Manna and the Holy Eucharist

In this week’s gospel reading taking from St John chapter 6 there is a discussion between Jesus and some of his doubters. His detractors ask Jesus to provide a sign in the same manner that ‘manna’ was provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. Jesus responds that God has delivered the ‘manna’ to the people today also. Jesus is identifying himself as the manna.

The manna was a miraculous provision from God to the Israelites who were on their journey out of Egypt. We read about the manna in Exodus 16 and Numbers 11. For Orthodox Christians the manna was a symbol of the Holy Eucharist. As Jesus reveals in St John 6, the disciples of Jesus are to consume the ‘bread of life’ which is the true body of Christ. Considering the manna to be a symbol of the Holy Eucharist teaches us some important lessons on the Holy Eucharist.

First the Holy Eucharist is the source of our sustenance in our earthly journey. Just as the Israelites were sustained by the manna in the wilderness so too we are sustained by the Holy Qurbana. In the dismissal of the Holy Qurbana the priest reminds us that we have received the food for the journey from the atoning altar of our Lord. The strength we gain from the Holy Qurbana was also foreshadowed by the strength that Elijah received from the heavenly bread in 1 Kings 19. "So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God." (1 Kings 19:8)

Secondly the Eucharist spiritually nourishes us to forget the unhealthy food. It is important to note that as soon as the Israelites were in the wilderness they began to murmur against Moses and expressed disappointment in the lack of food. They longed for the food that they had while they were enslaved. However once God provided them with heavenly provision they were able to forget about the food of Egypt. Similarly a regular participation in the Holy Qurbana helps us to overcome our longing for the unhealthy diet of our past enslavement. In the preparatory prayer for the Holy Qurbana we pray “that by the food of thy holy body by passions may be quenched.”

Thirdly the Holy Eucharist is a hope of the heavenly manna. The true body and blood of our Lord that we receive in the earthly temple of God is a reminder of the heavenly and hidden manna that we will receive from the heavenly temple. In the book of Revelation we hear, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna.” (Revelation 2:17)

Finally the Holy Eucharist is a memorial of the salvation gifted by God. Let me first clarify that the Holy Qurbana is not simply a memorial and that it is truly the body and blood of Christ. Yet when we participate in the Holy Qurbana we are fulfilling the command of our Lord to “do this in remembrance of me.” We should especially note that the ‘manna’ was kept by the Israelites within the ark of the covenant as a memorial of their redemption from enslavement in Egypt.

The ‘manna’ showered down from above for the Israelites escaping from slavery in Egypt was a symbol of Christ himself. We experience Christ as the manna when we receive the Holy Qurbana.  

Christ and Jubilee Year

Jubilee & Christ

On the Sunday before Pentecost we read about the Jubilee year in Leviticus 25:8-13. The Jubilee Year is the 50^th year and is the conclusion of seven 7 year cycles. The word Jubilee has its etymological root in this festival year. The Hebrew word ‘Yobel’ which means trumpet was used for this year. The sound of the trumpet glared on the day of atonement signified the arrival of this august year. According to Leviticus 25, the Jubilee year was an occasion for liberty (v.10), return to one’s ancestral home (v.10), rest from labor (v.11) and period of holiness (v. 12). The reason for reading about the feast of 50^th year prior to the feast of the 50^th day is not accidental. The jubilee year points us towards Christ.

First the Jubilee year teaches us that Christ came to redeem. Jubilee year was a year of liberation for all who were bonded. In fact it was even redemption or freedom for the land. The Jubilee year reminded the Israelites that God was the ultimate owner of all.  According to St Luke, Jesus began his public ministry by proclaiming the arrival of the Jubilee year. Jesus stood in the synagogue at Nazareth and read from Isaiah and declared, ““The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Obviously the Jubliee period does not represent one calendar year but to the new age inaugurated by Christ.

Secondly the Jubliee year teaches us that Christ will bring us into a rest. The Jubilee year was a time of rest from labors. Our earthly life is filled with toils and we often find it difficult to find rest here. But for those who believe in Christ the life after death is a period of rest in Him. We read in the book of Revelation, “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them” (Revelation 14:13). This particular verse is alluded to in the funeral liturgy. As the coffin is about to be closed the face is covered and oil is poured over the earthly remains of the departed while the priest prays for the departed to “receive rest from labors”.

The Jubilee year spoken about in Leviticus 25 looks forward to the heavenly rest and liberation from bondage that Christ gifts to his disciples. 

