Explanation of Scripture read by Orthodox Christians on the 7th Sunday of Pascha

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ANSWER 1

After having said, In the world you shall have tribulation, our Lord turns from admonition to prayer; thus teaching us in our tribulations to abandon all other things, and flee to God.
St John Chrysostom

He lifted up His eyes to heaven to teach us intentness in our prayers: that we should stand with uplifted eyes, not of the body only, but of the mind.
St John Chrysostom

ANSWER 2

Our Lord, in the form of a servant, could have prayed in silence had He pleased; but He remembered that He had not only to pray, but to teach. For not only His discourse, but His prayer also, was for His disciples' edification, yes and for ours who read the same.
Blessed Augustine.

ANSWER 3

Our Lord, in the form of a servant, could have prayed in silence had He pleased; but He remembered that He had not only to pray, but to teach. For not only His discourse, but His prayer also, was for His disciples' edification, yes and for ours who read the same.
St Hilary of Potiers

ANSWER 4

Our Lord did not only ask to be glorified by the Father, but He in turn promised to glorify him. How can an inferior glorify his superior?

But perhaps this proves weakness in the Son; His waiting to be glorified by one superior to Himself. And who does not confess that the Father is superior, seeing that He Himself said, The Father is greater than I? But beware lest the honor of the Father impair the glory of the Son. It follows: That Your Son also may glorify You. So then the Son is not weak, inasmuch as He gives back in His turn glory for the glory which He receives. This petition for glory to be given and repaid, shows the same divinity to be in both.
St Hilary of Potiers

ANSWER 5

All flesh refers to mankind.

ANSWER 6

The heresy of Arianism postulates that Jesus Christ was the highest CREATURE, and therefore, He was not of one essence with the Father.

Since Jesus defines eternal life as the knowledge of the Father AND Himself, it is clear that He a part of the Godhead, in no way inferior to the Father.

"The Arians hold, that as the Father is the only true, only just, only wise God, the Son has no communion of these attributes; for that which is proper to one, cannot be partaken of by another. And as these are as they think in the Father alone, and not in the Son, they necessarily consider the Son a false and vain God. "
St Hilary of Potiers

"And in what eternal life is, He then shows: And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God. To know the only true God is life, but this alone does not constitute life. What else then is added? And Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
St Hilary of Potiers




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