them about the Baptism of John, The Lord intended to expose their evil opposition and its probable consequences, by presenting the parable of the wicked vinedressers. In this parable, which I have already discussed in my interpretation of the Gospel according to St. Matthew (21:33), this should be noticed: (1) The first point to draw our attention in this parable, is likening God the Father to a man who planted a vineyard, saying: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower; And He leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” ( 1) God’s love for mankind is great, being His earthly, exalted creation. He granted it His likeness and image; and even after trespassing against Him, He went after it, and gave it the possibility of getting back to His bosom, presenting His Son as a ransom for its sake. Now, He is likening God the Father to man, something that proclaims His dignified look toward mankind. (2) This parable shows God’s sanctification of humanity as He likens Himself to man who planted a vineyard, He says: “He leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” ( 1) That does not mean that He left the place, as He is omnipresent; nor that He deprived His vineyard of His care, as He cares for everything big or small. “He went,” indicates that He gave the vinedresser complete freedom to work. He gave them complete responsibility, a sign of His love for maturity, together with His appreciation of human freedom; He set up the vinedressers to work as mature men, responsible before Him. (3) In this parable, the Lord Christ, did not only proclaim to His oppressors, that He is aware of what goes on inside them, but knows beforehand of their intentions toward Him, being the heir, whom the evil vinedressers do not stand... He is not afraid of what they are going to do to Him, as He came to consummate their evil chalice, and to take the vineyard away from them to give it to others ( 9). He called Himself, “The stone which the builders rejected, that became the chief cornerstone” ( 10) St. Augustine1 sees in this parable, that as the evil men took the Heir Son, and intended to kill Him, He did not resist them, but said: “I lay down” (Psalm 3:5). He slept surrendering His body in the hands of His oppressors to crucify Him and to stab His side with a spear, in order for the Church to emerge from it, as did Eve, who emerged from 1 Cf. On Ps 41. 5 Adam’s side, while asleep. (4) Several Church Fathers interpreted this parable in detail; I have already presented that of St. Cyril the Great, in my interpretation of the Gospel, according to St. Matthew, together with interpretations of other Church Fathers. I shall, here, present some other views. In a text, attributed to St. Jerome: [The vineyard is the house of Israel; the hedge is the guarding by angels; the tower is the temple, and the vinedressers are the priests1.] While Fr. Theophlactius believes that [the hedge is the Law that kept them from mixing with strangers.] St. Ambrose presents us with the following comment: [The prophet Isaiah clearly mentions that the Lord’s vineyard is the house of Israel (Isaiah 5:7). He established it, and leased it to vinedressers, then went into a far away country; not that He left to some other place, as He is always omnipresent; but His presence is very much obvious in those who love Him, and keeps away from those who reject Him. The Gospel of Matthew mentions that He set a hedge around it (Mt. 21:33; Mk. 12:1); that is to say, He surrounded it with divine care, to defend it against the attacks of the spiritual beast. He set a hedge, as He granted them the Law. He dug a place for the wine vat; as the secrets of Christ’s passions seem as the new wine... People thought that the disciples were drunk, when they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:13). He dug a place for a wine vet, to pour into it the inner fruit. At vintage-time He sent His servants. He did well to send them at vintage- time, and not at harvest time, as the Jews did not present any fruits... their vets did not get filled with wine. The blood of ‘Naboth’ was shed in that vineyard (1 Kings 21:13), and his blood prophesied that, there will be numerous martyrs in that vineyard. God sent many, which the Jews sent back with no dignity or respect, carrying no fruit from them. Finally, He sent them His Only-Begotten Son, whom they plotted to get rid of; being the heir, so they denied and crucified Him2.] St. Ambrose shifted from speaking of the Jews, as God’s vineyard ignored by their spiritual leaders, to the soul or the life of a believer in the Church of the New Testament, being the Lord’s vineyard, which the Lord presented with all possibilities to give fruit. And now, He is asking for fruit! From his own words: [The