Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1-11 

 

On Saturday, we read that, after casting out a demon as He taught on the Sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus arose from there and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them. When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.   The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee.  According to the Orthodox Study Bible, it is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  

 

   Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  Sitting was the traditional position for a teacher, for authority was frequently conveyed through a throne or seat.  According to my study Bible, some early Christian preachers (such as St. John Chrysostom) sat while the people stood.  For another example, see Matthew 5:1, where Jesus begins preaching the Sermon on the Mount in the seated position.  

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  Jesus commands Simon (St. Peter), "Launch out into the deep . . ."  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  

 

 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.   Let us first note Simon's response to Jesus' command; his human mind uses his rational sense and experience in which it is doubtful they will catch more.  But he is nonetheless obedient to Christ's word.  My study Bible comments here that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  It cites the example of the Magi drawn by a star (Matthew 2:2), and tax collectors would be drawn by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), so here Jesus draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:18-23).  

 

 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.   My study Bible comments that St. Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast this with Luke 8:37).  Rather, this teaches us that, when suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people like St. Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

 And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  This great catch of fish is described by my study Bible as an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Moreover, it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  It cites the Orthodox festal hymn of Pentecost, in which it is sung, "Through your fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

 In today's reading, Jesus tells St. Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  As noted above, St. Ambrose of Milan comments that this command is an invitation to give one's life over to the deep knowledge of the mystery of the Son of God.  Let us bear in mind that given our previous reading in which we were told that Jesus went to St. Peter's home (and healed his mother-in-law), we know that these men were already followers of Christ.  But in today's reading, they are invited more 'deeply' to participate in His ministry.  When we are told that they forsook all and followed Him, this is understood that they have now committed full-time as disciples and participants in His ministry.   They will live with Him and learn from Him.  It also sets down a pattern, in which Jesus uses St. Peter as leader and even as spokesperson on behalf of all the disciples ("Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!").   Of course, today's reading sets down a pattern as well for all of us, in the sense that we are always invited to participate more deeply in the mystery of Christ, and to grow in our knowledge of Him.  For this is His way (meaning path or road); it is a lifelong journey.  Just like the disciples, our faith must grow and we grow in it.  The word Gennesaret is an interesting one to explore, for while some aspects of meaning are debated, there is a general consensus that it can be understood as "garden of riches" or "princely garden."  Moreover, it indicates that this particular region of the Sea of Galilee, and the plain adjacent to it, were extremely fertile fishing and agricultural areas.  So the poetic symbolism of the Gospel remains both in this name (such as "princely garden"), indicating the abundance of the Lord's goodness, as well as the great "catch" or harvest possible to this ministry and through their discipleship.  Through the good things of God, we also may be drawn to Christ (as my study Bible indicates above).  It is a very common thing to see the beauty of life and our natural world and feel an uplifting of our hearts toward God.  For such beauty and majesty as are found there also give us a sense of awe at something we cannot create, but is given to us instead to steward.  In the abundance of fish we see the abundance of the followers of Christ that would come through His ministry, and the disciples He now calls.  Fish, of course, have long stood for what is uncountable, even unlimited, and in the horizon of the Church, this remains true.  We know, also, that the image of a fish would serve as a symbol for the early followers of Christ.  The classical Greek word for fish was ιχθυς/ixthys.  These letters ΙΧΘΥΣ formed an acronym for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior"  (Ἰησοῦς Χρῑστός Θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ).  The Church still fishes for men; that is, for human beings.  As St. Ambrose indicates, we are all invited through Christ into the infinitude of the mystery of God.   Just as Jesus would teach that faith as a mustard seed grows great things, so it all begins from this finite and limited scene on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and it yet continues to grow and expand.  We are each an essential part of that growth; let us play our own role through faith.  

 

 

 

 

So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them. 

 

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. 

 

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

- Luke 4:38-44 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which St. Peter is called Cephas) indicate that St. Peter was married.  It points out, moreover, that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  In this case, He heals by touch; elsewhere He heals with a word.  This healing is immediate and complete, while others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person healed of of that person's loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  All of Christ's miracles manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  Regarding Christ's rebuke of the fever, it cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."

