Saturday, August 28, 2004
The Venerable Moses of Ethiopia
2nd of Vespers - Beheading of John: From Malachi Epistle: 1 Corinthians 2:6-9
Gospel: St. Matthew 22:15-22
Malachi 3:1-3, 1-7, 12, 18; 4:1-8, especially vs. 1: "Behold, I send forth My
messenger, and he shall survey the way before Me; and the Lord, Whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come into His temple...." Defining with certainty the identity of the person or persons to whom
the various phrases refer in today's selection of prophetic verses from Malachi has at times
proven difficult. The first phrase of verse 3:1 cited at the beginning of this meditation strongly
points to the Forerunner John, while the third phrase of the verse quoted above usually has been
understood as speaking of the Lord Jesus. For instance, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in identifying the
two comings into the world of Christ our Lord, cites the majority of verse 3:1 to make his point:
"Of the two comings the Prophet Malachi says, 'And suddenly there will come to the temple the
Lord Whom you seek'; that is one coming. Of the second coming he says, 'And the messenger of
the covenant whom you desire, yes, He is coming,' says the Lord of hosts."
English-speaking readers should be alert to the fact that the Greek word angelos appears twice
within the whole of verse 3:1: the first time, in the initial phrase, the one suggestive of John the
Forerunner - "I send forth My messenger," and second time, in the fifth phrase, which functions
as an aside in what comprises the second half of the verse - "even the Angel of the covenant."
The translator of the Septuagint version quoted above (Sir Lancelot Brenton) seems to have taken
the same line of thought as St. Cyril: that the first angelos refers to the Forerunner John, while the
second angelos refers to the Lord Jesus Christ in His Second Coming to judge the world. Such
readings are reinforced by the verses coming after 3:1 (vss. 2,3,5,6,7). Also, a caution: readers
should realize that even though the word angelos is translated both as angel and as messenger, yet
angels, if one remembers Gabriel, often function as God's messengers.
The important point that should be borne in mind is that a Divinely appointed messenger, such as
John, will very closely reflect the God for Whom he speaks and acts. The purity of the image of
God in a holy man such as John naturally resembles the God Whom he represents. Hence, if
there is confusion as to the identity of the persons referred to in Malachi's prophecy, one should
not be surprised. God and His Prophet should be similar, especially God-come-in-the-flesh.
Hence, Christ and His Prophet John especially are similar in word and actions.
Both John and the Lord Jesus came speaking words aflame with judgment against "the sons of
Levi" (vs. 3), the priestly Sadducees who represented the temple elite (compare Mt. 3:7 and Mt.
21:23). Similarly, both John and the Lord Jesus were frankly outspoken against sin and
wickedness (compare Lk. 3:3 and Lk. 13:1-5), condemning many sorts of evil doing, even of the
kinds found in Malachi's prophecy (Mal. 3:5). Likewise, both the Prophet John and our Incarnate
God and Lord, Jesus Christ, proclaimed compassion to the poor and outcasts of the first century
generation - as Malachi had foretold (Mal 3:18). John had no hesitation to baptize those who
confessed their sins and repented (Mk. 1:4) and the Lord Jesus consistently not only called
sinners to repentance, but even drew them into His service (Mk. 2:13-17).
Let us who are united to the Lord Jesus as "King and God" consider what the Prophet Malachi
shows us in this passage concerning the close resemblance between the Prophet John and his
God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, as Christ our God has taught us, let us act in keeping with the
Lord's teaching: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough
for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master" (Mt. 10:24, 25).
O Christ our God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee; mercifully grant
that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things wholly direct and rule our hearts, words, and deeds.