Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothing on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.   Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

- Luke 19:28-40

In yesterday's reading, Jesus told to His disciples a parable.  This was because they were near Jerusalem, and the disciples believed that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.   So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master he has ten minas.')  'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' "

 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"   So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."   In some sense, in this passage, Luke's gospel gives us the assurance that Jesus knows all that is about to happen to Him.  Indeed, He's warned the disciples about what is to come in Jerusalem, although they were simply unable to take in the information about His Passion, death and Resurrection.  (See the first verses in Tuesday's reading.)  Here, Jesus plans His entrance into Jerusalem, known as the Triumphal Entry.  We note His careful and deliberate choice of a colt.  He is a King of Peace, not war.  He does not enter into Jerusalem in a chariot as a conqueror, but as the humble Son of Man.


Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothing on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.   Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"   My study bible says of today's passage, "The Triumphal Entry marks a public, messianic acclamation of Jesus, which He accepts as His mission draws toward its climax.  The people hail Him as King, but His kingship is not as they think."  The people are quoting from Psalm 118.  If we look at the last several verses of the psalm, we will recognize other quotations Jesus has also used about Himself, especially "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," which we will find in the next chapter of Luke.


And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."  It's intriguing how we find references to stones in the New Testament.  St. Peter speaks of "living stones" in an Epistle, calling all those who build up the Church the same, and quoting from this psalm.  We also recall Peter himself given his name of "Stone" by Christ upon Peter's confession of faith.  Jesus told him, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  In today's passage, Jesus gives a powerful image back to the Pharisees.  The joy in the people is so great -- what might be silenced in them will then be heard from the stones.  It's an image that gives us a sense that all of Jerusalem is profoundly filled with joy and recognition and welcome.

Have you ever been so powerfully filled with a truth that you just felt you couldn't help but shout out?  Have you been in a crowd that couldn't control its exuberance for something that seemed overwhelmingly true?  We may think of a lot of examples, but in today's story in Luke's gospel, we have a tremendous spiritual truth being shouted out in Jerusalem.  It's a truth that is as true as all Scripture, but one that yet remains hidden to those without faith -- eyes to see and ears to hear of a spiritual nature, and in the heart.  As my study bible has routinely pointed out, the crowds are rarely right in the Gospels.  Here, His followers tell the truth, although this is a King of a different sort and not a worldly king.  The expectations of the disciples will all be disappointed; this tremendous spiritual Kingdom will not manifest immediately as they believe.  Jesus has told them, warned them, of what is to come in Jerusalem, but they could not understand.  Now the crowd welcomes Him, but yet another crowd will demand His death.  And yet, on this day, the very stones would cry out if this crowd was silenced.  The Pharisees seem to think it unseemly; perhaps they also fear the Romans.  But the people, here, will not be silenced.  And He is the King.  Through faith, we understand this.  And in the paradox of the Gospels, we are to understand this.  It is the secret that even the stones would cry out.  And it invites us in to ask, how are we to be those living stones?  How are we to welcome into our lives that which is "hidden in plain sight," the power of this King, of the Holy Spirit, to work in us and help us build His Kingdom here in this world, even as we await His Return?  The unfolding events will teach us that this Kingdom is in hearts and lived out through our lives and our choices.  He has already told us that it is "within us" and doesn't come from observation.

Everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.   So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master he has ten minas.')  'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' "

- Luke 19:11-27

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was walking through Jericho, after having healed the blind man outside the city.  There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."


Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.   Jesus has passed through Jericho, and is now outside Jerusalem.  The Apostles expect this arrival into Jerusalem to herald the immediate coming of the Kingdom, as Jesus the King receiving His kingdom.  All the way here, on this journey to Jerusalem through Luke's gospel, Jesus has been seeking to prepare them for the time to come, for His Passion, death and Resurrection, and the time to come in which we now await His return.  But they simply could not take it in (again, see the first verses in Tuesday's reading).

Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.   So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'"  My study bible says that a mina is a measure of money equivalent to about three months' wages.  Ten servants are given money and told to do business, to be profitable while the nobleman is gone.

And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'"  Out of ten servants, only three given an accounting when the nobleman returns, having received the kingdom.  What have they done in his absence?  Jesus has taught earlier in Luke's gospel:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."    So the idea of trust is also essential here, important to understand as those entrusted to be stewards of what He has given until His return.  This is giving the idea of servant-leadership, the gift entrusted to His Church for His flock until His return, and how His stewards are expected to spend this time awaiting it. 

