IMPRESSIONS AS TO THE PERSON OF CHRIST Even though the Lord Christ had proclaimed His authority, not only upon the felt wind, but also on the unseen unclean spirits, and on death; yet, man remained ignorant of His identity. His relatives stumbled in Him. Herod thought of Him as John the Baptist; and even His own disciples asked Him to send the multitude away, that they might buy themselves bread to eat. He entered with them through the affliction of the fierce wind and sea waves in the middle of the horrifying night; in order to proclaim Himself to them. 1- His relatives stumble in Him 1–6. 2- Sending out the twelve 7–13. 3- Herod’s attitude towards Him 14–29. 4- The disciples and the hungry multitude 30–40. 5- The disciples and the waves of the sea 41–53. 6- People recognizing Him 54–56. 1- HIS RELATIVES STUMBLE IN HIM We have already seen, how His relatives came to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind” (Mk. 3:21); and yet, when He healed the woman with the flow of blood, and restored Jairus’ daughter to life, the evangelist says: “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.” ( 1) He came to them despite knowing that they despised Him and attacked Him. As for Him, He opens His heart even to those who reject Him, even though He does not force anyone to receive Him against his will! They stumbled in Him and did not take Him seriously for two reasons, namely, for His family origin, and His profession as a carpenter or a laborer. The evangelist says: “Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they offended at Him. But Jesus said to them: ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” (s 2- 4) In this text, the following is to be noticed: a- The Early Church probably wondered, how could the Jews fiercely reject that Jewish Messiah, in whom the Jewish religion and the prophesies, in their hands, are fulfilled. Yet, she found in that rejection, one of the signs of the true Messiah; as in Him, the prophesies are fulfilled; The prophet Isaiah says: “He will be a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, to both the houses of Israel; as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken; he snared and taken.” (Isaiah 8:14, 15) The Early Church believed that that Jewish attitude, had been a part of the hidden divine care which was planned by God for Zion (Isaiah 28:16); that through the stumbling of the Jews in the Cornerstone, the Gentiles would receive salvation, as expressed by the apostle Paul: “Through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:11).”For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense; And whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 9:32, 6 33). Another says “ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, the stone And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (1 peter2: 6- 8). Some scholars1 say that the gospel according to St. Mark, as a whole, is interested in proclaiming that “ stumbling” or “ offense” in the cornerstone; revealing its secret, which is the blindness and sins of humanity; as is clear from their evil interpretation of His holy works (Mk. 3:21, 22), and their incessant counsels for resisting and destroying Him (Mk. 2,3)... All these were referring to the shadows of the Cross towards which He was setting forth to carry; or in other words, for which sake He came to the world. And now, as the end of His ministry in Galilee drew near, His own people started to deny Him. Indeed, the people of Nazareth could not deny His mighty works and wisdom; yet, despite their amazement, they stumbled: How could they believe in someone they know of His origin and His family who are living in their midst, when all Jews were expecting the Messiah to come on the clouds from heaven! They were questioning, but not for reaching the truth, but rather for the sake of resisting Him. Another reason for their stumbling was His profession as a carpenter. According to the Greek origin, the word ‘Tekton,’ designates a laborer in stones, wood or minerals; related to the Hebrew word ‘charasch,’ designating a manufacturer of plows and yokes. All, according to them representing humble professions, not prestigious like those of priests, Pharisees or scribes! What stumbled the Jews, is a reason for our admiration; as we, indeed, apprehend the exalted love of God, in that His Word had not come on the clouds, but through humbleness; had dwelt in our midst, and performed our tasks, to partake of our life, so that we partake of His eternal glories. He descended to us to lift us up to Him! b- Probably, the words said by His relatives here (s 3, 4), are confirming what St. John Chrysostom said, commenting on the phrase: “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (Jn.2: 11). That, the Lord Christ, as He came, incarnated, did not perform mighty miracles, during His infancy and adolescence, but started His work by turning water into wine, at the wedding of Cana of Galilee, after His baptism. In other words, the Master did not come to impress His relatives during His infancy and adolescence, through some mighty acts, but, He rather came to minister and draw souls to Him, through His divine acts, exalted in love! If He had demonstrated