Sunday, October 3, 2004 (Tone 1)
Hieromartyr Dionysios the Areopagite of Athens
Kellia: Jeremiah 33:1-9, 14-22 Epistle: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Gospel: St. Luke 5:1-11
Jeremiah 33:1-9, 14-22, especially vs.
15: "In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and
He shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." The entire "Book of Consolation," was
written during the siege of Jerusalem (589-587 BC). In the midst of that siege (in 588 BC), an
Egyptian army sallied across the border into Judah to challenge the Babylonian forces. The
Chaldeans temporarily broke off their assault against Jerusalem in order to beat Pharaoh's army
back into its own territory, after which they returned to Jerusalem, finally to take the city (587
BC). During the interruption of the siege, Jeremiah set out from the city to go into the land of
Benjamin to receive his portion of his family's estate (Jer. 37:12), but he was intercepted by a
sentry at the gate and mistakenly arrested for "deserting" to the Chaldeans (Jer. 37:13-16).
Jeremiah's imprisonment began in a dungeon. Later, he was transferred to another prison in the
courtyard of the royal guard. Rage against him because of the charge of "treason" was so intense
that a group of palace courtiers threw him into an unused, muddy cistern where he was left to die.
Timely intervention by a eunuch of the royal household - with the permission of King Zedekiah -
restored Jeremiah to the guards' prison until the city finally was taken (see Jer. 38,39). As the
present passage makes clear, God's Prophet continued to stand for the same dire "word of the
Lord" (Jer. 33:1): "The Chaldeans are coming in to fight and to fill [the houses of the city] with
the dead bodies of men Whom I shall smite in My anger and My wrath" (vs. 5).
The hopeful motif, the theme running through the "Book of Consolation," emerges again as God
assures His People that He "will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and
rebuild them as they were at first" (vs. 7). He will cleanse His People "from all the guilt of their
sin against Me" (vs. 8). To this promise, the Lord reiterates a vow He had made earlier (Jer.
23:5-6): "I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and He shall execute justice
and righteousness in the land" (vs. 15). While this particular section (Jer 33:14-22) does not
appear in the Septuagint, it does closely repeat the essence of that earlier prophecy.
As St. Leo the Great says, "David's Lord was made David's Son, and from the fruit of the
promised branch sprang One without fault, the two-fold nature coming into one Person, that by
one and the same conception and birth might spring our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom was present
both true Godhead for the performance of mighty works and true Manhood for the endurance of
sufferings." We can identify seven ways in which the Lord Jesus fulfills the promises made in
this and the earlier, parallel passage.
On the Cross, our Lord Jesus cleansed "all the guilt of [the People's] sin against [God]" (vs. 8).
The Church, arising from a remnant of Judaism, is forgiven by the Lord (Jn. 20:22,23).
The Church, now called Jerusalem, is "a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations"
(Jer. 33:9), for Christ is among us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Since the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He has continued to "execute justice and righteousness
in the land" (vs. 15) - or "the earth," for the word may be translated either way. In Christ the
Church does "dwell securely" (vs. 16) with God, though not with the world.
Being in Christ, the Church rightly is named, "The Lord is our righteousness" (vs.16).
In Christ, David always has "a man to sit on the throne of Israel" (vs. 17) and an eternal Levitical
priesthood is established (vs. 18) - as His grandmother, Anna, was of the house of Levi.
Rejoice ye nations: for behold, the chamber of Light and the Virgin Mother who gave entrance to
the High Priest, hath admitted Christ the King of all into His world for our salvation.
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