THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The nature of the burnt offering is evident from the instructions provided. The correct and most appropriate way to conduct the sacrifice, referred to as the grain offering, is outlined with these words: “This is the law concerning the grain-offering: ... The children of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord upon the altar. The children of Aaron shall bring it before the Lord unto the altar; and let the priest take with his handful of the grain-offering, and of the flour of wheat, and of the oil, and of all the leaven that is upon the sacrifice, and burn it upon the altar: it is a pleasant savour, a memorial before the Lord: and the rest thereof let Aaron and his children eat.
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It shall be eaten unleavened in the holy place, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation; they shall eat it, it shall not be baked leavened. These things I give unto them as a portion of My sacrifices. It is a great holy thing, like the sin offering and the sacrifice of obedience. All the male descendants of Aaron may eat it. It is an everlasting portion in your generations of the Lord's sacrifices. Everything that touches it shall be sanctified” (Lev. 6:14-18).
The burnt offering symbolizes, in a sense, the perfect and complete dedication of the chosen saints to God; in contrast, the sacrifice represents a partially holy and subordinate existence devoted to God, indicated precisely by the wheat flour, combined with a handful of oil and leaven. A life offered to God, albeit in part, must be fully fragrant and infused with brilliant aspirations. Do you not perceive our good works as fragrant? Palladius responds affirmatively. Cyril then queries: Are not these acts performed with hopeful intent? Palladius confirms, for they are assuredly followed by God’s promise. Cyril explains that the leaven and oil-infused wheat flour symbolize a life that is both fragrant and radiant. Palladius agrees, yet wonders what sort of life can be considered partially holy. Cyril clarifies that it is neither that which attains the highest measures of holiness nor one that follows a lofty path, like the lives of John or the holy Apostles, nor one that diminishes its honor by being swayed by a lesser life. He poses the question of whether lives spent in the world, dedicated to producing a family in a commendable way, can then be ‘divided’ between God and the world, echoing the words of the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 7:33). Palladius concedes that they must be divided.
Cyril asserts that a life not entirely devoted to God, but rather ambivalent, reflects the partial consecration found in the fragrant and joyful wheat flour, which the law regards as a memorial to the one who presented it through the priest's service. Through our fragrant offerings, we too shall achieve a remembrance before God, as Christ mediates and offers to God what is completely holy, similar to a burnt offering, and also what is not wholly holy, given the division between the world and God, akin to a sacrifice partially dedicated to Him. Such sacrifices must be unleavened, for it is essential that all our works are pure, honoring God. The Saviour also cautioned against praying publicly for show, displaying a somber demeanor during fasting, or boasting about acts of charity (Matthew 6:1-5:16); these acts introduce leaven that corrupts the sacred offering. Instead, actions performed for God’s glory should be free from any semblance of human pride, ensuring they are genuinely unleavened and holy sacrifices. The remainder of the sacrifice serves as sustenance for the priests, and every male must be consumed within the holy place. This practice highlights the significance of sacramental words; the consumption of each male underscores the great folly and true unholiness of indulgence among the chosen of God. Such indulgence can defile an individual, depriving them of spiritual blessings and detaching them from the divine benefits given to the saints. Judas, for instance, was indulged, which led him into ungodliness, a result of thoughts that were neither righteous nor honorable; thus, he remained disconnected from God’s blessings and the privileges granted to the saints. Palladius acknowledges this truth.