 

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.   Here again, we see the same dynamic played out that we read in yesterday's lectionary reading (see above) in which the demons identify Christ, and He in turn rebukes them and does not allow them to speak.  We see several things at once:  that the demons must obey His commands; that they recognize Him and know His identity as the Christ and Son of God; and that Jesus' ministry at this stage must keep that messianic identity a secret.

 

 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.   My study Bible comments that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  It says that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern, it notes, holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

 

 In a modern scientific age, to rebuke a fever as a living, intelligent thing is far away from our understanding of illness.  But perhaps if it is difficult for us to understand or accept this, we might understand something else we can infer from the text.  That is, the ailments and ills of our world are all interconnected with the rebellion against God, the fall from grace.  If indeed, the symptoms of fever were the product of a kind of demonic affliction (and we cannot categorically deny that possibility in terms of our knowledge of the spiritual realm), then the text is telling us that we cannot separate sin from evil effects in our world.  We do not presume to say that someone's personal sin is the cause of their illness (for Christ Himself has taught us differently; for example, see John 9:1-4).  However, we can say that collectively we suffer in our world from the effects of sin that may have nothing to do with ourselves.  But we do inherit this "fallen condition," a world beset by false solutions, false beliefs, and the effects of the choices that accompany them.  And, if one may be so bold to say it this way, it is these effects Christ has come into the world to help us navigate through and to remove.  Christ's casting out and rebuking of demons -- with authority they cannot resist -- is testimony to His role as Deliverer, Liberator, and Savior.  But we also play a role in this battle through the tools of our faith, its sacraments, and our own cooperation with God's grace at work in us, thanks to the saving mission of Christ.  (This is called synergy in the theological language of the Church.)  There is an interesting perspective in commentary on these passages in which the demons identify Christ, and that is given to us through various Church Fathers, such as St. Cyril of Alexandria.  St. Cyril writes, "It was not right for them to usurp the glory of the apostolic office or to talk of the mystery of Christ with polluted tongues. Yes, nothing they say is true. Let no one trust them. Light cannot be recognized with the help of darkness . . ." (see also 2 Corinthians 6:15).  We may seek to compare this with Christ's teaching on the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.  But there, as Jesus points out, the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; therefore what they teach is important, but their works must not be imitated.  The demons, however, as St. Cyril says, exercise no apostolic office.  Today it might be difficult for us to understand the difference between personal failings or corruption and the institution of a recognized office and its protocols, but we might all be better off should we restore such understanding.  In society we have laws for a reason; yet even corrupt individuals holding office are subject to those laws and the legal ways of correction, even if justice takes time, and -- factoring in the spiritual battle and its effects we've been discussing -- justice in a worldly sense is imperfect.  The fullness of perfect justice will only be found in the One Who is good; that is God (Matthew 19:17) and we do not know what that fullness will look like (1 Corinthians 13:12).  But to seek to know God and to learn to grow in God's love so that we also may practice that love is a lifelong process in which we hope for righteousness (Matthew 22:36-40).  So let us be aware of spiritual struggle, the pitfalls of that which seeks to take us away from Christ, and how we are to live by His light.  For He is here to heal the world, and that in a myriad of ways for us all.

 

 

 

What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  

 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 

 

- Luke 4:31-37 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His forty-day period of testing in the wilderness, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."   So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"   He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said, "Assuredly, I  say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

 

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  According to the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, Christ began to preach, heal, and teach on the Sabbaths to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Jesus speaks with authority, astonishing the people.  The prophets of old and the teachers of Christ's time taught in the third person ("The Lord says").  But Christ teaches in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5, the first chapter in the Sermon on the Mount.  

 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  Jesus rebukes the demon for speaking ("Be quiet!").  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that Christ's refusal disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  The reasons for secrecy include first of all, the growing hostility of the Jewish leadership.  Then there is the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah and expectations for an earthly, political leader to bring material wealth and power to Israel.  Finally, our Lord desires to evoke genuine faith not based solely on marvelous signs.  See Matthew 12:16-21.

