Sunday, January 4, 2004
(Tone 4) Sunday before Theophany
Kellia: Isaiah 35:1-10 Epistle: 2 Timothy 4:5-8 Gospel: St. Mark 1:1-8
Isaiah 35:1-10, especially vs. 4, "Comfort one another, you fainthearted; be
strong, fear not; behold our God renders judgment, and He will render it; He will come and save
us." St. Gregory of Nyssa instructs the children of the New Covenant to explore the riches of the
words of the Old Covenant; for, he observes, "I find that not only do the Gospels, written after
the crucifixion, proclaim the grace of Baptism, but even before the Incarnation of the Lord, the
ancient Scripture everywhere prefigured the likeness of our regeneration; not clearly manifesting
its form, but foreshowing, in dark saying, the love of God to man." Today's reading from the
Prophet Isaiah surely and superbly illustrates St. Gregory's point.
The salvation which the Lord won in the flesh provides abundant reasons to comfort one another,
for God has saved us by coming in the flesh. Each one, having passed through the waters of
Holy Baptism, now has his feet upon "a pure way" that he might "not go astray" (vs. 8). As the
redeemed of the Lord, the Christian is gathered to Him that he may "come to Zion with joy," that
is, to the Church of Christ, where "joy shall take possession" of us (vs. 10).
This experience of joy in the Church contrasts sharply with the aridity which the child of God
discerns in the fabric of this present life. In St. Gregory of Nyssa's words, all water now serves
to refresh "the soul that is parched and unadorned," the soul that cries out with David: "My soul
thirsteth after Thee like a waterless land" (Ps. 142:6 LXX). When water is blessed at Theophany,
the Priest says, "Thou art our God Who didst cleave the rock in the wilderness, so that the waters
gushed out and the valleys overflowed, thus satisfying Thy thirsty people."
How is this so? When the Lord entered the waters of Jordan, He sanctified every drop of water
on the face of the whole earth. For the Faithful, water no longer is a mere object to be used or
abused, as a lifeless thing. Rather, now, water is a sanctified medium for spiritual cleansing, for
blessing, and for healing - because it has touched the sacred flesh of the Lord Christ.
In being baptized, the Lord Jesus not only gave us an example to follow - to be Baptized
ourselves, but also prepared all the waters of the earth that they might be used of God to give us
His thirst-quenching Holy Spirit Who "doth overflow with streams and passages of grace."
Today's reading also speaks to us in our weakness, infirmity, grief, and despair: "Be strong, fear
not; behold our God renders judgment, and He will render it; He will come and save us" (Is. 35:4
LXX). God promised, and has acted through the Only Begotten. What did the Lord Jesus do
when He came to save us? He opened the eyes of the physically blind, but greater than that, He
opened eyes that were spiritually closed, and this He still does.
As one who was healed physically said, "Since the world began it has been unheard of that
anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do
nothing" (Jn. 9:32-33). All was desert before, now is a "fountain of water poured into the thirsty
land" (Is. 35:6). God is saving us, opening our blind eyes, unstopping our deaf ears,
strengthening our walk before Him, and putting praise on our stammering lips (see vss. 4-6).
Finally, let us note that we are taught a new and living Way which the Lord has established, the
way of the Orthodox Church, of Zion, the Temple of the living God. The Lord disclosed to
Isaiah that this Way would be holy and pure and unassailable by the devouring lion, Satan (1 Pet.
5:8), because for us Christ defeated the ancient enemy and his "evil beasts" (Is. 35:9) on the life-bearing Tree. Now we may walk on the Way, and we "shall not go astray" (vs. 8), but shall be
gathered with the Lord, and everlasting joy shall be on our heads (see vs. 10).
Grant us O Lord to draw water in faith and receive thereby the grace of Thy Holy Spirit.
