Day 7 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramoudah, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.
Amen.
The Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Departure of the Righteous Joachim, the Lord Christ Grandfather
On this day the righteous Joachim (Yonakhir - Zadok) departed. He was the father of St. Mary, the Theotokos, the mother of God incarnate. He was of the seed of David, and of the tribe of Judah, for he was the son of Jotham, the son of Lazarus, the son of Eldad who ascended up in genealogy to Solomon the king, the son of David whom God promised that his seed should reign over the children of Israel for ever. The wife of this righteous man, Hannah was barren, and both of them prayed and entreated God continually to give them a child. Having accepted their petition He gave them a good and sweet fruit, which satisfied all the men of the world, and removed from them the bitterness of servitude, and He made Joachim worthy to be called the father of the Lord Christ in regard of His marvelous and wondrous Incarnation. After God had pleased him with the birth of our Lady, his heart was rejoiced and he offered his offerings, and the shame had been removed from him, he departed in peace when the Virgin was three years old.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Macrobius
On this day also the saint Anba Macrobius, the son of the governor of the city of Kaw, departed in peace. When Anba Severus, Archbishop of Antioch, was wondering around the cities of Upper Egypt, he came to the city of Kaw and Macrobius ministered unto him. He accompanied Anba Severus in his visit to the monastery of Anba Moses, where he saw from the holiness of the monks, their asceticism and devoutness, made him ask Anba Moses to accept him as a monk. Anba Moses indicated to him the hardship of the monastic life and its difficulties especially he was raised in luxury and family wealth, and the one that slept on silk, could not take the rough life. When Anba Moses saw the insistence of Macrobius on the monastic life he asked him first to resign his job that he took after his father, and to relinquish all his money and possessions. He went to his city Kaw, appointed his brother in his place, returned and put on the monastic garb. When his brothers Paul, Ilias, and Joseph saw what their brother had done, they came to him and became monks by the hands of Anba Moses.
Anba Macrobius built many monasteries and many monks, about a thousand gathered around him, and he also built convents for about a thousand nuns. He used his money to build many places for those that did not desire the monastic life, and he supported those who sought his help. Then he sent to Anba Moses asking to send him brethren to prepare those gathered around him for the monastic life, they came and put on them the monastic garb. Christians from the cities of Assuit, Shatb, and neighboring cities came and gave him many gifts and much money to help him in building the churches and monasteries. He accepted it from them and blessed them. Anba Macrobius increased in virtues, asceticism and giving alms to the weak, needy, widows, orphans and the lonely, beside caring for his monasteries. His alms were from his own money not from that was offered. God granted St. Macrobius the gift of healing, they brought him the sick and he healed them with the power of God and the strength of their faith.
The father the Patriarch Anba Theodosius, heard about him and he wrote to him praising and encouraging him to be steadfast in virtue, asceticism and loving the strangers and asked him to come for the people of Alexandria to be blessed by him. When he came to the Patriarch, he rejoiced with him and called the people of Alexandria to receive the blessing from him, and he ordained him a priest. Macrobius returned to his monastery, the people of Assuit and Shatb received him with songs and hymns until they came to the monastery. Many miracles were performed through his hands, and when he finished his good strife, he departed in peace. Multitudes gathered from Assuit, Shatb, Abu-Sergah, Kaw and the neighboring cities, and his brother Anba Yousab, who was appointed as his successor in running the monasteries in the fear of God, prayed and buried him. The appearance of his body was on the seventh day of the blessed month of Tubah, seven hundred thirty three years after his departure by the hands of the deacon Los El-Talawy the servant of his monastery's church, during the days of Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem and the notable Isaac the scribe of the prince Eiz-Eldeen El-Hamawy. Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem, took the body out of its tomb in the mountain, down to the church of the monastery, where they buried him with hymns and praises.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saints Agapius, Theodora, and Metruf
On this day also is the commemoration of the departure of Sts. Agapius and Theodora the martyrs, and the commemoration of St. Metruf the spiritual son of Anba Moses the Abbot of El-Baliana monastery.
