Where is God in all the Christians Killing ?



“May the Lord see and avenge!” NRSV , “The Lord look on it, and repay!” NKJ
“The Lord look upon it, and require it.” KJV, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.” NIV


[34] Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, 
and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 
[35] that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son of Barachi'ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 
[36] Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation. 
 
In the Gospel according to St. Matthew 23:34-36 


[49] Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom 
they will kill and persecute,' 
[50] that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, 
[51] from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. 

 

Same text we read in Luke 11:49-51
  

[17]Now after the death of Jehoi'ada the princes of Judah came and did obeisance to the king; then the king hearkened to them.
[18] And they forsook the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Ashe'rim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.
[19] Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD; these testified against them, but they would not give heed.
[20]Then the Spirit of God took possession of Zechari'ah the son of Jehoi'ada the priest; 
and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, `Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'"
[21] But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.
[22] Thus Jo'ash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoi'ada, Zechari'ah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" 
 

As the commentators suggest this Zechari'ah was mentioned in 2 chronicles 24: 17-22, let us read it

This Zachariah was mentioned in these 5 verses in the OT. Our Lord wanted to tell the Scribes and the Pharisees even this little prophet whom you might not remember, as he did not write Books in the Holy scripture like Isaiah, Jeremiah , Daniel or Ezekiel, that he is still not forgotten.
All that Zachariah has said is "Thus says God, `Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'"2 Chronicle 24: 20
As HG Bishop Macarius of The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of El Minya And Abu Korkas is teaching: God used the same words this prophet exhaled as he surrendered his soul “The Lord look upon it, and require it.” And He reminded the Scribes and the Pharisees when he said “verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.” (Luke 11:51)
On the same token, we would say that God will require the same of this generation for those who killed the innocent Christians in Egypt, Syria, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan. And for the smallest and least known person who has been murdered, his or her blood will be required, and “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matt. 11:15)
-----------------------
Thanks to Shawn Doyle for the editing work. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The themes of Sunday Liturgical Readings in the Coptic Orthodox Church

Reading of Sundays Excerpted from many sermons by The V. Rev. Fr. Athanasius K. Farag Sunday reading aims to show us the work of the Holy Trinity in the creation, redemption and glorification  of the human, it is called the economia of the Holy Trinity. Month of Tut In the first month of Tut we read the love of God the Father who called all for repentance “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I Ti.2:4 Month of Babah In the second month of Babah, the churches tells us “Who is this Saviour?” we see him through his work miracles of healing the paralyzed, casting out demons, raising the dead. Month of Hatour In Hatour we see who is the Saviour through His word which is planted in our hearts. Month of Keyhak •       All from Luke chapter 1: the scenes which accompanied the Nativity season Month of Toba the incarnation of the Only Begotten Son who called us from darkness to the light, who walk...
Read more

The Biblical Background to the kneeling prayer which is prayed today on the Feast of Pentecost

Explanation of the Kneeling Prayers (“Salaat el Sagda”) on the Feast of the Pentecost by Fr. Bishoy Lamie Mikhail June 8, 2014   Every year on the Feast of Pentecost, the Coptic Orthodox Church practices “Salaat el Sagda,” or the “Kneeling Prayer,” in the evening. This important prayer has a deep meaning, as it explains the significant role of the descent of the Holy Spirit in our salvation and life as a church.   “In the Old Testament, Pentecost was the feast which occurred fifty days after Passover. As the Passover feast celebrated the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, Pentecost celebrated God’s gift of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. In the new covenant of the Messiah, the Passover event takes on its new meaning as the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, the “exodus” of men from this sinful world to the Kingdom of God. And in the New Testament as well, the Pentecostal feast is fulfilled and made new by the coming of the...
Read more

Common practices of the Great Lent between 4th century and now in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

During this week in the fourth century , you will see a deacon having a list of the candidates of the baptism “Catechumen” who will be catechized during the Great Lent and if they passed all tests including the witness from their neighbours. Then they can receive the “illumination” the Holy Baptism in the Feast of the Resurrection. Yes they are buried and raised with Him. Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4. The curriculum the church used to teach them is having its traces in our Coptic Orthodox Lectionary  for the Great Lent ( Lent Latin Quadragesima: Fortieth)  (please visit http://stmary-ottawa.org/publications/Katameros_Lent.pdf   for the lectionary of the Great Lent). We will find the main structure of the daily prophecies “the teaching part for the catechumen” composed of the History of salvation in the Books of Moses,  where we remember that God who started the covenant with Israel is still exists and works in our time, life and space. Reading the prophecies ...
Read more