such mighty acts during His infancy, before His relatives according to the flesh, they would have mentioned them here, as they were expressing their amazement concerning His wisdom and the powers performed by His hands. C- Their calling Him, “the carpenter, the son of Mary,” proves that His stepfather St. Joseph, must have passed away at that time, or they would have mentioned his name. As to calling James, Joses, Judas, and Simon, “His brothers,” the expression “brother,” had been used in the Holy Bible for designating brothers according to blood, to nationality, to close relation, or to friendship. Here, it is used because of close relation; as it was the case, when Abraham called his nephew Lot, “his brother” (Gen. 13: 8). Likewise Laban did the same for his son-in-law Jacob (Gen. 29: 15). The Jews used to 1 Nineham, p. 163–164. 7 call cousins “brothers,” as, in most cases, they probably lived under one roof. According to the Aramaic language, the word “brother” designated all these relations. That is why, according to St. Jerome, Jesus’ brothers are the sons of His aunt, St. Mary, the wife of Clopas, sister of St. Mary, the Holy Virgin (Jn. 19:25)1. d- The tragedy, these relatives lived through, was that, because of their materialistic view, they lost what the strangers had enjoyed; they lost the chance to enjoy and gain the blessings of the works of the Lord Christ, as it was said: “He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them” (s 5, 6). The Master was bitterly amazed, because their lack of faith, deprived them of Him and His works; as the Lord does not grant healing, except to him who wants and believes. And as St. John Chrysostom says: [The Master did not care for revealing Himself, as much as for benefiting them2.] St. Gregory the Nazianzus says: [For healing to take place, two things are needed: faith of the sick, and power of the Healer; and if one of them is lacking, it will not be possible3.] And Fr. Shermon says: [He intends to grant His healing, not according to a certain measure of His mighty power, but rather according to a measure of faith He finds in everyone... The limitless gifts of God, stopped, as “He could do no mighty work there... and He marveled because of their unbelief” (Mk. 6:5, 6). It is thus clear, that the magnitude of God’s giving, is according to that of faith; as it is said: “According to your faith, let it be to you.” (Mt. 9:29) “Go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done to you.” (Mt. 8:13) “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” (Mt. 15:28) “Your faith has saved you.” (Lk. 18:42)4.] Fr. Theophlactius comments on the saying of the evangelist: “He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching” (Mk. 6:6) by saying: [The Lord did not preach only in cities, but also in villages, teaching us, not to despise the humble things, and not to seek always the assignments of ministry in large cities; but to sow the seeds of the word of God in the poor and humble villages5.] 2- SENDING OUT THE TWELVE If He was rejected by His own, that did not stop Him from loving them or humanity as a whole; so: “He called the twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits” ( 7). The Lord appointed His disciples (Mk. 3), and let them see His amazing works (Mk. 4:35-6:6), having lived with Him and partaken of His life. And now, as He sends them out, He is giving them power over unclean spirits. It is not sufficient to let them listen to His words, to behold His works, or to live with Him, but the need is great to grant them power to destroy the kingdom of evil, and to establish that of light. In this mission, the following points have to be noticed: a- He sent them two by two, according to the words of Scripture: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” (Eccles 4:9,10). Probably, sending them that way, is to let one of them get occupied 1 .23 ، المؤلف: القدیسة مریم في المفهوم الأرثوذكسي، 1983 ، ص 22 2 In Matt. hom 48. 3 Fourth Theol. Orat. 10. 4 Cassian: Conf 13: 15. 5 Cf. Catena Aurea. 8 with preaching the word, while the other prays for him; so that, the word would go hand in hand with the prayer, giving more fruit. And as we had already seen number 2 is a symbol of love; that mission being one of love presented from God to mankind. Pope Gregory (the Great) says: [The Lord sent out His disciples to preach, two by two, according to two commandments concerning love: Love for God and love for our neighbor. Moreover, love cannot hold between less than two parties. By that, He proclaimed to us, that whoever has no love for his neighbor should definitely refrain from the task of preaching1.] The Church, as the home of love, would not be able to preach in the world, unless it embraces the spirit of love among its ministers and its entire congregation. Through that love, God is glorified, blessing every work, however small it may seem; without love ministry would lose all its energy and fruits. b- “He gave them authority over unclean spirits” ( 7). Because the evil one has reigned over the heart of man, there is a great need for an authority against that enemy. In other words, the real battle would be located in the heart; and its two parties would be God and Satan. There is no animosity between the disciples and any person, whatever his attitude towards them is; their real animosity is directed towards the evil one himself, who deceives the hearts and transfers them to his side. c- “He commanded them to take nothing for the Journey except a staff” ( 8). If the Lord has granted them authority over demons, as a gift, for the sake of their mission; yet He requested from them, in return, a proclamation of their trust in Him, to be demonstrated, in preaching, not merely by mouth, but through dispensing with all material worldly needs; trusting in God who would sustain and care for them. St. Ambrose says: [The gospel presents the features of a model preacher for the kingdom of God...’ While not asking for worldly resources, completely surrendering himself to faith, he is confident, when he so does, that every- thing would be provided in abundance to him2.] Commandments are not literal, but carry deep spiritual concepts. When He commanded His disciples, not to carry a staff (Mt. 10: 10) to lean on, on their way, or even to use it to defend themselves against dogs, wandering in the fields, He wanted to proclaim to them, that He is their staff, whom to lean on with their hearts for continuous support. Yet here, He allows them to carry a staff, probably as a reference to the Cross; as no preaching can hold, unless the preacher carries the staff of the Cross, partaking of the passions and the crucifixion of His Master. Some believe that, forbidding His disciples to carry anything, even a staff, the Lord intended it for the sake of perfection; but when he allowed it, He did that for the sake of weakness; as for example, in case of sickness or old age. d- “no bags, no bread, no cupper in their money belts” ( 8), so that the Lord Himself would be to them, their food, drink, and wealth. The bag, probably refers to the weight of worldly troubles; the bread to worldly delights; and the cupper in money belts, might refer to their hidden gifts. As if, it is not anymore fitting for a preacher, who cares, as a spiritual physician, for the salvation of others, to trouble himself with worldly affairs, to be drawn to its delights, or to hide the gifts that God granted him. St. John Saba says: [As fire does not hold in water, so also the knowledge of God 1 In Evang. hom 17. 2 In Luc. 9: 1-10. 9 does not hold in a heart that is engaged in the lusts of this world1], [Whoever rejects the world through perfection, is the one in whom God’s fire is kindled2.] It is to be noticed, that the Lord’s commandments to the disciples were strict: they are not to carry even a bag with some necessities; nor bread, a basic item for food; nor copper in their money belts, as it had the custom of the Jews. He denied them the littlest of the little. e-. “but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics” ( 9). A Jew used to wear five items: 1- An under-shirt. 2- A cloak, to put on by day, and to use as a cover by night. 3- A waist band to wear over the shirt and cloak. 4- A headwear: a white, blue or black turban. 5- A pair of shoes or sandals. The Master commands them to wear sandals; their continuous travel and incessant preaching activity, necessitate putting on sandals at all times; especially with the missionary path, covered with thorns. Some believe that wearing (inner sandals) in the heart, refers to enlightenment to recognize the way of the Lord, so as not to have our depths defiled by the dirt of this world; as is expressed by the Psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Thus, it is fitting for a preacher to wear the (inner sandals) of truth, having discarded his old ones, made of the skin of dead animals; to do as the prophet Moses did, when he took his sandals off his feet on the holy ground, to behold the burning bush, and to receive God’s invitation for his spiritual new leadership (Exod. 3). Our Lord Christ forbids us to put on two tunics; for it is not fitting, for whoever wears Christ, to put on the tunic of the world; Whoever is hidden in the Lord, our sanctuary, is not to wear, anymore, the love of worldliness.. f- “Also He said to them, ‘In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place” ( 10). By this commandment he means, that sentimental emotions and brotherly love, should not distract them from the seriousness of their missionary task. If houses are wide-open for the sake of Him, who is dwelling in them, so it is not fitting to deviate from their spiritual goal, and their original mission, which is to draw every soul to the bosom of the Father. What is that house, which we enter into, and which we should stay in until the time of our departure, but the evangelic Church life; that angelical life, where we live, as though in heaven, we should stay in it, until we depart from this world, to enjoy heaven itself. g- “And whoever will not receive you, and hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet, as a testimony against them” ( 11). Shaking the dust, means that the preacher has suffered the trouble of the long way, whose dust is a testimony against those who rejected the word. It could also mean, that they do not look forward for any material benefit; even the dust