Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:36-43

Over the course of the past week, Matthew's gospel has introduced us to Jesus' use of parables in His preaching. We began last week on Tuesday's reading, with the parable of the Sower. Then, in the next reading, Jesus' disciples asked Him why He preached to the multitudes in parables. In Thursday's reading, Jesus explained to His disciples the meaning of the parable of the Sower. On Friday, we read of Jesus' teaching of another parable, the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Finally, in Saturday's reading, Jesus gave us two more parables -- that of the Mustard Seed and the parable of the Leaven. The reading taught that Jesus spoke to the multitudes only in parables, 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." See The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." In today's reading, Jesus explains the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, which we read in Friday's reading. In our commentary on Friday, we discussed the parable in depth. Today we receive Jesus' words about it to His disciples. We note first that Matthew is careful to say that Jesus first sent the multitude away and then went into the house. So, we have a picture again that this is in private; explanations are only for the disciples and not for the crowds.

He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels." Aside from the fact that this is Jesus' careful explanation of the parable, we note something new that we didn't speak of in the previous commentary on Friday. Jesus is clearly laying out a plan for the age, and for the end of the age. He is speaking about Judgment. Up until now, we have had a clear sense first in His temptation in the wilderness, then in His healings and signs, and in His teachings, that He is bringing His kingdom into this world, which is ruled "by the prince of this world." But here He is making a clear statement that the Son of Man has come to lay claim to this world, and that He is Lord over it. When He chastised the Pharisees for their hard-heartedness, He taught that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. But now, He is expanding that claim for His disciples.

"Therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." This is here a decisive claim about the end of the age, and the aims of the Son of Man. So strong will be His final claim to this world, that those who cannot abide by the values of the kingdom, who cannot in effect accept His teachings for themselves, will be "cast into the furnace of fire," like the tares. He is here to change the system, to claim ownership, to uproot the seed of the enemy. But this will happen through a time of growth together, and not until the end of the age. It will also happen through freedom; all are free to choose, all are free to act throughout the age.

"Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" When the kingdom is finally claimed and realized, the righteous will shine forth as the sun in their Father's kingdom. This is a dazzling kind of a hint at new life, a new world. We don't really know what is to come after this age and in the next. But Jesus gives us a hint here of light. It is a time of understanding, and enlightenment, and clarity. But this we are not given much knowledge about. Justice and righteousness will be revelatory. When Jesus teaches, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" it is another hint at the importance of mystery, that we have a responsibility for our own receptivity and understanding. In the life of the world now, it is a time when all grow together, and He's out to reveal those with ears to hear and to search them out, and to reveal mystery to them through His parables.

Often we approach the stories of Jesus -- especially in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke -- as if these are cautionary tales, told so that we understand what is happening. But in Jesus' words, I hear more than that. Jesus is teaching us about mystery, and the nature of the kingdom. His very use of parables is so that we are invited in, to come to understand, and to let us know that there is much, much more to be invited in to hear, and to be revealed. He hints here of the end of the age, and the dazzling light like the sun that all the Father's children will clearly bear. In these words, and in the nature of the parables, Jesus is hinting about so much more that can be revealed, into which we can become initiated. But we must have ears to hear! His disciples are not just there to be fed with His explanations, but they, too, must have ears to hear. They, too, must be challenged, even by His explanation, and move forward in light, in their own spiritual growth, as disciples. So let us pose the questions to ourselves. Do we think we have all the answers? Or do the parables -- and the explanations -- simply invite us in? Are we ready to receive more? How can our own light grow, so that we may "shine forth as the sun?" Remember that Jesus has already taught that His disciples are to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. One day this light will be clearly revealed to all -- but until that day, we are to work at bearing and increasing that light in the world, and the spiritual fruits that come from discipleship. It is up to us to have ears to hear, so that we bear His light now, within us, in the present age -- and in the age to come.

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed

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 our recent readings in Matthew's gospel, we have learned about Jesus' use of parables. First, on Tuesday, we read the first parable we're told, the parable of the Sower. Next, on Wednesday, Jesus explained, in answer to His disciples questions, why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. In Thursday's reading, He explained the parable of the Sower to His disciples. In yesterday's reading, we were given a new parable in Jesus' teaching, a parable used to illustrate yet another aspect of the Kingdom He is bringing into the world. This is the parable of the wheat and the tares. 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. When the wheat sprouted, so did the tares. But all will be left to grow together until the harvest, so that the good wheat is not uprooted with the tares. Then the wheat will be gathered into the barn, while the tares will be bundled and burnt. In today's reading, Jesus (via Matthew's gospel) gives us yet more parables.

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." I quite love the parable of the mustard seed, and in the telling of this parable on top of the two we have already read, we are given yet another aspect of the kingdom. First, we were taught about the good seed sowed by the sower, the word, and the different types of soil in which it may grow or not. Next was the parable that taught that wheat and weeds, good seed and bad, will grow next to one another -- both resembling each other. Now, here we have another aspect of the kingdom -- its phenomenal growth. While the seed may find difficulty in this world, and there is bad seed as well, its growth is unanticipated, tremendous -- so that even the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. What looks like a small beginning will produce great things. My study bible points out that the two parables given today illustrate the startling success of God's Kingdom. "A few weak fishermen will convert the whole world because of the divine power of the gospel."

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." Not only is the word, the gospel message, filled with the power of promise and growth, it also acts within: it leavens with its own message and strength, to heal and save and transform. Of course this is how it works within us, and also among us. It's power is both of growth and transformation. In such short verses, we are given the tremendous illustrations of the mustard seed and the leaven, which have fueled thousands of years of understanding and expression. In themselves, these words are a poetic illustration of the power of Christ's word!

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." Again, we have a poetic illustration of these very words: these two verses are in themselves a great prophecy, and the quotation teaches us the power of the few parables we've read about this week: the fruits they produce extend in infinite blessing -- to things "kept secret from the foundation of the world" and into the future to continue to reveal to our understanding the aspects of the kingdom not yet known to us.