 

 As Jesus begins His ministry, we see the spiritual conflict that is at the heart of His mission coming out into the open.  The devil is called "the ruler of this world" by Jesus in St. John's Gospel.  And those demons who oppress human beings and make their lives a misery serve under that particular "god of this age," as St. Paul put it.  It is part of Christ's saving mission to lay claim to our world as rightful Lord, and claim it away from the one who holds sway, and refuses to serve the true God.  So, in today's reading, Jesus' power and authority come not merely through His teaching and speaking, and His startling way of phrasing what He says ("I say to you").  It comes through His power over the demons, who also recognize Him.  It comes through His power to cast out the demon, commanding the demon to "come out of him," and -- perhaps startlingly -- it comes through His power to command the demon to "be quiet!"  Jesus is the Master of His ministry, and it is only He who will reveal His identity, and in the proper time, for the proper purposes.  He does not want to be identified by the demons, who know who He is.  They say, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"   They identify Jesus as "the Holy One of God."  The One is the One Son of God, the Holy One.  Notice how they are surprised that He is in their midst, and they even know Him as Jesus of Nazareth.  It's interesting to observe what the demons know and what they don't, because it tells us something about these spirits at work in our world.  They can't second-guess the work of God, although they do recognize the power and authority of Christ, for they have no choice.  They are compelled to do so.  Jesus' first act, after His Baptism by St. John the Baptist, was to go into the wilderness and be tested and tempted by the devil.  The Gospels tell us that in so doing, He was led by the Spirit.  (In St. Mark's Gospel, it is said that Jesus was driven by the Spirit; the literal translation of the Greek tells us He was "thrown" by the Spirit into the wilderness, "cast out."  See Mark 1:12.)  In that time of testing in the wilderness during His forty days of fasting and praying, Jesus defeated Satan in their confrontations through obedience to the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Here the demons are powerless even to challenge Him; Jesus simply commands them.  But it opens up for us Christ's mission as Deliverer and Savior.  For He is not on His saving mission simply to make us good, or better people, to teach us good teachings, or even purely to save souls.  He is here to claim His authority; He is here "for the life of the world" and all the created order.  He is here to displace the false rebellious ruler of this world, and through His ministry He also invites us into this fight.  After all, we are at the center of it, and the battle that goes on here is the battle that takes place for our souls, inside of us.  While the demons use human beings for their tortured and selfish, parasitical purposes, Jesus' mission into the world enlists us also as servants of God, just as He is the Servant of Isaiah's prophecy.  He is here so that in our redemption we may become "sons of God" by adoption, even as the angels (including the fallen ones) are bodiless powers called "sons of God" simply by creation (Job 1:6; 2:1).  In this sense, human beings, by the holiness made possible through grace and Christ's redemptive mission, become a part of Christ's ultimate victory and the defeat of the demons' rebellion, even potentially assuming higher places in the created order of God.  Through Christ's Incarnation, deified human nature may thus take the place of the destiny forfeited by the fallen angels.  So, Jesus' presence among the demons spells their end, in a truly cosmic and final way.  Let us pay careful attention and strengthen our faith in His redemptive mission.  

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country

 

 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me 

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovering of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

 

So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"   He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said, "Assuredly, I  say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of the was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

 

- Luke 4:14-30 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His Baptism by St. John the Baptist, Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  for it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"  Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.   

 

   Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  My study Bible notes that, as Christ is the eternal Son of God, He did not become the world's anointed Savior, but rather has always been our Savior from before the foundation of the world.  It was Christ who spoke through Isaiah who said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Isaiah 61:1).  Jesus doesn't say, "The Spirit has come upon Me."  When the Spirit of the LORD descended on Jesus at His Baptism (see above, Luke 3:22), this was a sign which revealed an eternal, not temporal, truth to the people.  The acceptable year of the LORD is the time of the Incarnation, when the Kingdom of heaven has come to earth (see 2 Corinthians 6:2).  

 

 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"   He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said, "Assuredly, I  say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  According to my study Bible, this double response of both marveling and rejection occurs frequently in those who encounter Christ (see Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  Being rejected in His own country fulfills the rejection of the Old Testament prophets such as Elijah and Elisha.  Moreover, it foreshadows Christ's rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  My study Bible adds that Christ accepts death according to the Father's will, not at the will of the Jews.  Here, the hour of Christ's Passion has not yet come (see John 8:20).  Important to note is that Jesus' statement, "Assuredly, I  say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country," appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; John 4:44).

