Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Isho'dad of Merv (9th century) on Luke 22:43-44, 24:39

  

This, that there appeared unto Him an angel from Heaven, strengthening Him, He had not need of the help of an Angle, He who is more adorable than Angels; but he [the Angel] appeared to Him, first, for His honour, as also at His Birth, and His Fast, etc., he was honoured by them; second, because of the hearers, it was signified to the Angel that he should come, to shew by means of his coming, as he who was strengthening Him, that He should strengthen others and shew, that thus an Angel comes to the succour of those who suffer with Him and pray His Prayer, and endure oppressions; the Angel not speaking thus to Him, according to some Comfort thyself, thou Son of Man; this suffering of the Cross giveth Thee a crown of victory; but he glorified Him and was speaking like those words which are suitable to the servant to say towards his Lord, Praise to Thee, adored by all, who gavest Thy life to be bound by the hands of the Crucifiers, for the sake of the salvation of the world; praise to Thee, who instead of the chariot of the Cherubim, which is yoked on high for Thine honour, hast prepared for Thyself the chariot of the Cross in the depth; that by it might be shewn the love of Thy Father and Thine own; how much Thou hast loved the world, that thou killest Death by Thy death. And being in an agony He prayed earnestly; and His sweat was like drops of blood; for like as His Birth and His Baptism and His Fast and His Passion were not His alone, but rather of the nature of all; so also the words about the Passion and the Cross are not on the one hand suitable to Him, rather on the other hand to all Nature, but He rather spoke to the Disciples [words] that were suitable for doctrine. For just as He died for the sake of the nature of all; so also He spoke for the sake of the nature of all, bearing its person; and because He was treated as guilty. He stood that He might be punished on account of His fault. He naturally asked and entreated, and asked and implored; and because he was bearing the terror of the whole world, and fulfilled all the terror that had come upon human nature; on account of His terror surpassed the measure of human nature; but at the same time to signify, that He was not a phantom and a fancy, according to the wickedness of some; but He took a real Body of the race of Adam. (The Commentaries of Isho'dad of Merv, 3 vols. [trans. Margaret Dunlop Gibson; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1911], 1:200-1)

 

This, A spirit hath not flesh and bones, etc.; not that He had cast off the bodily nature form Himself; but to teach that He did not appear as a phantom; nor even in His spiritual nature did He suffer death according to the wickedness of men; but rather in His animal and corporeal nature, which from its essence was subject to dissolution. (Ibid., 207)