Psalm 78:2 gives us the beginning of Jesus' quotation: "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old." But let us consider all of His words: "I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." The parables continue to open up to us things we need to learn and know and understand. The growth of the Church, the growth of faith within ourselves, a complex world where wheat and tares seemingly look alike and are impossible to separate before Judgment -- so that the good crop is not uprooted, the transforming power of its leaven: all of these illustrations will continue to reveal to us an understanding about the Kingdom coming into this world, and our part in it. In 2,000 years of history we have not exhausted these illustrations nor their application to the way the world works and the power of the gospel in it, even as the world changes and grows and we enter into a new millenium. And there is more: the "things kept secret from the foundation of the world" are also revealed. Through Christ's word, we see into the ancient Scriptures of the Old Testament, and new things are also revealed to us there that were not apparent to its earlier readers. This is the nature of inspired Scripture. It applies to time in a timeless sense: that is, what is used to explain to one understanding continues to reveal and enlighten to those who will come later -- and those who come later find new meaning and light in what was written of old. This is the nature of mystery -- and at the very heart of Jesus' words in His use of parables. The mysteries open to us, but only if we have ears to hear. What we hear and see really depends on what we have within us: thus, we come back once again to Jesus' illustrations about the Kingdom -- it is the leaven, the tiny grain as small as a mustard seed, the substance that will continue to grow and support, and to transform, and build our understanding. When Jesus explained His use of parables, He said: "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." In the abundance of Scripture, it is this leaven, the grain of mustard seed, that illuminates more for us, and continues to do so. In next week's readings, Jesus will also teach us of the tremendous value of the word we have been given, and what we may exchange for its worth.

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

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 the 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 our recent readings in Matthew's gospel, Jesus has introduced parables in His preaching. On Tuesday, we read the parable of the Sower (Behold, a sower went out to sow). In Wednesday's reading, Jesus was asked by His disciples why He taught in parables (Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,And seeing you will see and not perceive). In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained the parable to His disciples. He explained the different places where the seeds fell, the good ground, the stony ground, the birds that snatched them up, the weeds that choke. Each was a state of receptivity within a person of the word Jesus teaches, and the faith that takes root, or fails to. Jesus explained the various conditions in the world that lead to failure for the seed to take root, and also the fruitfulness of the word for which He is searching in each of His followers, in those who have spiritual ears to hear. See Therefore hear the parable of the sower.

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." Here, Jesus begins again another parable. We remember that parables are like windows -- they open to give light on something. Here Jesus' parables are giving us windows on the kingdom, to teach us something of its nature, and about the faith that He is teaching and looking for in us. In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained the parable of the Sower to His disciples -- the sower is sowing seeds in a world beset by problems that will act against this kingdom, against the word taking root in the hearts of people, and He taught about the things that will act against steadfast faith. Here we have another window on the kingdom. The enemy, or the "ruler of this world," will sow tares among the good crops.

"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.'" Jesus gives us a picture of our world. We recall His words to the apostles before sending them out on their first mission: "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." In this sense, the "enemy" is the "wicked one" of yesterday's explanation of the parable of the Sower. My study bible points out a classic commentary that shows us that the weeds and wheat look alike. Both are intermixed in the field.

"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 the 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."'" This is a picture of our world, and the understanding of the age in which we live. All grow together, until the time of the harvest, the Judgment. My study bible notes that the tares are sown after the good seed has been sown, so this is a kind of warning against false prophets that will come after Christ, and falsehood that will come after the truth. It notes that "the devil fashions falsehood and heresy to resemble the true Faith" and also that the evil one comes while everybody is asleep. So, "in this age he intermingles the counterfeit with the Kingdom."

So, in today's parable Jesus builds on the parable of the Sower. He gives us another glimpse of the kingdom as it enters into this world, and the ways in which it works. In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained that the parable of the Sower gives us a picture of how "the evil one" or "the ruler of this world" can choke our faith, the "stony ground" that may be within us and the cares of the world that interfere. But here He gives us a picture of something else -- that the weeds and the wheat will grow together. We will hear all kinds of things in the world, and some people will believe one and others will believe another. The startling part of this story is that the tares will not be pulled away -- that will only come at harvest time. So we are given a picture of the need for strong faith. Oftentimes, things will not be obvious, we will live in a world in which wheat and weeds, the fruit of good and bad seed, will be intermingled. The faithful will grow side by side with that which is false, and judgment is not up to us. It is instead discernment we rely on, and patience, and the wisdom of His teachings. This parable also strikes a note of the kindness and gentleness of the kingdom of heaven: all grow together. It is only the Judgment at the end of the age that will separate. And we must be careful not to "sleep" -- we need watchfulness, discernment, prayer. As He said to the apostles after teaching them they are sent out as sheep in the midst of wolves, "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." So, how do we practice our faith in this understanding? How do we cultivate the good ground within ourselves for faith while good and bad grow together? Let us consider what it is to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves in the context of today's parable, this new glimpse on another aspect of the life of the kingdom in this world.

Therefore hear the parable of the sower

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

- Matthew 13:18-23

In the readings of the past two days, Jesus has given us the parable of the Sower. In the first reading (on Tuesday), he taught us (and the multitudes of people) the parable. See Behold, a sower went out to sow. In yesterday's reading, the disciples asked Him, "Why do you speak in parables?" Jesus quoted from Isaiah, and He told them that to the disciples it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but not to all the multitudes. He said, "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Therefore, He said, the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: . . ." Jesus continues explaining to His disciples; first, in yesterday's reading, the purpose of the teaching in parables. Next, in today's reading, He begins to explain the parable of the sower itself. Jesus Himself is the sower.

"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." We recall Jesus' telling of the parable. The analogy to the "wicked one" is the birds who devoured the seed that fell by the wayside. In the Greek, the word for "wicked" here is poneros. There are many connotations to this word for evil or the evil one -- among them is pain, and laborious toil. So, as we've noticed before in Matthew's gospel, we are once again in the territory of an oppressive rule, of pain and hard labor. In this case, those who do not understand seem to be lost in this oppressive kingdom of harsh rule.

