Archimandrite Ephrem Philoteos
`He humbled Himself…`
Our God as infinite and boundless as He is in His greatness, as infinite and boundless is in His humbleness.
He humbled Himself till the end and He took human body. `The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us` writes saint John the Evangelist and He became a perfect man to free us from sin. For a man made of clay, for a disobedient and a traitor who became a vessel of irrational passions and demons the whole Trinity descended on earth and the Son was hung on the Cross. He sought us to make us friends and sons of God by resurrection while the sin had made us His enemies, estranged of Him. He approached us, accompanied us, knew us who we are in a human way, had compassion for us as for some men killed by sin, hurt with many wounds, full of stench. He did not abhor us, He tied a towel around His waist, knelt down and washed our feet. God knelt down before the man! The Creator before His creature! The unpassionate before the passionate! The immaculate before the sinful! He washed the feet of His traitor! He did not abhor him, although he knew he was going to betray him. Couldn’t he stop him? Of course He could, since there is nothing impossible at God. But He leaves him free with His will and choice. And He endures this injustice. His Love, humbleness and patience are boundless. And all these are for showing us the path which leads to God, humbleness.
Excerpt from the book The Art of Salvation, which will be published by Evanghelismos.