Tabernacle and Christ

Tabernacle and Christ

                In the past two weeks we saw two individuals in the Old Testament served as types of Christ and this week we move on to an important object from the Old Testament – Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was the portable center of worship that God commanded as place of worship for the Israelites. God gave the instructions to Moses on how the tabernacle ought to be made. The author of Hebrews teaches us that the earthly tabernacle was based on what Moses saw in heaven. We should not simply understand this to mean that Moses created a replica of a temple he saw in heaven. This week’s reading is taken from Exodus 40. Let us see how can see Christ in the various articles of tabernacle:

                As a general statement we must understand that the incarnate word is Christ who tabernacle among us. Although we are all familiar with John 1:14 (The word became flesh and dwelt among us), we would profit much from understanding the second part of that verse. “The word became flesh and pitched his tent among us” is an accurate way of reading the verse. As St. Gregory of Nyssa states when speaking of the tabernacle in his important work “Life of Moses”, ‘This one is the Only Begotten God, who encompasses everything in himself but who also pitched his own tabernacle among us.’ Christ is the true meeting place in whom we can access God.

                The first item that God commands Moses to plant in the tabernacle is the Ark of the Covenant. The ark of covenant and the mercy seat all remind us of Christ’s once and for all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). The three items placed in the ark are also figures of Christ: the tablets of Law, Aaron’s rod and the mannah. The veil which encloses the ark stands for the body of Christ. In Hebrews 10:19-20 we read, “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh”.

                God commands Moses to place each item in the tabernacle beginning from the holy of holies to the outer section. After the ark the next time is the table of show bread or bread of the presence. The bread placed on this table reminds us that Christ is the bread of life (St. John 6:35). The title “Show Bread” can be rendered literally as “Bread of the Face” and shows that consuming of this bread allows one to behold the face of God. Clearly this experience is a foreshadowing of the experience of communion and reminds us of the opening of the eyes of the disciples at Emmaus.

                The next liturgical item placed in the tabernacle is the golden lampstand. The Lampstand teaches us that Christ is the light of the world and the church his followers ought to be the light of the world (St Matt 5:16).

                The final item that God asks Moses to place within the tabernacle is the altar of incense which rests immediately before the veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies. Incense was to be burned upon this altar in the morning and evening. The incense represents the prayer of the believers. (see Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3-4) More than the prayer of the individuals, read in the light of Christ we are reminded that Christ is the sweet smelling aroma who was sacrificed for our behalf (2 Cor 2:15; Ephesians 5:2)

                Having completed the items in the Holy place, God commands Moses to place the altar of Burnt Offering outside the tent along with the basin of laver. The altar of burnt offering shows the once and for all sacrifice of Christ and the shedding of the blood of the perfect lamb of God. The basin of laver reminds us at once both of Christian baptism and of the cleansing provided by Christ.

                Interpreted through the medium of Christ the tabernacle becomes an important locus for us to understand the salvation Christ gifts to the world. 

Moses as Type of Christ

            Last week we considered Joseph as a type of Christ and this week we move to the most important Old Testament type of Christ – Moses. The Pentateuch passage for this week’s reading is Exodus14:26-31, the passage that narrates the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. In the Old Testament Moses stands as a towering figure, the great liberator of Israel out of bondage. It is therefore no surprise that the expectation of the future liberator of Israel looked back at Moses. We read in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

            After Joseph’s death the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel) dwelt in Egypt and eventually became enslaved to the Egyptians. The story of Moses is so popular that it is not necessary to recap. There are numerous parallels between Moses and Christ. Let us look at three of them:

            First Christ liberates us from bondage. The entire Exodus story is a type of our salvation. We were formerly enslaved in bondage to sin and the captain of our salvation leads us out of Egypt and into the promised land. Although the crossing of the Red Sea (a type of Christian baptism, see 1 Cor 10:2) signifies a land mark victory over evil, the people of God are not yet able to enter into the promised land and must wander in the wilderness. Christ is our great liberator and we are no longer enslaved in bondage. The resurrection of Christ and our participation in that resurrection through baptism parallels the crossing of the Red Sea.

            Second Christ gifts us with the knowledge needed for salvation. St John states in his gospel “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Law was the knowledge that the people of God needed in their earthly sojourn to be connected with God. Christ brings the grace and truth that we need for our salvation. This Sunday we heard about the miraculous catch of fish by the apostles after the resurrection. It was when the apostles listened to the command of Jesus that they were able to catch the large amount of fish. In our daily life we must constantly keep our ears open to receive the grace and truth that Christ gifts to us.

            Third Moses shows us the intimacy with God that we can attain. Moses was a “friend of God”. “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” Exodus 33:11. Christ similarly shows us that through prayer we can maintain an intimate connection with God.

            Next week, we will consider the tabernacle and Christ.