And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master he has ten minas.')  'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' "   My study bible says, "Rather than waiting for the Kingdom in lazy occupation, we are to anticipate and plan for the Kingdom to come through wise use of the King's resources."  Here, Jesus conveys to us the idea of Judgment, and what is to happen at His return.  He has left us with much treasure, with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with His words and teachings, and countless ways in which He dwells with us (as with Zacchaeus in yesterday's reading).  Let us consider His investment and also how we live our lives and make good with it, increase the gift through our own lives.  In this sense, "to everyone who has will be given; and from him who doe snot have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

I get very frustrated when I meet people who approach faith with the idea that it is a kind of treasure locked up in a safe, and that somehow it must be kept inside that safe, like something stored away.  But Jesus gives freely.  He invests Himself and His teachings in all of us.  He sends down His Spirit to each of us.  Where two or three of us are gathered in His name, He is there with us.  Countless saints, known and unknown, are among His faithful, and with us in the communion of saints.  We have Scripture and endless possibilities for making some sort of profit from all of this investment in our lives.  When we pray, we are building His Church.  When we think about Scripture and put our lives in His hands, we are building the Church.  When we seek a way forward in His name, so we are doing the same.  When we reach out to others, even with a cup of water, so we are doing the same.  And this becomes a lifelong journey.  At the end of John's gospel, He will tell St. Peter, "Feed my sheep."  In the image of the feeding of five thousand in the wilderness, we have Jesus' teaching to the disciples what they are to do in His absence, how it is that we are to be profitable servants.  And finally, in recent readings, He has taught that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  With His help, with His investment, we grow the Church, the Body of Christ, and this is the way He expects us to await His return and the fullness of His Kingdom.  What has been invested in you and in your life?  What do you do with it?  Do we wait or do we act, live, and work for that Kingdom while He is away?  We remember its power, like the mustard seed that grows into a great tree, all through the power of faith.

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

- Luke 19:1-10

In yesterday's reading, Jesus first told the Twelve what was going to happen in Jerusalem:  He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth  was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.   Zacchaeus isn't just a tax collector, he's a chief tax collector.  And he's amassed so much money in this publicly scandalous profession, we're told "he was rich."  My study bible points out that this account of Zacchaeus occurs only in Luke's gospel.  Zacchaeus means "the pure and innocent one."  It also notes that "being a tax collector, he does not live up to his name, by his own admission."  His short stature is interesting; it seems to me that nothing is in the Gospels by accident.  He needs extra help to see, a strong sycamore tree (which in this time and place is a type of a fig tree).  Clearly his wealth doesn't help him to see Christ.  He must truly make an effort to "meet" Him as He passes by.

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.   In some way, we can imagine Zacchaeus' joy.  This is undoubtedly the last thing expected, that Christ would call him by name and say he planned to stay at his house!  In the Greek, the word for "make haste" seems rather to refer to Zacchaeus' having run ahead in haste in order to anticipate Jesus' passing by, even as Jesus is steadily walking toward Jerusalem.  And yet He knows where He will stay on the way.  So the short rich man has "made haste and run" and climbed this sycamore fig -- only to be told by Christ to come down, even as Jesus looks up to see him.  Zacchaeus rejoices at this unexpected call from Jesus, and to receive Him as a guest!  There's a story here, hidden in the language, about where and how we meet Christ, and how He will meet us.

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  Clearly, in Jesus' mission of grace, He will go anywhere and do anything to achieve what He is here for.  How He looks to others is none of His concern, but rather to retrieve the lost sheep is His call.  In a time where public appearance or image -- especially because of media -- is all-important to public figures, it's essential that we note that Jesus does just the opposite, and does not cater to people's expectations and public perceptions, but follows the Father's mission for Him.  My study bible points out that Zacchaeus comes to have a heart for Christ and becomes a changed man.  It notes, "Because he has been richly blessed, he gladly offers to do something voluntarily, which the rich ruler would not [see Monday's reading].  Exactly what happened in the house of Zacchaeus is unknown, but the joy rings out in Christ's words:  Today salvation has come to this house."  It is, indeed, a reading full of joy.  We remember His teaching about the rich ruler and the camel through the eye of the needle:  "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Zacchaeus, as a chief tax collector, would be a notorious public sinner.  I wonder how we could compare him to someone from today's world, an image perhaps in the news or in the community.  He worked for the Romans, and tax collectors were often considered simply extortionists (and worse) working against the people in the service of a heinously oppressive presence of foreigners.  Worse, they were in violation of what it meant to be a Jew, a worshiper of the God of Israel.  So we can imagine what kind of a scandal it might be for the public to see Jesus choose to stay at Zacchaeus' house.  We can just imagine the grumbling.  It's well worth noting the salvation process of Zacchaeus.  Knowing his own short stature, he climbs a tree that has been used symbolically elsewhere in the Bible.  In the book of Amos, Scripture states that Amos was a dresser of the sycamore fig before being called to prophesy.  Amos would prophesy destruction due to excesses (especially regarding wealth), and eventual restoration of the House of David, which the Church has seen in the Person of Christ. (See yesterday's reading in which the blind man outside of Jericho calls out to Jesus, "Son of David, have mercy on me!")   And still, the sycamore being a type of fig, we know that a fig tree is also symbolic for Israel.  Jesus' mission, then, is one not to call us back to the Garden, nor only the innocent to the Garden, but the fallen and the lost, the ones who need restoration and reconciliation.  Ultimately this is a healing mission, one of redemption, in which the lost sheep are recovered.  Elsewhere Jesus has taught that "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Let us consider Jesus' condescension:  He walks to short, sinful Zacchaeus, who's climbed up a tree to see Him.  Calling him by name, He stays in his home.  And Zacchaeus becomes a changed man, working in ways to provide justice, even in the position he's in.  It is truly a lesson for all of us, wherever we find ourselves, about restoration and choices and what is possible with God.  All we have to do is to welcome that truth in to find our way forward.

