ThoseWorthy of the Kingdom After he had spoken of those invited to the kingdom, the evangelist gives us a new concept for those worthy of the Messiah’s kingdom. 1. The Parable of the Labourers for the Kingdom account 1 – 16 2. The Kingdom and the Cross 17 – 19 3. The Kingdom and the mother of Zebedee’s sons 20 – 28 4. The Kingdom and Enlightenment 29 – 33 + + + 1. The Parable of the Labourers for the Kingdom account: The Lord draws the similarity between the kingdom of heaven and a landowner who went out the hire labourers for his vineyard. He agreed with them in the moving to pay them a denarius a day, and he sent them to his vineyard. He also went out at the third hour to hire others who were idle in the market, and he sent them to his vineyard as well. He did likewise about the sixth hour, and also about the ninth hour. The same thing was done about the eleventh hour. He asked those standing idle all day why they were there. They answered ‘No one has hired us.’ In the evening, the landlord called his steward to pay the wages, from the last to the first. He gave the labourers of the eleventh hour a devarins. As they were being paid, they grumbled at the landlord. In this parable we notice the following: First: the Lord says, (Matt 20:1) “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” Who is this landowner who hires the laborers other than ‘the word of the living God,’ who is the Lord of heaven and earth? He sees in his creation, the heavenly and the earthly one, his own home that he takes care of, and is concerned about. As for his vineyard, it is the heart in which his kingdom is established, as he says, “the kingdom of heaven is inside you.” He plants his righteousness in us, with his Holy Spirit, and he declares himself in us. His kingdom his transfiguration in us. Secondly: how beautiful the Lord’s expression is about the kingdom of heaven, that it is compared to a landowner, going out from how to hour throughout the entire day hiring laborers from the market so as to work in his vineyard. He goes out the five hours according to the Jewish custom ‘morning, the third hour, the sixth hour, the ninth hour, the eleventh hour.’ These are the working hours all day long for his laborers in his vineyard. What are these hours other than the stages in man’s entire life? The morning refers to childhood, the third refers to boyhood, the sixth which is noontide refers to https://coptic-treasures.com/ youth, and the ninth refers to manhood, and the eleventh hour refers to old age, which is the last hour in our life. This is how our father calls us to work since our early childhood. He is eager to make our entire life dedicated to his kingdom’s account he keeps calling us, in open arms full of love to us till the last moments of our life, for he never gives up hyse. He longs for us to answer his call, and work for his account. The vineyard is open for us, and God’s voice does not cease as long as it is still the day, and we still have life even if it is the last moment. This is why St. Paul the apostle says, (Heb 3:13) “but exhart one another daily, while it is called ‘today’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” In this way the Lord comes out to us calling us for work. He shines on us with his light, to make our entire day full of light with no nighttime. Let us work incessantly, for he says, (John 9:4,5) “I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He comes out to call us not by words, but by deeds. He works in us his father’s deeds to attract us to him, since it is still daylight and his light shines inus, lest we are found insistent on not accepting him and hence end our life in dim darkness where no one could work. If God has promised every one a denarius, this does not mean that man postpones his repentance and obedience to work in the Lord’s vineyard. As St. Augustine says, “Are those who were hired in the vineyard, when the landowner came to them at the third hour, for instance, said to him, ‘wait, we shall not come till the sixth hour?’ Or those whom he found at the sixth hour, did they say ‘we are not going till the ninth hour?’ if we shall be equal in the wages, why go and toil more than necessary? He would not have given them if they had not gone. He rather answers them, ‘Do you not wish to work now, you who do not know if you will live till you are older in age or not?’ you have been called at the sixth hour, come. Indeed the landowner promises you a denarius if you come at the eleventh hour. But he did not promise you, you will live till the seventh hour; I do not say till the eleventh hour, but not even till the seventh hour. Therefore, do not delay, for he who has called you, confirins to you the reward, but he days are uncertain.” St.Augustine syas moreover that in this parable the Lord has opened the door to all, and no one should despair. He repeats the invitation for everyone to be accepted. But let us begin, lest we get broken down in false hope during the delay he says, “Do not postpone, do not shut the door that is open to you now. Here is the donor of forgiveness having the door open before you, so why do you postpone it? Rejoice, the door is open even though you have not knocked, but will it stay open forever to those who knock and stay outside? You do not know what will happen tomorrow.” Thirdly: the Lord’s call to us for working in the vineyard, is not only a practical and constant one throughout man’s life from infancy till old age, but it is also an invitation to humanity across the entire ages, from the