The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

- Mark 12:1-11

Yesterday, we read that Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  [They were referring to the cleansing of the Temple.]  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country."  My study bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is Israel, and the vinedressers are the Jewish leaders.  It says the parable is plainly told against the chief priests, scribes and elders who question Jesus (see yesterday's reading) -- and it is in the presence of the multitude.

"Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers."    In the services of the Orthodox Church during Holy Week there is emphasis on this theme of fruit-bearing.  My study bible says that "Jesus has recently focused on fruit-bearing in the fig tree incident [see Monday's reading].  John reports more conversation of Jesus at this time on fruit-bearing (John 15:1-8) -- the vine and branches.  The bearing of fruit is the mark of vital spiritual life."

"And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, this was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.   My study bible says, "With this parable, Jesus totally discredits the religious leaders of Israel and establishes Himself as Messiah.  The religious leaders plainly understand Jesus' criticism and would have Him arrested, but they feared the multitude and a possible insurrection.   The leaders in Jerusalem were often viewed by the people as collaborators with the Romans, seeking to maintain their positions.  Therefore the people tended to favor popular charismatic figures such as Jesus."

Let us consider fruit-bearing and what it means here.  The issue is so essential that Jesus likens our dependency upon God for life to those who are to bear fruits in a vineyard that belongs to someone else.  In Galatians 5, St. Paul writes that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."    So, one way we can think of spiritual fruitfulness is in an understanding of how God's work in us bears fruit in our character, in the ways in which we conduct ourselves in the world.  Jesus' parable about the vinedressers suggests repeated visits to the vineyard by those who represent the owner, who is God.  For the Jewish leadership, this long line of mistreated servants and emissaries are the prophets of Jewish spiritual history:  those who have been stoned, mistreated, shamefully abused for bearing God's word to the people -- and especially to the religious establishment.  Finally, it is the Son who is sent.  It's interesting to note the trust implied here by the vineyard owner:  "They will respect my son."  In some sense, since the parable is about an act of judgment, this phrase teaches us about our free will:  there is something in us that allows us to reject or receive the hand of God teaching us in our lives.  But we do deal with the consequences:   "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, this was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes"  (Psalm 118:22-23).  The parable is about the whole history of Jewish spirituality, the story of Israel which we can read in Old Testament Scripture; that is, the spiritual history of Israel as it had evolved until Jesus' time.  But I think there are lessons to be learned by each of us from the parable.  How does God reach to us in our own lives to help us to bear spiritual fruits, or to remind us that we need to do so?  Are there ways in which spurning this help results in our world, in some sense, being turned upside down?  Whatever the answers are to these somewhat mysterious questions, I think we need to take Jesus' parable seriously in terms of how spiritual life works in us.  While its focus may be on spiritual leadership, and is certainly therefore essential to the leadership of the Churches to take seriously, I think also it applies to each one of us, and perhaps that's how the readers of this blog may best take it.  We're stewards of what we're given:  our lives, our talents, our possessions, the life we're given and the part of the world we inhabit.  What do we do with this vineyard?  Do we remember the kinds of fruits the owner desires here?  Taking the parable of the Sower (Jesus' first parable told), we can ask ourselves how we are cultivating our inner ground, whether we're letting toil or the weeds choke us out and get in the way of our real goals here.  Going back to today's parable, we can also ask ourselves if there have been times in our lives when those who seem to bear Christ to us have been dismissed or mistreated.  Jesus' words are not just for the Jewish leadership.  They are for all of us, for each of us.  How do we treat those who reflect His image?  How do we receive testimony?  Where do we bear the fruit in our heart that St. Paul speaks of in the letter to the Galatians?  Are we prepared to be true servants of the vineyard owner, even at the risk of mistreatment?  All of these questions are here.  But we must take the response seriously, the consequences of heartless choices.  Do we have ears to hear?  Do we have eyes to see?

Answer Me

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

- Mark 11:27-33

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus and the disciples had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar the fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
 
Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  My study bible tells us that in the opinion of the official leaders of Israel, Jesus has trespassed on their territory.  If He is allowed to remain they are totally discredited.  It says, "The stage is set after the cleansing of the temple; they must destroy Him."