compassionate Owner, used to take care of His vineyard, trimming it, and cleansing it of accumulating rocks; sometimes letting the sun burn out the unwanted weeds; and sometimes irrigating the plants with rain; watching all the time lest the land would produce thorns, or be choked with an overgrowth of leaves. The Lord does not want vain words to press on the virtues, to hinder the growth and maturation of simplicity and all good faculties. May the Lord Savior, bring us to a good end of that vineyard, which He supports and guards against all deceits, by the hedge of eternal life... Here is our harvest! Feeling happy and secure, some fill their inner guts with the delicious grapes of the vineyard, while others seek the gifts of heaven, while still others behold the fruits of divine blessings, at the feet of their will, after taking off their sandals, to have their bare feet stained with the pouring wine. For the place where they stand, is a holy ground (Exodus 3:5)... Hail to you, precious vineyard, because of that guardian. You have been sanctified by the precious blood of the Lord, not by that of Naboth, nor of uncountable prophets. Naboth died for 1 Cf. Catena Aurea. 2 In Luc 20: 9-19. 6 the sake of his fathers’ inheritance; but as for you, it was for our sake, that a multitude of martyrs shed their blood; and for our sake, the apostles tasted the Cross of the Lord; that is why, they gave fruit to the end of the world1.] 2- A QUESTION CONCERNING PAYING TAXES In our study of the Gospel according to St. Matthew (22:15-22), We saw the Jewish leaders, having realized that the Lord’s parables are exposing their inner wounds, did not wish to go to the true Physician to cure them, but plotted instead, to oppose Him the more. Some of the Pharisees and the Sadducees posed to Him a question concerning the taxes that were collected for Caesar. If He refused giving it, He would be accused as some revolutionary against the Roman authority; and if He consented, the multitude would lose their confidence in Him, as a Savior from the foreign aggressor. The Lord’s response came to touch the depths of our souls, regarding the following: (1) St. Ambrose says: [The Lord, here, teaches us, how to use wisdom in our responses to heretics and Jews. In another place, He says, “Be wise as serpents.” (Mt. 10:16) Which is interpreted by scholars as such: As the bronze serpent (Num. 21: 8) proclaimed the Cross of Christ that uprooted the venom of the evil serpent, so we, likewise, should be wise as Christ, and simple as the Spirit (symbolized by the dove)2.] (2) Those evil people hoped that He would insult the authorities, to have a chance to accuse Him; but, amazingly, the Lord, wisely, exhorted His listeners to submit to worldly authorities, in the Lord, and to give respect or taxes to whom they are due. Despite that, they accused Him before Pilate, saying: “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Lk. 23:2) In that, the Master did not defend Himself, presenting the principle of submission to authorities, not out of fear, nor in order to defend Himself, but, as a principle that should be adopted by the Christian, even if he is accused otherwise. (3) Many saints believe that the principle saying: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” ( 17), although, in its apparent sense, means a commitment by believers to submit their duties, honestly, to authorities; not out of fear, and not reluctantly, but as a way of keeping the divine commandment; yet, that principle bears a deep spiritual meaning. If our souls bear the image of God, we shall be His coin, which He accepts with Joy. But if they bear the image of the world, we shall be the coin of the world, and God would not find in us a place for rest or joy. St. Ambrose says: [The Lord told them to bring Him a dinari, and asked them, ‘Whose image is on it?’ as God’s image differs from that of the world.” Thus the apostle St. Paul warns us: “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man” (1 Cor. 15: 49)…We do not find the image of Caesar, in Peter, who said: “Behold, we have forsaken everything and followed you.”(Mk 10:28) and we do not find it in James and John, the sons of Thunder; but you can find it in the sea. If Peter does not carry the image of Caesar, why, then, did he pay the tax? He did not pay it out of his own pocket, but from the sea; returning what belongs to the world, to the world. You too, if you do not wish, to have anything in you, that belongs to Caesar, do not have any world possessions, but possess the blessings... If you do not wish to be indebted to the worldly king, forsake all your possessions, and follow Christ3.] 1 In Luc 20: 9-19. 2 In Luc 20: 21-26. 3 In Luc 20: 21-26. 