Tuesday, May 4, 2004
Christ is Risen!
Martyr Florian, Enlightener of Austria & Poland
Kellia: Deuteronomy 3:12-20 Apostle: Acts 10:21-33 Gospel: St. John 7:1-13
Deuteronomy 3:12-20, especially vs. 18 RSV: "The Lord your God has given you this land to
possess; all your men of valor shall pass over armed before your brethren the people of Israel." Having led Israel to
complete the conquest of the former kingdoms of Sihon and Og, the two Amorite Kings, Moses then divided the newly
acquired land among elements of three of the twelve tribes of Israel: Reuben, Gad, and a portion of the tribe of Joseph. The
latter he refers to as "the half-tribe of Manasseh" (vs. 13), for Manasseh was one of the two sons of Joseph (Gen. 46:20).
The Manassites from the time of the Exodus functioned as a tribe in their own right, though they were regularly referred to
as a "half-tribe" [of Joseph]. The allotment of the territory that had lain within the kingdom of Og was specifically
assigned to two Manassite clans, Machir and Jair (compare vss. 14-15 with Num. 32:40-41). From the peoples of the three
tribes who were assigned land within the trans-Jordan area, Moses further required strong detachments of fighting men to
lead the invasion into the lands west of the Jordan (Deut. 3:18-20). These "men of valor" would not be free to return to
their families and new possessions until the other tribes were at rest on their assigned allotments in the main portion of the
Promised Land. God expected mutual support among His People.
The reading today is a forceful reminder for all who are born anew into the Church of Christ: we are members one of
another and, as such, we ought naturally to act in mutual support of our fellow Christians. As St. Paul teaches: "Let each of
you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4). Reading further in the
Philippians' Epistle, we discover that the Apostle's model for self-giving in the Church is none other than the Lord Jesus,
our God and Savior Himself (Phil. 2:5-11), for "...though He was rich, yet for [our] sakes He became poor, that [we]
through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
Christ mystically enables the Faithful to act in love and concern for the brethren in the Church, as the Romanian theologian,
Dimitru Staniloae states: "The holiness of Christ as man is available to all, and is directed actively towards all....The saint
is the man 'for' men, the man who is a stranger to every kind of selfishness." While "friendship after the flesh is very
easily destroyed on some slight pretext, since it is not held firm by spiritual perception," as St. Diadochos of Photiki has
shown, yet, "when a man begins to perceive the love of God in all its richness, he begins also to love his neighbor with
spiritual perception."
The Desert Fathers have provided us with striking examples of such self-giving. Of Abba Agathon who forced himself to
fulfill all the commandments, it was said that, "coming to the town one day to sell his wares, he encountered a sick traveler
lying in the public place without anyone to look after him. The old man rented a cell and lived with him there, working
with his hands to pay the rent and spending the rest of his money on the sick man's needs. He stayed there four months till
the sick man was restored to health. Then he returned in peace to his cell." The Prophet Moses imposed the interests of
others as a Divine commandment on the first tribes to receive allotments of land. Our Lord takes us to the root of mutual
caring: "If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make
Our abode with him." Pursuit of the interests of others becomes natural in us through the indwelling power of the Holy
Spirit, for He awakens love for Christ in our hearts and makes Christ Jesus present there at all times to stir up in us the
"love of God in all its richness."
Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people, that they, loving Thee above all things, may plenteously
bring forth the fruit of good works to Thy glory and praise.
