Homily 64 #

On Holy and Great Friday, by our holy father Ephraim the Syrian, on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I tremble to speak with my tongue and to touch upon the awesome account of the Savior—for it is a fearful thing to speak of this. For today, our God has been delivered into the hands of sinners and lawless men. Why then was the Holy Lord of Heaven, who was without sin, given over? Though He committed no transgression, He was delivered up today.

Let us draw near and understand why Christ, our Savior, was given up. It was for our sake—for us who are ungodly—that the Lord was delivered. Who would not marvel at this? Who would not glorify Him? The Master was delivered up for His sinful servants, so that He might free them from death.

We, the sons of perdition and children of darkness, went out to seize the Sun Himself—He who could in a single hour consume all things with fire. Yet seeing the boldness and malice of them all, the Lord, with meekness and all kindness, and of His own will, gave Himself into the hands of the lawless.

And the wicked ones bound the Most Pure Lord, mocking Him, tormenting Him—He who had bound the strong one with unbreakable chains and had loosed us all from the bonds of our sins.

They twisted together a crown of thorns—the fruit of that vine of Judah—and mocked Him, calling Him king. These lawless ones spat upon the face of the Most Pure Lord—He whose glory is so great that the heavenly hosts tremble before it, unable to bear its radiance.

And again my heart is overwhelmed, my soul is grieved and tears flow, as I reflect on how the Lord of all creation was held fast, tormented, ridiculed, wounded, and spat upon by lawless men.

Come, let us behold the extraordinary compassion of the gentle Lord for His enslaved servants. He had once given them good things in paradise, and even when they sinned, He did not abandon them, but when He saw that they were overpowered by the tormentor, the good and loving Lord took pity on them—and He stretched out His hands and allowed Himself to be struck on their behalf.

I wished, brothers, to keep silence in reverent awe, contemplating these fearful mysteries—but again I was afraid, lest I be deprived of the Savior’s grace for the sake of silence. Therefore, I speak to you now with fear, brothers, and my bones tremble as I recall how our Lord, the Creator and Fashioner of all, today stood before Caiaphas as one condemned.

And one of the servants struck Him on the cheek.

My heart trembles when I think on this: the servant sits, and the Master stands. The one full of iniquity gives judgment against the Sinless One. The heavens were shaken, the foundations of the earth were stirred, angels and archangels were filled with dread. Gabriel and Michael veiled their faces with their wings. The Cherubim at the throne withdrew beneath their wheels. The Seraphim clashed their wings in anguish in that very hour—when the servant of Caiaphas struck the Lord on the cheek.

How, then, did the foundations of the earth endure it? In that hour of the Lord’s suffering, there was trembling and fear. I think on this and tremble—but I also grow bold when I behold the longsuffering of our good Lord. Even my very limbs quake as I speak these things.

If the Creator, who first formed man by His hand from the dust, was struck on the cheek—He who made all things—then let us, brothers, be afraid when we hear of what the Savior endured for our sake.

O wretched servant, say, why did you strike the Master? For all servants, when they wish to become free, are beaten so that they might gain fleeting freedom; but you, O accursed one, have struck the sinless Deliverer of all unlawfully.

What reward did you hope to receive from Caiaphas in exchange for such a blow? Have you not heard or understood that He is the Son of the Heavenly Lord? Having struck the Lord of all, you became a slave among slaves, an object of shame and loathing, condemned forever to the unquenchable fire.

It is a great wonder, brothers, to see the meekness of Christ the Lord and King. Though struck by a servant, He answered with wisdom, in all meekness and restraint. The servant grew harsh, but the Master was patient. The servant grew angry, but the Master blessed. Yet who can endure the anger and fury of His wrath when it shall come? For our God endured all this in His goodness.

Who, then, can declare Thy longsuffering, O Lord?

Come near, beloved and desired of Christ, if you have repentance and a heart that longs for Him. Come, then, and see what has taken place today in Zion, the city of David.

What has the beloved and chosen seed of Abraham done today? They have delivered the Most Pure Lord over to death.

On this very day, Christ our Savior was unlawfully hanged upon the wood of the Cross by the hands of the lawless. Let us all now draw near, let us wash His body with our tears and sighs—for the Lord, the King of glory, has been delivered to death for our sake, we who are ungodly.

What man, upon suddenly hearing of the death of a beloved friend or relative—or suddenly seeing him lying dead before his eyes—would not be shaken? Even the light of his face might be changed.

So too, when the bright Sun in the heavens beheld the torment of the Heavenly Lord upon the wood of the Cross, it altered its countenance and hid its rays, unable to bear the sight of the Lord’s suffering. And out of grief and darkness, it was veiled.

Likewise, the Holy Spirit, who was in the temple, seeing the Son hanging upon the wood of the Cross, tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom, and departed at once in the form of a dove.

All of creation, then, was filled with fear and trembling as the Savior—the Heavenly King—suffered. But we sinners remain ever heedless. Though the only Sinless One was given over, we are always laughing, even as we hear of the Passion and suffering of the Savior.

We eat and drink with all care, constantly striving to adorn ourselves with fine clothing. But the Sun in the heavens, because of the Lord’s torment, turned its brightness into darkness, to show us that we too should respond fittingly.