And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  A note tells us, "Answering the angry oppositions questions is often not wise.  Their question By what authority are You doing these things? is logical, for Jesus' acts are messianic.  And there is an answer:  the authority is that of Himself and His Father.  But, knowing they seek to entrap Him, He will not say so.  He leaves them with their question unanswered, and in confusion over His question.  Those who claim to have the answers are left admitting their ignorance."

Jesus sets an example of integrity here.  He's loyal to His mission and His purpose.  Often, I'm afraid that Christ is portrayed as someone without a lot of vigor.  But if we look at today's reading, we see His courage and strength.  It is a picture of authority and confidence.  He won't directly answer their question, on their terms.  He's a smart opponent.  He will match wits with them anytime.  But it is always to His purpose, and He never wastes a moment with useless talk -- this confrontation and purpose is essential to His ministry.  He is focused and He always does what it takes to express His truth.  In this case, He is still teaching by showing that these leaders are not simply cowardly, but that they don't have any real justice to stand on here.  There's also the contrast between Jesus and the leadership.  They present a seemingly united front, they have "worldly" authority in some sense, they are the nominal officials of the Temple.  And yet, He as one Man will stand up and assert Himself so that they are befuddled.  They are juggling too many agendas which have little to do, really, with a true love of God.  The notion of "authority" comes through here in Jesus' example - even as a single person without any worldly authority or position to fall back on - as someone who sticks to the truth, to His purpose, to His mission.  He does not even defend His own authority; He simply gets to the heart of the truth here.  What did they think of John, another one who told the truth?  He also issues a command to them:  "Answer Me."  In Jesus' example, we have this splendid combination of truth, courage, authority, and humility -- even in His combative spirit.  In other examples of confrontation, we have seen Jesus straight and to the point -- and yet protective of His disciples -- when Pharisees and scribes were debating with the disciples (see here and here).  The power and authority in Jesus is combined with humility:  He speaks the truth, without a resort to His own position or popularity.  Rather, He is unafraid of this confrontation with the authorities in the Temple.  He knows it must happen.  His act of cleansing the Temple made that a certainty.  He speaks with authority and power that is of the truth, and at the same time, He's not afraid of showing up His opponents, exposing their weakness and hypocrisy -- for that is also part of the truth here.  Let us remember this blazing example of the type of confidence that Jesus has.  His confidence is in the truth, with humility, and intelligence, and the purpose of His mission.  We could do no better than to aspire to be like this picture of strength and integrity, and to remember the one mission we really have that strips every other agenda away.

Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations"?

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar the fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

- Mark 11:12-25

On Saturday, we read that Jesus and His disciples came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to 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 called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way, your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.    The lectionary skips over the events which we commemorated yesterday, on Palm Sunday, which you can read here.

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar the fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  My study bible explains that "it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an early full foliage, indicating a first crop, but without bearing any fruit.  Jesus, finding not even one fig, condemns it.  In Scripture a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (Hos. 9:10).  Her fruitfulness has ceased, so the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who will bear spiritual fruit (see Matt. 21:43; Gal. 5:22)."

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  My study bible says here that "John appears to report the cleansing of the temple as occurring early in Jesus' ministry (John 2:13-22), whereas the other Gospels place it in the week before His Passion.  Perhaps there were two cleansings.  More likely, John is not concerned with chronological order and places the event early for teaching purposes.  Jesus acts as the King of Israel would, utterly in control.  He disrupts business and makes a sweeping condemnation of the religious system, yet He is untouched.  The religious rulers and the Roman soldiers are close by, but all are paralyzed.  In the light of the imagery in the account of the fig tree [above], the temple is all leaves and no fruit, a picture of the nation itself."

 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."   My study bible tells us that this cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act, which signifies the judgment of Israel.  It says, "The disciples need to learn that Israel is being rejected.  They will establish His Church, ultimately filled with Gentiles and Jews, and they need assurance that they are following His will.  The fig tree will be an indelible image in their minds."

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them."  Another note explains that "the cursing of the fig tree also demonstrates the power of faith in God and prayer.  This mountain probably refers to the Mount of Olives, but Jesus speaks not of its physical relocation, but of great deeds done through undoubting faith.  Neither Jesus nor the disciples moved any actual mountains, but they did turn society upside down with the message of the Kingdom.  We all need such faith in our struggle for full repentance and life in Christ. . . . We can have assured faith in answered prayer, according to St. John Chrysostom, when we ask things worthy of the Lord and strive for holiness.  Of course, human requests neither limit nor control God's omniscient freedom." 

