I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." 

 

Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  

 

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 

 

- Matthew 13:31–35 

  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds):  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who writes that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples.  For they began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  They also stand for faith entering a person's soul, which then causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul will become god-like and can receive even angels (the birds of the air come and nest in its branches).  

 

 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."  This quotation is from Psalm 78:2.  For an elaboration on the reason Jesus speaks in parables, see this reading.  

 

 The two very simple parables that Jesus gives in today's reading give us yet more dimensions (so to speak) in which the kingdom of heaven works in our world.  The first, the parable of the Mustard Seed, tells us a story of explosive and surprising growth, leading to developments which are unanticipated from such a small -- even tiny -- beginning.  The mustard seed is unassuming, humble, almost infinitesimal in its smallness.  And yet, the growth that comes from it is towering, as far as plants go; it even spreads enough and grows enough so that it can support other life:  the birds of the air who may take shelter in its branches.  We shouldn't forget that Jesus has already spoken of Himself as the Sower, and so this very tiny little seed is also part of the word of God.  It grows seemingly exponentially, in Jesus' description of the resulting tree-like herb.  The parable of the Leaven describes a different kind of growth.  This growth is not exterior and not exponential.  Rather it is an interior growth.  It describes an enzyme-like movement that entirely changes a substance into something other than what it was.  Elsewhere my study Bible comments that this is a rare instance in Scripture in which leaven is used as a positive influence.  Most often, leaven is used as an adulterating substance, that disturbs the purity of something.  But Jesus uses it positively here, to teach us about the work of the kingdom of heaven within us, and within our families and communities, extending even to to nations and to the world.  Similarly to the metaphors of salt and light to Christians within communities and in the world, leaven as metaphor for the kingdom of heaven gives us an image of even greater depth of influence and transformation.  It teaches us about the kind of change wrought by the presence of the kingdom of God within us, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We are meant to be transformed, transfigured.  Even as Christ Himself was transfigured (Luke 17:1-2), we are given an image of the presence of the kingdom of God and its work within us and in our world.  However, as the very act of Christ choosing to speak in parables indicates, these effects also depend on faith, on our capacity for hearing and seeing and recognizing the precious value of the things He offers.  So much depends upon our hearts and our desires as well, a synergy that also depends upon our "yes" as well, our cooperation.  In today's reading, Jesus speaks of small things, easily overlooked, which have a great impact.  Perhaps in them is illustrated the question:  "For who has despised the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10).  St. Matthew tells us that by speaking in parables, Jesus fulfills the words of the psalmist, whom he calls a prophet, "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."  All this work of the kingdom of heaven is hidden, secret.  But it takes those with the eyes and ears to perceive and to know its working within us and among us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An enemy has done this

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24–30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued in His dialogue with the Pharisees, who had accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (see readings from Monday and Tuesday),  He said, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  In today's reading the lectionary jumps forward, as we've recently read the beginning of chapter 13, when Jesus begins to teach for the crowds in parables.  See this reading, and this one.  So, His first parable was the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), and here He begins a second.  My study Bible claims that this parable in today's reading builds on the previous parable of the Sower.  Here Jesus gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  It explains that, as falsehood came after truth, and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds (the tares, a plant which resembles wheat but is indigestible for human beings) first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Additionally, my study Bible remarks that this parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