that clung to their feet on their way to that house, they shake off at the threshold of their door; they leave everything as a testimony against them. مقال 1 .3 رسالة 2 .43 10 St. John Chrysostom sees in it “a terrifying act;” giving the disciples more courage to proclaim, that they are shaking off all that is material; forsaking all dust and earthly thought, to live attached to the heavenliness1. That view of St. John Chrysostom, is based on what the Jews used to do in the old times: when they returned home, from a sojourn in a foreign land; they used to shake off the dust under their feet, as a proclamation that they are getting rid of the defilement of the pagan world2. St. Ambrose comments on that action, in his interpretation of the gospel according to St. Luke, saying: [The Lord commands us to avoid entering into, and even to escape from, any house of a heretic; and to shake the dust off our feet, so that its dryness - having its origin from a barren sandy soil (I. e. False faith) - would not defile our spiritual path. Thus, it is the duty of a preacher of the Bible, to carry on his shoulders, the physical weaknesses of believers, to cast them away; and to tread upon their sinful deeds under his feet, as though upon dust, according to what is written: “Who is weak, and I am not weak?” (2 Cor. 11: 29). Yet, He should also keep away from any Church, that rejects the true faith, based on the apostolic one, in order to avoid any source of deceit. That is confirmed by the saying of apostle: “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition” (Tit. 3:10).] h- The disciples successively accomplished their mission; according to the evangelist: “So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them” (s 12, 13). Their preaching was centered around “the kingdom of heavens,” and the way that leads to it: A true repentance, springing from belief in the Lord who reigns upon the heart; and its fruits being, the healing of soul and body; the soul is healed through casting out of demons, and the body is healed through the anointing with oil. From what the evangelist says, it is to be noticed that the act of anointing with oil, has not been an isolated one, carried out by one, but not the other of the disciples; It was rather something done by all of them along their preaching task. There must have been a particular commandment, to which they were bound; That was revealed in the epistle of the apostle James, in which he says: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the priests of the church, and let them pray for him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). According to a certain scholar, it is obvious from the text, that the healing effect was not due to the nature of the oil itself. Anointing with oil is done as a mystic sacrament, the same way as the laying of hands. Some scholars believe, there is nothing against the fact that this sacrament has been carried out by all the disciples, and probably by the Lord Himself3, although we do not have anything to back that up. 3- HEROD’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS HIM When Herod Antipas heard about the Lord Christ and His mighty works, he thought of Him as John the Baptist, whom he killed, raised from the dead, as a reward for a girl who danced at his birthday party. That way of thinking had been common among the Jews: that certain saints, particularly those who have been martyred, are occasionally raised from the dead, to return to this world, with special authority granted by God, to perform a particular commission. From another point of view, those thoughts of Herod, reveal what was going on deep within his conscience: If he had surrendered the voice of 1 In Acts hom 30. 2 Nineham. p 170. 3 Ibid 171. 11 truth to the sword, and presented the head of John the Baptist to a dancing girl, yet, that voice would have remained incessantly screaming loud in him. The evangelist St. Mark presents us with three different views of various people, as far as the identity of the Person of the Lord is concerned: a- That of those in fear, as for instance Herod, who thought that the one he killed, was raised from the dead. Despite his fear, he did not repent, and continued his evil path, staying attached to the wife of his still-living brother Philip. He was called a “fox” by the Lord Christ (Lk. 13:32); and had been one of the judges, before whom Jesus was tried (Lk. 23:7-12). b- That of the materialists... The Lord Christ came for salvation; but despite His mighty works bearing witness to Him, they said He is “Elijah” ( 15). They expected Elijah to come, to prepare the way for the Messiah, who would publicly come over the clouds, to restore the kingdom to Israel - on a materialistic conventional level - to subject the whole world, under its rule. c- That of the despairing. in whose despair, Israel remained for almost 300 years, with no prophet; Thus, they thought of the Master as a prophet ( 16). As these three views did not score the truth, and did not grasp the true identity of the Person of the Messiah, there was a need for the advent of God, Himself, to proclaim and reveal the heavenly truth. Having paraded these three views, the evangelist presented