Matins Readings Interpretation

athana_philla

Yesterdays vesper gospel really scared me. Can anyone provide me an interpretation? First I had a hard time believing it was in the new testament. Well here is part of it.

Matthew 10:34-42
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36"and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' 37"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. ..."

In particular I dont get the sword part,...

Thanks,
Athanasius

athana_philla

Sorry I meant the vespers reading for today, wed. dec. 7 2005

Safaa

athana_philla,

From the book of H.H. Pope Shenouda III, " Many years with the problems of peoples ", the answer to you question.

ãÞÊØÝÇÊ ãä ßÊÈ ÞÏÇÓÉ ÇáÈÇÈÇ ÔäæÏå ÇáËÇáË – ÓäæÇÊ ãÚ ÃÓÆáÉ ÇáäÇÓ

...

ÓÄÇá:

ßíÝ ãÚ ãÍÈÉ ÇáãÓíÍ ááÓáÇã¡ æßæäå ÑÆíÓ ÇáÓáÇã¡ íÞæá "áÇ ÊÙäæÇ Ãäì ÌÆÊ áÃáÞì ÓáÇãÇð Úáì ÇáÃÑÖ. ãÇ ÌÆÊ áÃáÞì ÓáÇãÇð¡ Èá ÓíÝÇð.. ÌÆÊ áÃÝÑÞ ÇáÅäÓÇä ÖÏ ÃÈíå.." (ãÊ10 : 34 ¡ 35) ¿

ÇáÌæÇÈ:

íÞÕÏ ÇáÓíÝ ÇáÐì íÞÚ Úáì ÇáãÄãäíä Èå¡ ÈÓÈÈ ÅíãÇäåã.

æÝÚáÇð¡ ãÇ Ãä ÞÇãÊ ÇáãÓíÍíÉ¡ ÍÊì ÞÇã ÖÏåÇ ÇáÓíÝ ãä ÇáÏæáÉ ÇáÑæãÇäíÉ¡ æãä ÇáíåæÏ¡ æãä ÇáÝáÇÓÝÉ ÇáæËäííä. æÊÍÞÞ Þæá ÇáÑÈ "ÊÃÊì ÓÇÚÉ ÝíåÇ íÙä ßá ãä íÞÊáßã Ãäå íÞÏã ÎÏãÉ ááå" (íæ16 : 2). æÚÕÑ ÇáÅÓÊÔåÇÏ ÇáÐì ÇÓÊãÑ Åáì ÈÏÇíÉ Íßã ÞÓØäØíä¡ Ïáíá Úáì Ðáß.

ßÐáß ÍÏË ÅäÞÓÇã – ÍÊì Ýì ÇáÈíæÊ – ÈÓÈÈ ÅíãÇä ÈÚÖ ÃÚÖÇÁ ÇáÃÓÑÉ ãÚ ÈÞÇÁ ÃÚÖÇÁ ÇáÃÓÑÉ ÇáÂÎÑíä ÛíÑ ãÄãäíä.

ÝãËáÇð íÄãä ÇáÇÈä ÈÇáãÓíÍíÉ¡ ÝíÞÝ ÖÏå ÃÈæå¡ Ãæ ÊÄãä ÇáÈäÊ ÈÇáãÓíÍíÉ ÝÊÞÝ ÖÏåÇ ÃãåÇ¡ æåßÐÇ íÍÏË ÇäÞÓÇã ÏÇÎá ÇáÃÓÑÉ Èíä ãä íÞÈá ÇáÅíãÇä ÇáãÓíÍì ãä ÃÚÖÇÆåÇ æãä íÚÇÑÖåÇ¡ ÍÓÈãÇ ÞÇá "íäÞÓã ÇáÃÈ Úáì ÇáÅÈä¡ æÇáÅÈä Úáì ÇáÃÈ. æÇáÃã Úáì ÇáÈäÊ¡ æÇáÈäÊ Úáì ÇáÃã. æÇáÍãÇÉ Úáì ßäÊåÇ¡ æÇáßäÉ Úáì ÍãÇÊåÇ" (áæ12 : 53).