7 (4) Origen sees in that divine principle, that it is fitting for us to present to the body (Caesar), its taxes, that is to say, its necessities. But as to God, we should offer Him our souls, completely sanctified. 3- THE SADDUCEES AND THE RESURRECTION Who are these Sadducees, who came to test the Lord? They were a Jewish aristocratic religious sect; said by some, to be related to ‘Zadok,’ who, in the year 300 A.D.1 established that sect. But most probably they were related to ‘Zadok,’ the high priest, at the time of David and Solomon; in whose family, the high priesthood was preserved until the time of the Maccabees; his descendants were called ‘Sadducees.’ That, sect was considered by Josephus, the historian, as an opponent to the Pharisees2. Yet, despite their relatively fewer numbers, they were wealthy, educated, and of high statures3, all along the fourth and third centuries B. C., during the Persian and Greek reigns. They were fond of the Greek culture, and were preoccupied with politics more than with religion. Accordingly, they denied the authenticity of the Old Testament Books, except those of the ‘Pentateuch,’ that is the first five Books by Moses. They did not care, as well for the tradition, contrary to the Pharisees, who considered themselves as the guardians of the tradition of the elders. The Sadducees, believed that the ‘Pentateuch’ included nothing concerning the resurrection from the dead. They also believed that what was mentioned, concerning marriage according to the Mosaic Law, that commits a wife, whose husband is dead, to marry his brother, if she was childless, in order to have, for her late husband, a child to inherit him and to bear his name; they saw in that, a proclamation and a confirmation, that there is no resurrection from the dead. As the book of Acts says: “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection - and no angels or spirits; but the Pharisees confess both.” (Acts 23: 8) Nevertheless, the Sadducees were allies to the Pharisees in opposing the Lord, but each according to their own way. The Sadducees came to Him with a fictional story, in which they imagine a woman whose husband died childless; so she married his brother, then a second and a third, up to the seventh brother, but remained childless; and finally, the woman also died. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, for all seven had her as a wife? The response of the Lord Christ was twofold: (1) In verse 25, He did not reveal to them their idiocy in denying the resurrection, but in their understanding of it; as their hearts were attached to politics and to the world, they thought of resurrection as a material worldly life, although: “When they rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” ( 25) There is no point in comparing between a life we live here, according to the flesh, with a material mind, and a life we anticipate, according to a heavenly, angelic level. (2) Having thought that the ‘Pentateuch’ of Moses, denies the resurrection, He confirmed it to them from these same books, that described Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as living after their death, through God’s relation to them; saying, “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the 1 New Westminster Dict. of Bible, p. 817. 2 Antiq. 13: 10: 6. 3 Antiq. 18: 1: 4. 8 dead, but the God of the living.” ( 26-27) St. Cyril the Great, comments on that attitude of the Sadducees, saying: [They approached Christ, the Savior of us all, the life and resurrection, seeking to destroy the concept of resurrection; being so arrogant and unbelieving, they invented a story, loaded with ignorance, and unfounded suppositions, through which they sought to corrupt the hope of the whole world. We confirm that the hope of the whole world, is in the resurrection from the dead, of which Christ is its first fruit.’ For that, the wise St. Paul, basing our resurrection on that of the Lord, says: “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.” (1 Cor. 15:16) And he also presents another thought, saying: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Cor. 15:12) He meant by these, the Sadducees, with whom we are now dealing. Anyhow, the question of the Sadducees was meaningless; and was in its entirety, not conforming to the Holy Scripture. The response of the Lord Christ confirms the idiocy of their story, and leads us to reject the idea on which their argument is based. God said of those who died: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, is your judgment? Where, O Grave, is your sting? (Hos. 13:14 LXX) What He meant by the judgment of death and its sting, was explained to us by the blessed St. Paul, saying: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is Law” (1 Cor. 15:56) He likens death to a scorpion, whose sting is