to us the episode of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist; at the hands of king Herod (s 16-29). That Herod, was ‘Herod Antipas,’ the son of Herod the Great, from his wife ‘Malthaki’ the Samaritan. St. John the Baptist stood screaming in protest against the public adultery, practiced by the whole family of Herod the Great, who personally married ten wives1 and had many children, deviating the holy marriage into lowly plots, aimed to grab the authority to reign. As examples of those practices, we mention: a- His son Herod Philip I (from Mariamne, the Poethusian), married ‘Herodea,’ the daughter of his brother Aristopolos (from Mary, the Macabian). b- The other Herod Philip II (from Cleopatra of Jerusalem), married ‘Salome,’ the daughter of Philip, his already mentioned brother. c- Herod Antipas (from Malthake, the Samaritan), married ‘Herodea,’ the wife of his still-living brother Philip. His wife’s daughter, Salome, danced at his birthday party, and asked - as a reward- for the head of John the Baptist; in order to spare her mother from hearing his alarming voice, and to make sure that Herod’s nagging conscience would not, later on, make him divorce her because of that voice. d. Herod Archaelaus (from Malthake, the Samaritan), exiled on 6 A. D. e. Alexander was executed on 6 A. D. and Aristobulos (from Mariamne, the Asmonaean) also was executed on 6 A. D. He married Bernice. f. Antipater (from Doris) was executed on 6 A. D. The episode of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, at the hands of Herod, was not a secret. It was recorded by the Jewish Historian Josephus2, who, nevertheless claimed that the killing was the result of Herod’s fear of a public revolution against his reign, encouraged by John the Baptist. On the occasion of celebrating his birthday, instead of releasing the wrongly 1 New Westminster Dict. of the Bible, p 380. Joseph.: Antiq 17, 1, 3; War; 28: 4. 2 Josephus: Antiq 18, 5, 2. 12 imprisoned man of God, he covered his birthday party with the blood of the innocent, as a reward to Salome, the daughter of Herodea, who pleased him with her dance. Fr. Theophlactius says: [He was overcome by his lust, to the extent of promising up to half his kingdom as a reward for a dance. Instead of thanking God for having brought him to life on that day (his day of birth), he added to the sin of imprisoning an innocent man, that of murdering him1.] St. Ambrose warns us against exotic parties, saying: [St. John, the forerunner of Christ, was decapitated at the request of a dancing girl; proving that exotic parties, could be far more harmful than the madness of anger, that could defile sanctuaries2.] Origen says, that imprisonment and murder of St. John the Baptist, took place within the frame of the Jewish nation’s tendency to try to suppress the prophesies, through destroying the Messiah3. In the midst of the lusty exotic dancing, Herod swore an oath to give a young girl, up to half his kingdom, as a reward for her dance; thus turning himself into a murderer of St. John the Baptist. That is why, St. John Chrysostom warns us against oath-swearing, saying: [Recall, how much the tribes of Israel have suffered as a result of their oathswearing, concerning the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:5-10); and how much Saul did, as a result of his oath (1 Sam. 14: 24). But Herod did what is far worse than just bringing harm on himself and others; he turned into a murderer. You should also recall what happened with Joshua, when he swore an oath to the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) Oathswearing is truly a trap of the devil; let us set ourselves free of it4.] Anyhow, while Herod gave the blood of John the Baptist as a price for raping his brother’s wife, and for the sake of relieving her conscience, as to that sinful marriage, the Lord Christ, on the other hand, gave His own blood, as a price for retrieving His bride, from the evil one. Some compare between St. John the Baptist and Herod, along the following lines: 1- Both of them were public figures; yet John performed his work, motivated by his deep inner feeling, kindled with love towards other people, yearning for their salvation; Herod, on the other hand was performing his, as a son of Herod the Great, inheriting from him his selfishness and conceit, keen on having everyone glorifying him. 2- Both of them got to know the Lord Christ. The first through faith, while still in his mother’s womb, leaping for joy, at the voice of Virgin Mary’s greetings went to him (Lk. 1:44); while the other received him, sent by Pilate for trial. His main concern, then, was not to enjoy His presence, but to have the chance to watch one of His miracles (Lk. 23: 7- 9). 3- Both believed in resurrection from the dead. For its sake, the first surrendered his life courageously to death; while the other was overcome by fear, lest John, whom he murdered, could have risen from the dead. 4- Both received a message from the Lord Christ: The first through his two disciples, whom he dispatched to ask him: “Are you the coming One, or do we look for another?” Mt. 11:3). The Lord praised him, saying: Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written: ‘Behold I send My messenger before Your 1 Cf. Catena Aurea. 