Isaiah 33:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If God is merciful, why does He not extend His mercy to all? Where there is mercy, honor, courage, and morality are not weighed. If this is the case, then mercy should encompass everyone, and since all is born from the mercy of God, let us not declare, “This one is deserving, and that one is less so.” When God inquires, such statements should be dismissed; when mercy is present, it brings salvation without consideration of worthiness or unworthiness. So how is it that God states, “And whom to pardon I will pardon, whom to spare I will spare” (Exodus 33:19)? This illustrates that His mercy is never in vain because there are those who are worthy and those who are not. Anyone who desires salvation is worthy of it, yet not all are deserving of mercy because they lack the desire for it. This is how the worthy and unworthy are discerned. Others may wonder how this can be reconciled. I refer not to my own thoughts but to Scripture: one owed ten thousand talents, while the other owed a hundred denarii; yet both were debtors. Was mercy to be offered to neither? Verily, I say, their dignity was not questioned there, for both were in debt, although one subsequently forfeited mercy even after receiving forgiveness. But the Son of God arrived, showing compassion to some while inviting others to come near; some approached Him, while others refrained. Thus, it becomes clear that He did not grant forgiveness by force or compulsion, nor did He coerce anyone unwilling to seek mercy to do so. He who seeks mercy must be both willing and eager to pursue it, so that he may recognize the workings of mercy; if he neglects this, how can he expect to receive salvation, that precious gift of water and grace? Yet one may argue, who is so wretched, so miserable, and so twisted, that even after committing countless wrongs, he should not desire God’s mercy and seek salvation? There exist countless such individuals. When Christ came to offer forgiveness, why did the Jews, to whom He lamented, “How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matt. 23:37), fail to seek salvation? Do you see their unwillingness? What can be simpler than prayer? Yet when one refuses to pray, how can he expect to receive mercy? Therefore, if someone is reluctant to seek mercy, how will he ever desire it? Does virtue require virtue, or is prayer too burdensome, demanding effort, toil, or wakefulness? His only instruction is to ask; yet you are unwilling even for this, resembling Simon who urged, “Pray to the Lord for me” (Acts 8:24). Moreover, you must understand that no one—no matter how righteous or holy—can pray for you as effectively as you can pray for yourself. Even in your impurity and lack of confidence, your prayers please Him more than those of any saint or believer praying on your behalf, for God’s concern is not for His own honor in rejecting you in favor of another’s prayers, but solely that He desires you to be in fellowship with Him. Consider why He rejected the prayers of the prophet Jeremiah, who often entreated on behalf of the Jews. Was it not because the prophet encouraged them to offer their own prayers to God? “Do not pray for this people,” he said, “and do you not see what they are doing?” (Jeremiah 7:16, 17). They were indifferent, yet you cry, lament, and plead. We also pray with the saints, but let us also have great faith in our prayers. The tax collector did not seek God through a superior, yet he could achieve as much as a thousand righteous contemplatives if they prayed for him. Do not say, “I do not know how to pray, I am unworthy, I lack faith”; by expressing your feelings of unworthiness and silence, you only highlight the urgent need for prayer. Are you unworthy, lacking faith? Then use prayer as your remedy against evil. Recall what the three young men said: “Even now we cannot open our mouths; we have become a shame and a reproach to Your servants and to those who honor You” (Dan. 3:33). In what sense did they not open their mouths? Yet they prayed and received. And we, like them, shall come forward to pray. What you claim about your unworthiness and lack of faith, direct toward the Lord of all, and you will soon find faith. Does your conscience prevent you from confidently gazing toward heaven? But it served the tax collector well. What you perceive as an obstacle to your prayers can instead sanctify them. This sentiment is appropriate not only for the sinner but also for those who strive for virtue. Abraham, when he sought something from God, said, “I am but dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), recognizing his unworthiness and humbling himself. And David declared, “I am a worm, and not a man” (Psalms 21:7). You have strayed from God many times. Is this not reason enough to dwell in sin? By staying away from God and avoiding prayer, you only add to your sins. Listen to the prophet’s prayer for many: “Lord, have mercy upon us; in You we trust.” What better prayer exists than this, as he prays not for one person, but for all members of the universal church? He was pleasing to God, for he had a care for everyone and provided the rationale for his supplications: “in You we trust.” And you too; is God’s mercy not sufficient? Can your sins exceed the limits of His goodness? Like a mere spark in the vast ocean, so, or even less, are the faults and transgressions of humanity before God’s mercy. Do you wish to comprehend His might? It was solely by His will that He transformed the rejected of this world—the condemned, the estranged, the hopeless, and the ungodly (cf. Eph. 2:12)—into sons and co-heirs with His only begotten Son. Do you yearn to see His power to cleanse sins? "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow" (Is. 1:18). In another passage, it is expressed more clearly: “Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean” (Psalms 50:9)—hyssop being that branch dipped in blood with which the people’s transgressions were cleansed. “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalms 50:9). If from His goodness flows the existence of souls, how much more so does their purity and sanctification arise from it. Therefore, let no one despair, believing that transformation is impossible, for being a sinner is an unnatural condition. Sin represents an action against the will of God, and resisting repentance is also against His will. He is the Lord of all, including the free will of His creatures. He willed, and the heavens were created perfectly. With just His will, you can be made holy in an instant. Who can bring accusations against God's elect? “God justifies them” (Rom. 8:33). Do not dwell on the magnitude of your sins, but focus on the boundless goodness of God. Diseases may be extensive, but the Physician is infinitely greater; the