Monday of the 33rd Week

1 Peter 2:21-3:9

Beloved, Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honour to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 

Mark 12:13-17

At that time, the chief priests and the Pharisees sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marvelled at him.

"They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves" (Psalm 57:6). The Pharisees, bringing the guards of king Herod, try to trap the Lord with a trick question, which they wrap in false admiration and flattery, the "oil of the sinner" King David speaks about in the Psalm we sing every evening at Vespers (Psalm 140:5). Had He simply said 'yes', they would have accused Him before the people of supporting the Roman occupation, but had He said 'no', they could accuse Him of fomenting rebellion. As in Thursday's Gospel reading, the Lord's answer confounds them, and they leave unsuccessful in their scheming. But more importantly, He reminds us in whose image we are created, and therefore to whom we should render ourselves.  As the deacon exhorts us repeatedly in the Divine Liturgy, "Let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God." In the Genesis account we read that "God said, 'Let us make humankind according to our image and according to our likeness'...And God made humankind; according to divine image he made it" (1:26-27). One notices that while God makes us in His image, His likeness is not mentioned again in the second verse. The Fathers explain this by saying that while we have all been made in God's image, His likeness is something we come to attain. Indeed, this is the purpose and goal of our life, to become Christ-like in conformity to the image we already bear. This is why St. Peter speaks of Christ leaving us an example, that we may follow in his steps. All that He did, we are called to imitate. What He is by nature as God - loving, merciful, just, forgiving, humble, etc. - we are to become by grace. This is the essence of what we call 'theosis', and what St. Athanasius meant when he famously said "God became man that man might become god." Conversely, Caesar is here also seen as a symbol of the devil, "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31). We should cast off and render unto the devil those things in us which belong to him - anger, malice, hatred, jealousy, pride, envy, etc. - lest we, being made in the image of God, conform ourselves to the likeness of Satan. This is why St. Peter says, Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. The external adornments refer to the things of the world, which we render to Caesar, while the adornments of the heart are the things of God, which we render unto God.

St. Peter mentions the relationship between husband and wife, not only to show how holiness of life will lead to a stronger marriage and, in cases where one partner was either an unbeliever or less strong in their faith, will bring the other person to faith in Christ, but also to show marriage as an image of God. Wives are to be Christ-like, obeying their husbands as God the Son obeys the God the Father. Just as the Father and Son are equal, so husband and wife are equal, the latter freely submitting to the former out of love, not compulsion. Likewise, husbands are to be Christ-like by loving their "wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25). In concord with Christ's prayer "that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:22), St. Peter ends by teaching us to have have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind...for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.