Scripture
Reading: Exodus chapters 31,32 and 34 (continuation of Step#29 posting)
Lessons
from St. Gregory of Nyssa (‘Life of Moses’):
St. Gregory of
Nyssa reflects on the restoration of the tablets of the Law and its deeper
spiritual meaning. He begins by noting that the original tablets, inscribed by
God, were broken when Moses threw them down in response to the Israelites’ sin.
Moses then made new tablets from earthly material, which God inscribed again,
symbolizing the restoration of grace. St. Gregory suggests that this event
reveals God’s concern for humanity. When the tablets were broken, it symbolized
as humanity's fall into sin and mortality. The restoration of the tablets, this
time made by Moses but inscribed by God, symbolizes the restoration of human
nature through the divine intervention.
He references
the Apostle Paul, who metaphorically calls the tablets “hearts,” indicating
that the Law is meant to be inscribed on the human soul. “and you show that
you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are human
hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3)
Originally,
human nature was created perfect and immortal, with the Law inherently guiding
people away from evil and towards honouring God. St. Gregory sees
the 'voice of the serpent' in the story of Adam and Eve, and the 'voice of
drunken singing' in the story of the golden calf (Exodus 32:18) as the one that
caused the fall and breaking of this perfect state. Yet, the true Lawgiver,
Jesus Christ, restored human nature.
As Moses made
the tablets from stone, St. Gregory says Christ “cut the tables of human
nature for himself from our earth….He became the stonecutter of His own flesh,
which was carved by the divine finger, for the Holy Spirit came upon the virgin
and the power of the Most High overshadowed her.” This act restored
humanity’s unbroken and immortal nature, with the Law now written on the hearts
of believers by the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the “finger” of God in
Scripture. [“But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then
the kingdom of God has come upon you.”- St. Luke 11:20]
St. Gregory of
Nyssa discusses the transformation of Moses after he received the restored
tablets of God’s law. Moses' face shone with such divine glory that others
could not look upon him. St. Gregory sees this as a symbol of the
transformative power of God's grace and redemption. This transformation is
linked to the restoration of human nature by Jesus Christ, who healed our
brokenness and restored us to our original beauty through the divine power of
God.
Just as Moses’
glory was too great for the Israelites to look upon, the glory of Christ is too
overwhelming for the impious and the heretics.
He further elaborates that when Christ comes in his glory, accompanied
by all the angels (St. Matthew 25:31), even the righteous will find it
difficult to bear and behold his glory. St. Gregory views the prophecy of
Isaiah – “If favour is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness;
they corrupt what is upright on the earth and do not see the majesty of the
Lord.” (Isaiah 26:10)- as one where the impious and those who follow false
teachings will be excluded from the vision of Christ’s second coming and will
not see the glory of the Lord.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Reflect on the
role of prayer in your efforts to support and guide others back to God? Have I
ever interceded for others, as Moses did for the Israelites, when they strayed
from their faith? How do I respond to my own sins and mistakes? Have I been
vocal in fostering a sense of accountability within my family/community against
any wrongdoing?
2. What practices
can I adopt to ensure that I regularly reflect on my actions and seek
repentance? What steps can I take to cultivate a heart that is always ready to
meet Christ, both in daily life and at His second coming? What efforts do I put to restore my
relationship with God and with fellow beings?
In Christ,
Rincy
Ref: Gregory
of Nyssa, Saint. The Life of Moses. Translated by A.J. Malherbe and E.
Ferguson, HarperCollins, 2006, pp. 98-100. HarperCollins Spiritual Classics
series. (Original translation published by Paulist Press, 1978)
Disclaimer: The content presented here is a
paraphrased summary based on my reading and understanding of the book cited
above and is intended solely for educational and devotional purposes during
Lent. They are not intended to replace the original work or represent the views
of the author or publisher. Readers are encouraged to refer to the original
book for a comprehensive understanding.
No comments:
Post a Comment