"But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles." Again, there is the interference of "the world" (and its harsh ruler) with "the word" or the seed. To what degree does tribulation and persecution take away what we have? How deep is our capacity for faith? The words here are also interesting to think about: stony indicates a kind of hardness (as in hardness of heart, lack of understanding) that is scattered through this soil. "Tribulation" is like an inner sense of pressure, being in a narrow space, a feeling of being without options. But it also has a strong connotation of sorrow. So, as Jesus indicates it is a kind of conflict, both internal and external (persecution) that interferes with the word or seed taking root.

"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." The "cares of the world" include anxiety and worry, the things that fragment our will. The "deceitfulness of riches" indicates the faith we may put in material things to resolve our problems, to give us a sense of well-being, but that turn out to be false promises, things we cannot count on after all. It's an indication of putting faith in things that aren't worth it (including anxieties and worries), deliver false promises, don't give us the things we really need. Worry, anxiety, faith in the false promises and deceit of the purely material alone (without God's understanding for guidance of its use and acquisition) also describe characteristics of this false and oppressive kingdom, which takes us away from the food and things of which we truly have need, that nurture body, soul and spirit.

"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." To understand is to consider something seriously, to take it in, to make it a part of one's life and choices in life. Jesus will continually return to the need for the faithful, for His children, to produce good fruit. And this is the way it's done, in good soil, by taking the word seriously, and making it a part of ourselves, in wholeness (and thereby, healing -- see yesterday's reading for more on this). We contrast this with the "fragmenting" nature of the "wicked" -- deceitfulness, false faith, worries and anxiety, sorrow, toil, pain and oppression. To seriously take in this word, on the other hand, is to build up oneself, to make whole.

Let us consider, then, the nature of faith as shown by this parable. The sower sows, and where does the seed fall? Do we allow the oppressive nature of what we may find in the world to choke it out of us, to take this word and cast it away from us? Do we lose ourselves in the reality of the oppressive forces -- internal and external -- we might encounter? Do we seek wholeness and healing or allow ourselves to be fractured and fragmented by all the cares and tribulations we may find in the kingdom of the "oppressive" ruler? At some level, it seems to me, we all encounter all four of these conditions, and we may do so in varying degrees and times throughout our lives. We may receive new challenges to our faith for which we are to be prepared and warned. One of these things or another may come our way, interfere with the word -- with new ways Christ may be calling to us for example. So the process of a deepening and strong faith is all important. And therefore it is important that we take care how we hear this word and let it grow within ourselves, and that we understand the things that may interfere with it as well. Into the oppressive kingdom of "the ruler of this world" comes the sower. How do we take care that His word takes root in us, and thus produces fruits worthy of His kingdom? This is the question. Can you hear the word? Can you let it take root? It is always there, on offer to us! We don't all produce the same amount of fruits, but we all have a chance to do so.

Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

- Matthew 13:10-17

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us the parable of the Sower. It is the first time Matthew has given us the idea of parables. So important is this turning point in His ministry, that the Gospel clearly delineates for us what it is to be told a parable, and for Jesus to preach in this way. We began with yesterday's reading, in which the parable is clearly told. Jesus started, "Behold, a sower went out to sow." See yesterday's reading for the parable that Jesus will explain to His disciples in tomorrow's reading. Today, He is asked why He speaks in parables, and offers His disciples an explanation.

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" My study bible gives a good explanation of the concept of parables. Among other things, it notes: "Parables are stories in word-pictures, revealing spiritual truth. The Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean 'allegory,' 'riddle,' or 'proverb.' The Scriptures, especially the gospels, are filled with parables -- images drawn from daily life in the world to represent and communicate the deep things of God. Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8-9)."

He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Jesus' response to His disciples gives us a sense of the depth that He is aiming for by preaching in parables. It's up to the listener to hear with spiritual eyes and ears. Parables may work in all kinds of ways -- there are degrees to which one and another person will find understanding. But they are meant to pique our interest, to delve us into the mysteries of the Kingdom, to invite us to come to understand, and then to find yet new meaning. It's up to the listener to be responsive. Jesus here tells His disciples something about the "salt" and "light" He preached about in the Sermon on the Mount. We are to have a substance with us that helps us to hear. And there is more to this: "whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'" My study bible notes that this quotation from Isaiah is meant to demonstrate that people are responsible for their own receptivity. "As the mission of Isiah in the Old Testament was to open the eyes of Israel to see the acts of God, so the parables of Jesus are given to open the eyes of His hearers to the truth, and to lead them to produce the fruit of righteousness." If we take a look at the quotation from Isaiah, we read with interest that it indicates a refusal for healing -- this is the reason for closed eyes and ears and thus a lack of understanding with the heart. Ultimately, it is Jesus' healing mission that is at the heart of the parable. It gives us a glimpse of the idea that how we respond to His love is at heart a response for healing. At this point in Jesus' ministry, seeing and hearing, healing and salvation, become an affair of the heart of every person.

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Jesus is opening their eyes to the "greater than Solomon that is here." His presence is a gift of grace, just as all the prophets such as Isaiah were sent through grace to the people of Israel. Now, the momentous reality of the Kingdom is at hand, near to them. My study bible says, "His purpose was not only to reveal truth to those with hearts prepared. He also wished to draw responsive hearts past the entrance and into the very reality of God's Kingdom which He proclaimed and inaugurated."

So, what is it to see and to hear? Through the teaching in parables, Jesus reaches out past preaching as we might understand it and into a depth of mystery. What can we hear? We are invited in. At heart, a depth of a response will be a desire to be healed. For this reason, when we are too certain that our lives are perfectly ordered, too proud in our understanding, too defensive before love itself, we are resisting healing. Over and over again, it is the people who know better, who have already experienced God's grace and love, who are responsible for the gift they have been given. We see it repeatedly in the Gospels, that those who don't necessarily know, who haven't been given such great gifts, are those who turn and are healed, in faith. Let us understand that healing is up to the physician and not the patient. What is it we close our eyes and ears to when we've grown dull of hearing, and can't receive? Every new form of "turning," repentance, "change of mind" is a time to heal. May the gift of God's love be ever opening and revealing what we need to be healed, the mysteries that turn deeper and deeper into participation in this Kingdom.

