| The House of Zacchaeus the Publican The bought site is above all notable for the fact that it was here that the house of the repentant tax-collector Zacchaeus stood. This is what the Gospel tells us about him: And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Lk. 19:1-10) . The tomb of Venerable Cyriacus the Hermit As a result of excavations carried out on this site columns of a sixth-century Byzantine church along with the mosaic headstone of Venerable Cyriacus were discovered. A chapel in honor of St. John, the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptizer of the Lord, was erected in order to preserve the tomb. “The altar of our church stands on the grave of Venerable Cyriacus the Hermit—the greatest fifth-century saint,” Sister Anna (Garmider), the dependency’s senior nun, relates. “For 1,500 years the Lord has kept the mosaic above his head along with the Greek epitaph, reading that here rests the grave of the Venerable Presbyter Cyriacus, ‘who built this church’. And we discovered another mosaic when we planted trees. This place was marked on old maps as the Lavra of Cyriacus the Hermit.” |
| Martha, Mary and Lazarus hosted a supper for him. Mary took a pound of nard, fragrant oil imported from the Himalayas – worth 300 denarii, about in today’s terms – and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. Decent women did not do that. It was extravagant devotion. Judas Iscariot asked “Why was this oil not sold and, given to the poor?” Jesus answered, “Leave her alone. She is doing this to prepare for my burial… The poor you have with you always, but you do not always have me.” You can imagine the dreadful hush that fell over the table. Indeed, a week later Mary will be going to his tomb to anoint his Body. Jesus accepted the extravagant gift. By this he taught us that gifts given out of love, no matter how great, should never be rejected. Christ also commanded us to give to the poor. So accept the gift and then give something equally extravagant to the needy. God gives to us so generously. Continually give his gifts away, so he can give them back to us again even more generously, as Christ did. He accepted Mary’s great gift, then gave her and gave us all the greatest gift: his death and resurrection, eternal life. We make this interchange at every Divine Liturgy. Under the forms of bread and wine – in fact, we Orthodox call them the “Holy Gifts” – we offer ourselves to God. In return Christ gives us infinitely more: our gifts to him transfigured into his Body given for us, his Blood shed for us. This, in all we do, is the Christian way of life. 3. The danger of zealotry John says many came out to Bethany to see Jesus and Lazarus. Talk was spreading: Could this be the Christ? The Jerusalem authorities figured that raising someone from the dead could be faked, and they were sure Jesus was a fraud. It never entered their minds that he might really be the Messiah. Did they listen to him? No. Did they talk to him? No. But what if he is worse than a charlatan? What if he actually thinks he is the Messiah? People expect the Messiah to drive out the Roman occupiers. So what if this man starts an uprising, and the people follow, and the Romans respond? We’ll be wiped out. (This was a valid concern. 40 years later there was a rebellion, and that was the end of the Jewish nation.) The authorities had discredited fake Messiahs before. With Jesus it hadn’t worked, and now here he is at the gates. This is getting out of hand. So they began to consider killing him. As the high priest said “Better one man should die than that the nation be lost.” |
| Finally, although it is outside of the 2nd century, I shall refer again to the Codex Vaticanus which we saw in Photograph 3 in Part C of this chapter, and the Codex Sinaiticus. They both date from about 350 AD, only a little after the beginning of monasticism when the Qur " an testifies in the Sura of the Iron (Al-add) 57:27 that there were true Christians in the world. Photograph 6 shows a picture of the first Chapter of the Gospel according to John. These Codices are used to translate those parts of our present Gospel-New Testament which are missing from the earlier papyrus manuscripts mentioned above. Obviously they contain the Doctrinal Gospel . Photograph 6-- Codex Sinaiticus from 350 A.D. Includes John 1:14 , «The " Logos» (Word) became flesh and dwelt among us». By permission of the British Library. Diagram of the historical development of the Gospel In summary, we can say that by the year 200 AD, the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah which we have today, was known over the whole Roman Empire. In order to clearly set forth this historical development we shall show it in the form of a diagram just as we did with the Qur " an. Diagram 5--The historical development of the Gospel. As we look at this chart, I would like the reader to reconsider the accusation that Christians have changed the Gospel. With all the above information before our eyes, we will again ask ourselves the question, HOW DO CHRISTIANS KNOW THAT THE GOSPEL HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED? But this time we will answer with some other questions. «When could it have been changed?» Would the disciples of Jesus have changed it while they were alive until 90 or 95 AD? No Christian believer can accept this. No Muslim would accept it about Abu Bakr and Omar. And even if the last page of the Gospel according to Mark did get lost, the TOMB IS EMPTY! and the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples are well described in the other three Gospel accounts. Was the Gospel changed between 90 and 150 AD? There were now 10 " s of thousands and perhaps 100 " s of thousands of believers spread over the whole Roman world. Hundreds, even thousands of these believers had heard the Gospel message from Jesus» own disciples. Could it really have been altered in any fundamental point during this period? That would be impossible. |