cradle to the ends of the earth. Father Gregory the Great says, “There is no age in which the Lord has stopped sending laborers to work in his vineyard, that is, teaching his people.” https://coptic-treasures.com/ God comes down to us throughout the entire history, from one age to the next, from one generation to the other. It is as if from one hour to the next, he is asking for laborers to hire from the market to take them to his divine vineyard, to give them the eternal reward in the evening of our timely life. He has come down to us in the early morning, for all of humanity, when the history of mankind began with the creation of Adam whom he put to work in paradise. God had hoped Adam would permanently be in his image and likeness, having authority over the wild beasts, the birds of the air and the fish in the seas (Gen 1:28). But he too soon left paradise bending his back to disobedience. He lost his power over his thoughts and feelings and all of his body! But the Lord did not leave him so weak, hidden behind the fig leaves that would dry up and uncover him. The Lord rather gave him the skin clothes to cover his body with, and to fulfill the promise of a sanctified sacrifice to cover his inward life. About the third hour, the history of mankind began once more; Noah’s ask and his baptism with God’s flood. The Lord came down asking for laborers to work in his vineyard, and he made a covenant with Noah and his descent (Gen 9:8). At about the sixth hour, the believing humanity began a new history through the father of all believers Abraham. The Lord came down for a covenant with mankind in the person of Abraham, to make him a father of the Gentiles (Gen 17:4-8). The Lord put a sign of the covenant in the body of every male of his descent during the circumcision. This has been manifested in the remarkable fathers as Isaac and Jacob. At about the ninth hour also, when the believing people received the written law by God’s finger, on mount Sinai by Moses’ hands, God asked for laborers for him. These are the prophets of the Old Testament who worked for the account of his kingdom. Finally, at the eleventh hour, that is the last hour (1 John 1:28) in the fullness of time, the Lord came down incarnate, so he would gather us. We who were idle all day long, we were embraced by him, from among the gentiles who did not know God all its days. They were not hired either from the market at any time before. He took us to his divine vineyard to work by his Holy Spirit for the account of his heavenly account. These are the five hours for the daylight of the entire time of mankind. Now, the end of ages has come, and we are awaiting his last coming, and are ready to receive the reward given by his hands, with all our laboring loved ones who were prior to us in the labor. + What wonderful blessings these are, that are indescribable! Abraham the believer, has not yet entered paradise, whereas the thief went in. Moses and the prophets did not enter it, yet this thief went in despite breaking the law. This is what St. Paul the apostle says in amazement (Rom 5:20) “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Those who laboured under the sun, have not yet https://coptic-treasures.com/ entered, but the one of the eleventh hour entered it. No one is to complain to the landowner for he will tell him, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?” St. Cyril El Orshilimy. Fourthly: the scholar Organus has a symbolic interpretation for these five hours. In addition to the fact that they refer to the five above mentioned phases___ Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the Lord Jesus ____ yet they also refer to God’s call for us through the five senses, so he would come into our hearts and establish his kingdom in us. The first stage that begins with Adam represents God’s call to us through the sense of touch, for Eve told the serpent (Gen 3:3) “God has said, ‘you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die!’ So god commanded them not to touch the fruit of the tree so they do not fall. With the Holy Spirit God uses the sense of touch as a means of eating the fruit of the tree of life and enjoying the inward kingdom. The bleeding woman touched the hem of Christ’s robe, so she obtained power coming out of him (Luke 8:46)”. The Lord said, “Somebody touched me, for I perceive power going out from me.” So Eve has lost the kingdom by the sense of touch, whereas the Gentiles, in the person of the bleeding woman have obtained the kingdom by means of this sense of touch. The second stage begins with Noah, which symbolizes obtaining the heavenly kingdom though the sanctification of the sense of smell. When Noah offered the sacrifice of thanksgiving after the renewing of the creation by means of the flood, (Gen 8:21) “And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma.” In this way God swells the scent of contentment through the sacrifice of Christ on our part. We likewise, smell through him the perfuse of his tremendous love, and consequently we are attracted towards him, and are unified with him in the only begotten Son. The third stage begins with the father of all fathers, Abraham. He is the one who hosted God and two of his angels offering them a table of food, and therefore he has become a symbol for the sense taste. The fourth stage is referred to by Moses the prophet. He went up on mount Sinai to hear God’s voice sound loud on its top, when he received the law. Therefore he has become the symbol of the sanctification of the sense of hearing. The