Behold, a sower went out to sow

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke about an unclean spirit -- being cleansed from a person, it wanders and finds no rest. It thinks about the place it left -- which is now "swept clean" and in order. So taking seven other even more wicked spirits with him, they make their abode, and, He said, "the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." He was making an analogy to the Pharisees, and the history of rejection of the prophets of Israel, the calling back of God to God's people. Then Jesus was speaking when others told Him that His mother and brothers awaited outside. He replied "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables . . . The first thing we notice is that at this point in Jesus' ministry, He has a tremendous following. That is, He is very famous, so that many come to listen to Him -- so many that He can't stand at the shore but must get into a boat. This is the first time we are formally told in the Gospel that Jesus speaks in parables. Also, at this point in His ministry, John the Baptist is in prison, and Jesus has open conflicts with the Pharisees -- who now seek to find ways to destroy Him. So, it's really a momentous time in His ministry, and at this point He introduces parables.

"Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" So important is the notion of parables that Matthew's Gospel will break up this story into several parts. In the readings for tomorrow and the next day, Matthew will give us first Jesus' emphasis on parables in speaking to His disciples, and then the explanation for this particular parable. So, for now, let us consider our own interpretations of this parable in a context by itself. My study bible notes: "In the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Ps. 126:5-6; Is. 55:10-13; Jer. 31:27-34; Hos. 2:21-23; and Joel 3:12-14), part of the daily lives of the people. In this parable Jesus is revealing Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower on earth." So, into this context of the Scriptures, Jesus inserts a new parable, a new teaching, and it is about Himself. Will they understand?

In tomorrow's reading, Jesus will explain His use of parables to His disciples. He will give us insight on the phrase He uses here, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" But for today let us consider this parable in light of the previous reading, and Jesus' teaching about the unclean spirit that comes back with more. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus in John's ministry for baptism and repentance. Repentance is like sweeping something clear, preparing good ground, if you will. But repentance happens in order to receive something. We prepare to "change our minds" in a particular direction, so that the "stronger man" can come to replace what was there. So, in our own attention to this parable as we hear it in today's reading, let us consider. What seed do we want planted in our hearts? How is it best cared for? How will it produce good fruit? What things can we do to safeguard that? What things will choke it, or how can we give it good depth of ground? How do we prepare good ground, and water, and the abundance of things we need to produce good fruit? These are the questions we ask today, as we ponder this parable. How do we have ears to hear?

Here are My mother and My brothers! 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

In Saturday's reading, Jesus used once again the metaphor of a tree for the state of a person. He said, "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." In this case, He's speaking in the plural, to the Pharisees who criticize Him. He focused on the connection between what is in the heart, and what people say -- and the need to pay attention to words. He's responding to their criticism of His ministry. Then they ask Him for a sign regarding His identity, when He has already produced an abundance of signs. The only sign He will produce is that of Jonah who was three days and nights in the belly of a great fish -- He is referring to His Passion and Resurrection. Jesus goes on to condemn their lack of faith: He compares the Pharisees unfavorably with the men of Ninevah to whom Jonah preached, and to the Queen of Sheba -- both were repentant, able to open spiritual eyes and ears, to hear and perceive what the Pharisees cannot; therefore they will be the judges of the spiritual hard-heartedness of "this generation."

"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 notes here: "When, by the mercy of God, the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they did not repent of their impure ways, and unclean spirits again took up residence in them (Deut. 31:20, 32:15-18; Ps. 106:34-39). The same happens here. Unless there is full-hearted repentance and the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, the expelled demon will return with many others and reoccupy its abode." I quote my study bible because I think the note is helpful to understand the passage. In Jesus' context, He's addressing a "generation" of the leadership -- their hearts and minds are elsewhere from the Spirit of God, their spiritual eyes and ears are not working, they are "hard-hearted" and "adulterous," unfaithful to God. Here, He elaborates on the notions of repentance. Real change is a transformation. But without true repentance, heartfelt change, the same old thing -- the false or bad thinking -- takes root again, maybe more powerfully and more difficult to overcome than before. It is at once a picture of an individual, but here also addressed to a group of people.

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." Here, Jesus takes the notion of faithfulness a new step further. It is not criticism of family relationships nor of His mother and brothers. It is instead a kind of elaboration on faithfulness in relationship as contrasting with "an evil and adulterous generation." In relationship to God the Father He takes the deepest relationship to others. Indeed, we are told elsewhere in the Gospels that His brothers (a word that is also customarily used for cousin or other relatives in the Middle East) mock Him, they don't have faith in His identity and mission. But I think the point here in context of the readings is about faithfulness, and what creates relationship, even to the connection of the love between the Father and those who seek that will in their lives. Here, in contrast to the religious leadership, is real relationship for Jesus. It is this sort of faithfulness that leads to the deepest connection of love.

So, in today's reading, we have this startling contrast. There is the leadership that demands a sign. Taken in the context of the history of Israel, Jesus refers to this adulterous generation that fails in its loyalty to the work of God, the action of the Spirit in the world. (See Friday's reading, and Jesus' words about blasphemy against the Spirit.) He gives us a picture of a failure of repentance, of real heartfelt change, and what that means for a person -- and by inference, an entire group of people. In this case, the leadership that finds all kinds of ways to reject His ministry, just as they also criticized John the Baptist. By contrasting His closest family relationships -- that of His mother and brothers -- with those who sincerely seek and do the will of the Father in heaven, Jesus makes a point about faithfulness, and about love. What can we receive in our hearts? What makes us persons capable of change toward the good, toward truly loving behavior? What is it that truly gives us relationship to one another? The openness of the heart, real repentance, happens for a reason: so that the love of God, and hence the subsequent choices one makes in that love, can dwell there and live there and grow there -- and produce the fruits that go with it. How do those fruits manifest in your life? How does a love of God create love in action in you? How does this grace manifest as a knowledge that you are indeed deeply loved, as a mother and sister and brother?

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.

"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

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. After many healings, and the casting out of a demon that resulted in the healing of a blind and mute man, Jesus is accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons, Beelzebub. Jesus countered that this was not possible -- Satan cannot cast out Satan without destroying his own kingdom. He said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" Instead, a stronger man must first bind the ruler of a house, and then take his possessions. And if Jesus' work is done by the power of the Spirit, then what of the judgment of the Pharisees? All things said against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but not against the work of the Spirit. "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 or 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." This is one of many references to trees as a metaphor for people and their works. We have heard these words earlier from Jesus. John the Baptist preached similarly when he spoke of the need for repentance because of the coming of the Kingdom and the Messiah. Jesus has repeatedly preached about casting out the things from within ourselves that may poison the whole, about where our hearts rest, the importance of our choices.

