THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST

On January 1st our Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the Circumcision of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Tradition and the Holy Scriptures on the eighth day after His birth Christ received circumcision, as the Old Testament Jewish Law provided. Because He was born and lived in a particular environment, He kept allits regulations and traditions. Nevertheless His circumcision must be interpreted within the theology of the self-emptying (Kenosis) which He accepted FOR THE SALVATION OF THE HUMAN RACE.

As the holy Fathers of the Church decided to celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the 25th of December, it is natural that the circumcision, which was performed after 8 days, is celebrated on the 1st of January, just eight days after His birth. Therefore on that day the troparia hymns bring out the theological importance of circumcision. This troparion hymn is well known: "The Savior, condescending to the race of men, in swaddling clothes accepted circumcision, He did not abhor the cutting of His flesh…" Just as, OUT OF LOVE AND CHARITY. He accepted to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, Christ also accepted the circumcision of His flesh. This extreme condescension and kenosis of Christ is regarded by the Orthodox Church AS A GREAT FEAST OF THE LORD.

The circumcision is the cutting off "from around the end part of the male organ." This is done to every male child, because it is provided by God’s COMMAND WHICH WAS GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF ABRAHAM. The relative passage from the Old Testament is the following: "Every male child among you shall be circumcised, and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be A SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. HE WHO IS EIGHT DAYS OLD AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED" [Genesis 17:10-12]. The same Commandment is given to Moses: "And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised" [Leviticus 12:3]. In conversation with the Jews Christ reminds them that circumcision was given by Moses, but that it existed before that. "Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that is is from Moses, but from the fathers], and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath" [John 7:22].

Circumcision was linked WITH GODLINESS, PIETY, AND ABIDING BY THE LAW, AND IT INDICATED THE PURE ISRAELITE, WHILE THE UNCLEAN, IMPIOUS MAN WAS INDICATED BY THE WORD FOR UNCIRCUMCISED. SO CIRCUMCISION AND UNCIRCUMCISION ARE OPPOSITE CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, WHICH POINT TO THE JEW AND THE GENTILE, THE PAGAN.

The rite of circumcision was a painful act, and especially as it was performed at that time. The instruments with which the circumcision was performed were the knife, the razor and the sharp stone. A characteristic circumcision is that in which Zipporah used a sharp stone to circumcise her son. "Then Zipporah used a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son" [Exodus 4:25]. It is also well known that Joshua made "flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel the second time" [Joshua 5:3].

Circumcision was not performed just for the person’s purity, but it had a deep theological content and essential meaning. And in this sense it differs from the circumcision which existed among other peoples, such as the Egyptians, Arabs, Moslims, and others…The word of God to Abraham by which circumcision was established also shows the most basic reason, God said: "AND IT SHALL BE A SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU" [Genesis 17:11]. In other words, IT IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOD AND HIS OWN PEOPLE, IT IS A TESTAMENT. Such an agreement must be confirmed with blood. We see this in the New Testament, for God’s NEW AGREEMENT with men is CONFIRMED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

Circumcision WAS A MARK OF RECOGNITION THAT ONE BELONGED TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD…Furthermore, circumcision WAS ALSO A FORESHADOWING OF BAPTISM WHICH WOULD BE GIVEN AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, THROUGH THE INCARNATION OF THE SON AND LOGOS/WORD OF GOD, BECAUSE IN REALITY BAPTISM IS CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART.

Our Lord Jesus Christ too kept this painful practice, immediately after His Birth. In the Gospel according to Saint Luke the rite of circumcision which was given to Christ is preserved in a few words. The holy Evangelist says: "And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, HIS NAME WAS CALLED JESUS, the name given by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb" [Luke 2:21]. From this meagre presentation on the rite of circumcision in the life of Jesus Christ, we see it is closely connected WITH THE GIVING OF THE NAME, BECAUSE IT WAS THEN THAT HE WAS NAMED JESUS, WHICH MEANS SAVIOR.