2 In Matt. hom 48. 3 Conc. Virgins 3: 5. الإنجیل بحسب متى، 1983 ، ص 4 .326 13 face, who will prepare Your way before You. Assuredly, I say to you, among those born from women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist’” (Mt. 11:9-11). As to the message sent by the Lord to Herod, it was: “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day, I shall be perfected’” (Lk. 13:32). That was in response to the request of some Pharisees, to make Him depart from there for Herod wanted to kill Him. 5- Both of them died in prison. The first as a martyr who proclaimed the word of truth; The other was persuaded by his wife to go to Rome, to request from Emperor Caligola to bestow on him the royal title. But instead, he was exiled to Lyon1 then to Spain2, to die in prison. 4- THE DISCIPLES AND THE HUNGRY MULTITUDE: After narrating the episode of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the evangelist mentioned how the disciples gathered around Jesus, to tell Him all what they had done, and what they had taught. “And He said to them: ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while,’ for there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat” ( 31). Thus, was the Lord having chosen His disciples, and sent them to preach the word, it was fitting for them, every now and then, to sit alone with Him, to tell Him what they had done and taught during their ministry, to let Him be their true leader in all their actions... He took them aside to a deserted place to get some rest and food; thus, mixing life of ministry with contemplation; each motivating and supporting the other. Strangely enough, as He took them aside to a deserted place, the multitude looked for Him and ran to Him; as though he intended, for His disciples to combine their retreat with ministry; for their real rest should be in that of the tired souls. Fr. Theophlactius in his comment on the gathering of the multitude around Him, says: [Are you waiting for Christ to call you?! Go back and present yourself to Him.] The disciples, still, did not have the chance to eat, as they departed with the Lord to a deserted place. They forgot their hunger, and pleaded for the hungry multitude, saying to Him: “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat” (s 35, 36). How strange, that even the disciples, had not yet realized, that He, who was in their midst is the “Bread of Life,” who is capable of fulfilling the whole world! They should have recalled how He granted them the authority to cast out unclean spirits; to anoint the sick to heal them; and how that all along their ministry, they did not need a single thing. It is nice of them to plead for the hungry multitude, but it was also fitting for them to believe in His power to satisfy their hunger, and that He would not send them empty! As to the miracle of feeding the five thousands, we have already discussed it (Mt. 14:14-20). Yet we should mention here: 1- The five loaves refer to the Person of the Lord Christ; as He is the “Living Bread” that came down from heaven (Jn. 6:41). Number 5, refers to the name of the Master, as the word “Jesus,” in Greek, is formed in 5 letters. Each of the two tablets of the Law, according to Jewish tradition, carried 5 commandments. The screen that used to 1 Joseph: Sntiq 18: 7. 2 Josephus: War 2: 9: 6. 14 cover the door of the tabernacle, was held upon 5 pillars (Exodus 26:37). And 5 priests were chosen in the wilderness: ‘Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithmar’ (Exodus 28:1). Thus, the Master is sanctified as the fulfilling Living Bread; as the Word of God; and as the true High Priest etc. At the same time, the multitude counted 5000 men: number 1000 referring to the Spirit, or to the spiritual life, to heaven, or to heavenly thought; while number 5, is referring to the Church, congregating around Christ, likened by the Lord, to the 5 wise virgins (Mt. 25). 2- Some scholars believe that St. Mark presents the miracle of feeding the multitude, in a way close to the ‘Last Supper,’ or to the sacrament of the ‘Eucharist.’ As though the Lord Christ, through that messianic banquet, is drawing His disciples’ hearts, not towards physical satisfaction, but rather to His Passover feast, so as to enjoy His Holy body and blood, as a mystery of eternal life, and of abiding in Him; and therefore, to enjoy the heavenly eternal banquet, as a communion of the eternal glory. Feeding the multitude, was not merely one of the thousand miracles performed by the Lord; and its goal, was not merely a proclamation of His love and compassion towards the hungry multitude, but it had a special significance: That He, who is in their midst is the expected Messiah, spoken of by the Law and the prophets, as the Grantor of satisfaction. In the ancient times, it was said of the messianic time, through symbolism and prophesy: “Had rained down manna on them to eat; and given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food. He sent them food to the full” (Ps. 78:24, 25). The Psalmist also said of the Lord’s Messiah: “I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread” (Ps. 132:15). The golden table of the