Letter Vii
LETTER VII
ordinary food which passes right on through the body. Who will be considered worthy to be in that group? Who is so blessed as to be called to and counted worthy of that divine feast? For "blessed is he who shall eat bread in your kingdom" (Luke
14:15). But even a person who has been judged worthy of this heavenly calling and has been sanctified by it can, although he has been washed, become unclean. How? "Counting as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and despising the Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:29), he hears the Lord say, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding garments?" (Matt. 22:12).
The banquet of the saints, you see, is pure and spotless, for "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). Judas, for example, thought very little of the Supper even though he came to it. So he left the Lord's presence and, having abandoned his life (cf. Col. 3:4), he hanged himself. Oh, but the disciples who remained with the Redeemer also shared in the happiness of the Feast.
THE PRODIGAL SON'S HOMECOMING
Consider, however, the case of that young man who went to a faraway country and wasted his inheritance by riotous living. If he comes to his right mind and decides he wants this divine
Feast, he will say, "How many of my father's servants have bread to spare, while I perish here with hunger!" (Luke 15:17).
Then he shall get up and come to his father and confess to him, "I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired servants" (Luke 15:18, 19).
When he confesses like that, he shall be considered worthy of more than he prayed for. His father doesn't take him in like a hired servant, nor treat him like a stranger! Oh no, he kisses him as a son. He accepts him as a dead man come back to life again, counts him worthy of the divine Feast, and gives him the precious garment he once wore.
And now there is singing and joy in the father's home. For what has happened is the result of the Father's grace and
THE RESURRECTION LETTERS
lovingkindness. Not only does He bring his son back from death, but through the Spirit He clearly shows His grace. To replace corruption, He clothes him with an incorruptible garment. To satisfy hunger, He kills the fatted calf. And the Father provides shoes for his feet so that he will not travel far away again. And most wonderful of all, He puts a divine signet ring upon his hand. By all these things He begets him anew in the image of the glory of Christ.
EXHORTATION TO SINNERS
These, then, are the gracious gifts of the Father by which the Lord honors and nourishes those who abide with Him — and also those who repent and come back to Him. He promises, "I am the bread of life .
. he who comes to Me shall never thirst"
(John 6:35). We, too, can be counted worthy of these things.
We need only to maintain purity and cling to our Savior — not just in the six days of Easter, but considering the whole course of life as a feast, remain near Him, saying, "You have the words of eternal life, where else can we go?" (John 6:68).
So if any of us are far off, let us come back now, confessing our sins, holding nothing against anyone, and by the Spirit crushing evil desire and killing its deeds (Rom. 8:13). In that way, having nourished the soul while we are here, we shall partake with angels at that heavenly and spiritual table. We will not knock and be sent away like those five foolish virgins (Matt.
25:1-12), but we shall enter with the Lord, like those who were wise and loved the bridegroom. Showing the death of Jesus in our bodies (2 Cor. 4:10), we shall receive life and the kingdom from Him.
THE DATES OF THE FAST AND FEAST
We begin the fast of forty days on February 17 and the Easter Week fast on March 24. Then, as we are able, let us fast and watch and pray through those last six days, breaking the fast on Saturday evening, March 29. Then when that day which is holy
LETTER VII
and blessed in everything, possessing the name of Christ — the Lord's Day—comes (March 30) we shall begin the Feast, which lasts until Pentecost Sunday. Let us, then, at all times worship the Father through Christ, by whom to Him and with Him be glory and dominion by the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
All the brothers and sisters who are with me greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
THE EIGHTH LETTER
A.D. 338
PRAISE THE LORD IN
DIFFICULTIES
INTRODUCTION TO
THE EIGHTH LETTER
This is the Festal Letter for Athanasius' tenth year. We have no trace of the letters for the eighth and ninth years. The ancient chronicles said he could not write them because of his troubles, and this may well be the case, although it is likely that he sent a brief notice of the dates, at least. He was summoned to a council at Tyre (summer of 335) where enemies outnumbered friends. We have told earlier of how he fled to Constantinople and was exiled to Gaul. He was still in exile there when he began this letter of 338, finishing it after he had returned home.
Many things are dealt with here. Athanasius starts with a thanksgiving for deliverance from his troubles and then tells of how God deals with each one of us according to our needs. He points out that no place is really a desert for the faithful, and there are no difficulties so bad that we should get greatly upset.
After all, as Paul says, we have Christ to strengthen us, and we are more than conquerors through Him (Rom. 8:37).
The difficulties through which Athanasius had been passing were obviously in his mind as he wrote these things. Trials and tribulations had matured him, and he passed his thoughts on to the flock. Then his thoughts turned to the Arian heretics, and he wrote of how damaging was their wrong teaching of Jesus
Christ. Since they would not have Him to be truly God, they robbed themselves of salvation. Therefore, they persecuted the people of God.
But what of the believers? In view of all this, what should
INTRODUCTION TO RESURRECTION LETTER VIII
they do? Keep the Feast, says Athanasius. Give praise and thanks to God. Oh yes, he says, these enemies of Christ have put me through the wringer, but they haven't defeated Him and His holy church. So let's keep the holy day, just as we always have.
It seems that the dangers are more subtle today. Sure, we have enemies of Christ around, dressed in all kinds of clothes, many cleverly disguised as Christians. We are not, however, being exiled or tortured or killed for clinging to the truth concerning the Savior. So there's a tendency to live and let live, to join ourselves with all who profess to be Christians, no matter what their doctrine is. The fact is that false doctrines are as dangerous as ever. Let us not be guilty of reconciling truth with falsehood. Let us not be drawn into fellowship with darkness. Instead, let us cling to the faith of our fathers, once for all delivered. And let us keep the Feast in sincerity and in truth.