On Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a scripture passage from the book of the prophet Micah (3:1-12) entitled "Jerusalem will be destroyed because of its leaders sins". Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise On the Incarnation of the Lord by Theodoret of Cyr, bishop.
Theodoret of Cyr was fifth century influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator, and Christian bishop of Cyrus. He played a pivotal role in several 5th-century Byzantine Church controversies that led to various ecumenical acts and schisms. He wrote extensively on the Incarnation of the Lord, exploring the dual nature of Jesus Christ as both fully divine and fully human. His work, particularly his dialogue Eranistes (also known as Beggar) and his letters, delves into the complexities of Christ's two natures, emphasizing the union of divinity and humanity in one person without confusion or separation. He highlights the significance of Christ's incarnation for human salvation and addresses the challenges posed by various heresies, particularly Monophysitism, which denied the full humanity of Christ.
The book of the prophet Micah consists of a collection of speeches, proclamations of punishment and of salvation. The book has two major sections, each with two parts. The organization of the material is thematic, moving from judgment to salvation in both major sections. The first section consist almost entirely of prophecies of punishment, and prophecies of salvation. The second section also moves from prophecies of punishment to confidence in God's salvation.
Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. The book's superscription places his prophetic activity during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. It identifies him as a resident of Moresheth, a village in the Judean foothills. The solitary reference to Micah outside the book places him in the reign of Hezekiah and reports that he went from his small town to proclaim the word of the Lord in the capital, and asserts that his announcements of judgment against Jerusalem moved the king and the people to repentance. Unlike Isaiah, who was a native of the holy city, Micah was an outsider from the countryside and must have been a controversial figure. He would have been unpopular with the leaders whom he condemned and the wealthy whom he criticized. He was quick to separate himself from priests and other prophets, whom he considered to be corrupt.