In yesterday's reading and commentary we discussed the spiritual battleground that is the world in the context of Christ's teaching about the demonic and the Holy Spirit.  He spoke in that reading (see above) about a house that is swept clean and put in order -- using this as an illustration of exorcism.  But if that house is not dedicated and filled with the Holy Spirit, that demons comes back, finds it empty and clean, and brings back seven more spirits, so the resulting condition of that person is worse than the first.   Here Jesus uses the illustration of seed to teach us about the influence of that which is planted by Christ, and that which is not.  As my study Bible points out, heresies are often couched in half-truths rather than obvious lies; this is in keeping with the deceptive nature of fallacy.  What sounds good is often "too good to be true," as the old saying goes.  Without learning how to recognize spiritual falsehood, we are open to the possibility of deception.  However, when it comes to the judgment at the end of the age, Christ allows all to grow together.  In the first place, as my study Bible notes, judgment of humankind only belongs to Christ, and that is possible only through the depth and breadth and width of the knowledge of Christ.  In our lives, every moment is a kind of slice of reality and the choices we make, but nothing stands still.  We make choices and continue to grow toward Christ, or away, and we always have new opportunities for choice and repentance, return.  If the seed sown by Christ is His word and teaching, then we have to understand that those spiritual forces that oppose Christ will also be sowing their own seed.  While the good wheat is a blessing, healthy for humans (and that which forms the Eucharist for us), the deceptive tares don't give us what we need.  They don't feed us true spiritual food good for our souls or our well-being.  But they "look like" the wheat.  We might learn through experience, and the bad results from consuming the tares, but we'd do better to pay close attention to the wheat, so that we know it and recognize it.  The Church also explains and names heresies so that we recognize the tares and how they deceive us when they're not really good for us to consume.  Again, a colloquial expression also helps in this case, "What will you swallow?"  Again, in yesterday's commentary we discussed good and evil, the influence of angels and demons, as energies.  We can participate in these energies (or they participate in us) and they become a part of who we are.  We can cling to grace, the work of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to know Christ, to find His good seed, to grow as good wheat (John 14:26).  But we need that help and it's found, importantly, in the collective wisdom of the Church and her Tradition, which includes the Scriptures.  That living Tradition is formed and shaped by and through the Holy Spirit, and to the Spirit we always pray in all things, and at the beginning of every service (see the Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Spirit here).  But while we live in this world, we have wheat and tares growing side by side.  This is an illustration that applies to truth and falsehood, what's good for us or deceptive, and yet it also applies to human beings and the judgment at the end of the age.  Let us at least understand where we are, how this world is working in this stage, and the role of Christ and the Church within it, especially the good seed of the Sower.  What do you want to grow?  What do you want to consume?  How will you find the truth of the one from the other for your life?  Where and how do we find and dwell in that kingdom while we yet live in this world?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother

 

 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  

 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

- Matthew 12:43–50 

 

On Monday, we read that, after an exorcism in which a mute and deaf man was healed, Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His reply to them.  He told them, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."   My study Bible remarks that when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they did not repent of their impure ways, and an unclean spirit took up residence in their hearts (Deuteronomy 31:20; Psalm 106:34-39).  So therefore, we guard our hearts.  Unless there is full repentance, my study Bible concludes, and the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, an expelled demon will return with others and reoccupy its abode.

 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."  My study Bible explains that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  He points here to a spiritual family which is based on obedience to the will of My Father.   It's important to know that in the tradition of Jewish usage, brother here can be used to indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Still today, across the Middle East, use of the word "brother" can mean various relations.  My study Bible further elaborates that Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here, it notes, were either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  We must note that Christ committed His mother to the care of St. John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), which would have been unthinkable if Mary had had other children to care for her.

 

 In a secular world, we might find it a bit stark, even shocking, that Jesus speaks in such categorical terms regarding the spiritual world of good and evil, of demons and the Holy Spirit.  But we should not confuse these spiritual terms and realities with the way, say, political parties work.  This is not a choice between human beings as candidates for office, nor even as candidates for friendship.  Jesus is speaking of how and why the spiritual world works, and its role in our hearts -- what we admit, or rather, what we choose to participate in, or not.  If we think in terms of energies, it might be a bit more clear that we can choose to participate in "negative" or positive energies, that which acts for evil or acts for good, on behalf of one spiritual force or another.  What influence do we want in our lives?  For when we open ourselves, or become vulnerable to, a power or influence that acts against Christ, we are participating in what energies that brings to us.  When we seek to nurture and strengthen the work and presence of the Holy Spirit within us, we are choosing to participate in that which embraces and teaches us about Christ (John 14:26).  When speaking in terms of how the spiritual world works, we must remember we're not talking about the secular, every day world of human beings who have all kinds of complicated problems and influences competing with one another -- and often at the same time!  This world of the demonic involves fallen angels, with an entirely different nature than human beings have, and a different intelligence that operates in different ways.  In this picture of spiritual realities, human beings, and our world, become battlegrounds competing for hearts and minds and souls, and this is an ongoing struggle, an unceasing battle.  We may not find it possible to even conceive of how to function within such a struggle, but that's why we have help.  This is why Christ has come into our world to help us and guide us, and to leave us with a Helper, the Holy Spirit.  We don't need to understand it all; we don't have the intelligence of beings created as angels.  We are meant to pursue a life through time, learning gradually, coming to a repentance, and making our way as best we can, including lots of mistakes and combating imperfection and partial understanding and knowledge.  This is why we're not the judges, but we seek to follow He who will judge.  Thus, Jesus' teaching in today's reading about unclean spirits and the importance of our own vigilance in our faith and choices, and guarding our hearts for the influences we want and don't want.  Moreover, so important is this to Christ's mission, that He speaks to us of His family as "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven." We become "sons" or "children" of God by adoption through grace and -- importantly for Christ in the context of this teaching -- by truly living our faith, and thus part of Christ's family.  Let us remember once again that Jesus is speaking to men who know the Scriptures perhaps better than any others in His community, among the Jews of Christ's time, and spent their time debating and studying them.  But they cannot see nor know Him for the envy of their positions in the society takes the place of a heart open to the influence of God, the reality He brings into the world.  Jesus will elaborate far more on the problems of the Pharisees and scribes in chapter 23 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  Let us heed His words for ourselves, and the choices we seek to make in our lives, the living of our faith in this world and whose will we seek to please.  Our spiritual journey in life is to move toward Christ.  Let us bear that in mind as we read through the Gospel.

