Patristic Wisdom for the First Sunday after Christmas

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal 4:4–7)

“The fullness of time” is the completed time which had been foreordained by God the Father for the sending of his Son, so that, made from a virgin, He might be born like a man, subjecting Himself to the law up to the time of his baptism, so that He might provide a way by which sinners, washed and snatched away from the yoke of the law, might be adopted as God's sons by His condescension, as He had promised to those redeemed by the blood of His Son. It was necessary, indeed, that the Savior should be made subject to the law, as a son of Abraham according to the flesh, so that, having been circumcised, He could be seen as the one promised to Abraham, who had come to justify the Gentiles through faith since he bore the sign of the one to whom the promise had been made.

Ambrosiaster, Epistle to the Galatians 4.5.1

Behold the whole array of those three powers through one power and one Godhead. For God, he says, who is the Father, sent His own Son, who is Christ, and again Christ, who himself being the power of God is God, … sent the spirit of His Son, who is the Holy Spirit.

Marius Victorinus, Epistle to the Galatians 2.4.6.

Patristic Wisdom for Christmas Day

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:8–20)

It is for a reason like this that a great number of the army of angels was heard saying, “Glory to God on high, and peace on earth among men of goodwill.” For, after the Lord came to the earth, “He established peace through the blood of his cross, both for those upon the earth and those who are in heaven.” And the angels wanted men to remember their Creator. They had done everything in their power to cure them, but they were unwilling to be cured. Then the angels behold Him who could effect a cure. They give glory and say, “Glory to God on high, and peace on earth.”

Origen, Homilies on Luke 13.3

Abiding by the rules of virginal modesty, Mary wished to divulge to no one the secret things which she knew about Christ. She reverently waited for the time and place when he would wish to divulge them. However, though her mouth was silent, in her careful, watchful heart she weighed these secret things. And this is what the Evangelist says, pondering in her heart—indeed, she weighed those acts which she saw in relation to those things which she had read were to be done. … She heard that angelic powers, who are daughters of the city on high, had appeared to shepherds in a place which was in former times called “tower of the flock” from the gathering of cattle—and this is one mile to the east of Bethlehem. There, even now, the three tombs of these shepherds are pointed out in a church. She then knew that the Lord had come in the flesh, whose power is one and eternal with the Father, and he would give to his daughter the church the kingdom of the heavenly Jerusalem. Mary was comparing these things which she had read were to occur with those which she recognized as already having occurred. Nevertheless, she did not bring these things forth from her mouth but kept them closed up in her heart.

Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 1.7 

Patristic Wisdom for Christmas Eve

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. (Matt 1:18–25)

Do not speculate beyond the text. Do not require of it something more than what it simply says. Do not ask, “But precisely how was it that the Spirit accomplished this in a virgin?” For even when nature is at work, it is impossible fully to explain the manner of the formation of the person. How then, when the Spirit is accomplishing miracles, shall we be able to express their precise causes? Lest you should weary the writer or disturb him by continually probing beyond what he says, he has indicated who it was that produced the miracle. He then withdraws from further comment. “I know nothing more,” he in effect says, “but that what was done was the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Shame on those who attempt to pry into the miracle of generation from on high! For this birth can by no means be explained, yet it has witnesses beyond number and has been proclaimed from ancient times as a real birth handled with human hands. What kind of extreme madness afflicts those who busy themselves by curiously prying into the unutterable generation? For neither Gabriel nor Matthew was able to say anything more, but only that the generation was from the Spirit. But how from the Spirit? In what manner? Neither Gabriel nor Matthew has explained, nor is it possible.

Do not imagine that you have untangled the mystery merely by hearing that this is the work of the Spirit. For we remain ignorant of many things, even while learning of them. So how could the infinite One reside in a womb? How could He that contains all be carried as yet unborn by a woman? How could the Virgin bear and continue to be a virgin? Explain to me how the Spirit designed the temple of His body.

John Chrysostom, Homilies on The Gospel of Matthew 4.3

Why does the Evangelist make mention here of “birth,” whereas at the start of the Gospel he had said “generation”? For in this place he says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way,” but there “The book of the generation.” … What then is the difference between “birth” and “generation”? How are either of them to be understood as applied to Christ? … There is a difference between generation and birth. For “generation,” or “coming into being,” is the original formation of things by God, while “birth” is the succession from others caused by the verdict of death that came on account of the transgression. And even now, “generation” has something incorruptible and sinless about it, whereas “birth” implies that which is subject to passion and sin. The Lord in his eternal generation is incapable of sin. His being born did not undermine his eternal generation, which is incorruptible. But upon being born he assumed what is passible. That does not imply that he assumed what is subject to sin. He continued to bear the original Adam incapable of being lessened, either in respect of corruptibility or as regards the possibility of sin. Hence the “generation” in the case of Christ is not according to some procession from nonbeing into being. It is rather a transition from existing “in the form of God” to the taking on of “the form of a servant.” Hence his “birth” was both like ours and above ours. For to be born “of a woman” is like our birth, but to be born “not of the will of the flesh” or “of man” but of the Holy Spirit is above ours. There is here an intimation, a prior announcement of a future birth to be bestowed on us by the Spirit.

Origen, Fragment 11

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourth Sunday in Advent

O Lord, I will sing of Your mercies forever;
I will proclaim Your truth with my mouth from generation to generation;
For You said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your truth shall be prepared in the heavens.
I made a covenant with My chosen ones;
I swore to David My servant,
I shall prepare your seed forever,
And I shall build your throne from generation to generation.” (Ps 89:1–4)

Ethan [the psalmist] is to tell of the Lord’s mercies, whichever abide eternally unwavering, and are to be hymned with neverending praises; for the Lord showed wonderful devotion to the human race in order to seek back what was lost and to save what was wounded. This is the truth that the holy man had announced that he would proclaim. He was right to proclaim it with confidence since the Lord had promised it unconditionally. He who follows the words of truth cannot be deceived. But let us examine the meaning of Mercy shall be built up forever. There are certain groups that cannot come into being without the prospect of destruction, such as worshippers of idols and those who pursue wicked practices. These men cannot be built up for good unless they have been brought down by their vices; as Jeremiah was told: Behold, I have set thee to build up and to destroy. But the Lord’s mercy is not destroyed, but ever flourishes and increases.

