وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Law is God's Law and the commandments are God's
commandments. From the beginning
God gave the Law and handed it,
written, to Moses the Prophet (Ex. 20).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





But the Lord Jesus Christ laid down the Law of the New Testament for us in the Sermon on the Mount, in His words to His disciples: "A new commandment I give to you" (Jn. 13:34), and in every spiritual teaching He left, of which it was said: "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt. 7:28).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Lord Jesus Christ had a standpoint regarding the Law of the Old Testament which was manifested in the strong and marvellous expression which He repeated several times in the Sermon on the Mount, saying: "You have heard that it was said to those of old.. But I say to you..." (Matt. 5:22,28,32,34,39,44). No one has authority over God's Law except Him alone.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





We see that the Lord Jesus Christ had authority to legislate. Regarding the Sabbath: it is lawful to do good on it. Regarding the tithes: they are the least of the offerings and are to be observed with the commandment: "Give to him who asks you" (Matt. 5:42). He also had authority to legislate monogamy, divorce (Matt. 5:32) and all the other laws in Christianity pertaining to perfection.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





No man has ever dared speak about the Law in such a way, saying: "But I say to you." Moses and the prophets used the phrase "says the Lord". Christ the Lord could not have spoken with such authority, saying: "But I say to you," unless He is God..

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





No one has authority over himself and over his spirit because the Lord is "the God of all flesh," and He said: "Behold, all souls are Mine" (Ez. 18:4). And St. Paul the Apostle said that Christ is the Father of spirits when he said: "Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?" (Heb. 12:9)

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus Christ says: "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (Jn. 10: 17,18). Who can dare claim this authority? The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who said this statement because He is God.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Christ's authority over Himself was manifested in the Resurrection when He rose by Himself and was not raised by another as those before Him were. He came out of the sealed tomb by Himself, without anyone seeing Him.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The demons were afraid of the Lord Jesus Christ and cried out on seeing Him for fear of being destroyed or tormented. For example:

(a) The man at the synagogue of Capernaum who was possessed with an evil spirit. The spirit cried out, saying: "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are the Holy One of God' (Mk. 1:22-24); (Mk. 3:1 1).

(b) The man who was called Legion because he had many demons, who was tied up with chains and chackles because of his violence. When he saw the Lord, he fell down before Him and cried out with a loud voice, saying: "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" (Lk. 8:28)

(c) The two outrageous mad men who came out of the tombs in the country of Gergesenes so fierce that no one could pass that way. When they saw the Lord, they cried out, saying: "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" (Matt. 8:29) And the Lord permitted the demons to leave the two men and go into a herd of swine.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Lord's order silenced the devils and drove them out. In Capernaum the Lord Jesus Christ rebuked an unclean spirit, saying: "Be quiet, and come out of him" (Mk. 1:25), and with Legion He "commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man" (Lk. 8:29), . The Lord rebuked a dumb spirit, saying: "You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter him no more!" (Mk. 9:25) In the case of the boy who was seized and convulsed by an unclean spirit, the Lord "rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father" (Lk. 9:42,43).

In all these cases, the evil spirits obeyed the command of the Lord Jesus Christ and came out immediately. This authority can never belong to a human being.