What Saint Theophylactos says is characteristic, that this part which was cut back by Christ’s circumcision, Christ Himself kept unharmed and assumed anew with His Resurrection. Furthermore, what happened with Christ also shows THE WAY IN WHICH IT WILL HAPPEN IN OUR OWN BODIES. It is a teaching of the holy Fathers of the Church THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN BODY WHICH HAVE BEEN HARMED IN VARIOUS WAYS WILL BE RECONNECTED TO THE BODY OR RESHAPED BY GOD, SO THAT THE WHOLE MAN, MADE UP OF SOUL AND BODY, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. TO BE SURE, IN THIS CASE THE BODY WILL BE SPIRITUAL AND NOT CARNAL AS IT IS TODAY…

Furthermore, CHRIST ACCEPTED CIRCUMCISION IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT HE HAD ASSUMED TRUE HUMAN NATURE. And this is very important, for in the early Church A HERESY had appeared that was called DOCETISM, which maintained that Jesus Christ did not assume true human nature, a really human body, but that it was a seeming and imagined body. This led to the conclusion THAT CHRIST WAS NOT CRUCIFIED ON THE CROSS, SINC EHE DID NOT HAVE A REAL BODY, BUT HE DECEIVED THE JEWS. But such a view DOES NOT SAVE MAN. How can man be saved if Christ did not assume the real human body? Therefore, AS SAINT EPIPHANIOS SAYS, CHRIST WAS CIRCUMCISED IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT "HE HAD IN TRUTH TAKEN FLESH UPON HIMSELF."

This saying is also connected with the fact that Christ’s circumcision PROVED THAT THE BODY WHICH HE HAD WAS NOT CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE DEITY. IN CHRIST THE UNCREATED HAD UNITED WITH THE CREATED. THE HUMAN NATURE IS CREATED, WHILE THE DIVINE IS UNCREATED. The body, since it had been DEIFIED (THEOSIS) BY THE DIVINITY OF THE LOGOS/WORD, BECAME IDENTICALLY GOD, BUT NOT CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH GOD. THIS MEANS THAT CHRIST’S BODY IS ALSO A SOURCE OF GOD’S UNCREATED GRACE, BUT IT HAS NOT THE SAME ESSENCE AS THE DIVINITY.

Furthermore, Christ was circumcised IN ORDER TO TEACH MEN THAT CIRCUMCISION, WHICH HE HIMSELF HAD GIVEN TO THE JEWS, HAD SERVED HUMANITY AND PREPARED THE GROUND FOR HIS OWN PRESENCE (Saint Epiphanius). It was NOT a useless rite. THROUGH CIRCUMCISION THE JEWS HAD REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD’S LAW AND HAD WAITED FOR THE MESSIAH…And lastly, it is not only showed that the circumcision was preparing the human race for His PRESENCE, but also that IT IS A TYPE, A PREFIGURING OF THE CIRCUMCISION NOT DONE BY HUMAN HANDS, WHICH IS HOLY BAPTISM. According to Saint John of Damascus, CIRCUMCISION WAS A FIGURE OF BAPTISM. Just as circumcision cuts off from the body a part that is not useful, SO BY HOLY BAPTISM WE SHED SIN, WHICH IS NOT A NATURE STATE, BUT EXCREMENT. When we speak of sin which is shed, WE MEAN DESIRE, AND OF COURSE NOT THE USEFUL AND NECESSARY DESIRE, FOR IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR MAN TO LIVE WITHOUT IT, BUT USELESS DESIRE AND PLEASURE. BAPTISM IS THE CIRCUMCISION NOT DONE BY HUMAN HANDS, WHICH DOES NOT REMOVE ONE FROM ONE’S NATION, BUT SEPARATES THE ONE WHO IS FAITHFUL FORM THE UNFAITHFUL ONE WHO LIVES IN THE SAME NATION. [Source: The Feasts of the Lord. An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos HIEROTHEOS].

[To be continued]

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George