Friday, March 19, 2004
Lenten Fast
Martyr Pancharios of Nicomedia
6th Hour: Isaiah 29:13-23 1st Vespers: Genesis 12:1-17 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 14:15-26
Isaiah 29:13-23 RSV, especially vss. 18 and 19: "In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a
book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and
the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel." This reading is another of Isaiah's images foreshadowing the
Kingdom of God that later was revealed clearly in Christ. Notice the correspondence between Isaiah's prophecy (just
quoted above) and another passage from Isaiah read by Jesus in His hometown synagogue at Nazareth (61:1): "The Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are
oppressed." After reading these words, Jesus said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk. 4:21).
Isaiah perceived the common ills of mankind, and foretold that God would "cut off" these evils (Is. 29:20). Christ,
however, ends the evil in the hearts and souls of all who submit to Him. He brought the ruthless plans of many, like Saul of
Tarsus, to naught (Acts 9:1-9). Glory to God that scoffers still are silenced when the Lord Jesus heals (Mk. 5:35-42).
When Jesus was declared to be an offender (Is. 29:21), and snares were laid for Him (Mt. 22:15-22), and when the false
accusations of the authorities (Jn. 19:12) sent Him Who was 'in the right' to the Cross, His glorious Resurrection turned
right-side-up things that were upside-down (Is. 29:16).
Isaiah did more than see the ills that plague humanity; he diagnosed their cause - the foolish belief of men that it is possible
to "hide deep from the Lord their counsel" (vs. 15). The example of the deluded Judas who consulted with the authorities
how he might betray the Lord Jesus fully illustrates what Isaiah had in mind. The betrayer was convinced that he would be
covered by darkness, so he went at night to carry out his dark deed (Jn. 13:27-30). Actually, it was his heart that was dark,
and so, in turn, his thinking became futile (Rom. 1:21). In this world, there are so many who confidently believe that no
one sees and no one knows their inward thoughts and desires (Is. 29:15). Beloved of the Lord, God sees and knows
(Jn.13:21).
What happens when men disregard the Creator of all? Isaiah says they become absurd - as if a clay pot could say, "The
potter did not make me." Such a person "has no understanding" (Is. 29:16). When this attitude underlies people's worship,
as the Lord reveals, they become a community who "draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, while their
hearts are far from Me" (vs. 13). One can mouth the right words at prayer but inwardly debase worship and transform it
into a cliche - "a commandment of men learned by rote" (vs. 13). Consider the Lord's view of the Publican and the
Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray (Lk. 18:9-14), or conversely His perception of a widow who made an offering
of her last two mites (Lk. 21:2-4).
However, Isaiah foresaw that there would be a renewed People of God - men and women who would "sanctify the Holy
One of Jacob and...stand in awe of the God of Israel" (Is. 29:23). These he likened to the blind who, "out of their gloom
and darkness" (vs. 18) saw the true Light, and received the heavenly Spirit and found the true Faith in Christ, for in our
Blessed Savior, God has done "marvelous things with this People, wonderful and marvelous" (vs. 14). Devout men "from
every nation under heaven" were "amazed and marveled" on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Apostles received the
Heavenly Spirit and declared "the wonderful works of God" to them in their own languages (Acts 2:5-11).
Let us praise the consubstantial Trinity, the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit; for thus did all the Prophets preach,
and the Apostles, with the Martyrs, too.
