Category: Matthew

EPHREM THE SYRIAN:

Because Israel, symbolically called “son” since Egypt, had lost its sonship through having worshiped Baal and offered incense to idols, John gave them a name which suited them: race of vipers. Because these had lost that title of sonship, which had been poured over them through grace in the days of Moses, they received from John a name congruent with their deeds. After the Lord went down into the land of the Egyptians and had returned from there, the Evangelist said, “Now the true word spoken by the prophet is accomplished.” He said, “I will call my son out of Egypt.” He also said, “He will be called a Nazarene,” because in Hebrew nezer means a “scepter,” and the prophet calls him a “Nazarene” because he is the Son of the scepter. read more

The image of the Church as a field hospital for sinners – while not exhaustive – draws us back to something essential.  “Healing” and “saving” are the same word in Greek, so there is an important meditation to be had on the the overlapping meanings.  Christ does not come to heal or save merely as a gesture of superiority or magnanimity.  Christ comes to heal and save the one(s) he loves as a spouse.  It challenges our faith to consider that the one who created us has such lofty plans for a relationship with us.  His actions of healing and saving are expressions of his devotedness – He wants to restore what may seem to worldly eyes to have been lost, defiled, worthless, etc.  As a devoted husband only has eyes for his wife, Christ only has eyes for us.  And as Christ sees our brokenness, our sicknesses, our weakness, our sin, He rushes in to repair.  We must believe and trust that His level of commitment is excessive and that none of our wretchedness deters Him from His mission.  He does not fear contamination, nor can He be crushed by the weight of our guilt.  Let us fearlessly see ourselves as we are, and humbly touch Him in faith. read more