When The Sun Fled Away
By Melito of Sardis
“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all
the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli,
Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the
earth quaked, and the rocks were split…” - Matthew 27:45-46;50-51
The earth shook, and its foundations trembled; the sun fled away, and the elements
turned back, and the day was changed into night: for they could not endure the sight
of their Lord hanging on a tree. The whole creation was amazed, marveling and saying,
“What new mystery, then, is this?
The Judge is judged, and holds his peace; the Invisible One is seen, and is not
ashamed; the Incomprehensible is laid hold upon, and is not indignant; the Illimitable
is circumscribed, and does not resist; the Impossible suffers, and does not avenge;
the Immortal dies, and answers not a word; the Celestial is laid in the grave, and
endures! What new mystery is this?
The whole creation, I say, was astonished; but, when our Lord arose from the place
of the dead, and trampled death under foot, and bound the strong one, and set man
free, then did the whole creation see clearly that for man’s sake the Judge was
condemned, and the Invisible was seen, and the Illimitable was circumscribed, and
the Impassible suffered, and the Immortal died, and the Celestial was laid in the
gave.
For our Lord, when He was born man, was condemned in order that He might Show mercy,
was bound in order that He might loose, was seized in order that He might release,
suffered in order that He might feel compassion, died in order that He might give
life, was laid in the grave that He might raise from the dead.