He then recounts the Lord’s words which he earlier mentioned as the Lord’s utterance. Though the Lord seems to have made a proclamation to all, this covenant He made only with the elect who chose to put faith in His gift so that those who boasted physical descent from the seed of David would not bind Him to such a promise. He added: I have sworn to David my servant; God’s oath is seen to lie in the certainty of His promise, for only He who has the power to fulfill what He has pledged gives a just and definitive promise. Human frailty is prevented from binding itself with promises on oath because it does not lie in its power to carry out what it pledges. So God most fully swears when He promises all things in His own right.

We have reached the promises made by the Father to His servant David. The Lord Christ, who was to come by physical origin from David’s seed, was prepared forever as King of kings and Lord of lords. The phrase, I will prepare, has reference to His humanity, not His divinity, by which He is consubstantial, almighty, and coeternal with the Father. Next comes: And I will build up your abode forever and ever. This promise refers wholly to the Lord Savior. At that time He was promised the throne which was later to be installed in the hearts of the saints; for every saint is the abode of the Lord, in which he sits in the dignity of His majesty as though it were the most splendid throne. As we read of the Holy Spirit as well: And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 88.2–4

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday in Advent

When the Lord returned the captives of Zion,
We became like those who are comforted.
Then our mouth was filled with joy,
And our tongue with exceeding joy.
Then they shall say among the Gentiles,
“The Lord did great things with them.”
The Lord has done great things with us;
We were glad.
Return, O Lord, our captivity
Like streams in the south.
Those who sow with tears
Shall reap with exceeding joy.
They went forth and wept,
Carrying their seeds with them;
But they shall return with exceeding joy,
Carrying their sheaves. (Ps 126)

Consider, my brethren, what this means: “As torrents are turned in the south, so turn our captivity” (Ecclus 3:15). In a certain passage, Scripture says in admonishing us concerning good works, “Your sins also shall melt away, even as the ice in fair warm weather” (Ecclus 3:17). Our sins, therefore, bound us. How? As the cold binds the water that it does not run. Bound with the frost of our sins, we have frozen. But the south wind is a warm wind: when the south wind blows, the ice melts, and the torrents are filled. Now winter streams are called torrents; for filled with sudden rains they run with great force. We had therefore become frozen in captivity; our sins bound us: the south wind the Holy Spirit has blown: our sins are forgiven us, we are released from the frost of iniquity; as the ice in fair weather, our sins are melted. Let us run unto our country as the torrents in the south.

In this life, which is full of tears, let us sow. What shall we sow? Good works. Works of mercy are our seeds: of which seeds the Apostle says, “Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Speaking therefore of almsgiving itself, what does he say? “This I say; he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly.” He therefore who sows plentifully, shall reap plentifully: he who sows sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who sows nothing, shall reap nothing. Why do you long for ample estates, where you may sow plentifully? There is not a wider field on which you can sow than Christ, who has willed that we should sow in Himself. Your soil is the Church; sow as much as you can. But you have not enough to do this. Do you have the will? As what you had would be nothing, if you had not goodwill, so do not despond because you have not if you have goodwill. For what do you sow? Mercy. And what will you reap? Peace. Did the Angels say, Peace on earth unto rich men? No, but, “Peace on earth unto men of goodwill.” Zacchaeus had a strong will, Zacchaeus had great charity. Did then that widow who cast her two coins into the treasury, sow little? No, but as much as Zacchaeus. For she had lesser means, but an equal will. She gave her two mites with as good a will as Zacchaeus gave the half of his patrimony. If you consider what they gave, you will find their gifts different; if you look to the source, you will find them equal. She gave whatever she had, and he gave what he had.

Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms 126.7–8

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday in Advent

Turn us, O God of our salvation,
And turn away Your anger from us.
Will You be angry with us forever,
Or will You prolong Your anger from generation to generation?
O God, You will turn and give us life,
And Your people will be glad in You.
Show us Your mercy, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation. (Ps 85:4–7)

Not as if we ourselves of our own accord, without Your mercy, turn unto You, and then You shall make us alive: but so that not only our being made alive is from You, but our very conversion, that we may be made alive. “And Your people shall rejoice in You.” To their own evil they shall rejoice in themselves: to their own good, they shall rejoice in You. For when they wished to have joy of themselves, they found in themselves woe: but now because God is all our joy, he that will rejoice securely, let him rejoice in Him who cannot perish. For why, my brethren, will you rejoice in silver? Either your silver perishes, or you: and no one knows which first: yet this is certain, that both shall perish; which first, is uncertain. For neither can man remain here always, nor can silver remain here always: so too gold, so garments, so houses, so money, so broad lands, so, lastly, this light itself. Do not be willing then to rejoice in these: but rejoice in that light which has no setting: rejoice in that dawn which no yesterday precedes, which no tomorrow follows. What light is that? “I,” He says, “am the Light of the world.” He who says unto you, “I am the Light of the world,” calls you to Himself. When He calls you, He converts you: when He converts you, He heals you: when He has healed you, you shall see your Converter, unto whom it is said, “Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation”: Your salvation, that is, Your Christ. Happy is he unto whom God shows His mercy. He it is who cannot indulge in pride, unto whom God shows His mercy. For by showing him His salvation, He persuades him that whatever good man has, he has not but from Him who is all our good. And when a man has seen that whatever good he has he has not from himself, but from his God; he sees that everything which is praised in him is of the mercy of God, not of his own deserving; and seeing this, he is not proud; not being proud, he is not lifted up; not lifting himself up, he falls not; not falling, he stands; standing, he clings fast; clinging fast, he abides; abiding, he enjoys, and rejoices in the Lord his God. He who made him shall be unto him a delight: and his delight no one spoils, no one interrupts, no one takes away.… Therefore He promised us to show Himself unto us. Think, my brethren, what His beauty is. All those beautiful things which you see, which you love, He made. If these are beautiful, what is He Himself? If these are great, how great is He? Therefore from these things which we love here, let us long more for Him: and despising these things, let us love Him: that by that very love we may by faith purify our hearts, and His vision, when it comes, may find our heart purified. The light which shall be shown unto us ought to find us whole: this is the work of faith now. This is what we have spoken here: “And grant us Your salvation:” grant us Your Christ, that we may know Your Christ, see Your Christ; not as the Jews saw Him and crucified Him, but as the Angels see Him, and rejoice.