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."  In many manuscripts, there is another verse added here, that says, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  My study bible says that "a call to forgive follows the promise of nearly unlimited possibilities of faith in prayer.  What can deter faith that is able to move mountains?  Failure to forgive -- the greatest hindrance to knowing God.  Not only does unforgiveness cripple our prayers, but even the Father in heaven does not forgive the unforgiving.  As the fig tree is rejected for bearing no fruit, so are unforgiving people rejected."

Today's reading combines several elements.  We start with the most vivid and perhaps shocking:  the cleansing of the temple.  It follows a theme about wealth that Jesus has been teaching about, most notably in the story of the rich young man who wished to inherit eternal life.  (See Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!)   There, the very moral young man (according to the Mosaic Law) was told to sell all he had, and give to the poor, and follow Christ.  It is a question of separating identity from the riches themselves.  Next, He taught the disciples about greatness:  that "whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant."  This is another kind of teaching about attachment to things, like power and status in life.  His greatness asks of us a kind of fruitfulness that is of service.  We see an emphasis in teaching that would strip away the focus on things we own or have, and get to the core of who we are and what our capacities really are.  In this light, we view the fig tree, that has failed to produce fruit.  There's a great show of foliage, like an external brilliance, but where are the real gifts and capacities of this creation?  Fruit we read as an analogy to spiritual fruit, something which comes from the persons we really are, not simply some product of status or wealth.  In this context we move to the temple and its cleansing, with its complete focus on wealth as a measure of status, of success, of ability:  selling the "better" sacrifices for the Passover for a higher price, making an effectively material judgment on that which is to be spiritual.   The psalms teach us:  "You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:16-17).  Psalm 51, perhaps the best known penitential prayer, teaches us truly about preparation for this time.  We strip away the reliance on things, even material gifts to God, and get to the heart of what really matters, what produces the spiritual fruits God truly wants of us.  This is borne out through the teachings of Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, to this day of cleansing and the withering of the fig tree.  Finally, the "judgment" we see in the fig tree is couched in Jesus' teachings on the place we really are utterly ourselves:  in prayer.  What is faith?  What does it mean?  I think there's an important implication here about faith, and about "asking for things" in prayer.  What does faith do?  How are we really "stripped down" with God, down to who we really are and what we face about ourselves?  The focus here is combined with the need for forgiveness, another kind of stripping away.  Forgiveness is literally "giving up" in the Greek.  We give up to God the things we hold inside.  It is a great teaching on the true sacrifice, the broken and contrite spirit, the heart that is truly circumcised in Spirit.  Forgiveness is the act of giving up more "things" we hold that serve to define us, that substitute for or mask who we really are when we are with Him in prayer, in that place where we come face-to-face, or rather, heart-to-heart.  This is the place of real faith, where everything else, all the flashy foliage, is stripped away, and we are finally capable of bearing the real fruits He asks.  This is where utter confidence truly resides, because what is left is what is real, a foundation of our true identity, a place of security that's not dependent on what can be stripped away.  In short, this is the place of faith in what is genuine.  We strip away even the things we hold against others to find who we are in that place where we are with Him in prayer, where He can teach us what service He'd like, what capacities we have and real fruits we can bear, what prayer can do.  Let us consider this treasure, and what we are willing to give up to truly find it.

Go your way, your faith has made you well

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to 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 called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way, your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

- Mark 10:46-52

Yesterday, we read that the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"   My study bible tells us:  "Have mercy is a favorite phrase of prayer in the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church.  Mercy is God's lovingkindness, His tender compassion toward repentant sinners."

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  A note says, "Jesus knows all things, and knows this man is blind.  Yet He asks, What do you want Me to do for you?  The man could have asked, 'Lord, give me grace to live with blindness,' but he asks for his sight.  Faith needs to be specific, and Jesus requests him to exercise his faith by asking for a specific need.  Rabboni means 'my teacher,' showing the man's affection for Jesus."  I think the text gets specific and vivid when it tells us that Jesus has stood still in the middle of the road, on this journey with His disciples toward Jerusalem, in order to call out Bartimaeus.  It's a way of focusing attention, zeroing in on the one calling out to Him, and stopping -- even while everything seems to simply be moving in an inevitable direction.

Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way, your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  My study bible says, "Bartimaeus follows Jesus, becoming a disciple of His (the road is Gr. hodos, the same word used for 'the Way' in Acts 9:2), and is not commanded to silence.  Now that Jesus is heading toward an open confrontation with the Jewish leaders in the Holy City, the veiling of His identity (the messianic secret) is no longer necessary."   In the Greek, the word translated as "made (you) well" is literally "saved (you)."

Bartimaeus makes a connection with Jesus here in today's reading -- this is what we notice.  He cries out, repeatedly, "Have mercy on me!" and he won't be silenced.  Bartimaeus, it would seem, already has a sense that there is a connection here.  His referral to Jesus as Rabboni, "my Teacher," also tells us that.  There is a sense of personal connection on Bartimaeus' part, whether he has formally met Jesus or not.  When Jesus stands still, in the middle of the road (the "way"), even as He is on His way to Jerusalem, and commands Bartimaeus to be called, it's a personal connection.  It's interesting, also, that Jesus doesn't call Bartimaeus Himself, but commands others to call him.  It's like Bartimaeus is personally being called, the way we imagine angels in heaven are commanded to call one person or another to summon them to the presence of God.  There is an amazing personal connection here, where, even though Jesus is on His way to His Passion, death and Resurrection, He takes time out to command one to be called, the one who is crying out repeatedly "have mercy on me!" and who called Him, "Rabboni."  I think that this personal connection to Christ is so important that Mark's Gospel gives it to us right on this road to the greatest event in history, the central event in the history of the world -- from a Christian point of view -- the culmination of God's mission into the world, the time of inconceivable sacrifice:  that God, as human, will suffer and die, and be Resurrected to save a whole world, past, present, and future.  And yet, while He's on this mission, and clearly set His sights for Jerusalem, the blind Bartimaeus cries out, and Jesus stops everything and commands him to be called.  It's reminiscent of the healing of the woman with the blood flow, who touched His garment in the midst of a crowd, even as He was on His way to heal Jairus' daughter:  Jesus has time for everyone.  He does what He is here to do, and each one of these things take place not just in "examples" to give us a general idea of what He is about, but in personal stories, in actions that make up all the links in this chain of love, all the points of light in the great, blinding, otherworldly light that is Christ which we can't possibly contain.  These stories aren't just examples to teach us the "concept" of Christ:  rather, these stories are the heart of Christ.  His work takes place in each of us, in each of our hearts and each of our lives.  "Rabboni" is the place of the heart, the place where Jesus dwells.  He knows each one of us personally.  And that's the place where we meet Him, we carry His presence around with us, with love and affection, in a kind of Person-to-person reality of the heart:  the whole of which, a whole universe of beings, past, present, and future, we can't possibly comprehend nor know.  But if we miss the personal, we miss the story.  We miss that mystical reality that we need.  We miss the point, and I think we lose out on our faith.  Here is where Jesus steps in and tells Bartimaeus, "Your faith has made you well."  Or, more literally, "Your faith has saved you."  In that depth of trust, we find the real power of Christ to save; we may know the grandest theories, we may understand all things known to man and even more, but if we don't have that place of love, that personal connection, we're missing out.  Let us remember He's got time for each of us, and wants us to make that time for Him.  When He tells Bartimaeus, "Go your way," that way is His Way, on the road ("the way") with Him.  Bartimaeus' shout of have mercy is the "new" shout of Jericho, the one that liberates and knocks down walls so that we enter into the real promised land, with Him.

Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

- Mark 10:32-45

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may 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,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  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 they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  This is the third time that Jesus has warned the disciples what is to come in Jerusalem.  But this time, more detail is given.  He has set His sights upon Jerusalem, and He knows exactly what will happen there, including what will happen when He is handed over to the Gentiles, the Romans.  His Resurrection is also predicted here

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  My study bible notes, "Jesus says you do not know what you ask because He does not promise a visible kingdom on earth or an immediate, victorious and glorious consummation, but rather toils, struggles and conflicts.  Cup and baptism are references to suffering and death.  The disciples do not grasp this now.  But they will meet both these realities in future persecutions and in the sacramental realities of the cup of the Eucharist (1 Cor. 11:26) and the death and resurrection of baptism (Col. 2:12)."