 

We all face rejection in our lives, perhaps on a frequent basis.  But shall we consider Christ, the Lord of the Universe, and the rejection He goes through in His earthly ministry?  There is not simply this rejection that we read about in today's reading, but, as my study Bible also notes, the rejection to come from the entire nation.  Perhaps it is important that this first rejection comes so early in His ministry, and it happens in His hometown of Nazareth.   We may find familiarity with what we've experienced in life; that is, the humiliation of being embarrassed, and rejection in front of a body of our peers.  This is important, because Christ gives us a sense of what it is to persevere in doing what is right in God's sight, and out of loyalty and love for God.  In this sense, Christ's rejection is another kind of temptation that bears a small resemblance to the temptations in the wilderness by Satan which we read about yesterday (see above).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus' relation to the Father was tested ("If You are the Son of God. . .") in terms of His needs (bread), worldly power and authority ("all the kingdoms of the world"), and the danger He would face ("throw yourself down from here").  In today's reading, we find similar temptations, in that in His hometown He is no longer welcome (so it could not be a place of refuge for Him in the world), His authority is rejected, and He's placed in danger as they try to throw Him off a cliff.  These all repeat, in some sense, the temptations of the devil.  If we examine this pattern closely, we see that for Jesus it will repeat in different forms throughout His ministry, particularly in the patterns of growing hostility and opposition by the religious authorities in Jerusalem, and among those who rule for Rome.  But additionally, the people will also turn against Him at different times, the crowds who are often led in very capricious ways either by authorities or one another.  In all ways, Christ's earthly ministry is meant to heal, and so His rejection becomes a paradigm.  When we find ourselves in this place of rejection or humiliation, we need to turn to Him for how to walk through it, how to find His light in our darkness (John 12:35).  For Jesus, His "pattern" is always to be the Son of God; this is who He is and the life He leads.   But for those of us who desire to become "sons of God" by adoption, it is also the identity we must follow in imitation of Him.  "How does God want me to respond?" is always an important question.  Turning to prayer, to Scripture, to the saints, to worship -- all are essential ways to face our own temptations in the face of humiliation and rejection, the withdrawal of safety and security, the uncertainty of hostility and danger.  This must be an active pursuit on our part, not a passive or lazy one, for each person will face unique struggles and challenges, and God may desire particular responses for each situation.  Such is the nature of spiritual struggle, for which we have been given so much by Christ, including the gift of grace, the Holy Spirit, and all the tools of the Church.  Let us "work the works of God" in our active spiritual life, as He has taught us.

 

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God

 

 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  

 

And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  

 

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  for it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  

 

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:

'He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you,'

and,

'In their hands they shall bear you up, 

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

 

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. 

 

- Luke 4:1-13 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John the Baptist, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  When all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

 

  Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we discussed the understanding of "types" in the Bible.  This "typological" way of understanding Christ gives us a lens through which to view His ministry and the events in it, as fulfilling types from the Old Testament.  My study Bible explains that the exodus of Jesus into the wilderness after His Baptism has a dual symbolism, one of which is to fulfill the Old Testament type in which Israel journeyed in the wilderness for forty years after its figurative "baptism" in the Red Sea.  In another sense, Christ's time in the wilderness also prefigures our own journey through the fallen world after our baptism, as we struggle towards the Kingdom.  This we also symbolically relive through the traditional practices of Lent, the forty days before Easter/Pascha, in which we fast, give alms, and deepen our prayer lives.  (There is another traditional forty day fast, as well, before Christmas.)  Let us note that all of the Scripture quotations that Jesus uses are from Deuteronomy, and the story of Israel's time in the wilderness, and they all call for loyalty to God.  Although Jesus is tested with hunger for forty days, He doesn't sin.  He fasted to overcome temptation, and gives us thereby an example of our own power and limitations in the face of temptation.  The hunger of Christ's flesh does not control Him; rather, He controls His flesh.  