last stage is referred to by the coming of the Son of God incarnate. We therefore saw him with our own eyes (1 John 1:1) and our sense of vision has become sanctified. In this way the inward kingdom of God that surpasses every sense, is released in us so as to work for his account by means of sanctifying our senses by the Holy Spirit. Fifthly: In this parable the Lord joins the laborers of the sixth hour with those of the ninth hour, for he says (Matt 20:5) “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.” The laborers of these two hours represent the call for the Jewish people to https://coptic-treasures.com/ work. The sixth represents the age of forefathers beginning with Abraham, then Jacob, then Isaac. The ninth hour represents the age of the prophet beginning with Moses until before the coming of the Lord Jesus. But the call was not life this in every stage. In the first stage the whole of humanity was called to work in the person of Adam. The second stage also was in the person of Noah. In the last stage the message was released to the Gentiles by means of the New Testament church. In both hours, the sixth and the ninth he has delivered to us his promises, his covenants, his law, his children through the fathers and the prophets to the Jewish people. When the last hour came he found other idle workers still there (Matt 20:6). He asked them why they were there all day long, idle and doing no work. These are the Gentiles who have lived all their mornings in an idle state, with no spiritual work for them. They have wasted all their life in idol worshiping that is false, and have become as idle as their gods. But in humility and broken heartedness they accepted the call of the Lord Jesus, and have confessed their situation (Matt 20:7) saying that no one came to hire them. They longed for the call and work, and hence they found the call in the cross, and the power for labor in the Holy Spirit. Sixthly: The Lord, in this parable, repeats the words ‘went out’ in verses 1,3,5,6. Again this has been repeated by our teacher St. Matthew a number of times when he spoke of God’s deeds with humanity. It is as if he wished to assure us of a certain important point: that God, in his love to humanity, did not expect humanity to rise up to him, for it is unable to do so. Neither did the Lord want humanity to apologize for its iniquity. It is always he who comes out to humanity in some way or other. He went out to it on every hour of the day. It is as if his one and only job was to save man and get reconciled to him. He came out to us with his deeds of love through his creation of everything for our sake. He came out to us by delivering to us his divine law. He moreover came out to us by sending to us his prophets, and finally he came out to us himself. He came to us through declining his glories, and went out to us in the Golgotha to encounter us on the cross. He then carried us away from the abyss of darkness. Seventhly: The denarius offered by the Lord Jesus for the laborers in the vineyard, according to the thinking of the scholar Oregnces, is the salvation. This salvation was granted to those of the eleventh hour, and it was also a blessing to all the previous laborers. St. Augustine thinks the denarius given to the laborers means the eternal life. He says, “In this wage, we are all made equal. The first is like the last, and the last first, because this denarius is the eternal life, where we are all equal. Despite the difference in level as to what the saints have reached, and how some shine more than others, yet the gift of eternal life is equal to all. It is not long for one and short for the other. It is a life of eternity for everyone.” St. Jrome thinks the denarius has the Kings picture; so, when the first ones complained as they were receiving the wages he rebuked them and said they were only receiving what he had promised them. This means that it had his image and semblance, so what more were they asking for? Finally, we can say that the reward means enjoying and being blessed with the Lord himself in us. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Does the one who obtain the reward, that is the salvation, or following the expel of the Lord Jesus himself and being blessed with him inwardly, doe she grumble and complain? What they Lord spoke about was only an example to reveal certain aspects or a certain concept. What the Lord meant was getting rid of the Jewish selfishness, for they assumed salvation was for them alone, and that the Messiah was coming for them alone. If they had known what they were enjoying, that they could not obtain what is more (verse 10) they would not have grumbled for the salvation door to be opened to the Gentiles, and the Messiah offering his life to all. But in heaven there is no envy or jealousy, it is rather ‘the kingdom of love.’ Eighthly: The Lord was extremely gentle in his rebuke, despite the harsh words he heard from those who complained saying (Matt 20:12) “These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.” They called their brethren ‘these last men’, as answers one of them ‘friend’. It is as if he is talking with him as a friend, discussing something, and not as a master commanding his slave. From another aspect they complained of having borne the burden of the day, and the heat all day long though their deeds are vain when compared to the eternal reward awaiting them. Ninthly: The secret behind complaints is the envy. They have taken what was their due, what the Lord has agreed upon, but what grieved them was that their brethren took like they did. Their grief was not based upon being deprived of anything, but it was based on the good the others have received. This is why the Lord rebuked them (Matt 20;13-15) “friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what Jewish with my own things? Or in your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called but few chosen.” Tenthly: The Lord ends up his words saying, (Matt 20:16) “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen.” 2. The Kingdom and the Cross: The Lord was drawing close to Jerusalem to offer himself a lamb for the Passover, and he was making promises the concept of the heavenly kingdom, and the call to it and the merits for it. This was by means of his deeds for salvation through the crucifixion, his death and his resurrection. For there is no kingdom without the cross, and there is no right for us to enjoy it and to work for its account away from the blood of the Lord Jesus who forgives the sins. This is why after the evangelist had narrated the previous parable concerning those called to the kingdom throughout the human history, whether that of the Jews or gentiles, he said, (Matt 20:17-19) “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ‘behold, we are https://coptic-treasures.com/ going up to Jerusalem, and the son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day he will rise again.’” He has taken his disciples all by themselves to tell them of the mysteries concerning the kingdom. This was quite impossible for the Jewish multitudes to accept at that time. Even the disciples were unaware of it. It was apparently obvious that the entire city came out to welcome him as a king. But as for him he was looking intently at the cross for it was the only way for the kingdom. It was as if the Lord was pointing to them that he was coming to the cross willingly, doing what he had come for. In this way he encouraged them to carry the cross with him. + The Lord has spoken ahead of the due time to his disciples about his sufferings, so they be watchful in expectation and be ready for it. St. John Chrysostom. + hence, they learnt ahead of time of his sufferings to come, and that he could have easily avoided them, but he willingly encountered it all. He informed the disciples that all these things he spoke of have been declared by the saintly prophets and that God had planned for it all. He told them these things so no one would be offended when they happen. St. Cyril the Great. + because he loved mankind, he welcomed death, without which the entire world would have perished in its sin. St. Cyril El Orshilimy. 3. The Kingdom and the mother of Zebedee’s sons: As the Lord was heading towards Jerusalem to offer his life a ransom for mankind, so all would obtain the heavenly kingdom, the mother of Zebedee’s sons came up to him. She realized how the hearts of so many wished the Lord Jesus be king. She therefore was eager to have her two sons sit one on his right and the other on his left in the kingdom. The mother of Zebedee’s sons represented the Jewish way of thinking, asking that her sons have earthly kingdom in a touchable materialistic way. This implied authority and glamour. She did not know that the kingdom is hidden in the cross that carried the power of the resurrection. At this point the Lord addressed her sons, to reveal to them the way for true greatness. He said, (Matt 20:22,23) “‘you do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They said to him, ‘we are able. So he said to them,’ ‘you will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my father’.” https://coptic-treasures.com/ The Lord has directed their thoughts to the cup of the cross, and the painful dye of the sufferings. They would drink of his cup, and be buried with him in his baptism dye, so they rise with him. Because they thought they could do this, he did not discourage them, but attributed this to the father. It is he who prepares the crown for each one. It is as if he wished to tell them ‘you assume you are able to drink my cup, and to come with me to the baptism of my death but you need strength from able to be worthy of God’s glory. You will drink my cup, and be buried with me. But this is not of your own work; it is rather the divine work of God that is freely given to you.’ St. Ambrosios says, “We can understand the words ‘it is not mine to give’ in another sense. It could mean I have come to teach humility. I have not come to manifest justice, but to offer tenderness, that is, it is not yet the time to offer the crown.” I wish we could come forth in to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ like the mother of Zebedee’s sons, and each one would offer his soul and body as two sons to him. This is not to ask for earthly rest, or temporary vain honour, but so that we obtain through them his Holy Spirit and drink of his cup, and be blessed by being buried with him, and rise, carrying the qualities of the resurrected from the dead as the mystery of their glory. It is then that man awaits the eternal crown. The Scholar Oreganus comments on the words of the Lord to the mother of Zebedee’s sons, saying, “He who drinks the cup the Lord Jesus has drink will sit, and reign, and judge next to the king of kings. This is the cup of salvation, and he who drinks it calls on the name of the Lord. And he who calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Rom 10:13).” St Jerome encourages us to struggle so as to obtain greater glory in the eternal life through