Weekly Devotional

Messiahship

by Fr. Dmitri, New Zealand

Saturday 13 March 2010 (4 Paremhat; 4 Baremhat)
Nymphus and Eubulus of the 70.
St. Basil the Confessor.

For His eyes are upon the ways of man,
and He seeth all his goings.
(Job 34:21)

CONSIDER THIS:

Holy Church has taught me to pray the Evening Prayer
and say 'Because of my human weakness, I cannot bear
the burden and the heat of the day. But, You the Merciful
God, count me among those of the Eleventh Hour.....
My time is running out.......guide me to the means of
repentance.'
(Heguman Pishoy Kamel)

O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come.
Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
(Psa. 65:2-3)

If you do not strive, you will not find; and if you do not
knock eagerly at the door and keep long vigil before it,
you will not receive an answer.
(Isaac the Syrian)

There, Will be no sin nor iniquity,
but we shall adhere to Him by love,
Him who we are longing to see.
(St. Augustine)

God starts with us every good thing, continues with us
the Path and ends it with us.
(Fr. Sherimon)

Fasting attains its perfection in hunger and in tolerating it.
(Pope Shenouda III)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.
(Matt. 6:33)

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; Lord, be my helper!
(Psa. 30:10)

Praise the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is
good: for his mercy endures for ever.
(Psa. 106:1)

REFLECTION:

Your eyes, O Lord, have a true view of people.
That is what they really are -- and nothing more.
All-knowing Lord, let us realize that our real
self is only what we are in Your eyes. Give us
a true picture of that self and inspire us to
become better day by day.
(Francis de Sales)

HOMILY:

MESSIAHSHIP.

The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstall. (Psa. 110:1)

God through His Spirit so speaks in the Psalmist that words not directly addressed to Christ, find their fulfillment in Him. This verse in Psa.110 is quoted by Jesus in Mark 12:36 (Matt.22:44 & Luke 20:42) to show that my Lord really pointed to a Being greater than any one that could be born of David's line.

He did not thereby deny His Davidic descent according to the flesh through His Mother, as often had been thought, but argued (meeting the Jews on their own ground) that something higher than Davidic descent was involved.

The Genealogy in Matthew shows the line of David came down through Joseph. But Joseph was not a Blood Relation and Our Lord would have come into the Davidic Line by adoption. But He came into the House of David through His Mother's descent.

There is something more than Davidic shown (Mark 14:62; Matt. 26:64 & Luke 22:69), in His allusion to Dan. 7:13, to which He adds the still higher thought from the Psalm, 'seated at the right hand of God.' His Messiahship was not only more than Davidic, it was more than that of the heavenly Man of Daniel's vision. The words are quoted also by St. Peter in Acts 2:34f; with reference to Christ's exaltation to heaven; and in Heb. 1:13, to contrast words said to Christ the Supreme, with words said to the angels.

The subduing of enemies under His feet is also mentioned in 1 Cor: 15:25-27, there is also a suggestive coupling with Psa.8:6; and also Heb. 10:12. On Palm Sunday the Church remembers Our Lord's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and greeted like a King. The people of the day were looking for a Warrior King to rid the land of the Romans. Their concept of the Messiah was completely wrong. If they had studied the Messianic Prophecies properly they would have seen that Our Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of these prophecies. To Thee be glory and praise; now and ever, unto Ages of Ages.

AMEN!

Today's Readings:

Morning: Psalm 65:2-3; Gospel: Luke 15:3-10.
Liturgy: Gal. 5:16-6:2; James 5:7-11; Acts 26:1-18;
Psalm 143:1-2; Gospel: Matt. 23:14-39.

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