Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow

 

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up and it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.   And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,

And hearing they may hear and not understand;

Lest they should turn,

And their sins be forgiven them.'"

 

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;  and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 

- Mark 4:1–20 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus and the disciples went into a house, the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house. Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up and it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Today's reading marks another turning point in Christ's public ministry.  On Monday, we read that Jesus appointed twelve of His disciples to be with Him and also to be sent out on apostolic missions.  This marked a turning point in the sense that Christ's ministry has expanded so that people come from the Jewish populations all around the different nearby regions to hear Him, including the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon.  Here the multitudes have grown so that now Jesus begins teaching in parables.  His words, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" echoes Old Testament Scripture, particularly the prophets (see, for example, Isaiah 6:9-10, Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2; Deuteronomy 29:4).  These words, and the nature of the parables, let us know that Christ is looking for those who will come to Him by faith, and not simply by the impression of His miraculous signs and healings.  Jesus' question suggests we need spiritual eyes and ears to sense the truth in His parables.

 

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.   And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that  'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  My study Bible comments that parables are stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  The Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  The images in the parables are drawn from daily life common to people at that time (and still today) in order to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  My study Bible adds that parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).  So, Christ's statement here, that "to those who are outside, all things come in parables" might also be translated as saying ". . . all things come in riddles." Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10.  According to St. John Chrysostom, this quotation does not mean that God has blinded people or made them deaf to spiritual perception, but that God permits people their self-chosen blindness, and gives people up to their own devices (Romans 1:24, 26).  

 

 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;  and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  My study Bible comments that in this parable, the Lord reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower, who was foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  

 

If we look at the details of this simple parable, as explained by Jesus, we find touching and gentle language that is nevertheless right on target in terms of the images Jesus gives us.  He gives us images of the word as seed, snatched by the wayside from the hearts of those who can't retain it, as if Satan is a great black bird that takes up the seeds of help from hapless human beings.   These are those off the path needed for Christ.  Then there is the image of stony ground, which immediately gives us a sense of the difficulties of planting, tilling the soil and working it, finding good ground.  It gives us a sense of that which is hard, and resists the word taking root.  It echoes Christ's repeated words teaching us about "hard heartedness" -- a failure to repent or to open one's heart to truth, a stubborn desire to remain untouched by Christ's words.  Tribulation or persecution will deter any such root from taking place, for then love and commitment are asked for, a sacrifice is asked for, and hard-heartedness does not practice love and often remains simply self-interested.  Then there are the seeds sown among thorns.  How menacing is the idea of thorns and their painful effects; indeed it echoes the crown of thorns placed upon Jesus' head at His Crucifixion.  Jesus speaks of things we are all-too-familiar with in the modern world, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things.  These simple words speak of the temptations that are all around us, the need to keep up with "the neighbors" or our social status we seek, the things everybody else seems to be chasing or already have gotten for themselves, and the riches that don't fulfill us but which we find ourselves chasing anyway -- deceiving us into thinking they can fix all problems.  The constant desire for things we don't have is continually stoked through social media and advertising of many kinds; human beings seem to have a constant eye upon what they don't have, or what others have and we decide that we perhaps should want.  There is a social effect termed "mimetic rivalry" that is based on the desire to attain what others seem to have, which may develop from an inspiration to become like them (to mimic them in this sense), but culminate simply in a desire to replace and topple them in one form or another.  This type of social competition can indeed act like thorns that choke out every other priority, subsuming love and loyalty, and most certainly the desire to please God by loving neighbor as oneself.  Indeed, in Jesus' parable, they choke out the very word of God itself.  These vivid images tell us about life.  They may be simple, but they are touching, and deeply meaningful and "on point" for anyone who has experienced all of these things in their own lives.  There is a reason why Christ's words come back and hit so deeply upon anyone who has tried and failed to find satisfaction in a world where "deceit of riches" can let us down, or we can lose ourselves in chasing goals and dreams that really aren't what we truly, deeply need.  Jesus' words remain vivid in impact and meaning.  They hit home, so to speak, and find us where we truly live when we get serious about finding a better path in life.  Repentance becomes a powerful experience perhaps because there are times when we most bitterly feel and come to know the aptness of Christ's descriptions of the things that inhibit the productivity of the word within us.  When we truly seek to cultivate His path, we may come to realize the joy of the productivity He names, perhaps thirtyfold, sixty, or a hundred.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can Satan cast out Satan?