humility, saying, “If we were all equal in heaven, it is of no use to be modest here, so as to become great there.” Finally, St. Ambrosios sees two aspects to how this mother acted. First, she made a mistake in her request. Second, he forgave her this mistake, for she had a mother’s heart, filled with love, and she did not think about herself, but rather about her two sons. There is no way for the eternal glory away from the crucifixion with him and the burial too. As St. John Chrysostom says, “In this way, it is appropriate for us to go the same way, so we share him the glory and honor. How glorious are the sufferings! With them we resemble his death.” But we cannot go this way all by ourselves, and this is why the Lord assures us that it was he who has chosen us (John 15:16). As St. John Chrysostom says, “All the honor here goes to the host who has made the invitation, and those invited have nothing more to do than to except it in obedience. We cannot run in God’s way, except we be carried on the wings of the Spirit. Those who are punished are for justice to be accomplished, but those who are crowned are for the sake of grace. If they make all the righteous deeds, they are blessed with heaven and the kingdom in return https://coptic-treasures.com/ for these small deeds that are made for the sake of free grace, and they are exalted to what is immeasurable.” What pleases God, and is given to us bountifully, is our humility, for the evangelist says (Matt 20:24-28) “And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased against the two brothers. But Jesus called them to himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave ___ Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’” It was not easy for the disciples till this moment to understand the mystery of the heavenly kingdom. This is why they were furious at the two brothers, instead of rejoicing for every soul that encounters the king so as to reign with him. The kingdom, up till this time, was a race towards the earthly glory and the love of power. But the Lord drew their attention to himself, for he has come not to be served by others, but to serve others and give his life a ransom for many. He did not come to reign even though he is the Lord; he rather came as a slave to stretch out his hand and wash the dirty feet. The kingdom in its essence is the unity with God in his son Jesus Christ, and with his Spirit we enter a race towards occupying the last rows as slaves serving other. With the Holy Spirit we raise them from the slavery of sin to the glory of God’s children, by being united with god’s only begotten Son! St. Paul the apostle expressed himself beautifully by saying he has enslaved himself to many. It was impossible for him to accept this, neither could he have executed it, unless he had been united in the only son who has made himself a slave for us! As much as you crucify your ‘ego’, and reject all the honor as much as you liberate yourself by the Holy Spirit towards the glory of the heavenly kingdom. It is then that you enjoy the fruits also here on earth as an inward glory and unthinkable divine blessings to be obtained in your life. St. Augustine comments on the Lord’s words concerning serving others and giving up yourself for their sake; he says “Every single one is a servant to Jesus in the same method by which Christ was also a servant. He who serves Christ in this way, is greatly honored by his father, for he makes his son with him, and he is in need of nothing more in the joyful eternity.” The saint continues his words on the service and the servants saying, “Do not only think of the good bishops and priests, but you too, be servants to Christ in your own way, in your righteous life, in giving charity, preaching and teaching in his name as best as you can. Every father to a family knows through this title the feelings he has as a father to this family. Let him warn the members of his family, and let him teach them, advise them, and connect their ways for Christ’s sake, and the sake of eternal life. In this way the house is filled with the church function, and the father performs the job of a bishop, a servant to Christ so he would be with him forever. So many people of you category have served the very sublime sufferings, many youths and young virgins, men and women, fathers and mothers. They are neither bishops nor are they priests, and yet they gave up their life for marlytdom for his sake. The father therefore has honored them, and they received increasing crowns of glory” https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4. The Kingdom and Enlightenment: We have seen how the Lord himself is the father of house, and how it is he who has chosen us for his kingdom, and called us as laborers for his vineyard. He made it clear for us that it is impossible for us to obtain the kingdom away from the cross. He confirmed we are committed to the cross with him as a divine gift, and we have to carry the cross of our Lord, in the spirit of service, in absolute humility. The evanglist concludes the words of the chapter by the miracle of opening the eyes of the two blind men, who were sitting on the road at Jericho, just before Jesus’ going to Jersusalem to be crucified. This may have been the last explicit miracle made by confirming the need of humanity ___ the Jews and the Gentiles ___ for this inward vision as a gift of divine healing, so they may see the heavenly kingdom. The Jews have been living a long time as Abraham’s issue according to the body. They learut the law and