Augustine, On the Psalms 85.6

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the First Sunday in Advent

Give heed, O You who shepherd Israel;
Reveal Yourself, O You who lead Joseph like a flock,
Who sit upon the cherubim.
Raise up Your power
Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
And come for our salvation.
O God, convert us,
And reveal Your face, and we shall be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your servant?
Will You feed us the bread of tears,
And will You give us as drink tears in measure?
You made us an offense to our neighbors,
And our enemies sneered at us.
O Lord God, convert us,
And reveal Your face, and we shall be saved. (Ps 80:1–7 LXX)

The coming of Christ the Lord is demanded with great longing, so that He may appear to be most clearly signified by what He does.… So the address is rightly made to the king of heaven and earth who rules Israel, under whose control all things were created and are administered.… But since the Lord still remained within the cloak of His majesty, the psalmist asks that He should appear in the blessing of the holy incarnation, so that He may strengthen His faithful with the most unswerving belief. Observe that the texture of this verse contains a triple invocation to show that the holy Trinity performs together all things.

The psalmist begs that the Lord appear before them with spiritual might, in other words, that as had been promised through the prophets He should be born of the Jewish nation. But since these names in the usual fashion of divine Scripture are clearly not idly inserted, we must investigate most eagerly their meanings. Ephraim means “fruitfulness,” Benjamin “son of the right hand,” and Manasseh “forgetful.” Clearly these attributes lie within the Lord Savior. He was fruitful when after His body had lain slaughtered for a time He rose to the everlasting kingdom of heaven. He is the “Son of the right hand,” that is, Son of the almighty Father. “Forgetful” points to when He was oblivious of the injuries done to Him, when set on the cross He prayed for the Jewish people. So the psalmist entreated that the Lord come with these powers, and he was in no doubt that He would manifest them.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 79.2–3

A Plea for Upright Prayer

King David, more than most, had a handle on what it meant for circumstances to sideways. Initially, he set about his duties without fanfare—protecting the flock, facing down Goliath, direct service to King Saul—yet was notable in carrying them out because he sought the Lord’s recognition rather than his own and was rewarded with skepticism, jealousy, and false accusation; later, he would sin greatly reaping long-term consequences that fractured both his family and nation. Whether the adverse circumstances were unwarranted or self-inflicted, David refused to seek retribution on his oppressors (1 Sam 24:1–7; 1 Sam 26:7–12; 2 Sam 16:5–11). In all that occurred, David’s overwhelming concern was to stand before God in prayer and worship with clean hands and heart.

O Lord, I have cried to You; hear me;
Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You.
Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Ps 141:1–2)

The priestly presentation of incense and sacrifice was no casual matter. Both items were prepared according to strict guidelines and offered in a specific manner within the framework of a divinely prescribed liturgy.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth,
A door of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words,
To make excuses in sins
With men who work lawlessness;
And I will not join with their choice ones. (Ps 141:3–4)

David wished to give the same care to his simplest of worshipful actions as he calls on the Lord to maintain his integrity, opening himself for scrutiny.

The righteous man shall correct me
With mercy, and he shall reprove me;
But let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head,
For my prayer shall be intense in the presence of their pleasures.(Ps 141:5)

God-fearing people do not disdain correction but accept it with humility: they recognize their personal failings and welcome correction from like-minded individuals. This same righteous one conversely eschews any honor or affirmation from miscreants because the prayers will run counter, even condemnatory, to those who relish their sinful desires.

Their judges are swallowed up by the rock;
They shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As a clod of ground is dashed to pieces on the earth,
So our bones were scattered beside the grave.
For my eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You;
In You I hope; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snares they set for me,
And from the stumbling blocks of those who work lawlessness.
Sinners shall fall into their own net;
I am alone, until I escape. (Ps 141:6–10)

David ends by demonstrating the difference between the lawless and righteous, calling on the Lord to keep him true and steadfast in the way of escape.

I can be brutal when pent-up frustrations finally overflow. More than once, I have spewed forth richly deserved speech or print to address someone’s thinking. (There are a great many foolish, ignorant, or evil people out there.) This is certainly true during our election cycle with its rollercoaster of emotions as political viewpoints are voiced or squelched, especially if said election has serious allegations of widespread fraud—and all this after enduring months of tension from viral and natural disasters. When circumstances come at us like this, we need something to stop and remember. There is a God who knows and understands our adversity because He endured it; but at the same time, He is still holy and expects us to be the same and come before Him in holiness.

Ask yourself: Do I have the same attitude as David when coming before the Lord?

Receiving a Good Conscience

Consider a window in a house. The dirtier it is, the more marred it is, the less light that comes in, and the more distorted is the view out. The clearer and cleaner the window, the more the light that floods in and the clearer is the view of the outside world. That is what our conscience is like. An unclean conscience, a bad conscience, does not let the light of God shine into our hearts so that our perception of God and the world around us is darkened and distorted. A clear conscience lets the light of God shine into our hearts so that we see the goodness of God and his world more clearly. With light comes sight.

The purpose of Christ’s human life, death, resurrection, and ascension is to give us a good conscience. He delivers that to each of us personally through baptism. Thus St. Peter declares:

Baptism … now saves you, not as the removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1 Pet 3:21–22)

Here Peter tells us four things about God’s gift to us of a good conscience.

First, Peter identifies our salvation with the gift from God of a good conscience and associates both of these with the sacrament of baptism. Yet even though baptism is something that happens at one time and in one place, it is not finished once the ceremony is over, just as marriage does not end after the ceremony has been completed. It is not just a past event; it is also a present endowment. It results in an ongoing relationship, a new state with increasing benefits that we receive every Sunday in the divine service. It does that here and now. So Peter declares that baptism now saves us by giving us a good conscience.