The Lord endured the Cross for you—should you then be adorning yourself with garments, O accursed one? Does your heart not tremble? Is your mind not struck with awe when you hear these dreadful things?

The only Sinless One was given over to death for you, the ungodly, enduring torment and shame—yet you mock when you hear all this?

Every ear, every member of the rational flock ought always to guard its Shepherd and long for Him, and be ashamed before Him.

For this reason, the Passion was suffered by the impassible Lord—that we might not seek adornment in perishable garments, nor delight in food and drink like men of the world, but rather, with monastic purity and every form of holiness, strive to please the Shepherd.

Let us not be like the Jews—hard-hearted and disobedient, always repaying the blessings of God and His good deeds with evil.

The Most High Lord, for the sake of Abraham and His covenant with him, long bore with the stubbornness of the people. From heaven He gave them manna to eat, but being unworthy, they longed for the leeks and garlic of Egypt—the foul-smelling foods.

He gave them water in the wilderness—but at that very place, they gave Him vinegar to drink and hanged Him upon the tree.

Let us strive, brothers, not to be found partakers with the Jews, who crucified their own Lord and Creator. Let us always live in fear, keeping before our eyes the Passion of the Savior, and let us learn to weep over our own passions—for the Impassible and only Sinless One suffered on our behalf.

What, then, shall we render to Him for this, brothers?

Let us be attentive to ourselves, lest in any way we deny His Passion. Come, all you children of the Church, you who have partaken of the Precious Blood of the Most Holy Lord. Come, let us learn from the Passion of the Lord, with tears and sighing, understanding in fear and meditating in trembling, saying within ourselves: “Christ our Savior was delivered up for us sinners.”

Reflect, brother, on what you have heard. God, the Sinless One, the Son of the Most High, was given up for your sake. Open your heart and examine with care His Passion, and say within yourself: “God the Sinless One was this day delivered up. This day He was mocked. This day He was struck. This day He was spat upon. This day He wore the crown of thorns. This day the Lamb of Heaven was crucified.”

Let your heart tremble, let your soul be filled with dread, and weep continually as you meditate on the Lord’s Passion. For tears are sweet and they enlighten the soul when we ponder Christ’s suffering. Meditate in this way always, shedding tears without ceasing, praising the Lord for His Passion, which He endured for your sake—and in the day of His coming, these tears will be your crown before His judgment seat.

Suffer with Him also, learning from the Passion of the Impassible Lord. Endure tribulations, and in afflictions, praise God. Blessed is the one who always keeps the Lord of heaven and His Passion before his eyes, and crucifies himself to all earthly passions and sorrows, becoming an imitator of his Lord. This is the true wisdom of all who love God—when they imitate their Master through good deeds.

Do you see, O man, the Most Pure Lord hanging upon the Cross—and yet you dare, without shame, to live out your years in indulgence and worldly merriment?

Or do you not know, O wretched one, that the crucified Lord will call you to account for all your carelessness?

Even now, you hear and remain idle, eating and drinking, laughing without ceasing. But the great and dreadful day of vengeance will come, and then you shall weep without end, and cry aloud in the flames, from the anguish of your soul.

I bow down to Thee, O Lord. I bless Thee, O Good One. I pray to Thee, O Holy One. I fall down before Thee, O Lover of mankind. I glorify Thee, O Most Pure One—for Thou alone art the Only-Begotten, the Master of all, the only Sinless One, who for me, a sinner and unworthy, hast tasted of death—even the death of the Cross—that Thou mightest free and deliver this sinful soul from grievous iniquities.

And what shall I render unto Thee for all this, O Lord?

Glory to Thee, O Lover of mankind, for the multitude of Thy compassions and Thy mercy.

Glory to Thee, O Merciful One.
Glory to Thee, O Longsuffering One.
Glory to Thee, O Forgiver of all transgressions.
Glory to Thee, who camest down to save our souls.
Glory to Thee, who wast incarnate in the Virgin’s womb.
Glory to Thee, who wast born.
Glory to Thee, who wast taken by the lawless.
Glory to Thee, who wast spat upon.
Glory to Thee, who wast struck upon the cheek.
Glory to Thee, who wast crucified.
Glory to Thee, who wast buried.
Glory to Thee, who didst rise again.
Glory to Thee, who didst preach the Gospel.
Glory to Thee, who didst confirm Thy disciples.
Glory to Thee, who didst ascend into heaven.
Glory to Thee, who sittest in glory and majesty at the right hand of the Father, and who shalt come again with Thy holy angels, to judge every soul that hath rejected Thy holy Passion, in that great and fearful hour—when the powers of heaven shall be shaken, when the angels and archangels shall draw near, and the Cherubim and Seraphim shall stand in fear and trembling before Thy judgment seat.

Let Thy grace, O Lover of mankind, cover me with Thy wings, and deliver my soul from the fearful fire, and the gnashing of teeth, and the outer darkness, and the eternal weeping—that I may bless Thee, and glorify Thee, and magnify Thee:

Glory to Him who willed to save sinners through the abundant riches of His mercy, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.