What do you want Me to do for you?

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth  was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

- Luke 18:31-43

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus was brought many infants that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will be no means enter it."  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.   My study bible teaches that "the saying was hidden not deliberately, but because the disciples could not comprehend the reality and meaning of the Passion events predicted by Jesus."  Although Jesus has been preparing them on this way toward Jerusalem, although He has taught about the cross ("If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." - Luke 9:23-24), they can't grasp what He is talking about.  The news is too great, it makes too much of an impact to take in, it is incomprehensible.  This is a very common human phenomenon.  In today's Epistle reading, St. Paul teaches, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their own craftiness' " - 1 Corinthians 3:18-19. My study bible teaches, "The saying was hidden not deliberately, but because the disciples could not comprehend the reality and meaning of the Passion events predicted by Jesus."


Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth  was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"   Again Luke's gospel gives us the prayer of the Church, "Have mercy on me!"  (See also last Wednesday's reading about the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus.)    My study bible says, "Luke and Mark report one blind man, whereas Matthew mentions two.  But the lesson remains the same."  Most immediately, we are struck by the persistence of the one who cries out, and this is a lesson to us about prayer and persistence -- again, something Luke's gospel has already emphasized to us in the words and teachings of Jesus  (see Friday's reading and parable about the Widow and the Unjust Judge.) The wisdom of the world here, too, is foolishness (they warned him to be quiet), and the persistence of the prayer is the wisdom of God.

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.  "Your faith has made you well" was Jesus' teaching to the one leper who returned to Him to thank Him, who was a Samaritan (again, see last Wednesday's reading).  This time, the healed man becomes Jesus' disciple, following Him, and glorifying God.  Jesus' healing compassion creates relatedness, family, a new circle of faith, the Church.

There's a depth to this reading not immediately clear, and that's in the ways in which we grasp the good news of God.  How can Jesus' Passion, His suffering and death in Jerusalem, be part of the good news?  This is an important question to ask.  But in the paradox and mystery of faith and God's work in the world there is a great challenge for us to truly see what we have been given.  And there we find a deeper parallel and hidden meaning in today's Gospel reading.  The Twelve find it impossible to comprehend what Jesus is teaching them, what is going to happen to Him in Jerusalem.  But a blind man wishing to see, impertinently and persistently cries out, "Have mercy on me, Jesus, Son of David!"  We note the language here:  Jesus is called "Jesus of Nazareth" and the blind man identifies Him as "Son of David."  But we know Him as the Christ.  To truly open his eyes, to truly see, this man will have to understand Him as Christ, and the Apostles will have to come to see and know the meanings and the reality of the events which will transpire at Jerusalem, and what they mean for all of us and for the world.  And there our eyes are truly opened more deeply and more powerfully, and it is this spiritual sight to which Jesus calls us, which is in His healing for us.  How can we grasp the realities and mystery of God?  How can we know and understand the intervention and condescension and grace of God at work in our world?  These will be mysteries that call us forward, out of our worldly wisdom and into God's wisdom as it is revealed to us in ways that seem paradoxical and foolish, as St. Paul teaches.  The foolish blind man insists on the mercy of Christ, to the admonishment of the crowds.  But he is the one who is wise, whose impertinence, persistence and foolishness leads to all the people giving praise to God.  So, too, let us ask Christ for our own sight, our ability to see and grasp the things of God.  Let us be persistent in our demand and relationship to Him.  Let us follow Him as did the formerly blind.  In yesterday's reading, we spoke of the way of the Cross as exchange.  Let us exchange our worldly wisdom -- our lack of sight -- for the foolishness of God, for a healed vision of what truly is, and the powerful gift of love and grace we're given.  In His Resurrection, the powerful exchange will be complete, for all of us.  Jesus' question, "What do you want Me to do for you?" takes on a far more transcendent meaning in light of that Cross and what is to happen for us all.

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will be no means enter it."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

- Luke 18:15-30

On Saturday, we read that Jesus gave a parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.  This is the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will be no means enter it."  My study bible says, "The blessing of children by respected rabbis was customary.  Jesus uses the image of the child to convey the ideal of childlike simplicity and humility required to enter the Kingdom."  A priest I heard recently taught that children, in Jesus' time, were thought of quite differently than we in the West think of our children now.  They were very much more disciplined, and a precocious child was not necessarily one seen in light of tolerance.  So, not to forbid the children is something important and notable here.  Children are an image of the eminently teachable, the ones ready for learning and instruction, to forgo their own ways of thinking for something better.  This is a question of natural receptivity to a true Parent, the capacity to "change our minds" and accept a better way.