storm may rage fiercely, but the helmsman is wise; souls may fall into despair, yet remedies remain even in the depths of despair. Nothing can surpass or overpower His mercy. He declares, “Today, if you hear His voice” (Psalms 94:7; Hebrews 3:7). What is worse than a thief? Yet with a single word, in one moment, he entered paradise before a multitude of saints. Worrying about sins and fearing them is characteristic of those who come seeking God’s mercy. If we maintain a good relationship with Him, we shall fear nothing, even if we have greatly wronged Him, for we have the love of our faithful Friend. However, if we hesitate to trust in His love, this lack of faith depends solely on ourselves. Was not the prodigal son deserving of reconciliation because, despite being troubled by the many evils he had committed, he approached his father with a humble request? Why was he received with such joy? What virtues did the father recognize in him? Did he not come out of necessity? Had he not been driven by hunger, poverty, and shame? But the father didn’t question this; he saw his son from a distance, gaunt, pale, ragged, and thirsty. Yet this did not deter him from acknowledging the value of his son; even though he approached due to difficult circumstances, he embraced him. Likewise, when we turn to God, He welcomes us, even if our approach is motivated by trouble and need. In genuine love, any hardship seems insignificant, and the lover merely longs to see the beloved, appreciating those difficult times that caused their reunion. The Jews only cried out to God due to the burdens and sufferings inflicted upon them. Was it not from a longing of the heart? Did they not seek God when death was upon them? Did He not accept their pleas as they sought Him in desperation? Among the least of all nations, it pleases God to deliver those who turn to Him, even in times of anguish. It seems to align with His will to subject people to trials; otherwise, why does He warn us of gehenna and instill fear? Is it not so we may turn to Him? Why does He create needs within us? Is it not that we may turn to Him even out of poverty? Here are further affirmations. He says, “Your wickedness shall chastise you, and your abandonment shall correct you; therefore, know and consider how grievous and bitter it is that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and My fear is not in you” (Jer. 2:19). Will you not heed these words? I will leave it up to you to be corrected by your actions. It was not My desire, but since you have chosen it, I will not deal with you unjustly. Observe the merciful father; he did not heed a single word of supplication or repentance, but simply looked at and embraced his son. What virtues did you notice in him that you rushed out to greet him with such love? And this was not enough, for he honored him even more than those who were truly virtuous. Would it not be more just to honor him equally with others rather than bestowing upon him greater honors? If this is true, then sinners indeed prevail over the righteous. Not so; only those sinners prevail over the righteous who, upon sinning, genuinely return in repentance. In such cases, it is evident that a once-fallen sinner may emerge renewed. There was a faction of the unrepentant doomed to destruction, and their lineage was corrupted. God does not annihilate all the wicked nor does He forsake them completely. He does not destroy them so that every preordained one may become worthy, nor does He abandon them for the oversight and vigilance of others. Were He to remove them entirely, He would eliminate even the opportunities for conflict; yet if He left them to remain, He would make the virtuous sluggish and hinder good deeds. And if He refrained from chastising the wicked, He would obstruct the good from progressing in virtue.

During times of tribulation, the reality of salvation is particularly evident to the faithful guardians of divine mysteries. This truth is further emphasized by the wise Paul, who states: When I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:10), to whom the Savior of all responds: My grace is sufficient for you: my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

It suggests that after the cities of the ten tribes known as Israel had been devastated, and the cities of the Jews were also captured—except for Jerusalem—he would face defeat and his army would perish due to the angel’s intervention. Thus, they claim that it is a declaration for the people who offer praise to God, saying, Lord, have mercy on us; in You we trust. It articulates that He alone is their strength, morning after morning, and their salvation in times of need and distress. For from the voice of the angel, who, as Simmachus translated, is referred to in the Hebrew (amun), which signifies crowd—believed by the Jews to be Gabriel, sharing a common root with the term people—the Assyrian fled from God's majesty, and the tribes with him were scattered in all directions. When they fled, the Jews gathered the spoils, akin to how one would collect numerous caterpillars and locusts when they are heaped in the ditches. In their triumph over the enemy, the Lord was magnified; Zion was filled with justice and righteousness, and the faith of those besieged was demonstrated. They possessed their riches in wisdom, in knowing God, and in the reverence of the Lord, who alone was their treasure. This is a reflection on historical events, as they strive in every conceivable manner to undermine the teachings of Christ and His apostles. However, we maintain that following the glorification of the Apostles, of whom it has been said, Blessed are they that sow beside all waters, where the ox and the donkey tread, and in the lamentation of those who persecuted them, of whom it is further declared, Woe unto them that make you unclean, but no man makes you miserable: and like a moth in a garment, so shall they also be crushed. This speaks on behalf of the Apostles and all believers. The message conveyed is this: Lord, we relied on Your assistance and placed our faith in You; the offspring of the unfaithful perished forever, and our deliverance emerged in our time of trial. For when You came to our aid, the entire multitude of tribes scattered, becoming prey and derided by their conquerors. This came to pass because the holy Lord abides in the highest, and Zion is filled with justice and righteousness, as written above, Justice and righteousness shall inhabit the wilderness. Therefore, it is the same Zion that was once referred to as wilderness, and all who dwell there will be instructed in the law of the gospel, where our salvation resides along with the wisdom of believers, knowledge, piety—characteristics unique to true Christians—and the fear of the Lord, which holds the treasures of wisdom.