"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." We must take care of the things of the heart. Life is not about an exterior appearance of piety. Whatever is within, so it will be without -- so will be the fruits we produce, and "what the mouth speaks." My study bible has a note on the heart: "The heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, the source from which the whole spiritual life proceeds. When grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts. When malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion."

"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." Here, Jesus gives us an even greater emphasis on the words we say. He has already emphasized this in the Beatitudes, in His teaching and expansion on the statute of murder. His emphasis on the things we say is unmistakable, and on their profound impact on our own futures, our very state of being.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." This seems to be a reaction to Jesus' authoritative words. Their recourse is to demand a sign, when there have already been many important signs. This is another way of criticizing, of finding fault -- and worse, it comes from malice. Their hearts cannot perceive what Jesus is about, and they turn their backs on the things they already know from Scripture.

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." Here Jesus begins what will be His emphasis in response to demands for a sign: the real sign will come in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. They can't understand precisely what He is speaking about. But they do understand the references to Jonah. He will not perform signs on demand, because the impulse in their asking is not sincere in the first place. To be "evil and adulterous" is to be untrue to their own spiritual heritage, to the work of the Spirit throughout the whole history of Israel, the people of God, and to the Scriptures in which they are to have expertise, to God who has set Israel apart through Covenant.

"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." Jesus cites examples from the Old Testament with which they are familiar. This is the very life of the spiritual reality of Israel, that which makes Israel God's people. Ninevah repented when Jonah preached -- and a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South came to Solomon to hear his wisdom -- and a greater than Solomon is here. Therefore in the Judgment, when all things come together in God, they will be compared to those of old of whom they know, and found wanting.

In today's reading, we must come to understand what it is to be "evil and adulterous" in the context of what Jesus is saying. The whole history of Israel reminds us again and again what it is to be "chosen" -- to be the people in covenant to God. Repeatedly throughout its history is the familiar reminder of the prophets who are sent to call people back to this covenant, to the ways of God. Here, Jesus presents images of the faithful in their history to the Pharisees. Jonah (from a city near Nazareth) was told to go to Ninevah to preach against it, and at first himself ran from the word of the Lord. The Queen of the South came from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But the Pharisees, experts in their own tradition, upholders of its values, have failed where these examples of the past succeeded. We, too, hold a treasure in our hands. We are given a tremendous gift, as were the Pharisees. And we, too, must take our heritage seriously. The work of the Spirit is ever at work with us and among us, and we, too, are called to be present to it. We can't be like the Pharisees in this reading, who call upon their heritage and yet have no love and "hearing" in their hearts for the work of the Spirit. It is the Spirit, the work of the divine, that has been the thread of the whole history of Israel -- and so it is for us. This work, these Gospels, have come to us today bearing 2,000 years of history from the time Jesus' words were spoken. How then, shall we be unlike the Pharisees, willing to see and hear where the Spirit calls us, not proud merely in our inheritance, our name, our places? Let us consider the active and alive nature of Spirit, how it calls us, how the Israelites were forever called back to Covenant. Where does our Covenant lead us today? How is it calling you to cast out the things that get in the way of a pure heart, capable of producing the fruits of the spiritual life? We note the cynicism and malice of the Pharisees, the unjust criticism, the easy nay-saying and excuses. Let us remember what it is to bear good fruits, to seek with an honest heart, to come to God as a child. Let us remember His rejoicing at the wisdom revealed to babes. Let us also remember His earlier warning about false prophets, echoed in His words we read today.

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 or in the age to come."

- Matthew 12:22-32

In yesterday's reading, the Gospel of Matthew led us beyond open confrontation with the Pharisees, and their decision to plot against and destroy Jesus. At this point in His ministry, Jesus continues to keep His messianic identity secret, and He withdraws from further confrontation with the Pharisees after His open challenge to them in the synagogue (see Wednesday's reading). Yesterday, we read of Jesus' continuing ministry of healing, and His guarding of the messianic secret. The Evangelist gave us the words of Isaiah the prophet, describing the Suffering Servant, and His nature that is gentle and lowly of heart, and who will be the light to the nations, even to the Gentiles. Isaiah's words here begin, "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!"

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?" Jesus has been telling people not to make Him known, as His messianic identity remains a secret -- it is not time for that confrontation with the religious authorities. But Here His messianic signs continue; and so, "all the multitudes" begin to wonder if this is "the Son of David." The "secret" is too big to contain, His "signs" express who He is.

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." This isn't the first time in Matthew's gospel that we've heard these allegations. Jesus has already warned His apostles about the accusations He faces, and that they will in turn face. My study bible notes, "Beelzebub/Baal was the prince perhaps of 'the dung heap' or 'the flies' -- a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kin. 1:2-16); here he is called 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." Once more, Jesus enters into confrontation with the Pharisees. He takes on "their thoughts" which He knows. He refutes their accusations. How can Satan cast out Satan, and thereby destroy His own kingdom? This is not the way power works to hold together a kingdom, a city, or a great house. Furthermore, exorcism is already performed in Jewish religious tradition -- so then by whose authority do "their sons" cast demons out? Therefore, Jesus says, their sons shall be their 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." Jesus then introduces to them a question, something designed to get them to think. What if He is casting out demons by the Spirit of God -- the Holy Spirit? Then they must think about what they are saying, what kinds of accusations they are throwing out. It means the kingdom of God has come upon them. (We recall that Jesus taught His apostles to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand.") How can someone enter the great house of a "strong man" and plunder what he has, unless he has the greater power to bind the strong man first? My study bible says, "Demons do not fight against themselves, but are cast out by God's power through the Holy Spirit, whose action signals the present reality of the Kingdom."

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." This is a declaration of His power, and the power of the Spirit and the kingdom by which He works. It is a declaration of His authority.

