THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
In critiquing the zeal of the Jews to instruct others, the prophet Jeremiah, speaking truthfully, asked, “How do you say, ‘We are wise, and we have the law of the Lord’? Behold, the lying pen of the scribes has turned them into a deception as well. The wise are ashamed, perplexed, and caught in a trap; they have rejected the word of the Lord—where is their wisdom?” (Jer. 8:8-9). Though the scribes and Pharisees, who were proud of their understanding of the laws and looked down on the people, seemed wise, they were profoundly misguided. Their actions revealed their lack of true understanding, as they rejected the true Wisdom that descended from above—the Word from God the Father, “Who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
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Consequently, they became false and lifeless, “fools and blind” as the Savior Himself described them (Matt. 23:17). By spurning the Divine message and straying from the life-giving grace, they repeatedly showcased their rebellion against God, which ultimately led to their spiritual starvation. The prophecy from God was realized: “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. 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 possessed the opportunity for abundant truth, yet foolishly rejected it, would face divine judgment and forfeit all that could have enriched them with the greatest blessings. Because they chose disobedience and grievously opposed the Divine and Precious Grace, they encountered the consequences of their actions. Yet for those of us who have faith in Him, Immanuel is our bread of life. He is the bread that “came down from heaven... and gave life to the world” (John 6:41, 51, 58, 33). In Him and through Him, we overcome the malevolent power of decay, clothed with the grace sent from above, and offered to God the Father, radiant and holy. What can we expect in this life without being recipients of such gifts? The law underlines this in its written words: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying… one law shall be for you” (Numbers 15:17-29). The book of Leviticus also portrays the sacrament in a different light, yet both convey a similar message. Thus, recalling this is vital, as we weave a continuous narrative. It states, “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 favor: 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 pleasant savor, and a quarter of a hin of wine; and ye shall eat no new bread, nor parched grain, nor raw grain until that day when ye 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 symbolizes the initial yield of the harvest and signifies new fertility, while bread represents the gathered grain, stored up for nourishment, perhaps even brought into the barns. God commanded those living in the promised land to make this offering, demonstrating that both elements point toward Christ. He is “the bread coming down from heaven” and life-giving (John 6:33), representing the inception of the dough for those being reborn in Him, renewing their lives. The earliest dough began with Adam, who fell into sin by disregarding God’s command, bringing about the curse and leading humanity into death and decay. In contrast, Christ represents the beginning of a new dough. He eluded the curse, becoming “an oath for us” (Gal. 3:13), dispelling the power of corruption, as He was “among the dead free” (Psalm 87:6). Rising from the grave, He overcame death and ascended to the Father, not merely as an offering of light and a gift but as the first fruits of humanity renewed in incorruption. Therefore, the presentation of bread in the holy tabernacle and the offering to God in the holy of holies symbolizes Immanuel's ascension to 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 symbolized this in a concealed manner, draped in the coarse fabric of its letter, foreshadowing the true bread that comes down from heaven, Christ, who brings life to the world (John 6:33). Reflect on how, having taken on our humanity, he is set apart for God as the very foundation of our renewal, being the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18) and the first fruits of all resurrected beings (1 Cor. 15:20), ascending into heaven; for He, the seed of Abraham, was taken up, as Paul notes (Heb. 2:16), designated for all that He might impart life to everyone, just as the first sheaf from the harvest is offered to the Father.