Showbread, an essential item of the tabernacle, was a symbol of the Messiah, the fulfiller of the holy souls. In the second Book of Kings (4:42-44), as a man came from ‘Baal Shalisha,’ bringing to Elijah, bread of the first-fruit, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain, in his knapsack, the Lord ordered His prophet, to present that provision to 100 men, who ate and had some left over. All these things, were like fingers pointing to the Messiah, the fulfiller of both the body and the soul. Yet, what the Messiah is doing here, is beyond the symbol and the shadow, to confirm that He is the Host of the unique Messianic table, which the Patriarchs, the prophets, and the angels, longed to behold. What is publicly presented by the Lord here, before the multitude, is intended to draw His own, to the Eucharistic table, to enjoy His body and blood, laid down for the sake of eternal life, to those partaking of them. 3- Before the evangelist presented that amazing work of the Lord Christ: feeding the multitude, he proclaimed the Master’s care and compassion for them, saying: “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” ( 34). It was, as though the evangelist is taking us back to prophet Ezekiel’s proclamation, that God Himself, is taking over the care of His people, left unattended by their shepherds, saying: “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the words of the Lord: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘Surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock. Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!… Thus says the Lord: ‘Indeed, I myself will search for My sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered 15 sheep; so will I seek out My sheep, and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day” (Ezekiel 34:7-12). By the advent of the expected Messiah, the cloudy and dark days came to an end; and the Word of God, Himself, came to seek out His scattered people, to bring them back to Him through His love. 4- In our study of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we saw that the two fish, refer to the Old and New Testaments, presented to us by the living Word of God, for the satisfaction of our souls; they refer as well to love (number 2), which is “the fellowship with God, the true love.” The green grass, which the multitude sat on, refers to the ‘flesh,’ on which Jews were leaning: as for example their blood relationship to Abraham, and the physical circumcision. We would not be able to enjoy the messianic banquet, unless we subject all these things, and stop being enslaved to them through the killing letter. As to sitting down in groups, in ranks, in hundreds and fifties (s 39, 40), that refers to the one Church, which, even if it is congregated, on a local level, in ranks and groups, yet it still enjoys one Christ and one food, through the one apostolic thought. As to their sitting down in fifties, we have spoken several times of that figure as a symbol of absolution from sin through the Holy Spirit, enjoyed by the Church on the day of the Pentecost; the Church, in its essence, is the congregation of God, freed of their sins through His Holy Spirit, to live by the righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord. 5-THE DISCIPLES AND THE WAVES OF THE SEA Despite the mighty works performed by the Lord Christ for His people’s sake, He was denied by His own, who said mockingly: “Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon?” ( 3) Through his troubled conscience, Herod thought of Him as John the Baptist, risen from the dead ( 14); and through their wish for a material messianic king, some thought of Him as ‘Elijah’ ( 15); and lastly, through their yearning for the Spirit of prophesy, that has been denied to Israel for the last 300 years, some thought that He is a prophet ( 15). That is why the Lord performed two works, to reveal His true identity, to those who possess a true spiritual vision: The first of them was feeding the multitude, in a unique performance, that revealed that He is the grantor of the Messianic banquet, long wished-for by the prophets, and symbolically proclaimed by the Law. As to the second work, it was His walking on the sea, to join His terrified disciples; as narrated by the evangelist: “And when He sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now, when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out.” (s 46-49) In that work, it is to be noticed: 1- By the miracle of feeding the multitude, He revealed Himself to them, as the Creator who cares for His flock (Ezek. 34). And at the same time, as the Heavenly Living Bread, that fulfills the souls of His children. As for His walking on the sea, He is proclaiming His incessant loving endeavor, for His people’s sake, to set forth with them, even to the middle of the sea, carrying them to protect them from drowning. In the ancient times, He gave His divine order to Moses to stretch out His hand with the rod over the sea (as with the Cross) to make way for His people across the sea, to escape from the devil’s hold (Pharaoh and his soldiers). And then to Joshua, to let the priests set forth, with the ark of the covenant, to cross over the Jordan river, on their way towards the 16 Promised Land. It is as though, God, with His love for humanity, always wishes to crossover with His people, from the devil’s hold, to set forth, not towards a material promised land, but to the divine bosom. If water is blocking our way to freedom from the hold of the enemy, to enjoy the promised land, God, Himself, will carry us to cross-over, as expressed in the Holy Scripture: “He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). “Your way was in the sea; Your path in the great waters; and Your footsteps were not known” (Ps. 77:10). 