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