recorded the prophecies, and despite this, their inward vision was stricken with spiritual blindness because of their bteral materialistic thinking. The Gentiles as well spent their life in idol worshiping that burdened their souls with darkness, and they asked for nothing other than the physical pleasure and the worldly honor. All have stood on the road, whether Jews or gentiles as blind men who have not gone yet into Jerusalem. They were unable to witness the glory, until the son of David came forth, the Messiah the king, that all mankind have been waiting for, he asked them (Matt 20:32) “What do you want me to do for you?” St. Matthew the evangelist declare the opening of the blind men’s eyes, which refers to the enlightenment of the believer’s vision, whether it be for the Jews or the Gentiles. But the two evangelists St. Mark and St. Luke mentioned only one blind man, who represents the entire humanity in accepting the faith, as one church, making no distinction between Jew or the Gentile. St. Augustine says, “Who are these two blindmen sitting on the road? These are the two peoples that Christ came to heal! They are the Jews and the Gentiles. He has fulfilled what Abraham was promised, (Gen 22:18) “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” This is why also the apostle went, after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension, to the Gentiles when they were scorned by the Jews. This is why also the Lord was called ‘the corner stone’ (1 Thes 2:20) “that made the two into one” (Eph 2:14). This is because the cornerstone joins two walls of different directions. Any difference, such as that which was between the circumcised and the uncircumcised, has erected a wall of Jews and the other of the Gentiles. They are all put together the cornerstone. In (Psalm 118:22) “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Therefore, the two blindmen crying out to the Lord, were actually the two walls in this example.” Father Gregory the great thinks this miracle was mentioned before the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem to be crucified “Because the disciples were as yet of the body, they were unable to understand these words of mystery, and this is why the miracle was https://coptic-treasures.com/ fulfilled. He has opened the eyes of the blindmen to prove their faith by means of signs from heaven.” If we return to the one or two blindmen, they would not have had their eyes opened unless they realized at first their need for the light, and their awareness of Christ’s power, the healer of the soul and the body. Pope Cyril the great says, “There were many people surrounding Christ. But the blindman realized his presence, and he held on to him in his heart, even though his physical eyes could not behold him.” As for the secret behind his healing, it was the voice of Christ, the giver of light. St. John Chrysostom says, “the voice of Christ now was light to the blindmen, for he is the true word of light.” When healed, the evangelist says, (Matt 20:32) “So Jesus stood still and called them.” When they drew near to him with their hearts in faith, they were also blessed by drawing near with their body, and hearing his voice. Faith brings us to the Lord Jesus so as to be worthy of staying with him and hearing his voice. The two blindmen cries out saying, (Matt 20:30) “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David.” And yet he asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” He has made holy the will power of mankind with which he crowned us. As St. John Chrysostom says, “God does not tie our wishes and will power with his gifts. But as soon as we show our readiness, we find him offering us many opportunities for salvation.” As for the cries we have to present to the Lord as he is crossing, these are the cries of active faith. St. Augustine says, “Due to the love of this light, I wish to motivate you, dear brethren, you have to cry out by means of your good works when Jesus passes by. He would then hear the voice of your faith, and Christ would stand still, he who never changes, and he opens your eyes.” + The love of Christ! Ask for the light, who is Christ! If the blindman loves the physical light, how much more should we be eager for the light of the soul? Let us cry out to him, not by words, but by a righteous life. The multitude rebuked the blindman so he would not cry out! There are quite a few Christians who wish to hinder our life. These are like the multitude walking with Christ and hindered the one crying out to him. The blindman was hungry for the light coming from Christ’s tenderness. There are Christians such as these, to be overcome so we live in righteousness, and then our life will be the voice crying out to Jesus. Let us live the righteous life! In this way, we are crying out to him! St. Augustine. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Our brethren, our entire work in this life is to heal the eyes of the heart by which we see God. This is the goal of celebrating the Holy Sacraments, and the aim of preaching the words of God! + Is God giving you the eye by which you can see the seen he has created, and will he not grant you that eye by which you can see him, its Creator? For he has created you in his likeness and image. He has given you this as well! He has given you both; but due to your love of those outer eyes more than the inner eye, and your scorn of the other one, them you have become sick and wounded.” St. Augustine.
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