Christian Art | Via Dolorosa | Jesus Falls For The Second Time
Office Of Readings | Week 22, Tuesday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Imitation Of Christ | The Truth Of The Lord Endures For Ever
‘The truth of the Lord endures for ever.’
In this reading, the soul is brought face to face with the reality of divine judgement. The author begins with a description of God’s holiness and majesty in contrast to human frailty: ‘even the heavens are not pure in your sight.’ This recalls the words of Job’s friend Eliphaz: ‘Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.’ (Job 15:15) The implication is that if even angels are judged, mortals cannot presume on their own strength or goodness.
The reference to angels who ‘fell from heaven’ evokes the tradition of the rebellion of Satan and his followers (cf. Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:7–9). Likewise, the mention of stars falling from heaven reflects biblical imagery of cosmic collapse associated with judgement (Mark 13:25). This descent is contrasted with the humility of the believer who acknowledges his weakness: ‘I, mere dust, what should I expect?’ The text invites the reader to accept dependence upon God, since without divine preservation human effort is unstable and prone to collapse.
The image of those once ‘fed with the bread of angels’ turning instead to the husks of swine alludes to Psalm 78(77):25, which speaks of Israel being nourished with ‘the bread of angels’ in the wilderness, and to the parable of the prodigal son who longed to eat the husks given to pigs (Luke 15:16). Here, grace neglected leads to corruption; the nourishment of divine wisdom may be abandoned in favour of what is degrading.
The passage then shifts from images of sin and instability to a recognition of God’s sustaining action. Holiness, wisdom, and strength are only fruitful when upheld by God: ‘If you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again.’ This echoes Psalm 80(79):18–19: ‘Give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts.’ The Christian life is therefore pictured as a continual reliance on God’s visitation and grace.
The closing reflections concern the vanity of human pride. Flesh is clay in the hands of its Maker (cf. Isaiah 64:8), unable to glorify itself apart from God. Empty words and human flattery cannot move the one whose heart is rooted in truth, since truth is identified with God himself (John 14:6). The passage concludes with the affirmation from Psalm 117(116):2, ‘The truth of the Lord endures for ever.’ This short psalm of universal praise assures the reader that God’s truth is not subject to decay, unlike the instability of human glory.
Thus the text calls the hearer to humility, vigilance, and dependence on God’s sustaining presence, warning against pride and empty speech while holding fast to the enduring stability of divine truth.
A Reading From The Imitation Of Christ | The Truth Of The Lord Endures For Ever
You thunder your judgements upon me, O Lord; you shake all my bones with fear and dread, and my soul becomes severely frightened. I am bewildered when I realise that even the heavens are not pure in your sight.
If you discovered iniquity in the angels and did not spare them, what will become of me? The stars fell from heaven, and I, mere dust, what should I expect? Those whose works seemed praiseworthy fell to the depths, and I have seen those who once were fed with the bread of angels take comfort in the husks of swine.
There is no holiness where you have withdrawn your hand, O Lord; no profitable wisdom if you cease to rule over it; no helpful strength if you cease to preserve it. If you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again. We are unstable, but you make us firm; we grow cool, but you inflame us.
All superficial glory has been swallowed up in the depths of your judgement upon me.
What is all flesh in your sight? Can the clay be glorified in opposition to its Maker?
How can anyone be stirred by empty talk if his heart is subject in the truth to God?
If a man is subject to truth, possession of the whole world cannot swell him with pride; nor will he be swayed by the flattery of his admirers, if he has established all his trust in God.
For those who do nothing but talk amount to nothing; they fail with their din of words, but ’the truth of the Lord endures for ever’.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
Lord, you are our strength and our stability. Without you we fall, but in your presence we are raised to life. Preserve us from pride and vanity, and keep us rooted in your truth which endures for ever. Teach us to depend wholly upon your mercy, so that our words may be few and our hearts steadfast in you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Judgements – Here refers to God’s searching discernment of human hearts and actions, not merely punishments.
Iniquity – Moral wrongdoing or sin.
Stars fell from heaven – Biblical imagery signifying the downfall of angels or rulers (cf. Isaiah 14:12; Mark 13:25).
Bread of angels – A title for the manna given to Israel in the desert (Psalm 78:25), seen spiritually as God’s nourishing word or grace.
Husks of swine – From the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:16), symbolising spiritual poverty and degradation.
Clay and its Maker – A biblical metaphor (Isaiah 64:8) expressing the dependence of human beings upon God the Creator.
Flattery – Empty or insincere praise, contrasted with the firmness of truth.
The truth of the Lord endures for ever – A line from Psalm 117(116):2, emphasising the permanence of God’s faithfulness in contrast to human instability.
One of the ways Jesus revealed his love was through healing miracles. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read, ‘Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.’ (Matthew 9:35, KJV) This verse shows us that Jesus was not only concerned with our spiritual well-being, but also our physical health [ … ]
Lord Jesus, I come before you with a weary heart and a burdened soul. Life’s challenges have left me feeling tired and overwhelmed. I seek your comforting presence and the rest that only you can provide. Please grant me your peace, renew my strength, and carry my burdens as I surrender them into your loving hands. In Your name, I find solace and find rest for my weary soul. Amen [ … ]
Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