"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 or in the age to come." Here we have an even stronger statement, and it is in the defense of the actions of the Spirit -- the work of the Spirit in the world. It is a great warning to the Pharisees. If they can't understand the Son of Man, that is one thing, but what of the Spirit at work in the things He does? My study bible points out that they don't know much about Him, Jesus -- but the Spirit is already known to them through the Scriptures. It says, "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit -- the accusation that Jesus healed the demoniac by demonic power rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit." To blaspheme against the action of the Spirit, it notes, "is willful hardness of heart. It attributes the saving action of the Spirit to Satan and refuses to accept God's forgiveness and mercy." And, we note, this isn't just a warning for the Pharisees, it is a warning for all of us: "either in this age or in the age to come."

If we focus on the words of my study bible in its note, we come to a focus that puts to us more clearly the consistency of Jesus' message in our past few readings -- and the roots of the conflict with the Pharisees over rigid legalism and Jesus' healing activity. It characterized the deliberate hardness of heart on the part of the Pharisees as a refusal to accept God's forgiveness and mercy. This sense of God's forgiveness and mercy is inseparable from the work of the Spirit, and from Jesus' ministry. This is how hard-heartedness, an inability to perceive Spirit at work, lacking in spiritual eyes and ears, becomes a refusal of the forgiveness and mercy of God's love. God's work is inseparable from these qualities. The healing in the synagogue, in which Jesus forced a confrontation, the Pharisees' condemnation of a blameless violation of the Sabbath rest (which made in order to sustain and heal), is a hard-heartedness that refuses the entrance of mercy and forgiveness. So let us consider what this means for us. God's love is inseparable from God and the grace of God in our world. Therefore it is up to us to see at the root of this ministry a consistent call to make room for love and mercy. A failure to do this is an action consistent with hard-heartedness. We really have to see the overarching theme of Jesus' ministry of one that calls us to understand love, and especially to be capable of receiving God's forgiveness and mercy. Let us think, then, about what that means for each one of us individually. How may we refuse to receive this forgiveness and mercy? Do we know it for ourselves in our own lives? In what ways are we rigid -- either with ourselves or with others? We often hear, as in today's reading, about the refusal to acknowledge this at work. But what about when we spurn it for ourselves? This is also a refusal of God's forgiveness and mercy, and leads in turn to a lack of true understanding of the spiritual things Christ teaches us. How is that love at work in you and in your heart? Can you let go of any rigidity that seeks to stand against it?

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,

My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!

I will put My Spirit upon Him,

And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

He will not quarrel nor cry out,

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets,

A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench,

Till He sends forth justice to victory;

And in His name Gentiles will trust."

- Matthew 12:15-21

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. They criticize Him for breaking the rule of the Sabbath rest, when His disciples plucked grain to eat as they passed through a field. But Jesus challenges their rigid interpretation of the Law, giving them examples from the Old Testament of blameless violations of the Sabbath, including that of David and his men. Furthermore, He teaches that "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." But Jesus also comes to their synagogue and boldly challenges them yet again. There was a man there with a withered hand. "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" He asked. Any one of them would save a sheep they owned from danger on the Sabbath -- is not a man worth more than a sheep? "Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." He commanded the man to stretch out his hand, and healed him. Then, we are told, the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Jesus has provoked a deliberate confrontation with the Pharisees (in our previous reading) over issues of mercy, of doing good, of healing. Which is most important for the Sabbath? And what does it mean to take our Sabbath rest if it does not include healing and the good of man? But His mission is not over yet, and He withdraws from further confrontation. True to Himself and His teachings, He continued to heal.

Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, my Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!" Jesus continues to hide His messianic identity -- it is only for those who can see it, receive it, understand it. He wants people to come to Him by faith. But the Evangelist quotes from Isaiah, the words about the Suffering Servant. Although Jesus has just announced that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath - thus expressing the divinity of the Messiah, and Sonship with the Father - it is still left to people to come to Him through faith. My study bible says that the Servant of God refers both to the Messiah and to all God's elect.

"I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles." Isaiah foresees also the participation of Gentiles in this ministry, and the going out of the gospel to all people after Pentecost.

"He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets, a bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust." This is a picture of a gentle Messiah, one who is meek and lowly of heart. The Evangelist emphasizes that it is not yet time for Jesus to reveal Himself, by using the prophecy of Isaiah which also foresees the character of this Suffering Servant. My study bible notes that there are several reasons for secrecy, including: "(1) The growing hostility of the Jewish leaders, (2) the people's misunderstanding of messiahship as political and earthly, and (3) Jesus' desire to evoke the response of faith -- He wants people to discover His identity for themselves."

So, we observe Jesus. He does not back down from defense of mercy and love (see yesterday's reading). But yet, it is not His time. People must come to Him voluntarily. If they are going to recognize His greatness, His identity as Messiah, it is going to have to be with the eyes of love, with the hearts and minds of those who can respond to His message without force or manipulation of any kind. This is a relationship -- and recognition -- of love that is at work, and you have to be able to hear and see that love to recognize it. Isaiah gives us a picture not of a Messiah leading to military victory, but one who has the Spirit with Him, and who will suffer. He is One who is gentle and lowly of heart, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. He is the light that will enlighten the nations, that will go even to all the Gentiles. And this is the way. Jesus shows us the way. It is through love and caring. It is not through wasted or false confrontation -- but through healing, for healing, for love. And He picks His battles carefully. In this ministry, there will be a "battle" of witnessing. Can we read Isaiah's words and take them to heart for ourselves? Can we see Jesus and understand His commitment to God, to the ways of the Suffering Servant, to the instructions of the Spirit, that are all couched in love? Let us take His words to heart from yesterday's reading, also repeated earlier in the Gospel, as He quotes from Hosea: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." God wants us in a relationship of love, and does not compel us to love Him. How is that love at work in you? Does the word of the Suffering Servant come to you in your heart, even in a secret place? Can it teach you a Way in life? There is so much in the gospel about what is secret and hidden, yet remains for us to see and hear. Even, here, there is the tremendous secret of the Messiah's incarnation, the whisper that God has become human!

