Monday, April 19, 2004
Christ is Risen!
The Hieromartyr Paphnoutios of Jerusalem
7th of the Vigil of Pascha: Zephaniah 3:8-15 Apostle: Acts 3:19-26 Gospel: St. John 2:1-11
Zephaniah 3:8-15 RSV, especially vs. 8: "'Therefore wait for Me,' says the Lord, 'for the day
when I arise as a witness.'" The Prophet Zephaniah was a fourth generation descendant of one of the Kings of Judah and
a contemporary of Jeremiah. Like his fellow Prophet of the seventh century BC, he saw gathering signs of certain
judgment building up against the kingdom of Judah. His prophetic declarations reveal the cause: "Her princes within her
are roaring lions, her judges are wolves at evening; they leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are reckless,
treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law" (Zeph. 3:3-4 NAS). What
was God's word for all these evils? "Therefore, wait for Me, for the day when I arise as a witness" (vs. 8) to expose these
evils.
The subsequent vision which the Lord gave Zephaniah revealed a "day" when God would correct what had gone wrong
with His People. That "day" of the Lord God's making would be notable in four ways: it would be a gathering for all
nations (vss. 8,10); God's People would be purified (vs. 9); only a remnant, "humble and lowly," would be left (vss. 12,13);
and the true "King of Israel" would appear in the midst of His renewed People. It is a portrait of the present age which
Christ's Resurrection ushered in and which provides at least a foretaste of Judgment Day when our victorious Lord Jesus
shall return to complete this work of His.
"For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms...." (vs. 8). After two millennia, we still are seeing nations in
the process of being gathered by the Lord. In 1860 a newly ordained Hieromonk, Nikolai was assigned to serve as chaplain
for the small Russian consular Community in Hakodate on the southernmost tip of the Northern Island of Japan. By 1875,
the first Japanese were ordained to the Holy Priesthood as a result of Father Nikolai's work. By 1884, sixteen years after
the first catechumens were baptized, the Faithful in Japan had grown to 10,000. Twenty years later the number was 29,000.
Despite a war between Japan and Russia, converts joined the Church at a rate of 1,000 a year. In 1879 Archimandrite
Nikolai was consecrated Bishop of Japan, then elevated to Archbishop in 1906, celebrating fifty years of ministry in 1910.
The Japanese Church had reached a membership of 40,000 just before he reposed in January of 1912. Examples of such
growth are being repeated today in Indonesia, India, Latin America, Africa and across the globe. The nations still are being
gathered.
"Yea, at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the Name of the
Lord" (vs. 9). As converts come into the Church, prayers are then offered up in their languages, and despite such cultural
divisions, they serve "the Lord with one accord" (vs. 9). The Lord's "dispersed ones" are bringing Him their offerings (vs.
10). People by people, God is taking away "their disdainful pride" (vs. 11 LXX).
"For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly" (vs. 12). When the majority of ancient Israel would not
accept the Lord Jesus as the Christ, still there was a small remnant who sought refuge in the Name of the Lord, "those who
[were] left in Israel" (vs. 13). These were transformed, Apostolic men and women who left a legacy to "do no wrong and
utter no lies," who enabled many to "pasture and lie down" (vs. 13) in the Lord's keeping without fear.
Beloved, let us recognize the vibrant Orthodox Church in this portrait of Zephaniah given over 600 years before the Lord's
birth! "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!" Let us wait upon the King of Israel in our midst and "fear evil no
more" (vs. 15).
"Thou didst come in to Thy Disciples, O Christ our God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright
spirit, according to the greatness of Thy mercy."