sin, and its venom kills a soul. He says that the Law is the power of sin, saying in another place: “I would not have known sin except through the Law.” (Rom. 7 :7) “For where is no Law, there is no transgression.” (Rom. 4:15) That is why Christ takes His believers away from the guardianship of the Law, that condemns and nullifies the sting of death, which is sin. As it nullifies sin, death goes with it; as death originates from it; and because of it, it came to the world. As God gave His promise: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death,” the blessed Prophets conforming with that exalted decree, spoke to us, not through the revelation of their hearts, nor the will of man, but through God’s mouth, according to the Scripture (Jer. 23:16); as the Holy Spirit speaking in them, proclaims God’s judgment and His unchangeable mighty will, in every issue. The prophet Isaiah speaks to us: “Your dead shall live; those in graves shall rise; those who dwell in dust will shout for joy, because your dew will heal them.” (Isaiah 26:19 LXX) I assume that the “dew” is the power of the Holy Spirit, the Life-giver, or that activity, nullifying death, originating from God and life. The blessed David also says in his psalms, concerning those on earth: “You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.” (Ps. 104: 30) Haven’t you heard about the work of the Holy Spirit, and His life-giving grace, by which He will renew the earth? By “the face of the earth,”(Ephes 6: 24) He means, its beauty; and by the beauty of human nature, the incorruption, as it is said, “The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” (1 Cor. 15:42, 43) Once more, the prophet Isaiah confirms for us, that death, that came in because of sin, will not, eternally regain its power upon the inhabitants of the earth, but will be nullified, through the resurrection of Christ from the dead; renewing the world, and getting it back to what it was, as it is written: “He will 9 swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. The rebuke of His people, He will take away from all the earth” (Isaiah 25:8) The rebuke of people is sin; when it is taken away, death would be nullified, and corruption would be removed from the midst of people. When death comes to an end, tears would be wiped away and crying would stop; as there would be no more cause for people, to cry. Thus, we have several evidences to debate the denial of the Jews; but, let us listen to what the Lord Christ, Himself, said to them: Indeed, Children of this world, lead a life according to the flesh, full of lusts to beget offspring; That is why they marry and be married. While, those who reach an elect life, dignified, bearing all reverence, and qualified for the amazing and glorified resurrection, would naturally have a life, far above that of men of this world. They live in the presence of God, as saints; becoming equal to angels, children of God. Getting rid of every bodily lust, and having in themselves, no place for them, they are likened to the saintly angels, practice spiritual and not material ministry, as sanctified spirits; and at the same time, get qualified for a glory, like that enjoyed by angels. The Savior proved the complete ignorance of the Sadducees, presenting them with Moses, their spiritual mentor, as preaching the resurrection from the dead, in a very clear way. He presents God saying in the burning bush: “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Whose God is He, if these, as they presume, are not any more living? He is the God for the living; That is why they will be raised, through the right hand of the Almighty; not alone, but together with all those who are on earth. Not so believing, is fitting for the ignorance of the Sadducees, not those who love Christ, we, who believe in Him who says: “I am the resurrection, and the life.” (Jn. 11:25) In Him who raises from the dead: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor. 15:52) Our Savior will change us all to incorruption, to glory, and incorruptible life. He, by whom, and to whom, is the glory, the praise, and the authority, together with God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, to the age of ages, Amen1.] The symbolic concept of the woman who was married to seven husbands In our previous study of the talk of the Lord Christ with the Sadducees, in our interpretation of the Gospel, according to St. Matthew (22:23-33), we saw how that woman, who was married to seven brothers, and remained childless, refers to the Church, that stayed long (number 7) under the Law; and did not give any spiritual fruit, until she became dead to the works of the Law, to live by grace, according to a spiritual angelic level. A text, claimed to belong to St. Jerome, presents