Our Venerable Father and Confessor Theophanes of Sigriana (817). Our Holy Father Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome (604).
Great Fast Day 30. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 40:18-31. Vespers – Genesis 15:1-15. Proverbs 15:7-19.
Read Isaiah 40:18-31
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today’s reading presents an interesting, and somewhat sophisticated, contrast between the worship of idols and the power of the true God. Unlike a lot of passages in the Bible, which simply deny the existence of any legitimate spiritual power in idols and condemn all who worship them, the prophet Isaiah in today’s passage takes a different route. He begins by asking about God’s power and nature, before introducing the idea of the craftsman who makes an idol. And here, he actually isn’t completely hostile, but actually sounds somewhat impressed by the idol-makers craft, since he chooses good wood, gilds it with care, and balances the image so that it will be stable.
But then Isaiah goes on to talk not about idols, or those who make them, but about God, and his complete control over the created world. If a human craftsman, even one who is engaged in creating idols, does so with great skill and discernment, how much more is the power of God to create? When we want to rely on our own strength, we should remind ourselves of this great power which God has, and which we do not. It’s not as if we have nothing – but what we do have, whether in terms of our creativity, ingenuity, skill, intelligence or any other virtue, is a gift from God, and really just a reflection of his great power and glory. If we understand our skills in this way, we will be on track to putting them to their proper use. If we misunderstand our gifts as something that comes from us, not from God, than we are in danger of falling into the real pitfall of idolatry: putting our hope in something that can never save us as God can.