They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."   A note here reads:  "A place of honor in the eternal Kingdom will be given by the Father to those for whom it is prepared, that is (according to the Church Fathers) not by God's arbitrary choice but according to a believer's sacrifice and suffering for Christ and the Kingdom."

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  My study bible comments:  "Service is characteristic of true greatness.  The model is Christ's incarnate life and death:  the perfect man is the perfect servant.  Ransom is the price paid for the release of someone held captive.  In this case, humanity is released from the bondage of sin and death by Christ's redemptive sacrifice on the Cross."

I have a friend who speaks about the difference between cultural perceptions before Christ and after Christ.  It would seem that the idea of service being correlated to greatness is truly a gift of Christ to the world.  If we think about the unabashed uses of power in service of Empire, in the ruling of kings and emperors, and especially pre-Christian societies, we get a picture that is quite different from the notion that power must at least be couched in the language of justice and, more particularly, of service.  Our politicians call themselves "public servants" and the notion of nobility and courtesy really has to do with the graciousness of Christ.  The world still chases after its own material power:  we call war "hell" after the words of a famous general in the US military.  But we have to acknowledge the contribution of Jesus to our notions of greatness:  that those who would be great among us must be servants of all.  He says it here Himself:  "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them."  This is the notion of greatness in the world that Jesus is born into.  But He is seeking to bring a kingdom into the world with different rules, a different energy, a different reality that forms and shapes and guides its values.  That's the Kingdom to which we aspire to belong, and that we must carry in our hearts.  These notions of the great ones being the ones that serve, that sacrifice, who accept hardships, even persecutions, is an entirely alien notion to the world of power in which Jesus was born.  It still remains a difficult, uncomfortable understanding in terms of how we think of greatness, material power, acquisition of wealth and social position.  But it remains the ideal we're given as Christians.  This lesson follows closely upon the lesson of the wealthy young man, who is perfect according to the Mosaic Law (yesterday's reading), who has done all that he must to obey the commandments.  But Jesus teaches him that to truly be saved, he must sell what he has and give to the poor, and follow Him.  He calls us to more, and in the heart of Jesus this notion of service remains supreme.  In yesterday's reading, He told His disciples that those who sacrifice for the Kingdom will receive a hundredfold -- with persecutions.  Again, the notion of service, a very alien concept for greatness in a kingdom.  If we're going to wrap our minds around what He teaches, perhaps it helps if we think about service as doing that which is best for everyone by seeking to serve God, and finding the way in which we are called to serve.  To reach that goal, every sacrifice asked is "worth it" as a kind of exchange.  To be the servant or slave of all isn't, to my mind, to become some sort of a doormat.  Rather, it's to love God with all one's heart and mind and soul and strength, and what follows must be loving one's neighbor as oneself, finding a place in the Kingdom where service is the ultimate greatness.  Christ does not mean that we should all find ways to become martyrs or victims in any sense:  I don't believe this is what service is.  It doesn't mean we serve the whims of others in some unreasonable or chaotic way, either.  Rather, we find His way to be of service, in the image He calls us toward, through love of God, through prayer, and love of neighbor.  His plan, not ours.  Let us think in terms of the ways in which we are called to serve; it may be something as simple as giving a cup of water to someone in His name.  Service may involve a great dose of humility, but each one of us has a way in which we're called to use our own gifts to serve this Kingdom.  Let us remember this is His definition of greatness.

Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may 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,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  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 they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Mark 10:17-31

Yesterday we read that Jesus left Galilee and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."   In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "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 by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may 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,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."   My study bible points out that this man approaches Christ as "a mere human" and Jesus responds as the same.  He puts emphasis on the goodness of God, and focuses the man's attention entirely on the same.  Then Jesus goes on to affirm the power and validity of the Ten Commandments as a guide to life; this obedience, says my study bible, is "an essential aspect of the quest for righteousness and eternal life."   In this way, the Gospel also establishes for us what type of man is before Jesus, and his righteousness in accordance with the Mosaic Law.

