THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
No one will be exempt from it. Due to this animosity, I shall turn away from him. Following the crucifixion of the Redeemer, the land of Judea faced a siege, as the mightiest Roman forces, gathered from various nations, bravely waged war against the Judean populace. Additionally, it suffered in a different manner, spiritually and mysteriously, as it was surrendered to impure spirits. If the protective barrier was removed and the walls that safeguarded it were shattered, who could doubt that it became a grazing ground for wild beasts of the mind?
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This is precisely what David proclaimed about it to Christ, the Savior of all: ‘Why hast thou cast down his stronghold, and all that pass by the way shall be plucked up also?’ With these words, he reveals the multitude of passions that dominated the minds of the Jews, where the ass represents extreme folly and the sparrow symbolizes carnal pleasure. He indicates that the land of the Jews could easily fall prey to anyone seeking to pillage it by stating that none would be found who would not take it; for no hand, whether human or demonic, has refrained from infringing upon it. Yet, some may argue, O Lord, that You have not rescued Your people, nor defended them, nor served as a stronghold for them. But He replies, indeed I have shielded and protected them through My grace and power; the necessity of this protection arose when they bore the fruit of the law. He questions, when they had finally become so weak and spiritually negligent that they failed to produce any virtuous fruit and had become like a withered, barren branch, who can compel Me to ensure their safety? What value is there in security for one who is incapable of yielding good fruit? Who can persuade Me to do so? This is what the phrase indicates, ‘Who shall cause Me to pluck the stalks of the field.’ The reason for such misfortune is articulated with the words, ‘For the sake of this enmity I will deny you.’ He gestures, as it were, towards Jerusalem, declaring that since it has become deeply hostile to Me, I have justifiably cast it aside. Here, He is not referencing any other animosity, nor does He reject any city but makes it clear that Jerusalem itself is adversarial and is rejected for having distanced itself from divine communion; for He lamented, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate’ (Matthew 23:37-38). Therefore, the Lord God will accomplish all His purposes. The inhabitants thereof shall cry out. When the land of Judah turned against the One who saves, opposing the Source of Life and engaging as an enemy in conflict with Him, He fulfilled all that He had ordained to occur. What is this fulfillment? To experience total denial, to be stripped of the spiritual rain, to be besieged, and to lose the highest grace and protection. For (Jerusalem) was set ablaze and brought to complete ruin. I will be consumed in the fire, He declares, all who dwell therein. If one were to interpret these words historically, they would discover Jerusalem in flames; but taking a broader view, the fire symbolizes the utter futility and total devastation that befell the Jews, as divine wrath was ignited against them, reducing them to dust and ashes. The prophet Jeremiah echoes this sentiment towards Jerusalem: ‘The Lord called thy name a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit; with the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken’ (Jeremiah 11:16). For it is ruinous in every regard for a human soul to depart from God and lose His grace and assistance, for it is dreadful to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), and as Moses proclaimed, Our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).