 

 And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house. 

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

 

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 

- Mark 3:19b–35 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the open hostility of the authorities has begun to grow (Mark 3:6), Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

 

  And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  There are some who have commented that all of the attention Jesus is drawing is focusing unwanted public scrutiny on the family, and is to some extent scandalous in and of itself.  Perhaps they desire simply to have Him withdraw from so much public attention, and especially the by now open hostility of the religious authorities, who plot together with the Herodians (supporters of Herod's dynasty which rules for Rome) to destroy Him.  Perhaps they're making excuses for Him for the same reason.  Additionally, as St. John's Gospel tells us, in the midst of His public ministry His brothers (extended kin or perhaps stepbrothers from an earlier marriage of St. Joseph) also did not believe in Him (John 7:1-5).

 

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house."  Beelzebub was a name used by the Jews for the god Baal. In Canaanite practice, Baal was used to mean "lord" and so it's based on a name for the local god of a particular city.  This name is likely meant to ridicule this god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  It means prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Here, this god is called ruler of the demons.  My study Bible says that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

 

 "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  My study Bible identifies blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  These religious authorities, thoroughly versed in Scripture, know well the divine activity of the Spirit, and this type of blasphemy will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  Moreover, my study Bible notes that Church Fathers are very clear that 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 forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration, my study Bible says, knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance by their own choice.

 

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  My study Bible comments that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  Jesus points to a spiritual family based on obedience to the will of God.  Here my study Bible further explains that in Jewish usage, brother might indicate any number of relations.  In the Scriptures, Abraham called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his brother in Ruth 4:3; and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  In Christian tradition and understanding, Jesus Himself had no blood brothers; Mary had only one Son.  These brothers mentioned here (as we said above) are either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  When Jesus commits His mother to the care of John at the Cross (John 19:25-27) it must reasonably be understood that this would have been unthinkable in the context of contemporaneous culture if Mary had other children to care for her.  

 

 Jesus asks, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"  He frames this question within an image of competing kingdoms and the warfare between them.  He says, " If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house."  Here, "house" indicates a dynasty, a lineage, a ruling family, even an empire.  Everything within the sphere of that "house" belongs to it.  We should take this very seriously that Jesus frames the action of Satan in this way, for He gives us a picture of a spiritual battle that is always going on, and in so doing, makes a mockery out of the accusation that He casts out demons (practices exorcism) by the power of demons, or the power of Satan.  He is the "stronger man" in the image of His parable about kingdoms and strong men.  He is the one who can bind and plunder Satan's goods and his house.  This will be the effect of the Cross, of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection; His ministry is one of liberation and deliverance for humankind, and for the whole of creation.  I watched an interesting video on making the sign of the Cross, by Fr. Mesrop Ash, a priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church (video link here).  Father Mesrop makes it clear that for our earliest Christian ancestors, the sign of the Cross was a kind of seal.  Seals have always been associated with "houses," as in the sense of a dynasty or reigning family.  When we make this sign upon ourselves, we're sealing ourselves with the sign of Christ, that we are Christians, and that we belong to Him and to His house.  We should consider carefully in this light Christ's words in today's reading, as we think of ruling houses, lineage, and seals:  "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  When we make the sign of the Cross over ourselves, we seal ourselves with His seal, with the seal of our faith, His house, as Christians.  A "sign" is also in traditional and historical use another name for a flag, as in the flag of a nation, a clan, a house, or ruling dynasty.  Armies go to war under particular flags for this reason.  A flag works in the same way that a seal does, to indicate that a person or any other thing belongs to that house, clan, country, ruling government.  We are of the kingdom of Christ, and in today's reading, it is Jesus Himself who gives us clear indication just how important it is that we identify or seal ourselves with a particular sign of a particular ruling  power.  We belong to His house, and His house is opposed and "throws out" the troops of Satan, and plunders his goods, taking back souls and freeing them.  Let us remember with what seal we seal ourselves, and find meaning in being His family, under the rule and protection of His house.

 

 

 

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. 