May their intercession be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Friday of seventh week of Great Lent
Matins
Genesis 49 : 33 - end Genesis 50 : 1 - 26 Proverbs 11 : 27 - end Proverbs 12 : 1 - 22 Isaiah 66 : 10 - 24 Job 42 : 7 - 17
Genesis 49 : 33 - end
Chapter 49
| 33 | And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. |
Genesis 50 : 1 - 26
Chapter 50
| 1 | Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him, and kissed him. |
| 2 | And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. |
| 3 | Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. |
| 4 | Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, |
| 5 | "My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back."' |
| 6 | And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear." |
| 7 | So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, |
| 8 | as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. |
| 9 | And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering. |
| 10 | Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. |
| 11 | And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. |
| 12 | So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. |
| 13 | For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. |
| 14 | And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. |
| 15 | When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." |
| 16 | So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, |
| 17 | "Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. |
| 18 | Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." |
| 19 | Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? |
| 20 | But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. |
| 21 | Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. |
| 22 | So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. |
| 23 | Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees. |
| 24 | And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." |
| 25 | Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." |
| 26 | So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. |
Proverbs 11 : 27 - end
Chapter 11
| 27 | He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil. |
| 28 | He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage. |
| 29 | He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. |
| 30 | The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. |
| 31 | If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner. |
Proverbs 12 : 1 - 22
Chapter 12
| 1 | Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. |
| 2 | A good man obtains favor from the LORD, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. |
| 3 | A man is not established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous cannot be moved. |
| 4 | An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. |
| 5 | The thoughts of the righteous are right, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. |
| 6 | The words of the wicked are, "Lie in wait for blood," But the mouth of the upright will deliver them. |
| 7 | The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand. |
| 8 | A man will be commended according to his wisdom, But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised. |
| 9 | Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread. |
| 10 | A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. |
| 11 | He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. |
| 12 | The wicked covet the catch of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit. |
| 13 | The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble. |
| 14 | A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him. |
| 15 | The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. |
| 16 | A fool's wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame. |
| 17 | He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit. |
| 18 | There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. |
| 19 | The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment. |
| 20 | Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. |
| 21 | No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil. |
| 22 | Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. |
Isaiah 66 : 10 - 24
Chapter 66
| 10 | "Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; |
| 11 | That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory." |
| 12 | For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. |
| 13 | As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." |
| 14 | When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. |
| 15 | For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. |
| 16 | For by fire and by His sword The LORD will judge all flesh; And the slain of the LORD shall be many. |
| 17 | "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together," says the LORD. |
| 18 | "For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. |
| 19 | I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. |
| 20 | Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. |
| 21 | And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites," says the LORD. |
| 22 | "For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. |
| 23 | And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD. |
| 24 | "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." |
Job 42 : 7 - 17
Chapter 42
| 7 | And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. |
| 8 | Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." |
| 9 | So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. |
| 10 | And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. |
| 11 | Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. |
| 12 | Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. |
| 13 | He also had seven sons and three daughters. |
| 14 | And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. |
| 15 | In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. |
| 16 | After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. |
| 17 | So Job died, old and full of days. |
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 32 : 10 - 11
Chapter 32
| 10 | Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. |
| 11 | Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! |
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Matins Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 17 : 20 - 37
Chapter 17
| 20 | Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; |
| 21 | nor will they say, "See here!' or "See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." |
| 22 | Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. |
| 23 | And they will say to you, "Look here!' or "Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. |
| 24 | For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. |
| 25 | But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. |
| 26 | And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: |
| 27 | They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. |
| 28 | Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; |
| 29 | but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. |
| 30 | Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. |
| 31 | "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. |
| 32 | Remember Lot's wife. |
| 33 | Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. |
| 34 | I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. |
| 35 | Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. |
| 36 | Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." |
| 37 | And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Liturgy Gospel
Paulines Epistle
Paul, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, appointed to the Gospel of God.