Second, when Peter says that baptism now saves us, he adds that this happens through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have a good conscience through his resurrection as well as his ascension. Jesus gives us a good conscience because he is both enthroned as King with God the Father and present with us in the divine service. He is our mediator. He intercedes for us with the Father and brings the Father’s gifts to us. He bridges heaven and earth and thus gives us access to heaven here on earth in the divine service.

Third, Peter contrasts two kinds of cleansing. We are all familiar with the first kind of cleansing by washing with water. Whenever we are dirty we remove the dirt from our bodies by taking a bath. But that is not what happens when we are washed with water in baptism. That washing provides us with a different kind of cleansing: a spiritual cleansing from sin. That happens whenever we appeal to God the Father for a good conscience by confessing our sins and asking for cleansing from the stain of sin. Baptism gives us the right to come to God for cleansing; it gives us a permanent pass, a free ticket to use that bathhouse again and again. We do not receive a good conscience as a permanent possession once for all time on the day of baptism but keep on receiving it as a gift from God the Father. This means that every divine service is an appeal to God for a good conscience.

Fourth, in the Greek, Peter speaks about an appeal to God of a good conscience. He, most likely, intends that to be taken in two ways. When we go to church we not only appeal to God for a good conscience but also appeal to God with a good conscience. The good conscience that we receive from God makes us fit for God, open and receptive to him. It adjusts us to him, like a TV set that is attuned to the same frequency as the transmitter. Once we have a good conscience, we have access to God’s grace (Rom 5:1–2). We can confidently approach God the Father and ask Him for what we need, the things that he has promised to give us.

We, therefore, participate in the divine service in order to receive the gift of a clear conscience. That is why God wants us to go to church. We cannot get that anywhere else on earth, but only there, fully from God, as he provides it for us. Yet that is not all! He gives us a clear conscience so that we can receive him and his heavenly gifts for our life here on earth. That is the purpose of a good conscience. God cleanses it so that we can serve him together with the angels and all the saints in the heavenly sanctuary.

John W. Kleinig, LOGIA 26-3: 8–9

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Last Sunday of the Year

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt 25:31–46)

Having been given the faith, the righteous say, “Lord, when did see you hungry and fed you, thirsty, and gave you something to drink, naked and clothed you?” Other things also follow. What then, my most beloved? Does our Lord hunger and thirst? Is he who himself made everything in heaven and on earth, who feeds angels in heaven and every nation and race on earth, who needs nothing of an earthly character, as he is unfailing in his own nature, is this one naked? It is incredible to believe such a thing. Yet what must be confessed is easy to believe. For the Lord hungers not in his own nature but in his saints; the Lord thirsts not in his own nature but in his poor. The Lord who clothes everyone is not naked in his own nature but in his servants. The Lord who is able to heal all sicknesses and has already destroyed death itself is not diseased in his own nature but in his servants. Our Lord, the one who can liberate every person, is not in prison in his own nature but in his saints. Therefore, you see, my most beloved, that the saints are not alone. They suffer all these things because of the Lord. In the same way, because of the saints the Lord suffers all these things with them.…

You see, my beloved, there is no excuse for it. They knew what they had to do in this world. But greed and ill-will prevented them, so they laid up for themselves not treasures for the future but the world of the dead. Neither were they condemned because of the active wrong they did, nor did the Lord say to them, Depart from me, you wicked, because you committed murder or adultery or theft. But instead: because I was hungry and thirsty in my servants, and you did not minister to me. If those who did no wrong are thus condemned, what must be said of those who do the works of the devil? Will not the prophecy of blessed David come upon them: “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous?” Not that they will not rise, but that neither in judgment [nor in] the congregation of the righteous do they deserve to enter. They will stand, however, so that from punishment they may enter into punishment. “And they will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Whatever will be is everlasting. Sinners will have everlasting punishment; and the righteous, everlasting life.

Epiphanius, Interpretation of the Gospels 38

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (Matt 25:14–19)

The man who is the landowner is actually the Creator and Lord of all. The Word compares the time the landowner spends away from home in the parable to either the ascension of Christ into heaven or at any rate to the unseen and invisible character of the divine nature. Now one must conceive of the property of God as those in each country and city who believe in Him. He calls His servants those who according to the times Christ crowns with the glory of the priesthood. For the holy Paul writes, “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God.” He hands over [His property] to those who are under Him, to each giving a spiritual gift so that he might have character and aptitude. We think that this distribution of the talents is not supplied to the household servants in equal measure because each is quite different from the other in their understanding. Immediately they head out for their labors, He says, directly indicating to us here that apart from the procrastination of one they are fit to carry out the work of God. Surely those who are bound by fear and laziness will end up in the worst evils. For he buried, Jesus says, the talent given to him in the earth. He kept the gift hidden, making it unprofitable for others and useless for himself. For that very reason the talent is taken away from him and will be given to the one who is already rich. The Spirit has departed from such as these and the gift of the divine gifts. But to those who are industrious an even more lavish gift will be presented.

Cyril of Alexandria, Fragment 283

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

O God, make haste to deliver me.
May those who seek my soul be dishonored and shamed;

May those who plot evils against me be turned back and disgraced;
May those be turned back immediately
Who shame me, saying, “Well done! Well done!”
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You,
And let those who love Your salvation always say,
“Let God be magnified.”
But I am poor and needy;
O God, help me.
You are my helper and my deliverer, O Lord; do not delay. (Ps 70)

The second section prays that all who love the Lord Christ should rejoice and be glad. For persecutors, confusion and shame are sought; for the devoted, exultation and abiding joy. As the Lord says in the gospel: And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting. But the psalmist inserts this mode of rejoicing appropriately, for by saying in You he confesses that the joy which boasts in human presumption is transitory. Joined to this is: All who seek You, O Lord. They do not seek You by their own powers, but are sought out by Your fatherly love. You gazed from heaven and sought that the human race might seek You; for the Lord came to us that we might deserve to return to Him. But those who seek the Lord are advised for their welfare on what they ought to say. They must say always: The Lord be magnified. Always indicates continuing time, because we must never cease praising the Lord. So that the meaning may become clearer to us, the order of words should be: “Let them who love your salvation always say: The Lord be magnified.” We should realize that the word magnified has been adopted from human practice, for it is he who is extolled with praises and grows in men’s good opinions who is magnified. But God experiences no increase, for He is known to be Fullness in its unique and inexpressible totality. He cannot grow from any external source, for He continually gives growth to all created things. But we profit from magnifying Him, and our awareness ever increases when with pious hearts we offer praises to God.