| 10 . Thanks be to Thee, Lord Jesus, that at this time Thou hast stirred up for us the spirits of the holy martyrs, when Thy Church needs greater protection. 3612 Let all know what sort of champions I desire, who are able to defend, but desire not to attack. These have I gained for you, O holy people, such as may help all and injure none. Such defenders do I desire, such are the soldiers I have, that is, not soldiers of this world, but soldiers of Christ. I fear no ill-will on account of them, the more powerful their patronage is the greater safety is there in it. And I wish for their protection for those very persons who grudge them to me. Let them come, then, and see my attendants. I do not deny that I am surrounded by such arms: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will boast in the Name of the Lord our God.” 3613 11 . The course of divine Scripture relates that Elisha, when surrounded by the army of the Syrians, told his servant, who was afraid, not to fear; “for,” said he, “they that be for us are more than those against us;” 3614 and in order to prove this, he prayed that the eyes of Gehazi might be opened, and when they were opened, he saw that numberless hosts of angels were present. And we, though we cannot see them, yet feel their presence. Our eyes were shut, so long as the bodies of the saints lay hidden. The Lord opened our eyes, and we saw the aids wherewith we have been often protected. We used not to see them, but yet we had them. And so, as though the Lord had said to us when trembling, “See what great martyrs I have given you,” so we with opened eyes behold the glory of the Lord, which is passed in the passion of the martyrs, and present in their working. We have escaped, brethren, no slight lead of shame; we had patrons and knew it not. We have found this one thing, in which we seem to excel those who have gone before us. That knowledge of the martyrs, which they lost, we have regained. 12 . The glorious relics are taken out of an ignoble burying-place, the trophies are displayed under heaven. The tomb is wet with blood. The marks of the bloody triumph are present, the relics are found undisturbed in their order, the head separated from the body. Old men now repeat that they once heard the names of these martyrs and read their titles. The city which had carried off the martyrs of other places had lost her own. Though this be the gift of God, yet I cannot deny the favour which the Lord Jesus has granted to the time of my priesthood, and since I myself am not worthy to be a martyr, I have obtained these martyrs for you. |
| 70 . Nevertheless if we are unable to equal her, the Lord Jesus knows also how to aid the weak, when there is no one who can prepare the feast, or bring the ointment, or carry with her a spring of living water. He comes Himself to the sepulchre. 71 . Would that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to come to this sepulchre of mine, O Lord Jesus, that Thou wouldst wash me with Thy tears, since in my hardened eyes I possess not such tears as to be able to wash away my offence. If Thou shalt weep for me I shall be saved; if I am worthy of Thy tears I shall cleanse the stench of all my offences; if I am worthy that Thou weep but a little, Thou wilt call me out of the tomb of this body and will say: “Come forth,” that my meditations may not be kept pent up in the narrow limits of this body, but may go forth to Christ, and move in the light, that I may think no more on works of darkness but on works of light. For he who thinks on sins endeavours to shut himself up within his own consciousness. 72 . Call forth, then, Thy servant. Although bound with the chain of my sins I have my feet fastened and my hands tied; being now buried in dead thoughts and works, yet at Thy call I shall go forth free, and shall be found one of those sitting at Thy feast, and Thy house shall be filled with precious ointment. If Thou hast vouchsafed to redeem any one, Thou wilt preserve him. For it shall be said, “See, he was not brought up in the bosom of the Church, nor trained from childhood, but hurried from the judgment-seat, brought away from the vanities of this world, growing accustomed to the singing of the choir instead of the shout of the crier, but he continues in the priesthood not by his own strength, but by the grace of Christ, and sits among the guests at the heavenly table. 73 . Preserve, O Lord, Thy work, guard the gift which Thou hast given even to him who shrank from it. For I knew that I was not worthy to be called a bishop, because I had devoted myself to this world, but by Thy grace I am what I am. And I am indeed the least of all bishops, and the lowest in merit; yet since I too have undertaken some labour for Thy holy Church, watch over this fruit, and let not him whom when lost Thou didst call to the priesthood, to be lost when a priest. And first grant that I may know how with inmost affection to mourn with those who sin; for this is a very great virtue, since it is written: “And thou shalt not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, and speak not proudly in the day of their trouble.” 3203 Grant that so often as the sin of any one who has fallen is made known to me I may suffer with him, and not chide him proudly, but mourn and weep, so that weeping over another I may mourn for myself, saying, “Tamar hath been more righteous than I.” 3204 |