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God."  In Jesus' reply, He gives us an example of the humility my study bible mentions as belonging to those who would enter the Kingdom.  He first points to God the Father, away from Himself as man.  There's a sort of play on a sense of power here:  Jesus is speaking to a ruler, and guides him to the true power of the universe, of justice, of all we think of as good.  This hierarchy must be something a ruler would grasp as an innate sense of his daily life.  And at the same time, the graciousness of Christ is evident.

"You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "   Again, Jesus defers to proper authority before setting before the man His own commandment in a very personal encounter.  This time, it is the authority of the Law.  We know that Christ is both God and Lawgiver, but He is speaking to this ruler as son of Man, and "Good Teacher" or Rabbi.

And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  My study bible notes:  "A rich ruler is challenged by Jesus not only to observe the Ten Commandments but also to sacrifice all things and follow Him.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that because Jesus loved the man (see Mark 10:21), He named these conditions for his particular need."

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  Let us consider this story in light of the earlier verses, about the children who come to Christ for a blessing.  Children, we said, are those who are highly teachable, ready to learn new things they don't already know.  They can easily "change their minds" -- the literal meaning of the Greek word we translate as "repentance."  Here the attachment to worldly things is in the form of the riches possessed by this ruler.  We remember St. Chrysostom's teaching that Jesus loved this young man, referring to Mark 10:21.  To find his way into the Kingdom as a child is to turn his life toward something else as fulfillment, a different way of life.  In his sorrow, we can see how difficult this command really is.  Jesus' saying about the camel and the eye of the needle illustrates Jesus' understanding of his difficulty.

And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  My study bible notes:  "God's power can save even a rich man.  And those who have turned their backs on riches and forsaken earthly good altogether for the cause of the Kingdom will reap abundant rewards from God."

Today's reading couples a teaching about children and the "mindset" needed for entry into the Kingdom, along with the teachings to a rich ruler.  In my opinion, there are many parallels to study.  There is first of all the humility and "teachability" of children to consider.  They are ready to be taught, to be made into an image in the world.  In this case, we enter into the Kingdom in order to be made into the image of God placed within us at our creation, to learn true God-likeness in order to reflect that image into which we grow more deeply through Christ's leadership and teaching.  Such is the way of entry "as a child," one who is malleable and capable of changing one's mind.  Again, as we note so often in commentary, there is the exchange of one life for another, for acquiring the ways of the Kingdom in exchange for the ways of the world -- our worldly image, for God's image and likeness.  The story of the wealthy ruler becomes, in light of this context, an illustration of Christ's teaching.  The ruler is a young man whom Jesus loves, like a child.  His instruction and discipline is for the young man's good, so that he may grow into the likeness of Creator, the true Parent who wishes to shape the young ruler into His true image, in His name, the true lineage of this Kingdom.    But there must be an exchange, one form of goods in one perspective for another.  And that is the child-likeness that Jesus praises for those who would enter this Kingdom. This is the one thing necessary; in this specific case, it is his goods and riches for treasure in heaven.  For others, this is a metaphor for the things we treasure that stand in our way.   We remember that rebuke and correction come in the context of love, as a true parent for a beloved child.  But that requires a particular mindset on our part.  Can we see ourselves in this light?  Remember, it is Christ, God who comes to us.  Through His graceful condescension, He enters into our lives if we allow it, and helps us to change in the ways He desires.  We don't do this of ourselves.  Can we open the door to God's work in us?  To the Spirit who creates in us a place for the Kingdom, and guides us into "God-likeness?"   As He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted: the Pharisee and the Publican

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 18:9-14

On Thursday, Jesus spoke about the event of His Second Coming.  In yesterday's reading, He taught a parable about this time in which we await His return:  Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  As we begin the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, we are first set in a right place regarding prayer.  In whom do we trust?  And by extension, how do we see others?  This is all a question, in this framework Luke gives us as he introduces the parable, of where we put our trust, and especially about who is the true Judge.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke of the importance of persistent prayer.  As we begin this new parable, Luke frames it in language that we might all understand regarding how we are oriented within that prayer.

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study bible says, "The sharp contrast between the two men is deliberately drawn by Jesus.  The Pharisee is highly respected as a zealous observer of God's Law, whereas the tax collector is despised as a public sinner, collaborating with the Romans, cheating the people."   Anyone in His audience would begin with this frame of mind, seeing the one as righteous and the other as notorious sinner.

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "   My study bible points out that "the Pharisee prayed thus with himself and not to God!"  Indeed, it's like looking in a mirror, and being thankful for what one sees there.  But where's the approach to God?  Where is the dependency and the rest one takes in God?  Luke tells us the Pharisee "prayed thus with himself."