Cassiodorus, Exposition on the Psalms

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to All Saints' Sunday

Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.
Let Israel be glad in Him who made him,
And let the children of Zion greatly rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dance;
With tambourine and harp let them sing to Him;
For the Lord is pleased with His people,
And He shall exalt the gentle with salvation.
The holy ones shall boast in glory,
And they shall greatly rejoice on their beds;
The high praise of God shall be in their mouth
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To deal retribution to the nations,
Reproving among the peoples,
To shackle their kings with chains
And their nobles with fetters of iron,
To fulfill among them the written judgment:
This glory have all His holy ones. (Psalm 149)

In the previous verse he said that we must rejoice in the Lord Christ, and now he says that the Lord’s name is to be praised in chorus. This is the chorus which by then suffers no dispersal or weariness or scandal, but is gathered on the worth of its merits, and ever abides in the most loving unity. Another psalm explains the nature and scope of this chorus in the words: From the rising of the sun unto the going down, praise the name of the Lord. The chorus is that gathered from the world’s beginning from the aggregate of nations; it can be fully mustered only in the homeland to come. Next comes: Let them sing to him with the timbrel and the psaltery. We have stated that the timbrel and psaltery are praiseworthy acts performed in this world as services to God, which are no longer observed in that homeland, but they will be in evidence there when there is rejoicing as we glory in them. What saddens us here delights us there; what afflicts us here cheers us there. As we read in Scripture, Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So all these, whether timbrel or psaltery, hymn the Lord in the world to come, for they are known to be practiced or endured in this life for His name.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 3

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Reformation Sunday

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (Rev 14:6–7)

“Mid-heaven” signifies the exalted and sublime nature of the holy angel. He had “an eternal gospel.” The saving teaching that one should fear the Lord is from eternity, since the “beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, and its end is love.” But, it says, the harsh beast who works spiritual death, the antichrist, is not to be feared, even though he may threaten and do the most amazing feats. For “the hour of his judgment has come,” and He who is fearful to those who live on the earth will punish him in a way wholly unprecedented. Rather, we should worship Him who made every creature rather than worship the wicked devil who is hated by God.

 

Oecumenius, Commentary on the Apocalypse 8

 

The phrase “in mid-heaven” indicates that the angel that here appears is exceedingly lofty and heavenly. It has been sent from above to people who come from the ground, so that through this middle position it might be a mediator and lead them, in imitation of God, to heaven. And so the body of the church will be united to Christ, our head. The eternal gospel, which from eternity was foreordained by God, says, “Fear God, but have no fear of the antichrist who cannot kill the soul with the body; rather, fervently stand opposed to him who has power but for a short time, for the time of His judgment and the reward for what He has done is near.”

 

Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse 4.40

Voter Accountability

Matthew Cochran has written a piece that asks the question: To Whom Are Christians Accountable for Our Votes? This topic is relevant not just for this election cycle but ongoing as tensions continue to escalate between disparate ideologies.

Matt forms his three points along the lines of Martin Luther’s teaching that we live in three God-created estates: Church, Family, and State.* The first two estates covered pertain to God and family. This makes sense within a biblical framework as Jesus explained to a scribe:

“The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:29–31)

Matt takes an interesting take on the third estate. There he does not consider government in general, but rather the deposit that has been handed to us.

Accordingly, we have a responsibility to care for what they’ve left to us. While we need not do everything exactly the way they would have, we do need to respect their values and purposes so that we are guided by them. So are you voting in a way that will “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”? Do you even define those words in much the same way as our founding fathers did? If we want to kludge some kind of re-purposing of the government they left to us, then we must beware.

After the Constituional Convention Benjamin Franklin was famously asked what we had been given. He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Let us strive to do just that.




* For more on this, consider Bryan Wolfmueller’s helpful compilation.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. (Matt 22:15–22)

 

“The things which are Caesar’s are to be rendered to Caesar.” It is enough that He set in apposition to thereto, “and to God the things which are God’s.” What things, then, are Caesar’s? Those, to wit, about which the consultation was then held, whether the tax should be furnished to Caesar or not. Therefore, too, the Lord demanded that the money should be shown Him, and inquired about the image, whose it was; and when He had heard it was Caesar’s, said, “Render to Caesar what are Caesar’s, and what are God’s to God;” that is, the image of Caesar, which is on the coin, to Caesar, and the image of God, which is on man, to God; so as to render to Caesar indeed money, to God yourself.

 

Tertullian, On Idolatry 15

 

There are certain kings of the earth, and the sons of these do not pay toll or tribute; and there are others, different from their sons, who are strangers to the kings of the earth, from whom the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute. And among the kings of the earth, their sons are free as among fathers; but those who are strangers to them, while they are free in relation to things beyond the earth, are as slaves in respect of those who lord it over them and keep them in bondage; as the Egyptians lorded it over the children of Israel, and greatly afflicted their life and violently held them in bondage. For the sake of those who were in captivity, like the bondage of the Hebrews, the Son of God took upon himself the form of a slave, yet doing nothing worldly or servile. As one who came in the form of a slave, He paid tax and tribute for us, in the same way that a restitution would be paid for His blood and that of His disciples.... Therefore, let anyone who possesses the things of Caesar render freely them to Caesar, so that he may be able then to render freely to God the things of God.