 

 

 

 

 

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here

 

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

- Matthew 12:33-42 

 

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."

 

  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  Here Jesus rephrases His teaching from the Sermon on the Mount:  "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:18-20).  In the continuity of the Scriptures and of the mission of God for salvation, we find this same phrase used by St. John the Baptist for the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious leaders of the temple, "Brood of vipers!"  Here Jesus replies to the Pharisees who have accused Him of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons, the devil (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible explains that the Pharisees formed a lay religious movement which was centered on the study of the Law and on strict observance of its regulations.  They believed in the resurrection of the dead, and cherished a messianic hope, but they taught that righteousness is attained on the strength of one's works according to the Law, and that the Messiah would be merely a glorious man.  This isn't the last time Jesus will use this title for them ("Brood of vipers"; see also Matthew 23:33).  My study Bible explains that it indicates their deception and malice, and their being under the influence of Satan.  Brood means offspring.

 

 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  My study Bible teaches us that the heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  It says that when God's grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  And, on the other hand, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion (see also Matthew 6:22-23).  

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  My study Bible comments that, after so many signs, the Pharisees show their wickedness by demanding yet another.  Jesus does not cater to those who demand a sign out of wicked intent.  The only sign to them, my study Bible notes, will be Christ's Passion and Resurrection -- "the sign of the prophet Jonah" to which Jesus refers in His response.   

 

 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  Adulterous generation is another echo of the prophets.  This was the illustration they used when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 3; Hosea 2:2-13).  

 

In a perhaps inadvertent way, Jesus teaches us through His response to the Pharisees that human beings participate in setting certain standards for the world when it comes to the judgment of which He speaks.  Those who fail to heed to work of God in the world -- that is, the work of the Holy Spirit that spoke through the prophets or that casts out demons (see yesterday's reading, above) -- will be judged by the standards of those who did.  Jesus compares the Pharisees to even those who came from outside of the Jewish tradition, and heeded the wisdom of the God of Israel spoken to them.  He uses the example of the Gentile people of Nineveh who repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3), and the queen of the South (1 Kings 10:1-13), also a Gentile, who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  These outsiders heeded the God of Israel, and yet the Pharisees fail to recognize who is standing among them, despite the great works He's done in their midst -- "and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  It gives us a kind of clue about the spiritual possibilities of human beings, and indeed our capacity for understanding and receiving the wisdom of God.  Since this includes even these examples of Gentiles like the Queen of Sheba (the queen of the South) who came from outside of Israel, or the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, it teaches us a universal lesson that is inclusive of all.  These men to whom Jesus speaks, the Pharisees who spend their days immersed in Scripture and its interpretations, scrupulously following all the commands they can find, nonetheless remain blind to the things those outsiders perceived.  But their condition is even worse than blindness; it's a deliberate blindness.  Jesus calls them "Brood of vipers," indicating that they not only are not heeding the God of Israel, but following a different "father," and that they are the offspring of that father, the devil (see John 8:39-47).  In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus told these men, "He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  This teaches us about the absence of neutral; that when it comes to matters that are spiritual, we make choices, and either we seek to be children of God, or we turn the other direction.  Moreover, we're on an equal playing field in the sense that even these learned men, rulers in the Council, with their knowledge of the Scriptures, are rendered in Christ's sight, a "brood of vipers," while the Gentiles He names are examples that will serve as comparison to them in the judgment to come, over which Christ will preside.  Again, we're given a sort of illustration of God who lifts up the lowly and pulls down the mighty (Luke 1:46-55), and this applies even in spiritual or religious terms.  The Pharisees who represent the learned and most observant are blind in their hypocrisy, and their hearts are far from God.  They demand a sign, proofs for what they do not desire to see.  It teaches us about the importance of a heart open in humility, one pure enough to see that which is not defined by the purely worldly.  

 

 

 

If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.

