On the Church[1] Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD) “Who indeed will not weep that although the Branch is great, the weakness of one unwilling to seize her greatness maintains that she is a feeble branch – she who has conquered all kings and cast a shadow upon the entire world! By suffering her power has increased. Blessed is He Who made her greater than that vine from Egypt! Who will not hold fast to this Branch of Truth?” By “holding fast to the Branch” Ephrem meant that believers, in the face of trials and persecutions, should not let go of their profession of faith, of their being members of the Body of Christ (his use of “Branch” here). The way to know the power of Christ in the midst of trials is to embrace our struggles in the Name of Christ, as members of His Body, and to look to Him for the power to bear up under trials. Denying Jesus was not an option for those fourth-century believers. They belonged to Him, and as surely as He rescued the three Hebrew men from the fire, He will rescue those who cling to Him, and who maintain a good confession, no matter what comes their way. Trials and difficulties may make us feel weak, but in the midst of such weakness, we can know real and transforming spiritual power by boasting in our weakness and the Lord’s might.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:56:34 +0000
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