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.    I think it's important that we note first what the Gospel tells us:  Jesus loved this man, and with this motivation goes on to teach him what he must do.  My study bible has a lengthy note here:  "Jesus recognizes and approves the man's moral righteousness.  But He tests him at his point of greatest vulnerability, where he needs to repent most.  It is his money that is keeping him from salvation.  Jesus challenges him with the ideal of total sacrifice for His sake.  The command to sell all is for this man, or for any other whom Christ may call in this particular way, but should not be construed as a universal requirement.  Christians are to use their possessions according to God's purposes, above all to help the poor and needy, but they are not to reject ownership of property. However, voluntary poverty is a legitimate part of a freely chosen way of life -- for example, for monastics."

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  My study bible tells us, "Riches grip the heart like few other things.  When people trust in money more than in God, refusing to return their wealth to Christ, they fail to gain eternal life."

"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."  My study bible says here:  "Jesus uses an exaggerated image to indicate the extreme difficulty of entering the kingdom for those given to riches."

And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  This is an interesting passage:  the disciples are stunned at His teaching (Who then can be saved?), but at the same time, Peter soberly reflects, We have left all and followed You.  My study bible points out here that justification is never by faith alone, though it is by faith apart from the law (Gal. 2:16).  It says, "God calls on people to believe and to act because they believe."

So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  A note here reads:  "Discipleship is radical self-denial, a total offering of oneself to God.  This implies readiness to give up dear possessions or even relationships that stand in the way of following Christ." . . . "That disciples will receive earthly rewards a hundredfold now in this time is not an absolute promise:  countless saints and martyrs were not so rewarded.  However, God has a way of returning and multiplying earthly blessings along with persecutions to faithful men and women according to His will."

There's a lot to think about in today's reading, particularly in terms of how we view wealth and how we live with it.  There are multiple parallel things going on here.  There is first of all the young man, who is not only a morally upright person in all ways the Law might require of him, but we're told that Jesus loves him.  So here, the attachment to wealth goes deeper than merely a moral or perhaps even an ethical approach to how we may use wealth.  I think this is important to understand here; Jesus is getting to our very core of ourselves as human beings, how we think of ourselves, and what we are attached to.  This is something He will do with His teachings over and over again.  He will ask us to go to our hearts, to our core, and make choices there, especially about what we love.  So often we tend to identify ourselves with our possessions.  Our homes and what we have become symbols, tangible things we show to one another, of who we are.  I think this is the place where Jesus is taking this young man when He asks him to give away what he has to the poor.  Possessions are just that -- they are things we have, not what we are.  By teaching that he should give his possessions away, Jesus is clearing the way in a psychological sense for a true identification:  "treasure in heaven," and "take up the cross, and follow Me."  It's a radical re-setting of identity, of what real treasure is in the heart, and what comes first in what we love.  That is what is going on here.  The disciples reflect that they've done the same (through Peter's sobering realization) and this tells us something about what it is to follow Him.  Perhaps we may not even understand where it is we're being led, but upon reflection, we see what He has taught us and how He has taught us.  They've left everything behind for His sake and the Gospel's.  Perhaps, each in our own way, Christ may call upon us to do the same, and if we reflect we may come to realize how we were led -- even when we didn't quite realize it at the time.  The difficulties signified by a person who is, perhaps, born into great wealth are no joke.  Again, we come to the problems of identification with the possessions we have.  And, I think that particularly for we who live in a modern world full of tremendous material capacities, there is really a great danger when we take all of these things for granted, and lose sight of who we truly are and our dependence on God.  We also can't merely focus on ethics or morals as the things that save us; this young man already is an upright and righteous person in those terms.  Who we know ourselves to be changes how we act.  Jesus' radical prescription for the spiritual health of this young man may also be a prescription many in our modern world can voluntarily take -- at least psychologically -- by seeking to see ourselves as God sees us, and not identify with what we have in life as the things that define us.  God may give us many blessings in life, but they are just that, blessings.  They do not form the core of who we really are.  For that we need to be radically clear about who we are in the heart, what we truly love and treasure, who and what tells us who we really are.  Blessings are meant to be put back in God's hands, so to speak, to be used responsibly the way God teaches us to be stewards of whatever gifts we have; I'd say that talent and even children also come under this topic of blessings or gifts.  This would be a sacramental kind of life.  We may suffer from persecutions in living this type of life, but the gift we get back is the great gift of who we really are, possession of our souls, for which there is no substitute and no security greater, nor freedom, nor independence of heart.  In this way, the first may be last, and the last first.  We can't do this all by ourselves, but with God, all things are possible.