 

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

 

- Mark 3:7-19 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the discples went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

  But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.   My study Bible notes that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (though it was not time for Him to die; see Saturday's reading, above) and also in order to preach in other places.  Once again we note Christ's urge to secrecy regarding His identity which the unclean spirits know; He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. 

 

 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  These men are to be His chosen disciples (that they might be with Him), and also His apostles (that He might send them out to preach).  These two terms are used interchangeably for the twelve.  Disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."  Jesus gave them power to perform miracles, my study Bible says, while He performed them by His own power.  The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, for many people had more than one name.  

 

We notice how Christ's ministry unfolds.  A great multitude now follows Christ from all over the territories where Jews live in the region: from Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon.  These are Jewish territories such as Judea and Jerusalem, places of mixed populations like Galilee, and also Gentile territories of Tyre and Sidon.   These come to Him and have all heard of Him and the things He does; His reputation now means His very life is threatened with all those who crowd in simply to touch Him.  It also seems to be getting harder to keep His messianic identity secret, as the demons reveal who He is when they cry out.  All of this is happening at the same time the religious authorities grow more hostile to Him and plan to destroy Him, together with the Herodians (see yesterday's reading, above).  The Herodians are the supporters of Herod's regime, which is nominally Jewish but rules for Rome.  So the state power now also has taken notice of Him.  Amidst this mixed bag of responses to Christ's ministry, Jesus takes a bold step forward.  He goes up on a high mountain, indicating an encounter with God, and a signal that nothing Jesus does is without the close and prayerful collaboration with God the Father, and He unfolds a new movement within His ministry.  His growing popularity seemingly becomes a signal that it is time to spread, or perhaps more significantly, to share His power and distribute it (as eventually the Eucharist will be distributed).  From among His disciples He chooses twelve.  Significantly, of course, this is the number of the tribes or patriarchs of Israel.  These twelve will live with Him (and thereby be His disciples, learning everything from Him at close quarters), and eventually be sent out on missions by Him, carrying His word and -- again significantly -- His power out into the world.  It would seem at this point to go without saying that wherever Christ power extends, wherever His name and His reputation become known, there also opposition will spring up as well.  This remains true today as it was then, and we should take it as a given as a part of the Church.  For, as we can see, despite the opposition, Jesus presses on, and so this is His mission.  He continues to expand.  It's notable to understand, as my study Bible remarks, that Jesus shares His power with His chosen disciples (who become also apostles).  That is, my study Bible noted that Jesus used His power to perform His miracles, and whatever the disciples will do, it is through Christ sharing or distributing His power through them.  Also included in today's lectionary reading is a passage from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians.  St. Paul speaks of his coming to Corinth, and writes, "But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?" (1 Corinthians 4:19-21).  Here St. Paul's letter seems to affirm for us this property of power -- shared by Christ -- as being the true marker of the kingdom of God.  In the case of what Christ distributes to the disciples who will become apostles, the emphasis is more on the authority He conveys to them to have power to command the demons to be cast out of those whom they afflict, but the effect of the two statements is the same.  There is a power to the word that St. Paul alludes to, and it is not merely in the repetition of words or the statements people make.  It is something -- just like the authority Christ gives to the apostles -- which carries the Kingdom with it.  Let us ponder this authority and power -- and the palpable presence of the Kingdom -- as we continue through Lent, and prepare for Easter and Resurrection ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  

 

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

- Mark 2:23-3:6 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 

  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   It's notable that this event occurred on the Sabbath, because, in some sense, even the Sabbath is transfigured through Christ.  In yesterday's reading, the conflict with the religious authorities (represented by the scribes) in some sense encompassed food, eating -- the discussion was about fasting, or rather, Christ's disciples lack of doing so.  Here the discussion evolves out of Christ's disciples eating on the Sabbath by plucking the heads of grain as they wen through the grainfields, and the criticism is that this is work and therefore violates the Sabbath rule.  But Jesus gives Old Testament examples of blameless violations of that Sabbath rule, emphasizing that, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  My study Bible comments that, under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  This was prefigured by David giving the showbread ... to those who were with him.  