us with another symbolic interpretation: [Who is that woman who was married to the seven brothers, and then finally died herself, but the Jewish synagogue, deprived of the sevenfold spirit (Isaiah 11: 2); that spirit which filled the seven Patriarchs; to whom, the descendent of Abraham (that is to say, Jesus Christ) was not given? Although He was born to them, yet, He was granted to the Gentiles! That woman was dead to Christ; thus would not be connected in resurrection, with any of the seven Patriarchs. By number 7, I mean the company of all believers, on the contrary to what is said by Isaiah, “Seven women shall take hold of one man” (Isaiah 4:1) That is to say, the seven Churches, beloved, rebuked, and chastened by 1 In Luc. Ser. 136. 10 the Lord, will worship Him, in one faith1.] 4- THE SCRIBES AND THE COMMANDMENT “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He has answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” ( 28 - 32) If the Pharisees, and the Sadducees, have come to the Lord, in an evil attempt to catch Him, as a revolutionary against the Roman authority, or a breaker of the Mosaic Law, their conversations with the Lord attracted many, to enjoy new concepts, something that moved that scribe to pose a question, often debated by learned people of religion, especially scribes; and probably also, he intended, by his question to test the Lord (Mt. 22: 34, 35; Lk.10: 25), assuming that He is discerning between the different commandments of the Law, or that He is presenting a commandment of His own, as greater than what came in the Law. If the Lord did not rebuke that scribe, He answered him instead, with an exalted divine wisdom, presenting a spiritual basis for the concept of the commandment, which can be summarized in the following: (1) All the commandments represent one unity, unspeakable from each other. While a scribe is asking for a commandment, which is the first of all, the Lord Christ presents two commandments on the same level, closely related, that touch our relationship with God, through our belief in Him, our recognition of His oneness, our limitless love for Him, and our relationship with our neighbor, whom we love as ourselves. The gospel, according to St. Luke revealed who is our neighbor, through the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10). In other words, there is no distinction between the belief in God and recognition of Him, and our love of Him. And there is no distinction between our relationship with God and that with our brethren. It as though, the commandment is an enjoyment of an inner life, lived by man, in his depths, and proclaimed through his belief in God, and his relationship with other people. In a text, attributed to St. Jerome, he says: [That question used to represent a general problem for those learned in the Law, namely, that the commandments included in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, are different. The Lord presented, not one commandment, but two, as if they are two breasts on the chest of a bride, by which our childhood is fulfilled. He referred to the first of the great commandments, that should be put in the first place in the heart of every one of us, as a basis for piety, that is the knowledge, and recognition of the unity of Godhead, together with practicing the good work, consummated by the love of God and the neighbor2.] (2) If love is the essence of the commandment, that love is not an external behavior that we merely project, but, it rather represents a life that touches all our possibilities, touches our being, “love with all soul;” touches our emotions and inner 1 Cf. Catena Aurea. 2 Cf. Catena Aurea. 11 feelings, “with all heart;” touches our thoughts, “with all mind;” and also touches our visible behavior, “with all strength.’ It is as though, love involves the dedication of man, in his whole, by the Holy Spirit of God, in order to bear the nature of his Creator within him. Through “God is love”(1 Jn. 4:8), we bear His life, and His attributes, working within the soul, the heart, the mind, the body, and all energies and possibilities! The commandment is enjoyment of, and response to the Holy Spirit of God, who conforms us all the time, and elevates us from glory to glory, with the hope of reaching the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephes. 