Christ Born Glorify Him (Part Two)

Hello readers of Mahtot! Today I come with homily of John Chrysostom on the Nativity of Christ part two. 

Merry Christmas!
Dn. Alemayehu Habte  
December 31, 2015 

Part Two

    

The synagogue nursed Him and raised Him; the Church received Him and was benefited by Him.
In the synagogue the root sprouted; we however partake of the grapes of truth.
The synagogue trampled upon the grapes; the idolaters, however, drink of the mystical drink.
He offered the seed to Judea; the idolaters, however, reaped the sheaves with the sickle of faith. They cut the rose with honor, and left the Judeans with the thorn of faithlessness.

The little bird has flown away, and they still senselessly wait and guard the nest.
The Judeans struggle to study the scriptures, and the idolaters eat of the fruit of the Spirit.

 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive.” (Isaiah 7:14).

Tell me, O Judaean, tell me, who was born?

I entreat you, show boldness as that which you showed before Herod. But you do not have boldness. And I know why. Because you are insidious. You spoke to Herod to cast Him out, and to me you do not speak that I might not worship Him. Who, therefore, was born? Who? The Creator of creation. And if you are silent, nature will cry out like thunder. He was born, therefore, in the manner in which He willed to be born. In nature, there is no possibility for a birth like this. He, however, as the Lord of creation, created a paradoxical way of birth. And He thus showed that, though He became man, He was not born like other men, but in a way that suits God. Adam, therefore, without a woman, acquired a woman. The Virgin now, without a man, gave birth to a man.

And why did this occur? Behold why: Women had an ancient debt towards men, because Adam had sprouted a woman without the intervention of another woman. For this reason, today the Virgin fulfills the debt of Eve towards men, and gives birth without a man, showing thus the equal honor of nature. Adam remained whole after parting with his rib; the Virgin remained incorrupt after giving birth to her Child. But note something further: The Lord did not create another body to be seen on earth. He took the body of man, that He not appear to disdain the matter with which he created Adam. He came thus, God and man, in a mystical union. And the devil, who had enslaved man, ran to flee.

God becomes man, but is born as God. If He came like I did, from a common marriage, many would doubt His birth. This is why He was born from a virgin. For this reason he kept her womb untouched. For this reason he preserves her virginity unspotted: that the manner of His birth might be paradoxical, a cause of unshakable faith.

  

Therefore, to those who doubt the seedless birth of the Word of God, I call upon the spotless seal of virginity as a witness.

 Tell me, therefore, O Judean, did the Virgin give birth or not?

And if she gave birth, why do you not confess the supernatural birth?
And again if she did not give birth, why did you deceive Herod?
  

For he sought to learn where the Christ would be born, and you told him: “In Bethlehem of Judea” (Matthew 2:4).

Perhaps I knew the city or the place?
Perhaps I knew the worth of the Child Who had come into the world?
Did not Isaiah and the Prophets speak to you of Him?
And you thankless enemies, did you not study the truth? You, the scribes and Pharisees, the strict keepers of the law, why don't you teach us about Christ?
Haven't you searched the Scriptures? Perhaps, do you not understand your own language?
And when the Virgin gave birth, did you not present the witness of the Prophet Michah to Herod: “But you, O Bethlehem of the land of Ephratha, though you are among the least of the cities of Judea, you will receive the leader of Israel” (Michah 5:1)?
  

Very well did the Prophet say: “from you”. From you He came, and appeared to the whole world. He appeared as a man, to lead men. He appeared as God to save the world.

  

O how beneficial enemies you are! What philanthropic condemners!

You by mistake showed how the newborn of Bethlehem is God.
You preached Him without wishing it.
You revealed Him, while trying to hide Him.
You were good to Him, while you wished to harm Him.
Truly, what illiterate teachers you are.
You hunger, and you run to others to be fed.
You thirst, and you are watered by others. You are utterly poor, and enrich others.
   
Come, let us rejoice together! Come, let us celebrate! The manner of the feast is strange as is also the word on the birth of Christ.
Today are dissolved the ancient bonds.
The devil is disgraced.
The demons flee.
Death is dispoiled.
Paradise is opened.
The curse disappears.
Sin is cast out.
Error is driven away.
Truth is revealed.
The message of piety is poured forth and is given everywhere.
The kingdom of the heavens is transplanted to earth.
Angels speak with men.
All have been united.
Why?
Because God has descended to earth, and man has ascended to the heavens.
  

God descended to earth, and again is found in heaven. He is wholly in heaven and wholly on earth. He became man and is God. He is God and took on flesh. He is held in virginal arms, and with His hands holds the world.

  

The Magi hasten to Him; let us also hasten.
The star hastens to reveal the Lord of heaven, and He Himself hastens.

   

He hastens towards Egypt. And of course it appears that he is going to flee the command of Herod. However, this came about to fulfill the prophetic words: “On that day, the people of Israel will take third, along with the Assyrians and the Egyptians, of the blessing of God upon the earth” (Isaiah 19:24).

  

What do you say, O Judean? You who were first have become third? The Egyptians have moved ahead, and the first-born of Israel has moved behind? Yes, this occurred. The Assyrians will be first, because through the Magi, they were the first to worship the Lord. Behind them, the Egyptians received Him, when they fled to their lands to flee the command of Herod. Third and last is the Israelite people, who knew the Lord through the apostles, after His baptism in the Jordan.

  

What else remains for me to say?

  

I behold the Creator and the manger, Child and swaddling clothes, Virgin and Mother arrayed in much poverty. You see, however, what riches there are in great poverty. The Rich One became poor as a gift to us. He does not have even a bed nor mattress. He is placed in His humble crib.

  

O poverty, spring of riches!

O uncountable riches, hid amidst poverty!
  

In the manger He is laid, and the world he preserves.

In swaddling clothes He is wrapped, and He breaks the bonds of sin.
You have not spoken a word yet, and you teach the Magi about God.
  
What can I say, and what should I speak?
There the Child is wrapped!
There is Mary, His Mother and Virgin, with Him!
There is Joseph, the supposed father of the Child!
She is the wife, he is the husband. The names are legal, but without meaning. Joseph only betrothed Mary, when the Holy Spirit came upon her. Thus, full of wonder, he did not know what to think about this Child:
He would not dare to say that He was the fruit of adultery.
He could not offer a blasphemous word against the Virgin.
He also could not receive the Child as his, because it was unknown to him who He was born from.

But above his confusion, he receives an answer from heaven, with the voice of the angel: “Joseph, do not hesitate to take Mary into your house, for the child which will come from her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

  

And he revealed the same to us, that the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin.

Why, however, did Christ wish to be born from a virgin, leaving her virginity intact?

  

Behold the reason:

Once, the devil deceived the virgin Eve. Now, the angel brings the saving message to the Virgin Mary.
Once, Eve poured forth a word, which became the cause of death. Now, Mary gives birth to the Word, Who became the cause of eternal life.
  

The word of Eve revealed the tree which took Adam from Paradise. The Word of Mary revealed the Cross, which placed Adam again in Paradise.

  

To Him, therefore, the Word of God and Son of the Virgin, Who opened the road in an impassible manner, let us offer glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto the ages of ages. Amen.

"Come, let us rejoice together! Come, let us celebrate!" Let us all worship Christ: God Who became man for our salvation! May He be born also within our cold and unbelieving hearts! Amen!