 

  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  Beelzebub is a name which ridicules an actual title for a shrine to Baal.  Baal means "lord," and temples and worship sites were built to Baal of many kinds.  Baal-zebul is an ancient Canaanite and Philistine title generally meaning "Lord of the High Place" or "Exalted Lord."  Beelzebub, however, is a name used by the Jews to ridicule this god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Its meaning is prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."   Here, Baal is referred to as ruler of the demons.  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that the sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven as the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit is blasphemy against divine activity which was already known from the Old Testament, and this will not be forgiven as it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  Moreover, it's important that we understand that in patristic commentary blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgiven if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible concludes that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance by their own choice.  

 

It's important to understand spiritual battle in terms of the demonic and the holy.  Ancient gods worshiped by pagan peoples were understood to be demons, and those locked in battle against God.  That is, the Lord, Yahweh of the Old Testament.  The mythologies of these ancient pagan gods have similar outlines, and all reflect successful rebellion of some type, of son against father.  One example we might be familiar with from Greek mythology was that of Zeus who rebelled against his father Kronos.  The same is true of the story of Baal.  But where pagan mythologies depict a successful overthrow, the story of the God of Israel is quite different.  For there, rebellion is the domain of the demons who have failed in their quest to overthrow God.   In the Gospels, we see this reflected in the power of Christ over the demons in many stories, for the demons who rebel are still engaged in battle in our world, but they focus their efforts on vulnerable human beings.  Christ who comes to save steps into the middle of the battleground as one of us.  So we need to understand today's story from the Gospel of St. Matthew with this background in mind, especially in order to understand what it means that the Pharisees claim that He casts out demons by the power of demons; indeed, by the power of "Beelzebub," lord of "the flies."  We might mention in this context a recent book by Fr. Stephen De Young, titled The Baal Book:  A Biography of the Devil (found here at Amazon.com), in which he depicts the evolution of our understanding of the devil through these myths of Baal from the ancient Near East.  The Pharisees, in their envy and resentment of Christ, call His work -- and in particular, His casting out of demons resulting in spectacular healings and signs of the Messiah -- the work of the devil, the "ruler of the demons."  They accuse Him, in effect, of sorcery.  But what He says to them is a stark warning in return:  they are blaspheming the work of God, the action of the Holy Spirit in the world, and calling it evil.  It's important to understand that the Pharisees are a group of people for whom studying the Scriptures is of primary importance; knowing and debating the meaning of even the minutiae of Scripture is what they dedicate themselves to doing.  So to take an action like this -- one in which the blind and mute both spoke and saw (a sign attributed to the coming of the Messiah in prophecy; see for example Isaiah 35:5-6) -- is actually quite beneath persons schooled in Scripture and its implications.  It is, as my study Bible says, a sign of hardened hearts, even beyond the capacity for repentance.  Thus Jesus' words regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  Let us note that He explicitly does not defend Himself as Jesus, but is defending the Third Person of the Trinity, the Spirit.  Jesus' logic cuts through their envy and resentment of His appeal among the people, and of the authority with which He speaks.  How can Satan cast out Satan?  Jesus puts it into the context of a battle of kingdoms, and indeed it truly is.  Which side are the Pharisees defending in attacking the work of the Holy Spirit?  When we observe the world around us, can we, also begin to look objectively at what "fruits" are produced?  Do we see healing, or do we see harm? 

 

 

Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well

 

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.

 

- Matthew 9:18-26 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

 

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.  My study Bible comments for us to recognize that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with God the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).  The healing of the woman demonstrates yet again Christ's power to cleanse and to heal (see this reading).  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, and so imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  My study Bible says that this suffering woman -- who accounts herself unclean -- nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  He, in turn, brings her good cheer because of her faith.  Moreover, He corrects her thinking, because she couldn't hide her touch from Him nor was she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Finally, He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  

 