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  My study bible says, "The tax collector's posture and words express his deep humility and contrition, the opposite of the Pharisee's attitude."   There's a question here of the depth of honesty practiced in this prayer by the tax collector, and true relationship to God as true judge, the One whose judgment really counts.  We rest in the mercy of God at all times; this is an important and essential teaching for right-relatedness, or righteousness, to begin with.  This sort of humility, which is not a recipe for an automatic assumption of guilt, but rather one of humble dependence upon God for our understanding, is the starting point for true prayer.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study bible says it this way:  "Justified:  forgiven and made right with God.  Jesus reverses the expected conclusion.  In the eyes of God, it is the tax collector who is justified because of his humility.  The Pharisee is condemned because of his self-righteousness and self-exaltation." 

Jesus' teaching is an important one about humility.  If we look closely at the Pharisee and his words in prayer, we see a kind of narcissism.  He's seeing himself reflected through the images of others ("this tax collector") and by comparison in a sort of competition with others.  He looks at himself in his own mirror, making assumptions about God's perspective on his life.  It's not that he does wrong things or bad things, or that there are things wrong with his actions.  Rather, lack of dependence on God is self-serving and ignorant.  There is no question here about a "plank in his own eye" nor of relying on God in prayer for where he needs to go from where he is.  This is an important lesson for all of us about the nature of a walk with God -- it's a constant movement toward "perfection" in the sense that God is always calling us into deeper relationship and spiritual understanding, and where we need to go for our real challenges in God's eyes.  Without humility we can't really get started on that journey of the heart, and this man can only see his own self-justification -- as opposed to the justification from the true Judge.  The Publican is rather in the right place in relationship to God.  He puts himself before God's judgment and mercy and teaching, and there is a door opening to the future in this way.  He needs instruction.  The Pharisee isn't seeing anything but his own assumptions, what he thinks he knows already.  It isn't a prayer of gratitude as in "there but for the grace of God I go," but rather a sense of his own judgment, as opposed to God's judgment.  Prayer is dialogue, not monologue.  Good works are good things in the world as far as we can see.  But our judgment comes from God, and there is nothing more vivid than this parable for our understanding about where true judgment comes from, and how we may truly be seen.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

- Luke 18:1-8

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught about the coming of the kingdom of God.  He was asked by some Pharisees when this would come.  He said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  Then He told His disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetops, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart . . .   My study bible says that "to pray and not lose heart is a vital step in preparation for the coming of the Lord."  We remember that this comes just after His teaching about His Second Coming.  Jesus is one the way to Jerusalem, to His Passion, death and Resurrection.  So this is an important part of His instruction regarding the time that we find ourselves in now, awaiting His Return.

. . . saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"   This isn't the first time Jesus has spoken of persistent prayer using the comparison to someone who hasn't the capacities equal to God.  In Luke chapter 11 He's said to His disciples, "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”  Here the comparison is to an unjust judge, one who has neither regard for God nor for man, but cares only for his own opinions.  But persistent prayer or petition has an effect even in this person unmoved by others.

Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"   My study bible says here:  "This parable, found only in Luke, illustrates the results of persistent prayer.  If a helpless widow wins her case by persistent pleading before even a callous judge, how much more will God's elect find quick justice before a loving and righteous Father?  Will Christ upon His return, find faith on the earth?  Each of us must take care to be part of His faithful remnant."

If we put this parable in the context of awaiting His return, we find ourselves in a place where God is set forth as true Judge.  And the implication here is that all things must be put squarely in the hands of God, and we rest in our petitions as prayer before God.  I think that whatever it is, Jesus implies, we put it before God -- and persistently we do so.  It is a kind of dependency He teaches here, similar to a certain type of understanding that we rest in God.  Ultimately, all kinds of injustices, He seems to say, will be borne in this world.  Certainly this will be the experience of His disciples and apostles and all the early Church as they are persecuted for His name's sake.  But ultimately, we can also extend this outward to those of us who live with His word in our hearts and hope in His truth.  What is it that we have in life that may be our own cross to bear?  What are the things that cause us pain, and the experience of injustice?  Recently I was speaking with a lawyer involved in a legal petition that I know of, and he said to me, "There is no justice in the court, only in the afterlife."  I can only reflect on Jesus' teaching about relying on God here.  He encourages persistence in prayer, an advocacy for ourselves before God that is constant, and a reliance on and faith in God.  Speaking for myself, I have found that a conventional sense of justice in all cases isn't always rewarded, but in time God's plan works out something better, something that in fact offers me a life of different and better values and strengths, and the urging to continue forward in His Way.  God will always ask us to come back, again and again.  Nevertheless, when He returns, will He really find faith on the earth?

Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetops, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

- Luke 17:20-37

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  My study bible says that "with observation implies by external or tangible means measurable by man."  It adds that "the kingdom of God is an invisible, spiritual reality present within the Christian believer. . . . To eyes that see, the mystery of the Kingdom is a radiant spiritual glory throughout creation." Jesus' focus here is on the spiritual reality of the Kingdom; He has often preached, quoting Isaiah, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" meaning that we need spiritual hearing (and sight) to perceive what is in His teaching and parables.  So it is with this Kingdom.  Elsewhere, Jesus teaches that "where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them"  (Matthew 18:20).

