The lawyer–wishing, or even expecting to be able to entrap Christ, and get Him to say something against Moses, and affirm that His own doctrine, was far better than the commandment of which Moses was the minister–drew near tempting Him, and saying, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
But anyone who thoroughly understands the mystery of the Incarnation may well say to him, If you are skillful in the law, and in the meaning of its hidden teaching, it had not escaped you Who He is you seek to tempt. For you thought that He was only a mere man; and not God Who appeared in human likeness, Who knows what is secret, and can look into the hearts of those who approach Him.
In many ways Emmanuel is depicted to you by the shadowing of Moses. You saw Him there sacrificed as a lamb, yet conquering the destroyer, and abolishing death by His blood.
You saw Him in the arrangement of the ark, in which was deposited the divine law; for He was in His holy flesh like as in an ark, being the Word of the Fr., the Son that was begotten of Him by nature.
You saw Him as the mercy-seat in the holy tabernacle, around which stood the Seraphim [Cherubim]; for He is our mercy-seat for pardon of our sins. Yes! and even as man, He is glorified by the Seraphim, who are the intelligent and holy powers above; for they stand around His divine and exalted throne.
You saw Him as the candlestick with seven lamps in the Holy of Holies; for abundant is the Savior’s light to those who hasten into the inner tabernacle. You saw Him as the bread placed upon the table; for He is the living bread that came down from heaven, and gives life to the world [John 6:51].
You saw Him as the brazen serpent that was raised on high as a sign, and being looked upon healed the bites of the serpents. Although He was like us, in the form of that which is evil, as being in our form, nevertheless He is by nature good, and continues to be that which He was. For the serpent is the type of wickedness; but yet, by being lifted up, and enduring the cross for us, He rendered powerless the bites of those rational serpents, who are no other than Satan, and the wicked powers under his command.
– Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Luke 10 (Homily 68)