4:13). Fr. Theophlactius says: [Behold, how He is enumerating all the strengths of the soul; as there is the living strength in the soul, that He explained by saying, “with all soul.” To that strength, he attributes wrath and desire, which should be surrendered to divine love. There is another strength, namely, ‘the natural strength,’ to which growth and revival are attributed, which should also be surrendered to God, as it is said, “with all heart.” And a third strength, namely, ‘the mind,’ which should be completely surrendered to God.] It seems that a conflict of opinions occurred between the sects of the Jews themselves; some of them concentrated on liturgical laws, especially offering of sacrifices; while others, on that side of faith, and still others on the practical behavioral aspect. The Lord Christ came to confirm the need for a complete change in the soul, heart, and mind; together with a response of all energies and possibilities of man, with that inner change. The scribe liked that answer, saying, “Well said, teacher, You have spoken the truth, for there is one God; And there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ( 32, 33) The Lord answered him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(34) He did not say, “You have the kingdom of God within you,” as that scribe recognized the features of the way, but he had not entered it yet, nor enjoyed it. Christ as the Son of David and, at the same time, his Lord: As the arguments came to an end, and, according to the evangelist, “no one dared question Him” ( 34), the Lord began to speak with the multitude, through the words of the scribes themselves, to reveal to them the way to their salvation by Him. “Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord,’ How is He then his Son?” ( 35-37) Now, the Lord Christ, speaks publicly about Himself, for the first time, to proclaim the following: (1) That He is the Messiah, the Son of David, and at the same time, his Lord... David recognized Him before long generations, not by himself, but through the Holy Spirit. He was the subject of prophecies and the desire of the Church Fathers. (2) If the adversary powers have gathered, not only to debate with Him, but also to plot to crucify Him, they are likewise opposing God the Father, who makes the Son’s enemies His footstool, not because of any weakness in the Son, but out of unity of work between the Father and the Son. It is as though, the Master is demanding from every one, before getting into the incidents of the road, to reconsider himself, lest the incidents 12 would draw him over, to make of him an adversary to the truth and to the Lord. As to His saying, “Sit on My right hand;” that means that He is sharing His power, and not indicating any discrepancy in dignity. If God the Father is making the enemies footstools for God the Son, God the Son is doing the same for God the Father, glorifying His Father on earth (Jn. 15:4). St. Ambrose says: [All what is the Father’s is the Son’s... We designate the Father from the Son, according to difference in ‘hypostases,’ but they are One in power, One in the Other... The glory of the Father is not abolished in the Son; and the beauty of the Son is seen in the perfectness of the Father; They are One in might1.] St. Cyril the Great says: [We too, pose the same question to the contemporary Pharisees (the Nestorians), I wish those who deny, that the One begotten by the Virgin St. Mary, is Himself the Son of God the Father, that is to say, God; those who divide Christ into two Sons, would explain to us, How can the Son of David, at the same time, be his Lord? Not in a human way, but a divine. His sitting on the right hand of the Father, is a confirmation of His exalted glory. Having one throne, means they have one dignity; and hence one nature2.] (3) Although the Lord has been so much accused during His ministry, He is glorified by having His enemies as His footstool, on the day of His great glory. And as St. Cyril the Great believes, the Lord Christ intended by these words, to draw His disciples’ hearts away from the Pharisees’ way of thinking, that cares for worldly glory, to seek the eternal glory, together with their Christ. In other words, if the Lord was opposed by many, during His ministry to humanity, yet, His glory is proclaimed eternally. Likewise, those who follow Him would suffer oppositions here, for the sake of eternities... For that, the evangelist resumes his talk, saying: “Then He said to them in His teaching, ‘Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnations” ( 38-40) He warned His disciples against placing their heart in their garments; that is to say, in the outer appearances; like some Jewish religious leaders, who used to conceal their evil and malice underneath their outer attires; getting worldly dignity, while bearing wolfish hearts... That is why we often hear St. John Chrysostom rebuking himself, saying: [It is amazing to find a Bishop who is saved ] in order to be - though being an Archbishop - in constant vigil for his salvation. In other words, the clerical attire, in itself, would not justify him, but would rather condemn him, if he does not carry inside an inner glory. By the same spirit, the hermit St. John Saba says: [O man of God, until when, by blackness alone (probably meaning the monastic attire), you comfort yourself? You should become a flame to burn out all around you, to behold the glory within you3.] [Woe to me, because up till now, I comfort myself only by blackness4.] Fr. Theophlactius says: [They used to walk dressed in dignified garments, in order to get, accordingly great respect; and following the same way, concerning several 1 In Luc 20: 41-44. 