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day."  My study bible teaches, "Prior to Christ's Second Coming, Christians should not be misled by deceptive calls or signs.  The glorious return of Christ will be as evident as lightning."  This is a clear promise, one of the few we have, about His Second Coming.  A lightning flash "out of one part under heaven" to the other part is clear and unmistakable.  His promise, in contrast to those who claim a particular location is where He is found, is that He will be obvious to all.

"But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."  This generation is a term that can mean the present generation, but also those of the present age of the world.  Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, toward His Passion, death, and Resurrection.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  My study bible notes, "These verses are a warning to be prepared.  The coming of Christ will be like a fire of judgment on many who are preoccupied with daily pursuits, but are oblivious of the things of God."  Christ cites episodes from Scripture with which the Pharisees are familiar, of events of Judgment.  The vivid point made is that none were aware of what was imminently to happen.  Jesus has referred elsewhere in parables to those who are busy making plans for what they will do in life, and yet fail to plan for this event.

"In that day, he who is on the housetops, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  My study bible says that "the absolute value of God's Kingdom requires urgent preparedness and decisive action to preserve one's life eternally."  In light of the verses that end today's passage, we have a kind of perspective on these verses here.  When that Day comes, we are asked to "remember Lot's wife" and put away our cares of the world and "not turn back."  "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" is also preached elsewhere in the Gospels, an important understanding of what it is to take up one's cross, and this is a lifetime pursuit.  But in context here, it takes on a vivid kind of urgency for His return.

"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  My study bible teaches here:  "The coming of Christ will entail a sudden, unexpected separation of destinies for friends and coworkers alike, depending on their preparedness for the Kingdom." 

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Other translations suggest different meanings for "body" and "eagles."  My study bible says that "this proverb used by Jesus signifies that His glorious return will come as inevitably and clearly as birds of prey can be seen from afar gathering around a carcass."  It suggests that those who are taken are taken to a place of judgment and death.  But I would beg to differ not with the point but with the meaning of the language used here.   To my mind the Greek is very clear in its use of the words for "body" and "eagles."  In Patristic writings, and frequently found in spiritual teachings in the Eastern Church, the soul which pursues God's light is likened to an eagle or another bird of prey:  looking directly at the light's rays and not turning away, it flies upward toward the fullness of salvation and restoration.  Nothing can keep this eagle from the goal if the eye of its soul is focused on the light; in Gregory of Nyssa's metaphor, the force of the air alone from the movement of its wings scatters anything that might hold the eagle back or entangle it.  So, with this metaphor in mind, the "eagles" gather to form the Body of Christ, and this is the "where" of assembly.  We are all called to keep our mind focused on the true light of the soul, and its ultimate goal, to be with the "true light from true light."

Jesus' teaching today in Luke's Gospel makes a very vivid encounter palpable at His Second Coming.  It's interesting that some of the statements here, such as "whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" are also found elsewhere in the Gospels in other contexts.  Even in Luke's Gospel, in chapter 9, Jesus says, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."  In that context, He's speaking to the disciples when Peter first confessed He was the Christ, and Jesus also mentions the Day when He "will come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."     Similar sayings are also found in Matthew's Gospel.  Each focuses on discipleship and what it is to be one of His true followers, taking up his cross daily as did Christ.  In Luke's reading for today, the focus is on the urgency and unpredictability of that Day, how easily we fall into the concerns of daily life and not of the soul, of the pursuit of this spiritual Kingdom that is within us, and among us.  So where is this Body?  Where is it that the eagles are gathered?  For this understanding, we can only turn to His teachings, and accept with so many other teachers of the faith that to keep our spiritual eyes focused on the light is the way to participate in that glory, in daily life, and for the life of the age to come.  Let us be thankful that He is truly within us, and in our midst, so that we look forward to the dawning of the true Light for everyone.

Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?

 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

- Luke 17:11-19

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught His disciples about discipline in the Church and among themselves.  He said, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "


Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.   Samaria and Galilee are regions which are first, primarily foreign, and in Galilee there were mixed populations.  We note that throughout the readings of the past few chapters, Jesus has been on this journey toward Jerusalem.

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  My study bible notes that "the lepers stood afar off because they were not permitted to approach people or enter into the villages."

And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.   "Have mercy on us!" has remained the cry in the prayer of the Church, so important is this phrase.  For love and mercy Christ is in the world; for God's steadfast love and mercy we all pray and ask.  Mercy, in this reading and in others in Luke's Gospel, is correlated with healing (see The Parable of the Good Samaritan).  Lepers could not participate in community, and so it was necessary to receive a certificate from a priest in order once again to be a part of the community, hence Jesus' instruction to show themselves to the priests.  The healing is automatic, not even mentioned:  Jesus' mercy is immediate: "as they went, they were cleansed."  Setting off on the journey of following Jesus' command, they are cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."  My study bible says, "Only a Samaritan, despised by Jews, sets the example of gratitude for his healing.  God's blessings are all too easily taken for granted or forgotten."