 

 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  Here is the first temptation, in which Jesus is tempted to use His power to follow His impulses to hunger while He has been purposely fasting before He begins His public ministry.  My study Bible asks us to notice that each time Christ rebukes the devil, it is with the truth and power of Scripture. (In this case, He quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3; see also John 6:27.)   This teaches the faithful to become immersed in Scripture, so that we may resist and drive away every temptation (see Psalm 119:11).   The devil challenges Christ's relation to the Father, saying, "If You are the Son of God . . .."  My study Bible comments that this calls into question the Father's declaration at Christ's Baptism (see yesterday's reading, above).  It says that the devil wants Jesus to act independently and to detach Himself from the will of the Father.  In His divine nature, my study Bible explains, Christ shares one will with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He can do nothing of Himself, as He has said, apart from the Father.  But in Jesus' humanity, He has free will, and at all times He must choose to remain obedient to the divine will of the Father.   Note also that while Adam disregarded the divine word in order to pursue the passions of the body (Genesis 3), the New Adam -- Who is Christ -- conquers all temptation by the divine word, giving human nature the power to conquer Satan. 

 

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  for it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"   Once again, the devil seeks to tempt Christ to betray His relationship to the Father, using material promise to lure His loyalty.  My study Bible comments that God's Kingdom is not one of earthly power and possessions.  In this test, Jesus is being asked by the devil to choose worldly power over the Kingdom of God.  It notes that the devil is the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), because the whole world is in his power (1 John 5:19).  Jesus refuses the road of earthly glory, which would lead Him away from His suffering and death for the redemption of the world.

 

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"  As Christ has defeated him twice through the power of the Scriptures, Here the devil tries to tempt Jesus by quoting from Scripture (Psalm 91:11-12) in order to put God's power of protection to the test.  (See also 2 Peter 1:19-21).  My study Bible comments here that trials and temptations come on their own; we should never intentionally expose ourselves to danger in order to test or prove God's protection.  To do so is to tempt the LORD (Deuteronomy 6:16).

 

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.  Regarding the devil's opportune time, see Luke 22:40-46; 23:35; Matthew 16:21-23. 

 

For most Westerners, in the modern age it may seem a bit strange to deliberately give oneself a form of deprivation, perhaps particularly to experience hunger.  Dieting or fasting to lose weight is something quite common, but these are not often done purely to become a master of one's own impulses nor in combination with prayer and devotion to God.   Indeed, in our world today we have staggering problems with addictions that seem to originate to a large extent from the impulse to extinguish discomfort of all kinds, whether physical, mental, or even spiritual.  To deliberately seek a kind of discomfort for religious reasons is now, in our modern world, unusual.  Perhaps to a great extent our culture has adapted to a consumerist way of life in which any form of sacrifice is distasteful.  But the asceticism that has always been a part of the Church (and clearly, of Judaism in Jesus' time) remains an essential tool for spiritual growth nonetheless.  Jesus' forty-day fast is a time of deep prayer in communion with the Father.  His conquering of Satan in this sense becomes an essential part of His ministry to us and for us.  It is a time of testing, prefiguring all that He will undergo in His ministry, in serving the Father despite the hardship He will endure.  We, too, should not forget that life, no matter how "good" it may be and no matter what our material wealth (including food) may be, is never going to be perfect.  As human beings, we not only remain in an imperfect world in which the "evil one" still has effects, but we are also imperfect creatures.  We are in this world to learn, to grow in grace and repentance and healing, and in this growth our lives are a trajectory.  We must choose the course, the aim, wisely, and learn to live toward this good choice.  When we choose Christ, we choose a kind of devotion that leads us to an abundance of life (John 10:10).  Practices done in imitation of Christ, such as fasting, giving time and dedication to prayer, the giving of alms, are meant to strengthen us in that aim, to deepen our communion with God.  Moreover, they prepare us for our own hardships; that is, those times when we face struggles and opposition in life.  Perhaps even more importantly, when done for this purpose of growing closer to Christ, we grow in the strength He offers at the same time.  For in the traditional understanding of the Church, we are like Christ in the wilderness:  we face temptations from the one who is, in fact, hostile to us, and we need to focus on remaining in the light of Christ (John 12:35), despite the difficulties of spiritual struggle.  In the news today is the death by overdose of a young man who had everything going for him, and every advantage:  loving parents, success, health, enormous wealth.  But in all the ways he spoke of himself and his struggle (particularly with prescription medication), there is no mention of spiritual sustenance, of an understanding that we must endure through the strength which God can offer, and for the purpose of growing more fully into our faith and God's love.  It is a sad paradox and a tragic outcome, and his family needs our prayers as he did, and does still.  But let us consider what is missing in material success and the appearance of having all needs met (including prescription medicines that are meant to make us feel better).  Let us consider Jesus' way, and the example He sets.  We can feed ourselves on God's word, on the strength God gives us, and the practices that are meant to serve our souls.  In the growing strength of faith, we find ways through the darkness and difficulties of life.  Let us take courage in so doing, and follow His example for us.