A reading from the Epistle of our teacher Paul to Timothy .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
2 Timothy 3 : 1 - end
Chapter 3
| 1 | But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: |
| 2 | For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, |
| 3 | unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, |
| 4 | traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, |
| 5 | having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! |
| 6 | For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, |
| 7 | always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. |
| 8 | Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; |
| 9 | but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. |
| 10 | But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, |
| 11 | persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. |
| 12 | Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. |
| 13 | But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. |
| 14 | But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, |
| 15 | and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. |
| 16 | All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, |
| 17 | that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. |
2 Timothy 4 : 1 - 5
Chapter 4
| 1 | I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: |
| 2 | Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. |
| 3 | For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; |
| 4 | and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. |
| 5 | But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. James .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
James 5 : 7 - 16
Chapter 5
| 7 | Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. |
| 8 | You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. |
| 9 | Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! |
| 10 | My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. |
| 11 | Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. |
| 12 | But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No,No," lest you fall into judgment. |
| 13 | Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. |
| 14 | Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. |
| 15 | And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. |
| 16 | Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. |
Do not love the world or the things in the world.
The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Amen.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 15 : 1 - 18
Chapter 15
| 1 | And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." |
| 2 | Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. |
| 3 | So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. |
| 4 | And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. |
| 5 | But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." |
| 6 | Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. |
| 7 | And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. |
| 8 | So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, |
| 9 | and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. |
| 10 | Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? |
| 11 | But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." |
| 12 | Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. |
| 13 | And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: |
| 14 | Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. |
| 15 | And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: |
| 16 | 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; |
| 17 | So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD. Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' |
| 18 | "Known to God from eternity are all His works. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Divine Psalm
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 98 : 8,9
Chapter 98
| 8 | Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD, |
| 9 | For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity. |
Hallelujah.
Divine Gospel
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Luke 13 : 31 - 35
Chapter 13
| 31 | On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You." |
| 32 | And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' |
| 33 | Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. |
| 34 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! |
| 35 | See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"' |
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 15:57
How does Jesus the victim transform us? How does the lamb of God “take away” our sin (John 1:29), to use the common metaphor? How does Jesus “overcome death and darkness,” as we often say? Is it a heavenly transaction on God’s side, or is it more an agenda that God gives us for our side?
Did Jesus not reveal for all humanity the very pattern of redemption itself? Could that be what we mean by calling him “The Savior of the World” (John 4:42)? Jesus is, in effect, saying, “This is how evil is transformed into good. I am going to take the worst thing and turn it into the best thing, so you will never be victimized, destroyed, or helpless again! I am giving YOU the victory over death.”
Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dramatically exposing the real sin of the world (which is ignorant violence rather than not obeying purity codes); by refusing the usual pattern of revenge, and, in fact, “returning their curses with blessings” (Luke 6:27-28); and, finally, by teaching us that we can “follow him” in doing the same. There is no such thing as redemptive violence. Violence doesn’t save; it only destroys—in both short and long term. Jesus replaced the myth of redemptive violence with the truth of redemptive suffering. He showed us on the cross how to hold the pain and let it transform us, rather than pass it on to others around us.
Both the lie and the strategy have been revealed in one compelling action on God’s part. It is not that Jesus is working some magic in the sky that “saves the world from sin and death.” Jesus is reframing our past and our future in terms of grace. Jesus is not changing his Father’s mind about us; he is changing our mind about what is real and what is not.
Jesus on the cross identifies with the human problem, the sin, the darkness. He refuses to stand above or outside the human dilemma. Further, he refuses to be the scapegoater and instead becomes the scapegoat personified. In Paul’s language, “Christ redeemed us from the curse . . . by being cursed himself” (Galatians 3:13); or “God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him [together with him!] we might become the very goodness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Wow! Just gaze upon that mystery.
Like most spiritual things, it cannot be understood with the dualistic or rational mind, but only at the level of soul. It is a transformational image and message that utterly rearranges one’s reality and idea of the very nature of God. Evil is not overcome by attack or even avoidance, but by union at a higher level. It is overcome not by fight or flight, but rather by “fusion.”