 

 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  My study Bible says that, according to certain traditions the scribes and Pharisees had built up around the Law, healing was considered to be work, and so was not permissible on the Sabbath.  It says that they believed they served God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but their legalism made them insensitive to God's mercy.  The text tells them that Christ looked around at them with anger.  My study Bible comments on this that righteous anger is a natural human emotion which is experienced in the face of sin.  While there is definitely sinful anger (Matthew 5:22), there is also anger that is God-given and proper to humanity (Psalm 4:4).  Christ's anger here is in response to people who profess God, yet have such hardness in their hearts that they cannot rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.  

 

 In Christian theology, it has been said of Christ's Incarnation, "That which is not assumed is not healed. That which is united to God, that will be saved.  If half of Adam fell, also half will be taken up and saved. But if all [of Adam], all of his nature will be united [to God], and all of it will be saved" (St. Gregory Nazianzius, the Theologian).  What this means is that salvation works through union with Christ, thus giving the Incarnation its true meaning and power in terms of the salvation of the world, and, of course, of human beings.  Taken in another light, what we are to understand is that anything touched by Christ may be transfigured, used for God's purposes.  A strong example, as we mentioned in yesterday's reading and commentary, is the Cross.  The dreaded instrument of the cruelest Roman punishment, designated for the worst criminals, in the hands of God and through the touch of Christ, becomes the symbol for Resurrection, and in God's hands become the instrument that defeated death for all of us.  So, therefore, we can look at today's reading in terms of the effects of Christ's contact with human practices and meaning.  Christ is the One who points out to these religious leaders the blameless violations of the Sabbath incurred by David and his men; and He is also the One who declares the Law as the author of the Law, the Lord, who says here with authority, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   In the second part of our reading, the observance of the Law advocated here by the Pharisees against Jesus is claiming healing is a violation of the Sabbath.  But if the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath, then Christ's question posed to them becomes more significant:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" We might as well be asking the purpose of the Law, for we know the purpose of salvation for which our Lord has come Incarnate into the world, and we know that He has called Himself the Physician (see yesterday's reading, above).  Salvation and healing are one and the same, whether we are speaking of the healing of the man with the withered hand, or the salvation of tax collectors and others who needed redemption.  All of this understanding of salvation is included in St. Gregory the Theologian's famous statement noted above.  In Christ's Incarnation as Jesus, we are given the gift of the divine touching the worldly and healing in every dimension, for this is salvation indeed.  Let us keep this in mind as we read through the Gospel of St. Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?

 

 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  

 

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 

- Mark 2:13–22 

 

Yesterday we read that again Jesus entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house of St. Peter and his family, Jesus' ministry headquarters.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

 

  Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."   My study Bible reminds us that Levi is also known as Matthew (Matthew 9:9).  Roman overlords would assign specific areas to Jewish tax collectors, who were then free to collect extra revenue for their own profit, my study Bible explains.  So, therefore, their collaboration with the occupying Romans, their fraud, and corruption turned other Jews against them and to consider them unclean (Matthew 11:9).  As Jesus dines with them and accepts a tax collector as a disciple ("Follow Me") this is offensive to the Pharisees.  But Christ's defense is simple:  He goes where the need of the physician is greatest.  

 

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."  My study Bible frames this discussion with the information that the Jews typically fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12), on Mondays and Thursdays.  Additionally, there were regularly observed public fasts as well as those which were occasionally proclaimed (2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16; Joel 2:15), particularly on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:31-34) and in times of mourning (Zechariah 7:5; 8:19).  But they saw the day of the Messiah as a wedding feast; that is, this was to be a time of joy and gladness.  Jesus is declaring that day here, referring to Himself as the Messiah/Bridegroom.  My study Bible says that for Christians, fasting (such as during the Lenten fast at this time) is not gloomy but desirable, a bright sadness, for by fasting we gain self-control and prepare ourselves for the Wedding Feast.  When we fast, we are looking forward.  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.  My study Bible adds that the new wine is the Holy Spirit dwelling within renewed people, who cannot be constrained by the old precepts of the Law.  

