It was for this reason the Word of God came to be born in flesh,the One who is beyond time, eternal and not made. For God to be revealed to human beings, He was revealed not as before, in various visions and images, but He was incarnated and inhominated for our sake;and He became a human without change.
What is the Cause of His incarnation and revelation? The Holy
Apostle teaches us, saying: “Since the children participated in blood and flesh, he likewise participated in the same that by means of his death will void the one who holds the power of death, who is Satan. And he released those who were in bondage under him.” And concerning this, the Savior Himself said: “I came to the world as the light that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness.”
Our nature, which was sick in sin because of the transgression of the commandment given to Adam, was in need of Him (Christ) who will heal and cure it (our nature). The human being, who fell from grace, was longing to find Him (Christ) who will take him by the hand and raise him up. The one who was confined in the darkness was seeking the true light to enlighten him. The one who buried the painting of the royal image with the passion of sin, and lost the glorious beauty of the reasoning, this same one was longing unto the One who is able to renew him again and let him regain his first beauty of his creation. The sheep, who was lost from the rational realm of above, was waiting for the good shepherd, who will go out looking for him; and on the occasion of finding Him, he will cause the heavenly powers to rejoice; and He will count him with those who stayed with grace.
Since the human nature was in bondage under all these, by whom was he able to be created as a new uncorrupted creation? For this to happen by a creature was impossible. Therefore, it was necessary for Him to come, the one who formed us in His image and His likeness from the beginning; for by His hand we will be molded again and will receive the image and the likeness that we have lost.It is like a certain image when it is painted on wood or on another thing like it, when it is affected by dirt for any reason, its features become corrupted and faded. When someone wants to renew it, it is necessary for the owner of the image to come in order to repaint his likeness over the corrupted image. Likewise we too were created in the image of God, but we tarnished it with sin and corrupted it with iniquity.
Thus the splendid image of God was taken from
us; it was necessary for Him to come so that he will repaint us
again after his image by imperishable and incorruptible paints. It was impossible for this to happen by means of angels or prophets.Again, because we sinned we were subjected to death. And of sin, we served an evil and bitter bondage. We disdained the knowledge of God. Moreover, the honor and worship which is due to God, we offered to idols.
The divine apostle testifies that these things happened this way.What else? Was it appropriate for God to be silent and still, while his creation, which he made to honor Him, serves and worships another? For if an earthly king, who is a human being, by whose means cities were built and prospered, would not allow (his subjects) to worship and serve others—sometimes he would sent them messages, and sometimes he would send his friends to warn them that he alone should be recognized as their (king); and if they were not convinced by him by these means, he would go to them (in person) so that, by means of being close to them, he could pull them back to himself—how much more was it befitting for God to have compassion on his creatures, who went astray from Him, and who neither accepted the books of the law, nor were convinced by the message of the prophets, that He Himself would come and do (the task). These causes necessitated God the Word to come for our salvation, and not someone else from among His servants.
Causes of the celebration of the nativity chapter 5
ቅዱስ ሙሴ ባር ኬፋ በመካከለኛው ክፍለዘመን የነበረ ሶርያዊ የቤተክርስቲያን አባት
What is the Cause of His incarnation and revelation? The Holy
Apostle teaches us, saying: “Since the children participated in blood and flesh, he likewise participated in the same that by means of his death will void the one who holds the power of death, who is Satan. And he released those who were in bondage under him.” And concerning this, the Savior Himself said: “I came to the world as the light that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness.”
Our nature, which was sick in sin because of the transgression of the commandment given to Adam, was in need of Him (Christ) who will heal and cure it (our nature). The human being, who fell from grace, was longing to find Him (Christ) who will take him by the hand and raise him up. The one who was confined in the darkness was seeking the true light to enlighten him. The one who buried the painting of the royal image with the passion of sin, and lost the glorious beauty of the reasoning, this same one was longing unto the One who is able to renew him again and let him regain his first beauty of his creation. The sheep, who was lost from the rational realm of above, was waiting for the good shepherd, who will go out looking for him; and on the occasion of finding Him, he will cause the heavenly powers to rejoice; and He will count him with those who stayed with grace.
Since the human nature was in bondage under all these, by whom was he able to be created as a new uncorrupted creation? For this to happen by a creature was impossible. Therefore, it was necessary for Him to come, the one who formed us in His image and His likeness from the beginning; for by His hand we will be molded again and will receive the image and the likeness that we have lost.It is like a certain image when it is painted on wood or on another thing like it, when it is affected by dirt for any reason, its features become corrupted and faded. When someone wants to renew it, it is necessary for the owner of the image to come in order to repaint his likeness over the corrupted image. Likewise we too were created in the image of God, but we tarnished it with sin and corrupted it with iniquity.
Thus the splendid image of God was taken from
us; it was necessary for Him to come so that he will repaint us
again after his image by imperishable and incorruptible paints. It was impossible for this to happen by means of angels or prophets.Again, because we sinned we were subjected to death. And of sin, we served an evil and bitter bondage. We disdained the knowledge of God. Moreover, the honor and worship which is due to God, we offered to idols.
The divine apostle testifies that these things happened this way.What else? Was it appropriate for God to be silent and still, while his creation, which he made to honor Him, serves and worships another? For if an earthly king, who is a human being, by whose means cities were built and prospered, would not allow (his subjects) to worship and serve others—sometimes he would sent them messages, and sometimes he would send his friends to warn them that he alone should be recognized as their (king); and if they were not convinced by him by these means, he would go to them (in person) so that, by means of being close to them, he could pull them back to himself—how much more was it befitting for God to have compassion on his creatures, who went astray from Him, and who neither accepted the books of the law, nor were convinced by the message of the prophets, that He Himself would come and do (the task). These causes necessitated God the Word to come for our salvation, and not someone else from among His servants.
Causes of the celebration of the nativity chapter 5
ቅዱስ ሙሴ ባር ኬፋ በመካከለኛው ክፍለዘመን የነበረ ሶርያዊ የቤተክርስቲያን አባት