| I long for Thy salvation, O Lord, Thy law is my delight ( Ps 119.174 ). The mind is affrighted at Thy dread and strange burial. Let me live, that I may praise Thee, and let Thy ordinances help me (119.175). The women with spices came early at dawn to anoint Thee. I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek Thy servant, for I do not forget Thy commandments (119.176). By Thy resurrection grant peace to the Church and salvation to Thy people! After the final glorification of the Trinity, the church building is lighted and the first announcement of the women coming to the tomb resounds through the congregation as the celebrant censes the entire church. Here for the first time comes the clear proclamation of the good news of salvation in Christ’s resurrection. The canon song of Matins continues to praise Christ’s victory over death by His own death, and uses each of the Old Testamental canticles as a prefigurative image of man’s final salvation through Jesus. Here for the first time there emerges the indication that this Sabbath this particular Saturday on which Christ lay dead-is truly the most blessed seventh day that ever existed. This is the day when Christ rests from His work of recreating the world. This is the day when the Word of God “through Whom all things were made” ( Jn 1.3 ) rests as a dead man in the grave, saving the world of His own creation and opening the graves: This is the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleeps, but to rise again on the third day (Kontakion and Oikos). Again, the canon ends on the final note of the victory of Christ. Lament not for Me, Mother, beholding Me in the grave, the son whom you have born in seedless conception, for I will arise and be glorified, and will exalt with glory, unceasingly as God, all those who with faith and love glorify you (Ninth Ode of the Canon). As more verses of praise are sung, the celebrant again vests fully in his somber vestments and, as the great doxology is chanted, he once more censes the tomb of the Savior. Then, while the congregation with lighted candles continually repeats the song of the Thrice Holy, the faithful-led by their pastor carrying the Gospel Book with the winding-sheet of Christ held over his head-go in procession around the outside of the church building. This procession bears witness to the total victory of Christ over the powers of darkness and death. The whole universe is cleansed, redeemed and restored by the entrance of the Life of the World into death. |
| A common story relates that Charles Dickens when growing up a poor youth in 19th century drab London, his mother would tell him that he would not ever get lost and not find his way home if he would only look for the St. Paul’s Cathedral which was near his neighborhood. “Look to the cross which sits atop the massive dome. Then you will not be far from home. Look to the cross.” The Apostle Paul goes on to write in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It is this life in Christ that is typified by the life of grace within the believer. Christian theology can be summed up in total with the phrase “in Christ”. For without Him, we can do absolutely nothing. We do not worship a church denomination, a book, a creed, a philosophy, or a liturgy, but instead we worship a Person — Jesus Christ. In Him, we find the ultimate truth of lives, for He is Truth Incarnate. God Calls and Equips The Apostles with the exception of Paul, were all uneducated men of lower socio-economic status: fishermen and tax collectors. They were not the professional clergy or scholars of the day. The were not men of high political status. They were commoners with no “connections” as it were. Yet, God called them. Just as He calls each of us. For we sing the beautiful hymn, “Here I Am Lord” and we are reminded that whomever God calls He equips. Fear not, brothers for Jesus has risen on the third day as He foretold. As the fourth century Church Father St. John Chrysostom wrote in his Paschal homily about the Resurrection, “[Hades] took a Body, and lo, it discovered God.” This is the great message of the “Good News” — the evangelion (gospel) that we are called to proclaim just as the myrrh-bearing women on that first Easter Sunday morning at the empty tomb. And with them, we can boldly proclaim: Christ is Risen! In the second century, St. Ignatius of Antioch was on his way from Antioch to Rome to face execution for being a Christian. As he made his way to Rome he wrote to the fellow Christians asking them not to do anything to impede his imminent death by being thrown into an arena with lions. He wanted to witness for the Lord Jesus through his martyrdom. He wrote the following: “For if you hear my voice no more, I shall become a Word of God; but if you are in love with my bodily existence, I shall merely be an echo.” [St. Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Romans 2:1] |