2 In Luc. Ser. 137. رسالة 3 .14 رسالة 4 .35 13 things, that give them worldly glory.] What the Lord Christ says concerning going around in long robes, says it also concerning love of greetings in the marketplaces, and getting the best places at feasts, and, in pretense, making long prayers. However, the Lord did not mean to attack the dresses in themselves, nor people’s greetings, or sitting in the best places at feasts, or making long prayers, but to attack the inner thoughts and the deep desire to behave that way, for the sake of vain glory, while carrying inside a hard heart that allows man to devour widows’ rights. 5- THE LOVINGWIDOW AND THE TWO MITES Although all the Jewish leaderships have been united to oppose the Lord, there was a poor widow, full of love for God and men, who offered all her livelihood - two mites - to the temple; thus counted by the Lord far better than those who offered much gold and silver, saying: “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury. For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” ( 43, 44) In a text attributed to St. Jerome1, the author sees, as though, he himself is that poor widow offering to the heart of the people, as to the treasury, two mites, namely, the simple interpretation of faith, emerging from the two Testaments, the Old and the New, that, through the Holy Spirit, would find a place, to be applied into a practical life, in thought, talk, and work. Fr. Theophlactius sees in that woman, a symbol of the believing soul, that got widowed, after her first husband, to whom she sold herself, namely, the devil, has died; then offered, to her new bridegroom, two mites, namely, her soul and body; offering them through modesty, offering him her whole life, to work in her. St. Augustine sees in the two mites (number 2), a reference to love. As we cannot approach God’s Holies; and the Lord would not be pleased with our offerings, if they are not coming from a heart filled with love for God and men. By Love we would enjoy the Holies and God’s pleasure with us. That widow has opened the gate before all believers, to apprehend the true concept of giving. It is the giving of the inner heart, that pleases God’s heart; and not just the apparent giving. Of the sayings of the Church Fathers in this concern: Did not that widow’s deed surpass the abundance of your riches, because of her inner readiness? The wise Paul wrote: “If there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has. And not according to what he does not have.” (2 Cor. 8:12) It is not only the rich who gets a grace from God, through his giving for the brethren, the Savior of all will definitely accept his sacrifice; but He likewise grants grace to him who gives a little, as he owns just a little. God, who knows all, praises his inner readiness, accepts his little offering, and makes him equal to the rich.; if not granting him a greater grace than that he gave to the rich2. St. Cyril the Great Do you say that you cannot afford to offer any deed of compassion?... Do not you 1 Cf. Catena Aurea. 2 In Luc. Ser. 148. 14 possess two mites? Whatever your poverty is, you have two feet, by which you can visit the sick and the prisoner. You have a roof, under which you can give hospitality to strangers. There is no excuse for not doing deeds of compassion1. St. John Chrysostom What the widow purchased for her two mites, St. Peter purchased by leaving his nets (Mt. 4:20); and Zacchaeus by giving half of his goods to the poor (Lk. 19:8). What is greater than the fact that, whatever Zacchaeus purchased (the kingdom of heaven) by giving half of his goods to the poor (Lk. 19:8)., the widow has purchased for only two mites, to give, both of them equal shares?! The same kingdom, for which a rich man is qualified, by offering his treasures, the poor gets, by offering a cup of cold water (Mt. 10: 42)! Little are her possessions; yet, great is her love!2 St. Augustine Whoever offers himself to God, is offering Him everything in one batch. Although she was a poor widow; yet she was far richer than the whole nation of Israel. Such offerings are not evaluated according to their weight, but according to the good will by which they are offered3. St. Jerome
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