 

 

 

 

 

  

You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased

 

 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  

 

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. 

 

When all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

 

- Luke 3:15–22 

 

In yesterday's lectionary reading, we were given the beginning verses of St. Luke's Gospel from chapter 1:  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  Then, the lectionary skipped to chapter 3:  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  In John 1:23, St. John the Baptist ascribes to himself the role of "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."  

 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  My study Bible comments that fire in this context has the primary meaning of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This is given to the world at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Moreover, it declares the judgment of Christ, in which the faithless will burn (see 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:8).  My study Bible asks us to note that this fire is one.  It is the same Power and the same Spirit which both enlivens the faithful and destroys the faithless. 

 

 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  Herod the tetrarch (also known as Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee) had divorced his own wife and married Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, while his brother was still living.  Herod's dynasty ruled for Rome, but portrayed themselves as Jews.  St. John the Baptist had publicly denounced this marriage as unlawful according to Mosaic law (Leviticus 18:16).   She, moreover, had initiated her divorce from Philip in the Roman style, but a wife unilaterally initiating divorce was not recognized under Jewish law.

 

 When all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."  My study Bible comments that Jesus Himself does not need baptism.  But in being baptized, He accomplished several things:  First, it is an affirmation of St. John the Baptist's ministry.  Moreover, Christ is revealed by the Father and the Holy Spirit to be the Christ, God's beloved Son.  In addition, He identified with His people by descending into the waters with them.  This baptism also prefigures His own death, and thus He gives baptism its ultimate meaning.  Also, by entering the waters, Jesus sanctifies the water itself for future Holy Baptism.  He, in fact, fulfills the many types given in the Old Testament, such as when Moses led the people from bondage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and when the ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan so the people could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3; 4).  Finally, Jesus opened heaven to a world separated from God through sin.

 

 The baptism of St. John the Baptist was meant to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.  Thus, the text tells us that the people were in expectation; it is the expectation of the Messiah that is indicated here.  But the Baptist's preparation of the people also carries with it the preparation for Holy Baptism, which is instituted through Christ.  In Holy Baptism, we are not simply baptized for repentance, but we are also chrismated.  We are baptized with water and the Spirit (John 3:5).  In the stories of the Holy Bible, we are given a constant stream of one story fulfilling another.  It is these stories which prefigure the story of Jesus Christ that are called types.  My study Bible noted all the ways in which Christ's Baptism in today's reading fulfilled a number of those types, such as that of the Israelites crossing the Jordan out of slavery and toward the Promised Land.  When we read of a prophecy fulfilled by Christ, it is a similar process, but based in the fulfillment of the word of God, rather than historical type.  The stories and prophecies of the Bible do not simply repeat themselves, but we understand them as being fulfilled.  That is, they are leading us to a more full truth, toward the perfection of the fullness of the revelation of Christ and what it means that He gave Himself "for the life of the world."  Each fulfillment brings more deeply the realization of a greater truth, a deeper reality of the spiritual life, the life of God for us.  And in so doing, Christ brings the kingdom of heaven more fully into the world for us, so that we in turn may participate in that life, even in this world.  Without Christ's Baptism, we ourselves would not have Holy Baptism, and we would not have the understanding of what it is to be cleansed in the fullest sense of this spiritual renewal made possible by Christ.  For it is He who can release us from sin; it is through Him we have received the Holy Spirit, and the fire that both purifies and revivifies.  When we are "born again," or "born from above" (as the Greek literally means in John 3:3), then a new pattern is set for us in Christ, and for our participation in the life of Christ which He offers to us.  We die to the old, and are born into the new.  But as my study Bible says, Christ's Baptism also prefigures the Cross, and in so doing we find Baptism's ultimate meaning (see Romans 6:3-5). For we also may live a daily story of birth and renewal, of death to something we need to discard, and a type of resurrection God holds for us.  It is Jesus who told us to take up our crosses daily (Luke 9:23), and so our stories may also be in fulfillment of His, just as St. Paul also testified:  "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31; see 1 Corinthians 15:20-31).  As the stories unfold in St. Luke's Gospel, let us consider how we, too, must live our faith.  