| If the soldiers had been asleep, then they would not have seen what had happened; and if they had seen what had happened, it means they were not asleep and could have detained the thief. The guard is meant to keep its duty. No one could really believe that all the guard, which was composed of several people, could fell asleep. If all the soldiers had fallen asleep, they would have been subjected to strict punishment. Then, why were none of them punished but left alone and even rewarded? How were the terrified disciples, who were locked in their houses out of fear and did not have weapons, able to decide to undertake such a daring venture against armed troops? Furthermore, why would they have done it since they themselves had lost faith in the Saviour? Besides, how could they roll away the large stone without waking everyone? All this is quite impossible. On the contrary, the disciples themselves thought that someone had stolen the body of the Saviour; and only after seeing the empty tomb, they understood that after a theft, it would not have been left so. Finally, why did the leaders of the Jews not search for the body of Christ and not punish the disciples? Thus the enemies of Christ tried to cover an act of God with a coarse fabrication of lies and deceit, but they turned out to be powerless against the truth. Note: See the Gospels of Matthew 28:1–15; Mark 16:1–11 ; Luke 24:1–12, John 20:1–18 . See also I Corinthians, 15:3–5. 51. The Appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus. Toward evening of that very day in which Jesus Christ resurrected and appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James, Peter, and two disciples of Christ from the Seventy, Cleophas and Luke, were going from Jerusalem to a village named Emmaus. Emmaus was situated about seven miles from Jerusalem. On the road, they were talking to each other about all the things that had recently happened in Jerusalem, about the suffering and death of the Saviour. While they were talking about all that had happened, Jesus Christ Himself drew near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. |
| We today cannot even image what it must have felt like to see Jesus suddenly appear before the disciples at the lowest point in their lives. I would have to believe that St. Thomas’ comment, about needing physical evidence before he would accept the Resurrection of Jesus, was most likely shared by the rest of the disciples as well. Up to that point, all they had was an empty tomb and Mary Magdalene’s claim of seeing, touching and speaking with the risen Lord. But that scant evidence was hardly enough to risk persecution by proclaiming a Resurrected Messiah, when One was not in sight. And so, they hid. Christ is Risen —so now what? For many of us today, the lull following Pascha seems almost unreal. After more than a month of services and fasting in preparation and anticipation of Christianity’s holiest day, we too may feel a sense of loss. Nothing matches the intensity of the Church activities leading up the Pascha Sunday Liturgy, making everything afterwards seem almost anticlimactic. It just feels wrong not to be in a Church service or two for every night of the week! So, we may want to ask as well: Christ is risen— so what are we to do now? Is it possible to experience that same feeling of fatigue and emptiness that we get after the Christmas holiday rush, where all we want to do is pass out immediately after the gifts have been opened and the leftovers shoved into the refrigerator? Maybe the anticipation of the holiday means more than the actual meaning of the holiday itself. Could it be that we are not much different than Christ’s disciples, experiencing that same “what’s next” feeling, when the real question should be, “how do we reclaim that joy of being in the presence of Jesus?” We should understand that Pascha is not the end of the journey. While representing the fulfillment of the Old and New Testament prophesies, Christ’ Passion and Resurrection should be understood as a mid-way point; neither a beginning nor an end . There are still many more pages left in the script of the salvation of the world, so it’s too early to stop now. We have our own timeline which is bound by our birth and our death, but God’s timing is entirely different; He does not run on our personal timetable. So, for all of us here, the marathon continues. |
| Christ says elsewhere in John’s gospel: “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,” (Joh 5:26). But none of this is remembered until after Christ Himself is raised. And the resurrection of Christ is not like the resurrection of Lazarus: Lazarus dies again, later. Tradition holds that he became the bishop of Cyprus and was buried there (his tomb can still be seen in Larnaca). We all stand like Mary and Martha of Bethany, mourning brothers and others whom we have lost. And the resurrection of Christ too easily passes into dry doctrine, “My brother will rise at the last day.” The resurrection of Christ, as historical event, easily begins to lose its existential importance: “I am the resurrection.” It is an interesting phrase, “I am the resurrection.” This is not at all the same thing as saying, “I will be raised from the dead,” or “I will raise your brother from the dead.” For both of those statements turn an existential matter into a simple statement of fact. And though facts may be true, they are often simply inaccessible. That Paris is the capital of France is a fact – but it means nothing to me – I’ve never been there and have no plans to go. The resurrection is more than fact, it is a person. And as a person, it may be known and existentially encountered. And it is this that lies at the heart of Pascha. For it is not the risen Lord of history, lost to us among the many facts, that we proclaim and celebrate. It is the Christ, Who is the Resurrection, present in our midst, united with us, daily trampling down death by death, the Jesus Whom we know that we greet with joy. The Church does not shout, “Christ rose from the dead! Fact! Fact! Fact!” It shouts, “Christ is risen from the dead! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!” Lazarus was raised from the dead. Christ is risen from the dead. The difference is everything. Our hope is not in being resuscitated to our present form, but a true transformation into the life of resurrection. |
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