 

 In so many ways, the Church is all about the effects of Christ on the world.  Our symbol of salvation is the Cross precisely because the brutal and terrible instrument of crucifixion, when touched by Christ, became transformed into this life-giving instrument by which Christ conquered death for us and made it possible for us to follow Him in Resurrection (John 17:24).  Indeed, this touches upon the meaning of sacrament, whereby ordinary things of the world become transformed into something that carries both this world and the Kingdom with it for us, such as in the Eucharist, or in Holy Baptism.  In this sense, the things which are touched by Christ become the fullness of what the word symbol in its original sense is meant to convey:  through a particular form a connection is made with something else that it points to.  Moreover, whatever Christ has touched is transformed for us by holiness, by grace, and so, we also become transfigured into the identities and image Christ has for us.  In today's reading, we are given to wonder at the transformational power of Christ regarding fasting.  We do not fast merely to mourn or to repent of our sins before God.  In Christian tradition, fasting, as my study Bible describes it, is a "bright sadness."  Some call it a "joyful sorrow."  This is part of the new wine of Christ that needs a new wineskin.  We fast to develop ourselves in spiritual discipline so that we may grow closer to our Creator, and approach that divine wedding feast which we look forward to.  Fasting, in the transfiguring light of Christ, points to that day of joy and union with our Lord, so that we, in discipleship and just like the disciples who lived with the incarnate Jesus, grow to know Him and carry Him into the world.  In this sense, we fast to become, in His images and words given to us, salt and light (see Matthew 5:13-16).  We fast looking forward to something, preparing for it, joyfully growing closer to our Lord even as we cut out things that distract from this focus on the Lord, and "remember God."  Let us look to the light as we journey through Lent to Easter.  

 

 

 

 

 

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?

 

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

 

- Mark 2:1–12 

 

Yesterday we read that, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue (where Jesus cast out an unclean spirit), they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.   Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"  My study Bible asks us to note here that one purpose of the coming of Christ into the world as the incarnate Jesus is to forgiven sins.  This is to free humanity from its bondage.  To forgive sins, it says, is a greater power than physical healing.  As the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  So, therefore, the easier task is to grant physical healing.  Although Christ is fully God and holds the authority to forgive, He condescends to those who are gathered in the crowded house in Capernaum (St. Peter's family home, His ministry headquarters) in order to draw people to God, whom they glorified.  

 

 Jesus asks the scribes, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   Although we're told that all were amazed and glorified God following this miraculous sign, we really don't know if the scribes were convinced and came to believe that Christ (the Son of Man) truly had the power on earth to forgive sins.  Jesus offers a crossroads to the people who witness this healing of the paralytic, because it takes one more step from simply witnessing the miraculous healing to truly believing that He is God, and has the power to forgive sins.  That one more step is the step of faith.  As shown by this healing, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation; the text tells us that this forgiveness was extended when He saw their faith.  My study Bible comments on this note that faith is collective as well as personal, which we can see here as the faith of the paralytic's friends which helped in his healing.  Additionally, regarding the power to forgive sins, there are other signs of Christ's divinity on display in this story.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, the text tells us).  This is a quality that also touches upon the power to forgive sins as it is essential for the One who will judge.  See also 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30.  Moreover, He heals by the power of His word (as in the story of Creation, when God spoke the cosmos into existence; see Genesis 1:3).  All the people can see His miraculous healing.  But will all -- including the scribes -- believe that He has the power to forgive sins, and that as Son of Man He is fully human and fully divine?  Throughout the Church's history, we find that so many of the heresies ruled on by Ecumenical Council really had to do in some way or another with this question of the divinity and humanity of Christ.  For whatever reason, it is this paradox of our faith that seems to be the most difficult for many to accept, and this has been true throughout the history of Christianity.  But, nevertheless, this is our faith, and this is the claim Jesus makes in the healing of the paralytic.  It's perhaps extraordinary how Christ presents His claim to the power to forgive sins couched within the healing of the paralytic, for it cracks open the question of whether to believe or not to believe in His divinity.  The human Jesus they see before themselves; can they also believe that He has the power to forgive sins?  In this action, Jesus confronts everyone with an immediate choice.  And this is really our choice, for without faith there is no healing, either physically of the paralysis, or spiritually in the forgiveness of sin and salvation in reconciliation with God.  For the power of judgment and Resurrection is given to Christ, as He teaches in John 5:22-27.  The power to forgive and the authority to judge go hand in hand, and there is only One who can do both.