This is yet another time, as with the paralytic, that Jesus' touch (that is, the woman secretly touches the hem of His garment) He heals what is considered to be unclean.  Jesus makes it perfectly clear that He embraces her healing and her action, as He displays her faith to all as an example, and calls her "daughter."  There is also another daughter in this story, and wherever in the Gospels we read the story of one, we also read the story of the other.  The older woman is past her capacity for child-bearing (and certainly her chronic hemorrhage indicates this also), while the younger is on the cusp of maturing.  In a kind of parallel irony, St. Matthew's text tells us that this woman had suffered from this affliction for twelve years; in the stories according to Sts. Mark and Luke we're told that the daughter is also twelve years of age.  In another ironic comparison, the older woman has suffered everything from doctors, spent all of her money seeking treatment, and has only grown worse (Mark 5:25-26); on the other hand the young daughter of a ruler of the synagogue is a child of a person of rank and likely substantial possessions.  She has her father and mother to plead for her, and hired flute players and a noisy crowd come to mourn her.  The first approaches Christ with the humility of her circumstances; the second cannot speak for herself, but is a daughter of relative privilege with a father to speak to Him for her.  In these strange parallels and inverses, we see once again the breadth and depth of Christ.  He can speak with anybody, turns no one away who comes in faith, is approached by all, even the humblest and poorest and most powerless.  He gives equal time to all.  And yet we see He lifts up the lowly, while the proud are humbled (those who ridiculed Him).  And this, also, teaches us that He is God; see Luke 1:46-55, especially verses 51-52.  Thus, He both transcends and traverses all things and people as well.  Above all, we know His compassion, for this is the characteristic of the Incarnation as a whole.  Out of everlasting love, He has been sent to us, and He has been sent to heal all things in all ways (John 3:16).  He is the Physician for all and for all things, even death.  There is another ironic parallel of death and resurrection in today's reading, as blood was considered life and containing the life of all living creatures; while this woman's chronic blood flow was life-threatening and seemingly incurable, He not only heals her but also revives the daughter who was understood to have died.  In all of these things we see Christ at the center, and for all who need what He has to offer.  But in all cases, it is faith that makes the connection, whether it be by a woman coming to Him in secret and without His knowing, or a ruler of the synagogue pleading for his daughter.  High and low, it is faith that is the thread between the Healer and the healed.

 

 

 

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick

 

 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

 

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

 

- Matthew 9:9-17 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His exorcism of the Gergesene demoniacs, Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

 

  As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  My study Bible reminds us that Matthew (the author of this Gospel) is also named Levi (Mark 2:14).  It explains that Roman overlords assigned specific areas to Jewish tax collectors, who were free to collect extra revenues for their own profit.  Because of their collaboration with the occupying Romans, their fraud, and their corruption in extorting money from their own people, they were hated by fellow Jews and considered unclean (Matthew 11:19).  By dining with them and accepting a tax collector as a disciple ("Follow Me"), Jesus offends the Pharisees.  But His defense is both simple and teaches us about what He is here as Incarnate Jesus for:  He goes where the need of the physician is the greatest.  Jesus quotes from Hosea 6:6, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice."  This is not a rejection of sacrifice per se, my study Bible explains, but it shows that mercy is a higher priority (see Psalm 51).  

 

 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."  My study Bible tells us that the Jews typically fasted twice per week (Luke 18:12), on Monday and Thursday.  Moreover, there were regularly observed or occasionally proclaimed public fasts (2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16; Joel 2:15).  This was particularly important on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:31-34) and in times of mourning (Zechariah 7:5, 8:19). But the day of the Messiah was viewed as a wedding feast; that is, a time of joy and gladness.   Here Jesus is proclaiming that day, and declaring Himself to be the Messiah/Bridegroom.  For Christians, my study Bible explains, fasting is not gloomy but desirable, it is a "bright sadness," for in fasting we gain self-control and we prepare ourselves for the Wedding Feast.  The old garment and old wineskins stand for the Old Covenant and the Law, which are viewed as imperfect and temporary.  The new wineskins are the New Covenant and those in Christ.  The new wine is the Holy Spirit dwelling within renewed people, who cannot be constrained by the old precepts of the Law.  

 

Jesus says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  In so doing, He frames His entire ministry in terms of healing, for He is clearly equating salvation from sin, and repentance, as part of the work of healing, and what a physician offers to those who are "sick."  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we discussed the metaphorical parallel between paralysis and sin, a sort of paralysis of the soul.  When we consider being stuck in sin or harmful habits and behaviors as a kind of paralysis of the soul, we begin to understand repentance as remedy and medicine.  Repentance is the way to transform and transcend behaviors and ways of thinking that keep us stuck in a pattern that is harmful or disordered, for repentance literally means "change of mind" (the Greek word is μετανοια/metanoia).  Repentance is quite simply a turning away from what is harmful and turning toward Christ instead.  It is a way to become unstuck, and moving toward the proper and healthful goal for all of us, which is ultimately union with Christ our Creator, who gives us true identity.  In the Orthodox tradition, the Church is often considered to be a hospital, reflective of what we find in the Gospels.  In today's reading, Jesus refers to Himself a physician, of whom those who are sick have need.  In the final verses of today's reading, He gives a vivid illustration of the pattern of change involved in spiritual growth, the transition from the old to the new, the opening up of the gospel to those who may come in through repentance.  Fasting will indeed be part of the New Covenant Church, but it -- like everything else -- will be transfigured in the light of Christ the Bridegroom, as we await His return.  Let us turn toward Him and fill the new wineskins for the new wine.