Thursday, November 11, 2004
Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours
1st Vesp, Jn Chrysostom: Prov 3:13-16; 8:6-10 Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8
Gospel: St. Luke 11:47-12:1
STRONG> Proverbs 3:13-16; 8:6-10. It is entirely right and pleasing to read
the present selection from Proverbs in the tradition of the Holy Fathers who knew Wisdom
intimately in the Person of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Proverbs 3:13. Blessed is the man who has found Christ Jesus, and the mortal who knows His
Way. 14. For it is better to traffic for Him, than for treasures of gold and silver. 15. And He is
more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist Christ our God: He is well-known
to all that approach Him, and no precious thing is equal to the Lord Jesus in value. 16. For length
of existence and years of life are in His right hand; and in His left hand are wealth and glory: out
of His mouth proceeds righteousness, and He carries law and mercy upon His tongue. [Listen as
He speaks] 8:6 "Hearken to Me; for I will speak solemn truths; and will produce right sayings
from My lips. 7. For My throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before Me.
8. All the words of My mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse. 9.
They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find [My] knowledge." 10.
For Christ Jesus our God is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal
worth with Him.
In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus Himself points out that there is a field where an incalculable
fortune lies buried, awaiting discovery and appropriation (Mt. 13:44). Blessed is the man who
has found that treasure buried in the field of his heart and has "trafficked" all he has to acquire a
place even at the feet of the Lord of all. That man is blessed because he recognized Truth when
he met Him, and any mortal man who finds Him understands the insignificance of "treasures of
gold and silver....and precious stones" compared to the Eternal Himself.
Do you remember that the tempter left Jesus our Lord when he discovered that he could neither
resist nor overcome Him (Lk. 4:13)? But there were fishermen who knew Him and the
unequaled value of His call to follow Him - since He is Life and the source of life Who bestows
"length of existence," having "years of life...in His right hand."(3:16).
Only righteousness, law, and mercy proceed from His mouth. If there is doubt in your heart,
search His words not in your mind but in your heart, and you will hear "solemn truths" and "right
sayings." There is no aspect of the Law of God that Christ does not uphold, for He affirms that
all the Law and the Prophets may be placed in true perspective under two simple commandments
(Mt. 22:37,38): "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind,"and the second, "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Mt. 22:39). For He came to fulfill the Law
and the Prophets (Mt. 5:17).
The humble and meek, the repentant and poor in spirit shall ever find a place at His feet, for their
tears are accepted and their cries are heard by Jesus our Lord (Lk 7:38; 23:42). Only the
hypocritical and the self-righteous do not need Christ Jesus the Savior (Mt. 23:12). Many have
been surprised to discover that "no man ever spoke like this man" (Jn. 7:46), but, Beloved, "in
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence" (Eph. 1:7,8).
O all-compassionate Jesus! Receive now our small supplication as Thou didst receive the
widow's two mites; keep us from all enemies and rescue us who cry unto Thee. Alleluia!
