Friday, January 30, 2004
The Three Great Hierarchs
Kellia: Deuteronomy 1:8-17 Epistle: Hebrews 13:7-16 Gospel: St. Matthew 5:14-19
Deuteronomy 1:8-17, especially vs. 13, "Choose wise, understanding, and
experienced men...." At the Vespers which opens the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs, the
Church reminds us how the words and divine teaching of Basil the Great, Gregory the
Theologian, and John Chrysostom have been broadcast "in all the earth and sea...Wherefore, the
regions are well organized by their divine laws, and are united in one Orthodox opinion." These
were leaders who laid down wise guidelines, clear expositions, and basic foundations for the
Church's subsequent life. They were truly "wise, understanding, and experienced men" led of
God to establish basic patterns for the governing and management of His Holy Church - not just
in the fourth century, but through all the centuries of its history even to the present.
The two readings for the Feast are taken from what might be called the "farewell address and
final testament" of another of God's "great, organizational leaders," the Prophet Moses. In this
first of the two lections, the Prophet defines foundational principles for leadership that have
remained effective and current during all the vicissitudes that have befallen the People of God
through four millennia of history, including the ultimate revelation of God in our Lord Jesus
Christ. Quite simply, Moses outlines the basic standards for leaders in the Church, guidelines for
their appointment, and a description of the tasks common to all who are called upon to govern.
Leaders of God's People should be "wise, understanding and experienced" (vs. 13). The
importance of these standards is emphasized by their later repetition (vs. 15). By speaking of
wisdom, the Prophet points beyond the sort of intelligence that is required in merely human
enterprises. In the Scriptures, wisdom always is traceable to God, Who, in the second Person of
the Holy Trinity, is Himself known as Holy Wisdom.
We may be sure of finding wisdom in a man who exhibits basic fear of the Lord (Pr. 9:10) and
who seeks God's mind in all his ways. Furthermore, true wisdom, when mediated through a
godly leader, produces understanding of the needs, pains, hopes, and struggles of one's fellow
men. God's leaders must understand those they govern. And finally, godly wisdom and
understanding come generally to those who prove themselves through long, extensive training.
David, the exemplary King of Israel, began his development as a teenager serving in Saul's court,
but did not assume overt leadership even in his own tribe of Judah until he was thirty years old.
He was nearly forty when he began to reign over all Israel (2 Kngs. 5:5 LXX = 2 Sam).
Leadership among the People of God always has been hierarchical, no doubt because all rule in
the Church derives from a single Head, the Lord, Jesus Christ. So Moses appoints "as
heads...commanders of thousands...hundreds...fifties, [and] commanders of tens" (Dt. 1:15).
Yet, he involved the people through a "nominating" process, having them "Choose...men
according to your tribes" (vs.13), and from these he then appointed the actual leaders.
No one man, nor leader of men, can govern single-handedly, as Moses knew (vs. 9). Hence,
subordinates are required to help cope with the full "weight and burden of [men] and [their]
strife" (vs. 12). The tasks of leaders of God's people were and continue to be righteous judgment
(vs. 16), impartiality (vs. 17), and hearing "the small and the great alike" (vs. 17) without the fear
of men hampering or limiting their decisions. Woe to any Church leader who succumbs to
decision-making and action by popularity poll, for all leaders in the Church are able to refer
difficult decisions to superiors or colleagues (vs. 17).
O Master, fill Thy servants, the ministers of the Church, with all faith, love, power, and holiness
through the inspiration and rich bounties of Thy holy and life-giving Spirit.
