THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
In criticizing the zeal of the Jews to instruct others, the prophet Jeremiah aptly stated, "How do you say, 'We are wise, and we have the law of the Lord'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has written falsely. The wise will be ashamed, confounded, and trapped in a snare: they have rejected the word of the Lord; where is their wisdom?" (Jer. 8:8-9). The scribes and Pharisees, who were often derided for their knowledge of the law and looked down on the people, exhibited arrogance; however, their actions revealed their ignorance and foolishness. They turned away from the Wisdom that descended from above, that is, the Word from God the Father, "Who has become for us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30).
Read more (829 words)
Hence, they became false and devoid of spirit, "like tombs and blind guides," as declared by the Savior Himself (Matt. 23:17). When they rejected the Divine message and distanced themselves from life-giving grace, they were continually exposed for grieving God through their extreme disobedience, and they ultimately perished from spiritual hunger. The prophecy was fulfilled: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, when I will send a famine upon the earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a thirst to hear the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east, seeking the word of the Lord, and shall not find it" (Am. 8:11-12). Those who could have had this Word abundantly but foolishly chose to reject it are justly punished according to Divine judgement, losing the greatest blessings and the means by which they could have been enriched. Because they chose disobedience and grievously offended the Divine and Precious Grace, the scourge of spiritual barrenness came upon them. However, for all who believe in Him, Immanuel has become the bread of life. He is the bread that "came down from heaven … and gave life to the world" (John 6:41, 51, 58, 33): through Him, we overcome the destructive power of decay and are clothed with grace descended from above, that is, incorruptibility, presenting ourselves to God the Father as bright and holy. What purpose does our life have in this world if we are not blessed with such gifts? The letter of the law supports this understanding: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, … one law shall be for you" (Numbers 15:17-29). This is noted in the book of Numbers, while the book of Leviticus portrays the sacrament differently. However, their contemplations are not vastly dissimilar. Therefore, recalling this is essential for constructing a unified narrative. It is stated again: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Declare unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land which I give unto you, and reap a harvest therein, bring the first sheaf of your harvest unto the priest; he shall lift up that sheaf before the Lord, that ye may obtain favour: on the next day of the feast shall the priest lift it up; And on the day of the offering of the sheaf offer a lamb of one year old, without blemish, for a burnt offering unto the Lord, and with it an offering of bread, two tenths of an ephah of wheat flour mingled with oil, as an offering unto the Lord, for a pleasing aroma, and a quarter of a hin of wine; and ye shall eat no new bread, nor dried grain, nor raw grain, until the day that ye shall offer an offering unto your God: this is an everlasting ordinance in your generations in all your dwellings" (Lev. 23:9-14). Thus, the sheaf represents the beginning of the harvest, a sign of new fruitfulness, and the bread symbolizes gathered grain, prepared for nourishment or storage. Those settled in the promised land were to offer this to God, so that in both acts Christ might be revealed. He is "the bread coming down from heaven" and life-giving (John 6:33), and the first fruit of those being renewed in Him for life’s restoration. The earliest mixture was represented by Adam, but when he disobeyed the command, he fell into sin, receiving a curse that condemned humanity to death and decay. In contrast, Christ symbolizes the beginning of a new mixture. He escaped the curse as He became "an oath for us" (Galatians 3:13) and broke the hold of corruption, for He was "among the dead free" (Psalm 87:6). He rose victorious over death and ascended to the Father, not merely as a light offering but as the initiation of humanity transformed into incorruption. Therefore, the offering of bread in the holy tabernacle, presented to God in the holy of holies, naturally signifies the ascension of Immanuel into heaven. "For Christ entered not into the man-made sanctuary, which was a mere copy, but into heaven itself, to appear now for us in the presence of God," as it is written (Hebrews 9:24).
The law communicated this in a veiled manner, cloaked in the coarse garment of the letter, foretelling the true bread coming down from heaven, namely Christ, who imparts life to the world (John 6:33). Consider how, having become human like us, He is dedicated to God and the Father, having emerged as the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18) and as the precursor of the resurrection of all (1 Cor. 15:20), ascending into heaven itself; for He was taken from us, the seed of Abraham carried up, as Paul notes (Heb. 2:16), and appointed as one of all and for all, that He might bring life to all, being the first sheaf from the threshing floor lifted up to God the Father.