Despite the judgment and harsh reaction to Israel's worthless sacrifices, God eventually triumphs. Despite Holy Week, we Christians end our expectations with Bright Week. God triumphs!

In today's 6th Hour reading from the Prophet our story continues with Jerusalem being restored. There is talk about a "branch of the LORD" which should get the attention of Byzantines. On our iconostasis we usually adorn the latice-work with vines and branches. All of this harkening to the prophetic writing in Isaiah 11:

"A shoot shall come out of from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow ouit of his roots."

For several years, our parish had a tradition of visiting various Eastern Catholic and Orthodox temples on Pentecost Sunday. We visited the Tremont area of Cleveland (in the "Flats") where we got a tour of St. Theodosius Cathedral (OCA) and Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church down the street. We noticed a very unique handcarved iconostasis with a life-size carving of Jesse on the bottom of the Royal Doors with a root and branches coming out of him. Such imagery; and all from Isaiah. I will address this chapter a little later.

I would like to point out a phrase in Isa 4:4. Here we read about a "flaming fire." This is usually a sign of the presence of God. Remember the Exodus and what led the people by night? Where in the Gospels is "fire" mentioned? Where in the Acts of the Apostles does fire represent presence?

In Isaiah 5:1-7 we have the very famous Hymn of the Vineyard. Read these verses and ask yourself what the vineyard represents? What does the growing of "wild" grapes mean rather than the expected standard grapes?

In what liturgical service do we Byzantine Christians hear about a vineyard being planted?


Joe

[ 02-18-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

[ 02-20-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Note in my Bible: "Ver 1 (Chap. 5) My cousin: so the prophet calls Christ, as being one of his family and kindred, by descending from the house of David." Interesting to think about. To me this applies more to the Spirit of the Message than anything.

Chapter 4: "God with us." He dwells with us, not only in his Spirit, but in his Body and Blood as well!

The vineyard is spoken of being planted in the Tropar of the liturgy for the Holy Mystery of Marriage.

Regarding the wild grapes, are we to assume that wild grapes cannot be consumed? If so, then, perhaps the wild grapes are akin to the parable of the seeds which were planted and how the grew(Matthew 13). Perhaps, the soil might be fertile, but we are unreceptive of the Word, and thus the fruit is wild grape, rather than (good) grape.

Regarding the references to fire, in the second chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and tongues of fire separated and rested on the heads of the Apostles (Acts 2:3). It is in this passage that fire represents presence.

He is the vine, we are the branches. May we all bear good fruit for His Glory!

How about at the hierarchical liturgy when the bishop blesses?


Our LORD expected to yield grapes, but instead, wild grapes grew in his vineyard. This was not according to the "plan." Isaiah notes that the vineyard is Israel and the people of Judah his planting (v.7).

There are two rhetorical questions in Isaiah 5:4

1. What more could our Lord have done for his vineyard?

It seems that what God has provided is not enough. Even in religion we are not satisfied with His Revelation and Economy. We'd rather fight over those things that have absolutely nothing to do with salvation or the message of the Good News. God and the message is something on the side of our personal agendas. We like to make a ruckus and promote our home-brewed ideologies, many of which only exist in our little minds (read: no room for God).

2. Why did it yield wild grapes?

The results of our continued focus on our navel is poor. Our lip service to God's ways shows its true nature. We go wild. We have no need for the Word of God and especially Scripture. We think that because we have Tradition we have no need for the source of that Tradition.

Wild grapes could not be eaten. These "wild grapes" that could not be eaten represented a corrupted Judah. Have we become corrupted?

This is the accusation speech of our court case. It has four parts to it. First, a mutual relationship between the accuser and the accused has to be established. We see this in 5:2 where the "beloved" (the accuser) dug and cleared a place for a vineyard. He planted it, built a watchtower to protect it, and waited with expectation for it to bear good edible grapes. Second, the accusation speech demonstrates to the court that the accuser met his obligations. We see this in the planting of the vineyard and the watchtower as noted in v.2, but also in v.4 where the accuser asks the two rhetorical questions on what else did he have to do? Third, the accusation is made. In 5:4b the grapes grew "wild", not expected to the plan or the expectations. Lastly in this accusation speech, we hear the accuser asking the court to pass judgment on the accused as found in 5:3. We read:

"And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard."

If the inhabitants of Jerusalem had to pass judgment on us, what would it be? Would we be edible grapes or wild grapes (or "rotten berries" as in the Hebrew)?


Joe

[ 02-19-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Mentor in Christ, Joe Thur!

I always saw the vineyard as a figure of the Church and the wild grapes as the many nations outside Israel called to be grafted onto the Vine Who is Christ.

I also love the references in the 8 Daily Tones concerning our Crucified Lord which refer to the Cross as a Vine and His Body hanging on it as the "Cluster of Grapes from which exudes the Mystic Wine."

Alex

Alex,

Can you post the references for us? Thanks.

Joe

Dear Cantor and Mentor,

I will so do when I get a hold of my other Octoechos books at home. There was a clear reference to this in the first two Daily Tones that I will look up and reference.

There is also a similar reference in the Akathist to the Spiritual Ladder, the Precious Cross.

Alex

Dear Cantor and Mentor,

Here are references I brought with me today:

"Hanging upon the Tree, the Incorrupt Grapes - Jesus - exuded the Divine Sweetness which gladdens the hearts of men and whereby Grace annuls the drunkenness of evil."

Octoechos, Tone II, Canon to the Cross, Ode III

"Rejoice, O Vine that bearest the Cluster dripping the Mystic Wine!"

Akathist to the Precious Cross, Ikos 3.

Alex

Alex,

Thank you for those references. They are, indeed, beautiful stichera that keeps the imagery of Isaiah's vineyard alive. I noticed how the word "INcorrupt" was used to refer to the type of grapes grown as opposed to those "wild" inedible grapes. Such a Eucharistic connection.

Joe

Dear Cantor and Mentor,

How very observant of you! That went right over my head!

I think I should pay more attention to your thread rather than get into arguments on others about converting to Buddhism, icon-stealing and the like.

Alex