 

Origen, Commentary on Matthew 13.10

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Then the Lord of hosts shall do this to all the nations on this mountain. They shall drink in gladness; they shall drink wine; they shall anoint themselves with ointment on this mountain. Deliver all these things to the nations, for this is the counsel for all the nations. Death prevailed and swallowed them, but again God wiped away every tear from every face; He took away the disgrace of His people from all the earth; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Then it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God, in whom we hoped and rejoiced exceedingly; and we shall be glad in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:6–9)

Having said that the Lord will reign in Zion and Jerusalem, Isaiah leads us to the mystical meaning of the passage. Thus Zion is interpreted as a high place that is good for surveillance, and Jerusalem is the vision of the world. In fact, the church of Christ combines both: it is high and visible from everywhere, and is, so to speak, located on the mountain. The church may be understood as high also in another way: there is nothing low in it, it is far removed from all the mundane things, as it is written, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Equally elevated are its orthodox and divine doctrines; thus the doctrine about God or about the holy and consubstantial Trinity is true, pure and without guile. “The Lord of hosts will make for all people,” not just for the Israelites elected for the sake of their patriarchs but for all the people of the world. What will He make? “A feast of wines on the lees; they will drink joy, they will drink wine. They will be anointed with myrrh on the mountain.” This joy, of course, means the joy of hope, of the hope rooted in Christ, because we will reign with Him, and with Him we will enjoy every spiritual joy and pleasure that surpasses mind and understanding.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Isaiah 25.6–7

And, in that day, when death has been swallowed up at the time of the resurrection, the children of the new age will sing a song of thanksgiving, seeing their own Savior in glory. And they will say: “Lo, our God, in whom we were hoping.” For we used to have hope in Him, believing in the divine teachings concerning Him, and in this way we were able to endure the painful trials that came on us, but now we see Him with our eyes. And, indeed, they will say these things, and He will give rest to them in the aforementioned mountain of His kingdom. And they will indeed enjoy the benefits of those good things which have been promised.

Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on Isaiah 25

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God of hosts, convert us now;
Look down from heaven and behold,
And visit this vineyard
Which Your right hand planted, and perfect it.
And visit the son of man, whom You strengthened for Yourself.
It was set on fire and uprooted,
But they shall perish at the rebuke of Your face.
Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
And upon the son of man, whom You strengthened for Yourself;
Then we will not turn away from You;
You will give us life, and we will call upon Your name.
O Lord God of hosts, convert us,
and reveal Your face, and we shall be saved. (Ps 80:14–19)

In this psalm, among other things, is written, “look down from heaven and see; visit this vineyard and perfect what your right hand has planted and on the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself.” This is the vineyard of which it is said, “You have brought a vineyard out of Egypt.” Christ did not plant another: by His coming, He changed that one into a better vineyard. Accordingly, we find in the Gospel: “He will utterly destroy those evil men, and will let out the vineyard to other vinedressers.” The Gospel does not say, “He will uproot and will plant another,” but “this same vineyard he will let out to other vinedressers.” The city of God and the congregation of the children of promise must be filled with the same community of saints by the death and succession of mortal beings and at the end of the world will receive its due immortality in all people. This same thought is expressed differently by means of the fruitful olive tree in another psalm, which says, “But I, as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God forever, yea, forever and ever.” It was not because the unbelievers and the proud had been broken away and the branches were on that account unfruitful and the wild olive of the Gentiles was ingrafted that the root of the patriarchs and prophets died. Isaiah says, “For if Your people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be saved,” but through Him about whom the psalm says, “and on the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself,” and about whom is reiterated, “Let your hand be on the man of your right hand: and on the son of man whom You have confirmed for Yourself. And we depart not from You.” Through this Son of man, Christ Jesus, and from His remnant, that is, the apostles and the many others from among the Israelites who have believed in Christ as God, and with the increasing number of Gentiles, the holy vineyard is being completed.

Augustine, In Answer to the Jews 6.7

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matt 21:23–27)

Knowing their irreformable evil, the Lord asked them an entirely rhetorical question, not that they might understand it and respond but that they should be hindered from interrogating Him further, for He had commanded, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs,” and it was not fitting that what the Lord commanded should be violated. But it would have profited them nothing, even if He had answered directly, since a darkened will cannot discern what is of the light. What good is it to show something beautiful to a blind man? Spiritual blindness consists of an evil heart, and evil people are not able to understand the mystery of devotion any more than the blind can gaze upon the splendor of the light. When a stealthy hunter sees a place to dig a trap, he also raises a net adjacent to it so that wherever the prey he is seeking to capture attempts to flee, it will either be caught in the net or fall into the pit. Likewise, the Lord set a trap for the chief priests and elders by means of His simple question, in such a way that if they professed John to have come from heaven, He would be able to ask them, “Why, then, did you not believe him?” But if they replied that John was of the world, they would thereby have run into the danger of being stoned to death by the people, as though fleeing into a hunter's trap. It was proper that the Lord teach His interrogator and weaken his tempter in whatever way He could and confound the cleverness of his reproach with rational arguments, while not making known the truth of His own mystery. The Lord did virtually the same thing elsewhere to the devil, who had cited against him a scriptural text without understanding it: “For it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you, and they will hold you in their hands, lest your foot stumble on a rock.’” The Lord did not respond, “That is not what this Scripture means.” Rather, He left the devil ignorant of the true meaning of the text and instead refuted him with another, clearer passage from Scripture in order to confound the devil's arrogance without revealing the prophetic mystery.

Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 39

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.” So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.”

So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, “Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.” And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, “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.” But he answered one of them and said, “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 I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. (Matt 20:1–16)

What then is to be understood from these words? From other parables also it is possible to see the same point. The son who was righteous is shown to have suffered from this same fault when he saw his prodigal brother enjoying great honor, even more than himself. So just as the one group received a greater reward in being the first to receive it, so the other group was more highly honored by the abundance of the gifts; and to these that righteous son bears witness.

What then can we say? In the kingdom of heaven there is no one who justifies himself or blames others in this way; perish the thought! That place is pure and free from envy and jealousy. For if the saints when they are here give their lives for sinners, how much more do they rejoice when they see them there enjoying rewards and consider their blessings to be their own. For what reason then did he use this figure of speech? A parable is being told, and it is not necessary to examine everything in a parable to the letter. But when we have learned the point of the parable as composed, we should reap this harvest and not be overly particular about further details.