Joseph as a type of Christ

           One obvious reality that I have become aware of in my brief time as a pastor is the need for basic Biblical literacy. The average believer sitting in the pews will not be able to quickly answer whether it was Daniel or David who was thrown in to the lion’s den. Often these illiterate faithful are very pious and devout. However without a comprehension of the basic stories of scripture they are missing out on opportunities to deepen their faith. For example, Isaiah 53 (song of suffering servant) will be read in nearly all Christian traditions that observe good Friday liturgy. Yet how many of the participants will make the connection between the prophecy of Isaiah and Christ crucified? This predicament is compounded by the inability of a preacher to address all of the scriptural allusions in a ten to fifteen minute homily.    

                If faithful can remain devout, why is basic Biblical literacy important? It is because of these words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39). If the scriptures testify of Christ, then a greater understanding of those very scriptures will deepen our intimacy with Christ. In order for me to inculcate the faithful in parish with basic Biblical literacy I have decided to preach a series of homilies concerning Christ based on the first five books of Moses. These homilies will be delivered between the Sundays between feast of Resurrection and feast of Pentecost. The scripture portion selected for the homily will be the portion found in the lectionary for the given Sunday.

                The portion of Torah that is read for Bright Sunday (first Sunday after Easter) is Genesis 41:41-46.  In this portion we hear the story of how Joseph is set over the Kingdom of Egypt by Pharaoh. While I am not exactly sure whether this section was found in the early versions of the lectionary or is part of revision to the lectionary in the late 20^th century, we can clearly see the connections between Joseph’s exaltation by Pharaoh and Christ’s exaltation by God the Father. (I will leave the question of whether the lectionary revisions were a good thing for a later post.)

                The book of Genesis is part of a collection that the Jewish people refer to as the Torah (law). According to Jewish understanding, the Old Testament books are divided into three collections, namely Torah (law), Nebi’im (Prophets) and Kethubim (Writings) and are together referred to as the ‘TaNaK’. The book of Genesis is called as “Beresit” which are the opening words of the book and translate to “In the beginning”.  As that title implies, the book of Genesis focuses on the beginnings and the source of the beginnings. As such the first eleven chapters narrate the beginning of the world by God and chapters twelve to fifty narrate the beginning of God’s special community. This second section can be further divided into God’s special relationship with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (collectively known as the Patriarchs) and Jacob’s twelve children (specifically to Joseph).

                The short reading set apart for this Sunday’s reading concerning the exaltation of Joseph as second in command in the kingdom of Egypt serves as a type of the exaltation of Christ by God the Father.

                First Pharaoh sets Joseph over the Kingdom. “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt’”(Genesis 41:41). The words of Pharaoh to Joseph must be read together with Psalm 2:6 – "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain." Psalm 2 is a messianic Psalm that prophesies the messianic reign over the kingdom of God (Rev. 21, Rev. 22, Matt 28:18, Ephesians 1:22, Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 12:22). In fact there are several parallels between exaltation of Joseph and exaltation of Christ. Prior to the exaltation Joseph was in prison and Christ also was in the prison of Hades just prior to his exaltation. As we read in St Peter, “After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits” (1 Peter 3:19). Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his house and so also God the Father sets Christ as head of his house the church.

Second Joseph is entrusted with Pharaoh’s ring. Pharaohs usually possessed a signet ring which when pressed will leave an impression. The impression is the authoritative image of Pharaoh himself. Similarly Christ is the image of God the Father. For we read in Colossians 1:15 that “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Third the entire nation bows their knee as Joseph rides on Pharaoh’s second chariot. The veneration given to Joseph alludes to the worship that Christ receives from his followers. As St Paul teaches the Philippians, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10 ).

Fourth Pharaoh grants Joseph with power over life and death. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man will lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (Gen 41:44). We know that the victory of resurrection is that Christ triumphs over death.

In addition to these direct parallels from the unit we can also garner the inspiration that God works out his purpose in the life of Joseph, using the trials and falls as steps in larger picture of Israel’s redemption. Joseph’s suffering became a means of redemption of the nation of Israel (as Joseph himself tells his family in Genesis 50:20). God similarly used the passion of Christ to bring about redemption to all of creation. The story of Joseph teaches us that God’s providential power is always active in our lives. Even when others betray us (as Joseph’s brothers did to him) or when others malign our reputation with false accusations (as Potiphar’s wife did to Joseph) or forget us (as the chief cupbearer did to Joseph), God is able use those tragedies as part of his overall plan for our salvation and for those around us. It is for this reason that when we reflect on the parallels between Joseph and Christ we can find encouragement in the following words of St Paul : “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)