 

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance

 

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. 

* * * 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

 Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

 

 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

 

- Luke 1:1-4, 3:1-14 

 

In our recent readings, the lectionary has been focused on the Gospel of St. John.  Presently we read through chapter 12, in which Jesus was in Jerusalem at the final Passover of His earthly life.  He had made His Triumphal Entry into the Holy City, and spent time teaching in the temple.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."  Today the lectionary takes us to the Gospel of St. Luke.

 

  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  My study Bible notes that St. Luke was not a disciple from the beginning; however, he has a perfect understanding of the gospel because his sources were the apostles themselves. That is, the apostles who were the eyewitnesses of Christ.  St. Luke wrote his Gospel to Theophilus.  Theophilus was a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  According to St. Ambrose, Theophilus can mean any "lover of God," and therefore he writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

 

  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  My study Bible comments on the high priests.  It says that while Caiaphas was now the sole high priest, people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, who was a previous high priest deposed by the Romans.  

 

  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .  For the prophets of the Old Testament, the call to repentance was tradition.  It is a call to turn back to the Lord.  My study Bible comments that St. John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but it prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  St. John the Baptist is a figure of the Law, in that -- like the Law -- he denounced sin but could not remit (or "put away") sin.  Both St. John and the Law point to the One who can do so.

 

 . . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  In John 1:23, St. John the Baptist ascribes to himself the role of "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."  

 

 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."  My study Bible comments here that, while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself does not make one worthy of God.  Each person in every generation, it notes, must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones are symbolic of the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  

 

Right from the beginning, St. John the Baptist's focus is on repentance, and preparation for the One whose work will bring judgment.  But, as Jesus will continually emphasize, judgment will focus on a lived faith.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' parable of judgment comes down to our capacity for the practice of compassion, what we do in living our faith (Matthew 25:31-46).   In St. John's Gospel, as we have just read, it is the living of the word given to Christ by the Father that determines judgment (see the previous reading and commentary, And I know that His command is everlasting life). According to St. John the Evangelist and Theologian, his Gospel presents faith as something much more than an intellectual acceptance of truth.  It is, in fact, a trust, a confidence, through which we live our lives and which guides what we do.  This is a much deeper bond within the soul.  In fact, in this deep sense, what we do, what we practice, informs who we are.  In today's reading, the people ask the Baptist, "What shall we do then?" St. John speaks of generosity to those more poor than we are.  Then those who are considered among the community as sinners also come to St. John.  The tax collectors ask, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  He tells them to refrain from the common practice of taking more than was required for the payment of taxes to the Romans, keeping extra for themselves.  And the soldiers as well, whose might helps enforce such corruption, come to him and ask, "And what shall we do?"  The Baptist's answer teaches them to refrain from extortion:  "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   In each of these ways, then, St. John the Baptist is teaching the people what it means to "bear fruits worthy of repentance."  In other words, there are concrete ways to express in their lives the turning back to God, repentance.  Jesus also will speak of people in images of trees and the fruit they produce.  In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus teaches, "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:43-45).  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will repeat the words of the Baptist regarding judgment:  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).  The lectionary begins our first readings in St. Luke's Gospel with its first verses from chapter 1, and then starting into chapter 3.  The section it skips is Luke 1:5 - Luke 2:52, which cover the births of St. John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, including stories of His early life.  The saints we read about in that section all form examples of what it is to live one's faith, to respond to God by living one's faith, despite fears and hardships.  Let us pay attention.