The householder said to them, “I wish to give to this last one as I give even to you.” And since the obtaining of his kingdom comes from his goodwill, He properly adds, “Or am I not allowed to do what I wish?” It is always foolish to question the goodness of God. There might have been a reason for a loud complaint if he did not give what he owed but not if he gives what he does not owe. And so he adds, “Or is your eye evil because I am good?” But no one should boast of his work or of his time, when after saying this Truth cries out: “So the last will be first and the first last.” We know what good things we have done and how many they are; we do not know with what exactitude our judge on high will investigate them. Indeed, we must all rejoice exceedingly to be even the last in the kingdom of God.

Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies 19.3–4

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil we did to him.” So they came to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “I beg you, forgive the injustice of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.’ ” Now, forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I belong to God. 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. Now, therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your households.” Thus he comforted them and spoke to their heart. (Gen 50:15–21)


Notice, however, I ask you, at this point in the text the brothers’ apprehension about Joseph and the fear gripping their minds.… Their minds were greatly disturbed by fear, and under the influence of conscience, they were at a loss as to what to do. Accordingly, the text says, once they noticed their father’s passing they suspected that Joseph might inflict a due penalty on them for their actions against him…. See by now how they turn their own accusers. Notice how powerful is the accusation of conscience. You well know that you have committed a dastardly injustice in doing such evil things. “Bear no grudge for the injustice of the servants of your father’s God.” Do you see how, under pressure from no one, they turn their own accusers? Your father said, “Forgive them for doing such evil things, and bear no grudge for the injustice of the servants of your father’s God.” This remarkably virtuous man, however, was so far from calling them to account for what had been done to him that he was put out by their words: “Joseph burst into tears when they spoke to him,” the text says. “They approached him and said, ‘Behold, we are your slaves.’”

See how great a thing virtue is, how powerful and invincible, and how profound the weakness of evil. I mean, look, the one who endured such suffering reigns as king whereas those who submitted their brother to such indignities beg to be slaves of the one given by them into servitude. But listen to Joseph’s forbearance to his brothers in wanting to console them in every way and in persuading them that they had not sinned against him.… Don’t be apprehensive or anxious, he says: “‘I belong to God,’” and in imitation of my Lord I strive to reward with kindness those who are maliciously disposed to me—“‘I belong to God,’” after all. Then to show how great is the favor he enjoys from God he says, You acted against me with evil intent, but God turned everything to good for me. Hence Paul also said, “For those who love God all things work together for good.” “All things,” he says. What is meant by “all things”? Opposition and apparent disappointment—even these things are turned into good, which is exactly what happened with this remarkable man. In fact, what was done by his brothers had the particular effect of bringing him the kingship, thanks to the creative God’s wisdom transforming all their wickedness into good.

John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 67.18–19

In Remembrance of Me

Memories are useful. In times of gladness or peace, they can encourage or warn, depending on the circumstance. As we look back over our lives, we consider what has gone before to inform us concerning the present and to plan for the future. Some memories are painful and cause distress when revived, yet even these are useful as we work through them. They are a good gift of God to aid us. They establish patterns of faithfulness for how the Lord had acted in times of need and indicate a certain future. This is especially needful in the time of adversity or affliction. Under the stress of the situation, we become myopic and lose confidence in our Lord’s promises and deeds, wondering whether God was willfully negligent or forgetful, losing sight that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Jesus, Paul, and Peter, and is the Lord God Almighty over heaven and earth today.

Individual adversity is especially difficult because we assume that none other has faced the same level of misery. We feel isolated and tend to assume that something, some fault of ours, has invited the hardship, therefore God will not give us His time or attention. Whether or not we may have had a hand in bringing about a situation, or are simply suffering for doing good, as followers of the one true God, we are neither abandoned nor neglected. The Lord still cares for His children.

At one point, Asaph experienced a hardship of which we have no details giving us Psalm 77. Being distraught, he sought the Lord with outstretched arms, seeking His intervention.

I remembered God and was glad;
I complained, and my spirit became discouraged. (Ps 76:4 LXX [Ps 77:3])

Notice the contrast brought to light in the Septuagint (LXX): complaint brought discouragement, but remembering God brought gladness. Here is the attitude that overcomes. Asaph was distraught in beseeching his Lord and refused to be comforted, but then he turned his attention away from his immediate circumstance:

I thought of the days of old,
And I remembered the eternal years; and I meditated. (Ps 77:5)

Asaph wrestled within himself that God might cast him off or cut off His mercy—basically wallow in the despair of the situation—but instead saw it in light of eternity and was able to view it in proper perspective: more as a momentary, light affliction (2 Cor 4:17).

I said, “Now I am beginning to see;
This change is by the right hand of the Most High.” (Ps 76:11 [Ps 77:10])

Again the LXX gives clarity: when Asaph turns his attention on the Lord, he can see His hand in the situation and can rest in Him. He remembers the Lord’s works and wonders, deeds and ways, habitation in the midst of His people, power, and redeeming work (77:11–20).

As stated above, memories are good gifts, and as noted with the example of Asaph, they need not be experienced firsthand. The psalmist had no direct dealings with the Exodus and subsequent wanderings, yet they were definite, true events directed by the Lord on which he could base his hope and trust. Christians have this same certainty in what God has accomplished through His marvelous work. There is a popular Christian song currently playing that alludes to the work of the Lord in His people:

“Famous For (I Believe)” by Tauren Wells

Make way through the waters

Walk me through the fire

Do what You are famous for

What You are famous for

Shut the mouths of lions

Bring dry bones to life and

Do what You are famous for

What You are famous for

I believe in You, God

I believe in You

I appreciate the songwriter desiring for God to do what He is famous for, but he chose the wrong mighty works. Better would have focused on the singular mighty work of redemption and sins forgiven. Better to speak of being baptized into Christ. Better to speak of receiving His body and blood in the bread and cup. What better than to obey our Lord’s command, “Do this in remembrance of Me”? These are the wonders and works that God is most famous for. Let us remember.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Thou Art the Man by Peter Rothermel, ca. 1878. Rothermel

