20th=Week After Pentecost v Friday

   T  oday-s readings, followed by a few small pastoral and personal
thoughts. 

 

   Philippians 3:8-19  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ,  9 And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  10 That I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  11 If by any means I
might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  12 Not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if
that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus.  13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this
one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before,  14 I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  15 Let us
therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye
be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  16
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same thing.  17 Brethren, be followers together of
me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.  18 (For
many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,
that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  19 Whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their
shame, who mind earthly things.)

 

   Luke 7:31-35  And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men
of this generation? and to what are they like?  32 They are like unto
children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and
saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned
to you, and ye have not wept.  33 For John the Baptist came neither
eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.  34 The Son
of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man,
and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!  35 But wisdom is
justified of all her children.

  

 

   Luke 7:31-34   And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the
men of this generation? and to what are they like?  32  They are like
unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another,
and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have
mourned to you, and ye have not wept.  33   For John the Baptist came
neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.  34
 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a
gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

 

   The Lord is using a Jewish game of the time to ridicule the
Pharisees. The game was played with two groups of children. One group
would mourn and wail and the other would dance and play flutes. Each
group would stay separate from the other. This doubtless was imitating
the real funerals and celebrations they had seen.  

 

  The Lord is exposing the Pharisee-s hypocrisy. They would not join
with St John the Baptist, nor with Christ. The mourning children
represent St John, who lived and austere life. The dancing children
represent our Lord, who did not live such an austere life in public, as
St John did. The Pharisees held themselves from both, and ridiculed both
their teachings and ways of life.

 

   Rightly might the Lord have also said to them: ?Woe unto (you who)
call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ?    (Isa
5:20 ). Or He may well have said: ?So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.¦   (Rev
3:16). 

   

 

   Luke 7:35   But wisdom is justified of all her children

 

  ? Wisdom¦, is of course, Jesus Christ, and her children are those that
believe in Christ, and follow His teachings. The Book of the Wisdom of
Solomon, Proverbs and the Psalms especially contain references to
?Wisdom¦. In this passage, Jesus appropriates this name for Himself.
?Son of Man¦ is another name He frequently used for himself (and just as
?Wisdom¦, this name occurs in the OT scriptures)

 

  It is good to know the factual content of the scripture, but this is
no good to our soul unless we apply it to ourselves. The admonition of
the Lord to the Pharisees applies to many in our day. Can we with a
straight face call ourselves the children of Wisdom if we do not follow
Christ completely? In our politically correct day, many falsehoods are
called true and good things labeled as evil. Most people, including
those who fancy themselves to be Christian, are heavily influenced by
the opinions of the day. These opinions, which are a mixture of good and
evil, are held by those who neither mourn, nor dance. We must guard
ourselves carefully from such opinions, because as we believe, so we
live. 

 

  Bibliography

   The Explanation of the Holy Gospel according to St Luke, by Blessed
Theophylact, published by Chrysostom Press -       . ALL FOUR BOOKS ARE
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

 

  Saint Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St
Luke, Homily 39. Studion Publishers, 1983

 

 

  

         Priest Seraphim Oct 18/31 2008.                                
                        

 
http://www.orthodox.net/scripture/20th-week-after-pentecost_friday_phili
ppians3;8-19+ luke7;31-35.rtf

 
http://www.orthodox.net/scripture/20th-week-after-pentecost_friday_phili
ppians3;8-19+ luke7;31-35.pdf

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