Friday, April 26, 2024
Hieromartyr Basil, Bishop of Amasea
Readings: Acts 10:44-11:10; John 8:21-30
The event of today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles takes place in Caesarea, at the house of the centurion Cornelius. Cornelius and the members of his household have come to believe in the one true God of Israel, and the Apostle Peter has been sent to them to speak about Jesus, Risen from the dead, and the forgiveness of sins that comes with Baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
While Peter is speaking to them about Jesus and what He has done through His death and Resurrection, the Holy Spirit suddenly falls upon all the Gentiles who are present in that house, and they begin to speak prophetically in tongues and to extoll and praise the one true God. For Peter, this is a clear sign and confirmation from God, that Baptism is not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. Christ died for all.
The Apostle Peter they gives the command that they all be baptized in water, with the baptism of Jesus. As an apostle, he confirms all of them with the laying on of his hands, and he remains with them for several days, to complete their initiation into the Church with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist. Peter would not have left them, until he had properly established the house of Cornelius as a “house church” and left behind elders to lead and guide the newly established Gentile community.
In the Gospel reading from John (Jn 8:21-30), Jesus openly says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, they you will now that I am He, and that i do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught Me” (Jn 8:28). Jesus is speaking about His crucifixion. When He is lifted up on the Cross, the miracles and signs that take place will confirm that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And looking upon Him crucified, many will believe.
Fourth Sunday of Holy Pascha
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Sunday of the Paralytic
Readings: Acts 9:32-42; John 5:1-15
According to the Old Testament Law, if someone became ritually unclean, immersion into water was part of the process of becoming ritually clean. The water had to be fresh water, running water, and the bath where the immersion took place was called a mikveh.
Any Jew coming to Jerusalem for the celebration of a feast at the Temple, had to be immersed into water and become ritually clean before entering the Temple area.
The main site for ritual immersion was located on the south side of Jerusalem, at the pool of Siloam. Archeologists have uncovered this site, together with the walkway and steps that ascended from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple area.
It seems that there were pools at almost every entrance into Jerusalem. On the north side, by the Sheep’s Gate, archeologists have uncovered the Bethesda Pool. This pool was actually two pool adjacent to one another, sharing a common walkway that joined them together. There was a walkway around each pool and a shared walkway between the two pools. The walkways, five in total, were covered by a roof held up by pillars, creating five porticoes.
The upper pool provided clean and flowing water to the lower pool, and also to the Temple. It is most likely that the lower pool served as a mikveh, a place where pilgrims coming to the Temple could immerse themselves into water and become ritually clean.
Over the course of time, miracles were associated with immersion into this pool. It was observed that from time to time, the waters were stirred by an angelic force and the waters acquired healing power. Whoever was immersed into the water first was healed.
Jesus comes to this pool as the Divine Physician, the One Who heals man from all his illnesses, diseases and afflictions. According to the prophet Isaiah (Is 35:5-6), the coming Messiah would do three things: 1) open the eyes of the blind; 2) open the ears of the deaf; and 3) heal the lame and the paralyzed. At the pool, Jesus finds a multitude of invalids lying there, the blind, the lame and the paralyzed.
Jesus comes up to a man who was paralyzed for 38 years and asks him if he wants to be healed. Why did the evangelist John include this detail? 38 years? Because it has symbolic significance.
According to Deut. 2:14, beginning at the oasis at Kadesh-Barnea and ending at the brook of Zared east of the Dead Sea, Israel wandered in the wilderness for 38 years, until the whole generation that left Egypt died out. So, if the paralyzed man represents Israel, wandering in the wilderness for 38 years, waiting for Joshua to lead them into the Promised Land, then Jesus represents the New Joshua, Who has come to lead the People of God not across the Jordan, but across death itself, through the waters of Baptism, and to lead them into the Kingdom of God and new and eternal life with God.
Jesus heals the paralyzed man by His mere word. He says, “Rise, take up your matt and walk.” And further, He says, “Se you are well. Sin no more.” The man was a slave to his illness, his matt, and to his sin. Now he was free. Carrying his matt was an outward sign of his deliverance and freedom. So, where did the man go? He most likely went up to the Temple to give thanks to God.
Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath, because the Sabbath represents the final age to come, when God has finished all His creation. The Sabbath was a symbol of the final age and the age of God’s eternal kingdom. This Kingdom is near, at hand. It will break through with Christ’s Resurrection, and it will come in its fullness at His Second Return in glory.
According to the Law, people rested on the Sabbath as a sign that they were not slaves to work and that they were free to worship God. But God does not rest on the Sabbath day. On every Sabbath, He continues to create, to bring new life into the world, to hear and answer prayers, to heal, and to judge the dead. Since the Father continues to work until the sixth day(age) is over and the seventh day(age) comes in its fullness, so does the Son – Jesus.
The miraculous healing of the paralytic at the Bethesda Pool points to the Mystery of Baptism. Like the paralyzed man, who was a slave to illness, his matt, to sin and death, so we too are paralyzed by our sins, weaknesses, anxieties; we are paralyzed by the fear of death. Jesus has come to free us from our paralysis, so that in Resurrection, we can walk and come to the House of God.
In the Mystery of Baptism, Christ Jesus is healing us. Sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit cleanses us and sanctifies us. The Body of Christ in the Eucharist is received by the body as a pledge of eternal life. It will rise at the general Resurrection. In Baptism, Confession and at the moment of Holy Communion, Jesus says the same words to us, “Rise, take up your matt and walk. See you are well. Sin no more.”
Fr. Peter Babej
