THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The Lord declares: Do not enter the house of feasting, nor mourn for them, nor offer consolation, for I have withdrawn My peace from this people, along with mercy and compassion. Both the great and the small shall perish in this land, and they will not receive burial. There will be no mourning for them, nor any outward sign of grief like cutting their hair. They will not share bread with those who grieve for the deceased, nor provide drink to comfort the bereaved parents. You shall not enter the house of feasting to sit, eat, and drink with them. The apostle instructs that one must not even share food with those who have turned away from God (1 Cor. 5). Furthermore, rejoice in them you shall not even speak (2 Jn. 1:10).
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The Savior commands His disciples not to greet anyone on the roadway (Luke 10:4). This is why Elisha was told not to greet anyone while on his way to heal the son of Giesias (4 Sam. 4:29). There is a tradition of providing food for those who mourn, and holding feasts which the Greeks call περίδειπνα; however, our common folk refer to them as parentalia, as they are held in honor of deceased relatives. Additionally, Scripture instructs to provide drink to those in sorrow (Proverbs 31:6), that they may forget their grief. Thus, the prophet is commanded not to bring comfort to the people, to avoid participating in the feasts of God’s adversaries, or engaging in customary burial rites. There is a distinction between dying by natural order and dying as decreed by God. The Lord indicates that He has taken peace from this people because they do not deserve mercy; neither age nor status will be spared, for all will face destruction and lack burial. They are told not to torment themselves or cut their hair in mourning. It was customary among the ancients, and still persists among some Jews, to express sorrow through gestures such as tearing their garments and cutting their hair, as Job did (Job 1) (Job 22). Consequently, the prophet is instructed not to share bread with them, attend to the dead, provide drink, enter houses of feasting, or associate with those awaiting divine judgment. If these directives pertain to those in mourning, how much more dire must the situation be concerning the heretics, whose influence spreads like a disease and who continually conduct funerals within the church for those whom they have misled?