æßËíÑÇð ãÇ ßÇä ÇáãÄãä íÌÏ ãÍÇÑÈÉ ÔÏíÏÉ ãä Ãåá ÈíÊå áíÑÊÏ Úä ÅíãÇäå. æáÐáß ÞÇá ÇáÑÈ ãÊÇÈÚÇð ÍÏíËå "æÃÚÏÇÁ ÇáÅäÓÇä Ãåá ÈíÊå. ãä ÃÍÈ ÃÈÇð Ãæ ÃãÇð ÃßËÑ ãäì ÝáÇ íÓÊÍÞäì .." (ãÊ10 :36 ¡ 37).

ßÇä íÊßáã Úä ÇáÓíÝ ÖÏ ÇáÅíãÇä. æáíÓ ÇáÓíÝ Ýì ÇáãÚÇãáÇÊ ÇáÚÇãÉ.. æáåÐÇ ÝÅä Þæáå "ãÇ ÌÆÊ áÃáÞì ÓáÇãÇ Èá ÓíÝÇð" (ãÊ 10 : 34)¡ ÓÈÞå ãÈÇÔÑÉ ÈÞæáå "ãä íäßÑäì ÞÏÇã ÇáäÇÓ¡ ÃäßÑå ÃäÇ ÃíÖÇð ÞÏÇã ÃÈì ÇáÐì Ýì ÇáÓãæÇÊ" (ãÊ10 : 33). æÞÏ íÏÎá ÇáÃãÑ Ýì ÊØÈíÞ ÇáãÈÇÏìÁ ÇáÑæÍíÉ ÇáãÓíÍíÉ .. ÝÞÏ íÍÏË ÅäÞÓÇã Èíä ÇáÈäÊ ÇáãÓíÍíÉ ÇáãÊÏíäÉ æÃãåÇ Ýì ãæÖæÚ ÇáÍÔãÉ Ýì ÇáãáÇÈÓ æÇáÒíäÉ. æÞÏ íÍÏË äÝÓ ÇáÅÕØÏÇã Èíä ÇáÅÈä æÃÈíå Ýì ãæÖæÚ ÎÏãÉ ÇáßäíÓÉ æÇáÊßÑíÓ¡ Ãæ Ýì ãæÖæÚ ÇáÕÍÉ æÇáÕæã¡ Ãæ ÝíãÇ áÇ íõÍÕì ãä ÈäæÏ ÇáÓáæß ÇáãÓíÍì¡ æíßæä "ÃÚÏÇÁ ÇáÅäÓÇä Ãåá ÈíÊå".. ÃãÇ ãä ÌåÉ ÇáãÚÇãáÇÊ ÇáÚÇÏíÉ Èíä ÇáäÇÓ¡ ÝíÞæá ÇáÓíÏ Ýì ÚÙÊå Úá ÇáÌÈá:

2- "ØæÈì áÕÇäÚì ÇáÓáÇã¡ ÝÅäåã ÃÈäÇÁ Çááå íÏÚæä" (ãÊ 5 : 9).

æÞÏ ÏÚì ÇáÓíÏ ÇáãÓíÍ "ÑÆíÓ ÇáÓáÇã" (ÇÔ9 :6). æáãÇ ÈÔÑ ÇáãáÇÆßÉ ÈãíáÇÏå ÞÇáæÇ "æÚáì ÇáÃÑÖ ÇáÓáÇã" (áæ2 : 14). æåæ ÞÇá áÊáÇãíÐå "ÓáÇãì ÃÊÑß áßã ¡ ÓáÇãì ÃäÇ ÃÚØíßã" (íæ14 : 27). æÞÇá ÇáßÊÇÈ "ËãÑ ÇáÈÑ íÒÑÚ Ýì ÇáÓáÇã¡ ãä ÇáÐíä íÕäÚæä ÇáÓáÇã" (íÚ3 :18). æÞíá ãä ËãÇÑ ÇáÑæÍ "ãÍÈÉ æÝÑÍ æÓáÇã" (Ûá 5 : 22).

I will try to find the translation in English, if you do not know how to read Arabic.