DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Apostle Peter
9th Vigil of Theophany: Exodus 2:5-10 Epistle: St. James 3:1-10 Gospel: St.
Mark 10:2-12
Types of Baptism ~ The Astounding God: Exodus 2:5-10,
especially vs. 10: “And the child
grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying,
‘Because I drew him out of the water.’” The deliverance of the infant Moses from death by exposure
or drowning invites us to consider the astounding nature of our God - to
contemplate Him Who, beyond all expectation, shapes contrary events to His
sovereign will. We, especially,
who have been drawn out of the waters of Baptism, must agree with Moses, “A
helper and protector was He unto me for salvation. This is my God, and I will glorify Him; the God of my
father, and I will exalt Him” (Ex. 15:2 LXX). Our God does not abandon those who trust in Him, crowning
their faith with salvation, receiving them “out of many waters” (Ps. 17:16
LXX), and turning their condemnation into glory.
Dependent and helpless, like the infant Moses,
most Orthodox Christians are brought to the waters of Baptism by their parents. They come to the font borne in the arms
of godparents, unaware of what is taking place, quite without understanding of
the riches and blessings being bestowed, but upheld by the faith of their
parents, their godparents, and the whole of the Body of Christ. Even those who have come as adults to
the Mystery of Baptism only partially understand what God is
accomplishing. Truly, who does
understand? Who comprehends what
God has done, is doing, and will do for us whom He has drawn out of the water?
Moses’ parents were people of such faith. By faith they disobeyed the command of
the Pharaoh. As the earlier verses
in the chapter explain, when they “saw that he was a goodly child” (Ex. 2:2)
they hid their infant, not foolishly showing him off in public and inviting
death. Rather, they resisted any
temptation to parade him, for they saw “that he was fair” (Ex. 2:2 LXX).
Let us understand that their vision was not
simply physical, but a perception with eyes of faith. When Moses’ mother looked on him she saw his comeliness as a
sign that God had a special plan for her child’s life. However, he outgrew the capacity of his
parents to hide him, and so, again in faith, they placed the babe in a little
ark woven of reeds and caulked to keep it afloat (Ex. 2:3). All these actions, like the efforts of
modern parents who bring their children for Baptism, were carried out with deep
faith in the God of astounding love.
Repeatedly God astounds men and reveals
Himself as their Savior, delivering them through many waters. He saved our entire race by means of an
ark floating on the great worldwide flood waters, safely keeping Noah and his family while most
people drowned (Gen. 6-8). He
saved His chosen People through the obedience of Moses at the crossing of the
Red Sea, another baptism, thwarting again yet another Pharaoh. Our astounding God still saves all who
call upon His Name in the waters of Holy Baptism.
What today’s reading particularly reveals is
that the God Whom the Church proclaims can so readily contravene the very worst
of human intentions. Throughout
history, God has transformed what men mean for evil and turned the sinful acts
of men into life-bestowing blessings “in order to...save many people alive”
(Gen. 50:20).
Is it not astounding and ironic that
the daughter of Pharaoh contravened her father’s efforts to destroy Israel’s
newborns and saved Moses the Liberator?
Similarly, God’s amazing response to our sin-induced death, was to
assume our sin in His Baptism and become our death-defeating Savior “that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).
O Christ our God, save Thy world which Thou
has sanctified in the waters of Jordan: crush the might of sin, and save
mankind from error.
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