Luke's Gospel teaches us about the inclusion of those who love God and share in faith in God.  St. Paul will preach to the Galatians that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  This story of the ten lepers goes far to teach us something about the love for God we hold in our hearts; we can't really judge by the surface of one who belongs to our particular group or understanding or way of doing things.  These nominal ways of saying who's in our party, in our group, in our enclave just don't work when it comes to Christ.  There, what matters is what is in the heart, and what is in the heart that is important and essential is love.  The love for God here isn't an impersonal understanding of this love; rather in the example of the Samaritan in the story it's an example of participation in God's love, of gratitude, and by extension right relatedness, clear seeing and understanding, and we assume a kind of respect that goes out to all whom this man encounters as a part of his relationship to God.  There's a fundamental power in that love that implies right-relatedness in the choices we make and in the ways in which we see things.  So this man alone glorifies God for his healing.  He see's what's what.  This isn't some gift or token one simply takes away selfishly as if to say the giver is not important.  And there we get into the spirit of the matter here, and for those of us who live in the United States, a very timely reminder of what it truly means to live with gratitude (for tomorrow is the national holiday called Thanksgiving).  Because in this story, to live with gratitude is to live with love in our hearts.  Love, first of all, for our Creator, and from there setting us in truly right relatedness to others.  To live a life of gratitude is to understand that all of life is in fact a gift, and more -- to have respect for the giver.  I think this extends to all facets of life, to the people we forget to thank, to those with whom we struggle for gain, for recognition, in competition, right down to the ways we relate to others in the world when we carry around the idea that we are simply entitled to what they have, what we think everyone else has that we may want.  It comes right down to the idea of the way we live our lives in relation to God and others and how we miss our own blessedness.  To love God with all one's heart and mind and soul and strength is really up to each of us, and it's in fact a gift that is available to each of us.  God doesn't discriminate on the basis of class or group or entitlement.  Wherever we are on a social scale, whether or not we are excluded or included in the worldly picture of things, God's love is something that is a gift to each of us and may be reciprocated in relationship in which we participate.  All it takes is our own awareness.  And yet this one thing necessary seems to be so remiss and so hard to see.  Yet it sets us in right relationship to everything.   In this case, the Samaritan is the one man who can truly see what is right in front of him.  His faith has made him well in many more ways than are apparent.

If he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times a day returns to you, saying, "I repent," you shall forgive him

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

"And if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "

- Luke 17:1-10

In yesterday's reading, Jesus told the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus to the Pharisees:  "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."  Turning back again to His disciples, Jesus teaches about discipline and discipleship.  There's a quality here of instruction for the matters of the Church after He is gone, and we know He is on His way to Jerusalem, to the Passion.  My study bible points out that "little ones" are "small children or those of humble status who are unable to defend themselves, but are under God's care." Offenses are like debts -- they are the things that hurt others in some way.

"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."   Justice and right relatedness are at the heart of Jesus' teachings for behavior in the Church.  These men will become stewards of the Church, and He is laying the foundation for regulation of behavior among them.  We note the justice here (which is akin to "right relatedness" or "righteousness"):  Repentance goes hand in hand with forgiveness, both on conditional upon the other!  Each party bears their own responsibility under His command.  At the same time, an offense doesn't go unnoticed, there is a kind of mutual discipline among the members -- and we remember that "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline" and that "the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."  This is discipline with love, and Jesus goes into mutual correction even more deeply in Matthew's Gospel, where He notes quite carefully the requirement of one who would point out the speck in another's eye!  At repentance forgiveness is given so that reconciliation is a constant practice among them.  My study bible says, "Christians are to practice unlimited forgiveness."  We note the reciprocal relationship He encourages: the practice of mercy goes both ways. 

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  There are stories of the Desert Fathers in which instruction is given regarding forgiveness, and more, turning the other cheek.  There the monks ask a Father to help them in this difficult endeavor, and he replies teaching them with baby steps in this practice.  Here, I believe the desire to increase faith is so that they may incorporate these practices of self-discipline, mutual correction, and forgiveness, even "seven times a day."  So we understand faith from these verses in the context of the strength that gives us the discipline to truly follow Christ's teachings and commands.  Christ responds that even a very little faith will enable them to fulfill their duties as His servants and disciples. My study bible teaches that "Jesus uses a deliberate exaggeration to emphasize the strength of genuine faith."

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "  Beyond teaching them that even a little faith will help them to follow His commands, Jesus teaches the disciples, the future bishops of the Church, that when they follow such commands of discipline, they are doing only what their Master calls them to do.  Their attitude must be one of servant leadership, and in treating the flock a particular way, in practicing mutual love and discipline among themselves, even "seven times a day" they must consider that they are doing their duties.  He is setting in order the proper relationships among them.  My study bible says, "The purest faith is that which recognizes that we are servants who owe everything we are and have to God our Master.  Thus, after fulfilling His commandments, we should humbly recognize that we are still unprofitable, never worthy of all His gifts."