2- The Master has forsaken them till the fourth watch of the night - that is to say, up till about 3 o’clock at dawn. The Jews used to divide the night into 4 parts, calling each of them a watch: 6-9, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6. He did that, not out of neglect, but in order to confirm their faith in Him; to let them recognize Him, as the walker on the sea, “who has His path in the great waters;” and to give them the chance to practice perseverance and long-suffering, especially in praying. He pretended to have the intention to pass them by, to let them cry out, so as to proclaim Himself and His care for them. He went up into the boat of humanity at the fourth watch, in order to restore its peace. The first watch refers to the time between the fall of the first man, and the great flood; the second watch, between the renewal of creation and Moses; the third watch from Moses to Christ’s incarnation; and the fourth would be from the incarnation of the Word of God, and His dwelling in our midst, up to His second advent. Thus, what He did with His disciples was, as though He did it to humanity as a whole, through His appearance over the waters of the world, by His divine incarnation, to dwell in the midst of His Church, granting her peace and authority over the violent currents. So, my dear brother, do not be afraid, if you get surrounded by the darkness of the night; because on the fourth watch, when everything looks hopeless before your eyes, the Lord of Glory will appear, shining with His light within you, as expressed by St. John Saba: [Darkness precedes light; Thus we should bear trials, until the knowledge of truth, shines within our souls1.] St. John Chrysostom also says: [He did not proclaim Himself to them, and did not abolish the darkness right away, but, as I had already said, He intended to train them to bear their fears, and to be prepared for pains2.] 3- The evangelist says: “He came to them walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.” ( 48) If He made His disciples get into the boat ( 45), to let them pass through affliction, to cry out to Him; Yet, now, even as He approached them, He “would have passed them by,” so as to let them seek to find Him, to cry out to Him; to give them the chance to hear His sweet voice: “It is I; do not be afraid.” ( 50) And as expressed by St. John Chrysostom: [Christ did not proclaim Himself, before they cried out; so that, with the growth of their fear, so also their welcome for His advent would increase accordingly3.] As if the goal of affliction, is for us to enter into a life of prayer; crying out to the Lord, and entering into a communion with Him. St. John Saba speaks to us about the activity of prayer, saying: [By prayer, the mind mixes with God; opening up, and sharing His treasures. By it, man becomes a dwelling place for God. By it, the soul unifies with Christ, and beholds the shine of His glory. By it, the fire of Christ’s love would kindle within the soul; and the heart would burn by a lust for God, that consumes all other lusts. By it, the soul would rejoice with love, and the world would be uprooted مقال 1 .4 2In Matt. hom 50: 1. 3 In Matt. hom 50: 1. 17 from the heart1.] 4- They heard His voice: “It is I; do not be afraid,” and right away, fear was taken away from them. And St. John Chrysostom says: [As they recognized His voice, they feared no more2.] How much we need to recognize Him, in the midst of bitter afflictions; through listening to the voice of His divine commandments in us; to have Him transfigure within us, to take away all our fear. 6- PEOPLE RECOGNIZE HIM “When they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him.” ( 54) They began to lay the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the border of His garment; “And as many as touched Him were made well.” ( 56) In other words, as the Lord of glory transfigures within us, He rids us of the internal waves, to transform our depths into a kingdom of His, where He dwells, and where we share with His saints and angels their unutterable heavenly praises. Our souls would get in touch with Him, as though cured of an old ailment, to live in the perfection of health, enjoying the new exalted life, immune against any strange influence that would deprive it of its glory, its freedom, and its peace. Concerning that, St. John Saba says: [If you are a stranger to all outer disruptions, you will hear, within yourself, the Spirit uttering glories3.] Your soul is the joyful Jerusalem of Christ; so why are the Babelonians, still roaming in its marketplaces?!4]
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