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not take into account,
And in whose mouth there is no deceit.
Because I kept silent, my bones grew old
From my groaning all the day long;
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
I became miserable when the thorn pierced me. (Pause)

I made known my sin,
And I did not hide my transgression;
I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord,”
And You forgave the ungodliness of my sin. (Pause)

For this cause, everyone who is holy will pray to Him in a well-fitted time;
Surely they will not draw near to Him in a flood of many waters.
You are my refuge from the oppression of those who surround me;
O my exceeding joy, redeem me from those who encircle me. (Pause) (Ps 32:1–7)

Just as earlier he explained why he had been wounded, so now as he comes to the second section he tells the source of his anxiety bestowed by the Lord. What crafty naïveté, a purity more careful than that of a thousand laggards! His sin is said to have been revealed to Him from whom nothing is hidden, to whom the plea cries louder than the tongue. Even if He does not hear it from the man, He knows all with greater certainty than the perpetrator. Making known means making a confession of sins; concealing is cloaking something wholly in silence or hiding something with the heart’s dissembling. This is what foolish people do who believe that God can remain ignorant of their actions. On the other hand, those who are aware that He knows all things clearly abase themselves to humble confession and prayers of repentance so as not to suffer a hostile Judge when they could have Him as merciful Advocate. Some have considered a fault to be a minor sin committed through some carelessness; injustice, however, is the perpetration of some monstrous and savage deed. Here the purity of the confessor is revealed; he did not bear to hide even what was thought to be a venial error.

Here is revealed the great devotion of the Godhead, for at the mere promise of dedication He suddenly absolved his sins, for He regards the piety of prayer as if it were the outcome of an action. The penitent said in his heart that he would not keep silent before the Lord about his past deeds; then, just as if he had revealed all, he was absolved of what he wished to confess, and rightly, since it is the will alone which absolves or punishes anyone. I will pronounce means “I will state publicly, that my devoted and faithful confession may draw others to imitate me.” From his self-accusation follows the saving remedy, for since the guilty man did not spare himself, the Judge spared him. His wickedness of heart was his former decision to be silent, for he believed that he lay hidden from Him who can know with utter certainty all things before they come into being.

Now that he has completed the exordium and the narration or satisfaction, he comes to the conclusion of his prayer for pardon, in which he commends his request for forgiveness in such a way as to claim that it is shared even by all holy men; and rightly so, for he who is not a stranger to sins ought to involve himself in prayers of entreaty. What a saving cure! To withstand all sinners’ diseases, different remedies are offered them when sick; but if this one antidote is taken with a pure heart, the poisons of all sins are overcome.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 31.5–6

Teach Us to Pray

A common malady among Christians is a feeling of inadequacy in prayer. Am I doing it right? After all, if you want an audience with the God of heaven and earth, you want to do it properly. And it’s not like we are the first to ask how to pray. In the sixteenth century, a barber, Peter, asked Martin Luther for tips on how to pray correctly. Going back to the first century, we find twelve men asking Jesus about the proper way to pray (Lu 11:1) from which we receive the ultimate prayer from our Lord Jesus (Matt 6:9-13; Lu 11:2-4). Without this instruction, how did saints through the centuries know to pray? Actually, the Lord taught His people how to pray through King David’s pen in Psalm 17.

Listen, O Lord of my righteousness;
Attend to my supplication;
Give ear to my prayer that is not with deceitful lips.

The first thing that we learn is to pray righteously and without deceit. This might seem obvious, but Jesus warned us about those who prayed to show off (Matt 6:5). Their reward was immediate but fleeting because it came from men, not God. And later, we learn not to ask selfishly (Jam 4:3): it only leads to conflict and dissension.

Therefore we learn to pray from the Lord’s perspective.

From Your face let my judgment come;
Let my eyes behold uprightness.

When we fix our gaze on the Lord, His precepts and judgments, His holy and righteous nature, we come before the throne understanding that our character and that of our requests are in accord with His character: what is true, just, pure, etc. And how do we fix our gaze on Him? By giving attention to where He reveals Himself.

You tested my heart when You visited me in the night;
You tried me in the fire and found nothing unjust in me.
That my mouth might not speak of the works of men,
I held to hard ways because of the words of Your lips.
Restore my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.

The description here is one who has learned the Scriptures and let them take root to walk circumspectly. An examination showed no indication to glorify himself or others, yet even in this, we see necessary realignment to give the saint a sure footing in life. And from such close attention to the Lord, there is assurance.

I cried out, because You listened to me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my words.
Magnify Your mercies, O You who save those who hope in You
From those who rise up against Your right hand.

The saint sees the past faithfulness of the Lord to uphold His promises, which fuels obedience and enables boldness to seek Him once again with full assurance and hope in the face of adversity that God will deal with our enemies.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
In the shelter of Your wings, You will shelter me
From the face of the ungodly who trouble me.
My enemies surrounded my soul;
Their fat enclosed them;
Their mouth spoke arrogantly.
Casting me out, they now surround me;
They set their eyes to bend down to the earth.
They seized me like a lion ready to tear its prey,
Like a young lion lurking in secret places.
Arise, O Lord, outrun them and trip up their heels;
Rescue my soul from the ungodly,
And Your sword from the enemies of Your hand.
O Lord, destroy them from the earth;
Scatter them in their life.
Their belly is filled with Your hidden things;
They are satisfied with their sons,
And they leave their possessions to their children.

Whether our enemies are flesh and blood or devils set to ruin us from the spiritual realm, we are sheltered. This is not to say that our enemies cannot do some measure of harm, but they cannot destroy us. We are satisfied solely in fixing our eyes on the Author and Finisher of faith (Heb 12:2).

As for me, in righteousness I shall behold Your face;
I shall be satisfied when Your glory is revealed.

Until the final day, we are to keep our eyes focused on the Lord Jesus who will reveal His glory on the last day, and we can add our voices to St. John’s words, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)