The Holy Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia; Our Venerable Father Theoctistus, Fellow-Ascetic of the Great Euthymius.
Galatians 3:23-4:5; Mark 6:30-45.
Read Galatians 3:23-4:5
It is very telling, if you have a Bible App and do a search of the word “law” it is everywhere in the entire Bible and all of the contexts it is used is also very telling. Draw your attention to the context that Jesus uses for the word “law” in Matthew 5:17-19.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
Now do a Bible search of the word “faith”. It actually doesn’t appear near as often as the word “law” does in the Old Testament but is everywhere in the New Testament.
Another interesting note is about the miracle of the healing of “sight” and “seeing.” Even though there were many miracles that took place in the Old Testament including even the huge one of the raising from the dead, interestingly, the healing of sight only happens through Jesus in the New Testament.
In today’s reading to the Galatians, St Paul contrasts the reality of the Law with the reality of Faith. The Law is very necessary because it is the “rudder” that guides the life of Holiness and Faith is the gift of the restoration of “seeing” as once was before the fall into sin through the original sin of Adam and Eve. Before sin came into the world there was no division because there was the complete Communion with God. Faith in Jesus is the redemptive pathway given to mankind to return to life in Paradise, the Garden of Eden, Eternal Life, God’s “Kingdom.” This is the context that St Paul uses in today’s reading to the Galatians.
A practical outcome of this understanding is a deep humility where we see everyone as God’s children and regardless of how lost any of them might be through sin, we know that the sole purpose of Jesus entering into time in the flesh is to do everything that is needed to bring them back to their rightful home with The Father. Amen!