 

 

 

So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  

 

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.   Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

 

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

- Mark 1:29-45 

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, 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 unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  Passages such as this in the Gospels (see also Matthew 8:14-15, Luke 4:38-39) and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) show us that St. Peter was married.  My study Bible comments that the Lord's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch.  Elsewhere, such as in rebuking the unclean spirit in yesterday's reading (see above), He heals with a word.  This healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law  is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person healed or of his loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  All of Christ's miracles or signs (the word used in St. John's Gospel) manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  In the case of St. Peter's mother-in-law we must recognize that her serving this early ministry of Christ is a restoration of her place in the household, as one who serves Christ.  In modern language and culture, we might fail to recognize that this is an honored place.  The word translated as "served" is διακονέω/diakoneo, from which we derive the English word "deacon."  In effect she takes her place one who ministers to Christ.

 

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.   Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, the Gospel emphasizes that Jesus' messianic identity is to be kept a secret; therefore He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  See also yesterday's reading and commentary.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He was God incarnate, he prayed continually, and often found a solitary place to be freed from distraction -- despite everyone's need of Him.  My study Bible notes that the Lord's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit and flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning teaches that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then we will be equipped to properly serve others.

 

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  The biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13; 14.  In Deuteronomy 24:8 we may find the requirement for purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests.  My study Bible explains that leprosy was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they weren't permitted to live in community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that Christ is not subject to the Law but is over it.  To the clean, my study Bible notes, nothing is unclean (see Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).  

 

 What do we make of St. Peter's mother-in-law, who, upon her immediate healing by Jesus, being lifted up by Him, served Jesus and His disciples in their family home?  This word used for her act of serving, as noted above, is the basis for our word in the Church for those who serve, deacon.  Essentially we can read that she is ministering to Christ's ministry, to Him and to His first called disciples in her home which would become the ministry headquarters for Jesus.  It tells us a kind of story of the traditional roles of women in the Church, as it was women who ministered to the ministry, so to speak, by supporting it out of their own resources.  In Luke 8, we read these women:  "Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance" (Luke 8:1-3).  At the Cross, St. Matthew tells us quite literally:  "And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering [my italics] to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons" (Matthew 27:55-56).  So, just as these women (especially Mary Magdalene) would also become known as apostles to the apostles after they are the first to see the risen Christ and so spread the news to the apostles of Christ's Resurrection, during His earthly ministry, they are "ministers to the ministers," if you will.  In a modern context, we are tempted to equate serving with a diminished status, but for these women this is not so.  Their roles are indispensable.  Without them, Christ's ministry could not have been supported and carried on as it was; they are an integral part not only of His ministry, but of the entire story of salvation.  Without them, events would not have unfolded as they did, for these women went even to His tomb to anoint and care for His body, even when the apostles were in hiding.  Thus, just as they literally supported His ministry, they were the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection -- see Luke 24:1-10.  Theirs are not simply secondary roles available to women in a society in which women had diminished status.  These are roles given through the spiritual reality of Christ's ministry, which these women filled with strength, resourcefulness, resilience, and a kind of courage that at time surpassed that of the apostles.  Let us not make the common present assumption that because they served, their roles are not as honorific as were the men's.  One would consider that a misreading and misunderstanding of what is being communicated to us in the Gospels, and what a tremendous honor they had to serve God in this integral and essential way.  Moreover, this would be a neglectful understanding of the impact which Christ's ministry and specifically His treatment of women would have on the whole of society and in every place in which Christianity became practiced; those effects are undeniable.  A woman's soul is essential to the salvation plan of Christ as any man's, and this is made clear through His ministry.  The many early martyrs in the Church who were young women who chose not to marry as their families demanded, but to claim their soul's redemption even if it meant death is, in fact, testimony to this.  Today, of course, because of the effects of Christianity on culture and history, our societies differ from Christ's immediate contemporaries, and so new questions arise for the role of women in the Kingdom and in ministry.  But let us not project upon the past and diminish these women's roles and their powerful sanctification as embraced by Christ and enshrined in the Church as God's work in the world.  Let us not apply a worldly standard to the truth of the truly counter-cultural reality of Christ, for whom His followers participated in a Kingdom which rendered them in the world but not of it.