The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Now when He had departed from there. He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

- Matthew 12:1-14

In recent readings, Jesus has been defending John the Baptist and Himself. John is in prison, and Jesus is facing opposing forces as the Pharisees criticize His ministry. Jesus claims John is criticized for being ascetic while Jesus Himself is criticized for eating and drinking, and dining with sinners. He upbraided the Galilean towns in His ministry where His word has been rejected, and compared them unfavorably to Gentile towns and even to Sodom. But in yesterday's reading, He thanked the Father, saying, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes." All things are delivered to Him by the Father, and what is known between Father and Son is revealed to those to whom the Son wishes. Finally, He said to those who will receive, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" My study bible points out that here the Pharisees are being extremely rigid in their legalism. It says, "While the plucking of a few ears in a neighbor's field is permitted by the law (Deut. 23:25), they consider it 'reaping' and unlawful work on the Sabbath." It seems they are searching for a way to criticize.

But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?" Jesus gives Old Testament examples of violations of the Sabbath Law, in the first case when David and his men were on a mission. (See Lev. 24:5-9, Num. 28:9, 1 Sam. 21:1-6). In these cases, the violation is considered blameless.

"Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Here Jesus refers to his own divinity, and even alludes to Himself as author of the Law. It may not be obvious to the Pharisees, since He is referring to God. But He makes the point that this presence is not limited to the temple. One thing that is notable here is that Jesus is citing the same reference ('I desire mercy and not sacrifice' - Hosea 6:6) for a second time in the Gospel. The first time was when He was criticized for dining with sinners and tax collectors, when He referred to Himself as a physician who is here to heal. So, this is the second time the Pharisees are being criticized for their failure of mercy. As Lord of the Sabbath, it is mercy He values most highly.

Now when He had departed from there. He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Clearly here we have a direct challenge to the authorities in the temple. So important and essential is this understanding of mercy in Jesus' ministry that He takes it a step further, and issues a direct and undeniable challenge in the synagogue on the Sabbath. My study bible says that rabbis permitted healing on the Sabbath only if a person's life was in danger -- so, we note that Jesus is taking this a step further.

Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. This confrontation really certifies the enmity of the Pharisees. We are told that from then on they plot against Him, how they might destroy Him. We remark on the fact that this has been a direct confrontation by Jesus on the issue of mercy and healing. Of what use is the Law and the temple, we might ask, if mercy is not acted upon, if healing is not permitted? So important is this issue that Jesus forces a dramatic conclusion, and seals their indignation at Him.

So what do we make of Jesus' defense of mercy, at the expense of the opinion of the Pharisees and their defense of their practices of the Law? The first conclusion we can draw is of the supreme importance of mercy. What is He here for? He has already characterized Himself as physician, as One who heals, and who has come to heal the sick -- to call the sinners, not the righteous, to repentance. What we have, then, is an issue of such great and essential importance that there must be a sword that comes between Himself and the Pharisees, a kind of separating stumbling block or scandal, and He forces the confrontation. It is something upon which He cannot compromise, because it has to do with His mission, what He is here for in the world. He is here to claim the lost sheep, and that won't happen without an emphasis -- an ultimate emphasis -- on mercy. As King (and we note the reference to David in today's reading), His Kingdom is one of mercy, that is to be characterized by mercy. So those who serve Him (especially as author of the Law) must do likewise, and they must come to understand Him on the terms He has named: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Let us consider, then, the essential, overarching need for mercy. It trumps all things. In this Kingdom, love trumps everything else. When we aren't sure what we are to do, we turn to mercy, and we err on the side of mercy, because this is the character, the flavor of God's love in our lives, of His Kingdom as He has shown us. What questions do you have today? Can you hear His word of love to you about it?

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light

At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

- Matthew 11:25-30

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued to upbraid the people -- especially the leadership -- for their rejection and criticism of both Himself and John the Baptist. He compared them to children sitting in the marketplace, playing an ancient game, in which one group of children would play or sing for dance or lamentation, and the other group would have to respond properly. Their criticism of John, the ascetic, and their criticism of Jesus, who ate and drank and dined with sinners, was equal for both, disparaging first one way and then the other -- as if the crowds called the tune. But Wisdom is justified by her children, her works. The fruit of both John and Jesus' ministries is good. Next, Jesus condemned the cities of Galilee in which His mighty works, preaching and healing, have been rejected. In Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon, He said, they would be sitting in repentance in response. He compared Capernaum, His ministry headquarters, unfavorably even to Sodom, because Sodom did not have such revelation within itself to look to.

At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." John the Baptist is in prison, the tide is turning also against Jesus with opposition from the leadership, and the crowds are fickle -- even those in the Galilean cities of His ministry fail to turn to Him. But here, Jesus turns to the Father with thanks for those who have responded, and the thanks goes even deeper than a simple gratitude for His followers. It is gratitude for the way in which the Father has revealed Him to hearts who can hear and see. They are the hearts of "babes," and not the "wise and prudent." There are all sorts of eloquent speakers, those skilled in rhetoric, in the schools of famous rabbis, but Jesus' followers are not these. My study bible points out: "In Jesus' prayer of thanksgiving, the Father alone is the source of knowledge, and He alone opens the hearts of men to receive it. He communicates in a hidden way to responsive hearts. The paradox: the veiled reality of the Kingdom which Jesus reveals is seen by babes, simple fishermen, and sinners, not the wise and prudent, the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes."

"All things have been delivered to me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Everything, clearly, works through the Father. At some point, all is down to the deepest and highest Source of all things. The Father is at work in our very hearts, even of the "babes." But the revelation, the deliverance of "all things," and all knowledge is in the hand of the Father, and the Son to whom the Father has delivered all things. Thus, anyone who knows the Father is "the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." It is a clear statement of relationship of Father, Son and human beings who can receive. My study bible says this is another clear statement about the deity of Christ, the Son of the Father, who knows the Father and reveals Him. It says, "The Son reveals only as much as we have the capacity to receive."

