The Holy Martyrs Terentius and Neonila; Our Venerable Father Stephen the Sabaite, Composer of Canons (9th c.); the Holy Martyr Parasceve of Iconium
1 Thessalonians 2:9-14; Luke 11:14-23
Read Luke 11:14-23
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
One of the images that we use to describe the salvific atoning work of Christ is that of the Victor over our oppressive enemies. Humanity is part of a cosmic battle, which was set into motion at the fall of the angels—when 1/3 of the Angelic hosts rejected their allegiance to God and rebelled. They could no longer abide in the heavens, so they were cast out. Their hatred toward God ran so deep that anything, which reminded them of God they wished to destroy; especially, humanity which is created in the ‘image and likeness of God’ (Gen 1:26). From this day forward a cosmic war was waged for the souls of human beings. The human race brutally subject to the ‘strong man’ was helpless and unable to free itself. Now at the fullness of time, enters the ‘stronger man’, that is Christ as the indestructible champion here to crush the enemies of God.
Too often think of Jesus as a ‘loving teddy bear’ who came to be our buddy, but the early Church saw Jesus as a mighty victor who has come to save us from our enemies: sin, the devil and death. The enemies that we were powerless against. The enemies that oppressed us in fear. St. Irenaeus, who was born 130AD, describes Christ as the conqueror, waging war against the adversary and destroying him. (Against Heresies 495). St. Athanasius urges his readers, then, to celebrate the Paschal feast because “the devil, that tyrant against the whole world is slain” and “death and the kingdom of the devil is abolished.” (Letter IV) St. Maximus explains that “Christ, the captain of our salvation (Heb 2:10), turned death from a weapon to destroy human nature into a weapon to destroy sin.” (Ad Thalassium 61: On the Legacy of Adam’s Transgression). Let us take a moment today to contemplate Christ as the indestructible champion and Victor of our salvation. The war is finished, but the battles continue as we come closer the final day of his Second Coming—when all evil, sin and death will ultimately be destroyed.