Let us remember that forgiveness is the backbone of Christianity.  I find often that I have confused reconciliation with forgiveness.  In the teaching above, Jesus gives a formula:  we must first regard our own sins or offenses as seriously as possible!  Correction for offense comes as loving rebuke, forgiveness given upon repentance, up to seven times a day:  a number that means "unlimited."  But what of those who cause offense who do not repent, and who cannot take or hear a rebuke?  We know that forgiveness is still possible through the faith of a mustard seed, because it is divine help that increases our faith so that we may follow His practices.  Reconciliation may not result, but one can always turn to God to practice forgiveness, to "give up" a debt and put it in God's hands.  One may turn to God in prayer to find how best to respond.  In cases of great abuse, it will still require us to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, but we can still practice forgiveness even though we may need discernment for how to live in peace with a particular relationship, and even separately from someone.  But we can still "pray for our enemies" and thereby "do good to those who hurt us."   What we remember most of all is that Jesus' discipline is for the good of everyone; He doesn't call us to masochism but to peace.  Justice and righteousness here are "right relatedness" -- to one another but also to God and within ourselves.  Let us remember the mustard seed, and turn to God in prayer for illumination for all our questions:  God's unlimited forgiveness  is ours:  God asks us to practice forgiveness ourselves but not in the dark.  In a constant context of self-correction and mutual correction, awareness, repentance, and God's faith at work in us.

If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

- Luke 16:19-31

In Saturday's reading, we read that Jesus continued to teach His disciples, just after He taught the parable of the Unjust Steward:   "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."  The contrast between the two in this story is clear and vivid.  We get a picture of the rich man; he doesn't just live well:  he's clothed in purple (an extremely expensive and rare dye, affordable usually to nobility, the recipe for the finest of which remained a jealously guarded secret for centuries) and fine linen, and "fared sumptuously" not just often but every day.  It's interesting to contrast this picture of wealth and extravagance with the extravagance in an earlier reading in this series of Jesus' discourses, the Prodigal Son.  The beggar Lazarus is as destitute and poorly off, as frightening a spectacle as the rich man is extravagant and sumptuous:  not only is he full of sores, dining off crumbs, but is tended to by dogs in the street -- a sad image for us today, and worse in a culture that saw dogs in a very negative light.

" So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried."  My study bible says that Abraham's bosom means heaven.

"And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' "  This parable is a kind of testimony to the communion of saints, and it's interesting that even in this wide gulf between Hades where the rich man is tormented by a flame, and Abraham in heaven, there is a kind of communication.  But the rich man doesn't appeal to God; the conversation is between he and Abraham, his holy ancestor.

"But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "  My study bible says, "A great gulf between Lazarus and the rich man signifies there is no possibility of transfer between heaven and hell after death.  It should also be noted that neither poverty nor riches, in themselves, gain Lazarus and the rich man their irreversible places.  The rich man goes to hell because of his hardness of heart; Lazarus to heaven because of his humble faith." 

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  Moses and the prophets, says my study bible, "are the Old Testament Scriptures which testify to God."

Let's remember that Jesus is speaking to the leadership, the Pharisees, who, Luke tells us, were lovers of money.  Jesus has been criticized for dining with sinners, and in response told the parable of the Prodigal Son.  He then taught His disciples the parable of the Unjust Steward, before teaching in Saturday's reading, "You cannot serve God and mammon."  For this teaching, He was derided by the Pharisees.  He replied to them that "what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail."  But in today's parable, Jesus is showing the consistency of Old Testament Scripture with His own teachings, and the more powerful and emphatic message He brings for God's law.  Although John was the last of the prophets, and Christ reveals the Kingdom, He's acting in the lineage of the Scriptures the Pharisees know, yet they will not believe Him either, though He return from the dead.  We see the message directed at the leadership, but of course it's also directed to us.  We are also informed in Scripture, and by One who rose from the dead.  So we have our choice, as well.  For the Pharisees, He's telling them very clearly as He's said elsewhere, they can't rely on their ancestor, on their lineage.  Choice for each of us is a very specific thing.  The very hairs on our heads are numbered.  What looks "good" to us isn't what looks good by the standards of the Kingdom.  Moreover, our own practice of mercy acts as a sort of conditional leverage for our spiritual position.  Can we see beyond what we taste, see, feel, touch and know apart from what's in our hearts?  Is there more to life than this, that also unites us with others in relation to the world around ourselves?  This is the question Jesus asks, that the Pharisees are called to, that all the Scripture points to, and that He Himself asks each of us, even as He is the One risen from the dead to ask it of us.  Let us remember that wealth and poverty and suffering come in all kinds of forms, as does mercy.