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." I'm reading the first part of Genesis for a class, and it strikes me here that the power of the Seventh Day of rest is at work in Christ, and in His words. Rest is not merely a freedom from labor; it is rather a kind of couch of love, at work within us, feeding us, giving us the spiritual nourishment we need for both body and soul, for all things in our lives. Thus, we can take -- in His rest -- Christ's yoke and learn, and "find rest for our souls." My study bible points out Jesus' yoke is submission to the Kingdom of God. . . . "In Him the soul is refreshed and sees that the Lord is gracious." It adds, "A sign of Jesus' lordship is His meekness -- He is gentle and lowly. King David emphasized that the Lord would teach His ways to the meek. Meekness is the mother of love, the foundation of discernment and the forerunner of all humility. Jesus finds rest in the hearts of the meek, while the turbulent spirit is home to the devil." But, in a sense, what Jesus points out here is the capacity to learn that is in His followers, as well as His own meekness. This is a Lordship that is not abusive and oppressive: rather it is in the spirit of humility and service and love that the Lord comes to us, and from which His yoke is derived and placed upon those who will take it on. In Greek, the word for "light" is perhaps better translated "worthy" or "good." It is all worthwhile to take on, a gift. And this is what we are to learn from His words.

Jesus' yoke, then, is His loving shepherding of those who are His sheep. In the Greek, the words for "gentle and lowly in heart" teach us about a kind of humility, not those who, in words He will use elsewhere, "Lord it over them." Jesus' teaching is with kindness, infinite understanding, humility, and love. To be "lowly in heart" is somewhat similar to what it is to be "poor in spirit." Ultimately, we learn of His great empathy, His compassion. No matter what it is that our cross to bear brings us in the world and in our lives, His yoke is that of a loving brother, a confidant, a mother. He embodies the love that teaches one to love others as oneself. Let us consider, then, the things that can keep us from an experience of that yoke, that love, that teaching that He has for those who respond. An arrogant heart, one puffed up with itself, one who cannot learn, a heart into which He cannot enter. The "wise and prudent" may keep Him out, while the meek allow Him in. Indeed, all those things we think we know, that make us important with material power, just might be the burdens we need to drop in order to find His rest, and the refreshment in it. Another facet of the meaning for "evil" in the Greek is toil, and the burdensome pain associated with it. What do you hang onto that keeps Him from your heart? That keeps you from hearing His knock? From taking on His yoke of guidance, and the valuable burden He gives? Even so, we thank the Father for all the ways in which He is revealed to us, in which His love works in us, in which we can rest in Him.

Wisdom is justified by her children

"But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.'

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

- Matthew 11:16-24

On Friday, we read of two disciples of John the Baptist, coming to Jesus and asking, "Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?" John the Baptist is now in prison, and they take word to him. Jesus replied with a quotation from Isaiah, about the signs of the Messiah which are Jesus' signs. He added, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." And then, on Saturday, we read of Jesus speaking to the crowds about John. He asked if they went out in the wilderness to see a man in soft clothing, or a reed shaken by the wind. John is the greatest prophet, "he is Elijah who is to come." He preached, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

"But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.' " This reference is to an ancient game played by Jewish children. They would divide into two groups: one 'calling' and the other responding. The first group pretended to play musical instruments or sing -- either for dancing or mourning, and the second group would have to respond properly. He's comparing the fickleness of the people to children playing this game. They claim to expect certain behaviors of Himself and John the Baptist, and 'call the tune.' They criticize either way.

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children." Jesus compares Himself and John. John was ascetic, refrained from "eating or drinking" and he and his followers had a rule of strict discipline. We've already read how Jesus was criticized for eating and drinking, and dining with "tax collectors and sinners." But both apparently are in for criticism for each very different practice or style in their ministry and followers. My study bible points out that this is especially true for the religious leadership, but also He's clearly speaking to the crowds here, who may be turning from both as official opposition rises, and John is imprisoned. The conclusion here, that "wisdom is justified by her children" is the answer to all the demands placed upon both John and Jesus. Wisdom, the work of the Holy Spirit, is not a response to crowds nor popular demands. It works as it will, and the works or "children" of wisdom justify wisdom's methods. It is similar to the understanding of Jesus' teaching, "by their fruits you shall know them." As "a good tree bears good fruit," so wisdom is justified by her children. Wisdom does not act merely to please the crowds, and the "crowd" cannot dictate what is 'good.' Whatever way the Spirit or wisdom works, either through the different styles of John's ministry or Jesus', its works, its fruits or children, justify it.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." These are Galilean cities in which wisdom's works have been done -- in which Jesus has preached and healed, but people did not respond with acceptance. Tyre and Sidon are Gentile cities, in which there is a better response to Christ. Capernaum was the city of Jesus' ministry headquarters, home to Peter and other disciples. Jesus unfavorably compares Capernaum to Sodom, a city condemned in the Old Testament, because the works of wisdom were not revealed to Sodom as they were to Capernaum -- and if they were, Sodom would have been saved. So, judgment works by revelation: the acts of wisdom or Spirit create their own judgment via our response.

Let us think carefully about Jesus' words and what they teach us. Whatever preformed 'formula' or criticism we wish to apply to others, if we cannot see with the eyes and ears of the spiritually receptive, we may miss the great works of wisdom. Criticism can come so easily, to every form of work or act -- but we can only understand the good by observing properly, by hearing and seeing with the understanding that wisdom will give. John and Jesus present here two contrasting images: one extremely ascetical, the other comes eating and drinking and dining with tax collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by all her children; in the Greek, this word for "children" is one that means works. We are all quick to judge, and yet we may be mistaken in either case, the one or the other. Both are products of wisdom, the holy at work in our world, and the holy is ever-creative. Wisdom or Spirit will work in whatever way is necessary, and we must have the ears and eyes to understand, to hear and to see. We can't be like children who call out the tune for others to respond. In a sense, that's like the tail seeking to wag the dog. God does not work that way. In the reading in which Jesus was criticized for dining with tax collectors and sinners, He responded: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." None of us knows the cure for our own ailment, our illness. We don't call the tune. It is the physician who heals, who teaches, who is the Good Shepherd that guides us through the narrow gate. If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, we will know who leads us to healing, to new wisdom we don't yet have, to the good we don't yet grasp. Can we always have our eyes and ears open to that wisdom? Or do we always try to call the predictable tune, drowning out all the grace that is offered to us? Do we attend the light - in whatever form it comes - that will teach us what we truly need?