What God has joined together, let not man separate

Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "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 by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

- Mark 10:1-16

Yesterday, we read that Jesus continued His talk with the disciples from the reading of the day before:  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  My study bible says, "Having completed His Galilean ministry, Jesus begins His Judean ministry, the focus of which is Jerusalem.  Jesus taught regularly.  Teaching is not all people need, but it is indispensable for effective Christian living."

 The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  My study bible indicates that the scribes and Pharisees often debated the legal basis of divorce in Judaism (Deut. 24:1-4).  But here, the point is to test Jesus.  It says, "Divorce was very simple for a man during the time of Jesus:  a mere certificate written by a dissatisfied husband was all that was needed."

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept."  A note here says, "Moses' legislation on divorce is a concession to a human weakness, hardness of heart, which is at the root of divorce on the part of one partner or both."

"But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."   My study bible says here:  "Jesus goes back to the original will of God for permanent, monogamous marriage, indicated by the creation of man and woman as well as by God's explicit command in Genesis 2:24.  Then they are no longer two, but one flesh is the heart of the biblical teaching on marriage:  Husband and wife are one flesh, joined together in oneness by God.  This is not symbolic or merely moral but real -- a man and woman are actually joined, creating a total unity which is unbreakable.  Therefore, marriage is a sacrament by the grace of God.  The issue in this passage is not whether divorce is permissible, but whether the union between husband and wife can be broken -- even when a divorce occurs." 

In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  My study bible says that "according to Jesus, remarriage after divorce is equivalent to adultery.  If a woman divorces her husband is a case applicable only to Gentiles, for a Jewish woman could not legally divorce her husband.  Mark does not report Matthew's exception for divorce, 'except for sexual immorality' (Matt. 19:9).  St. Paul also knew of Christ's command repudiating divorce (1 Cor. 7:10)."  A note on the comparable text in Matthew says that the ancient Church eventually expanded reasons for divorce to include a threat to one partner's life, desertion, and forced prostitution.

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "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 by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.  A note says that "Jesus rebukes the disciples not only because He has compassion for children, but because children are models of those who receive the kingdom in their openness and simple trust."

If we look at these verses in the context of yesterday's reading (and that of the day before), we may look with the attitude that Jesus has already tried to inculcate into the disciples:  that of compassion.  He's warned them about how to treat the "little ones," using an example of a child.  Here, He warns against the hard-heartedness of men who would divorce women very easily and simply, for any reason.  The quotation from Genesis, to my mind, signifies an absolute equality between the genders from the spiritual point of view, and more . . .  this union is so close that they are as one flesh.  It's a kind of restatement of how we are to love neighbor as ourselves.  In this case, man and woman are inseparable from one another within the marriage bond; it is as if, spiritually, they are a part of one another, one unit, one flesh.  This is a kind of humility in relationship, just as He has taught the disciples about humility toward the "little ones" in the Church.  In order to understand the precept better, we need to take into account the limited status of women in the society (indeed throughout the ages until quite recently), and see where Jesus is coming from.  With the ingredient of compassion, the idea that each feels what the other experiences, as "one flesh," life takes on a completely different sense than simply a kind of joining that says "this is my wife" or "this is my husband."  And it's also important to understand how we can abuse this gift, this spiritual bond.  Just as we can abuse and reject our relationship to God, to Christ, so we also do to a spouse.  Love is a gift from God, and the relationship two people can cultivate with one another, so much so that we become "one flesh," is also to be seen as a gift from God.  It may be made up into our very natures, but marriage is also a sacrament, and a sacrament is a mystery -- a very mysterious thing.  We can't quite understand how it is that we become "one flesh."  Where one partner begins and the other one ends may be hard to tell within a very short period; the bond that forms when one leaves father and mother and joins to spouse is one that is very real and filters into every part of our lives, of who we are:  spiritually, emotionally, mentally, even physically in some senses.  But I think today we have to take the gift from God as that of love, and to see in all of Jesus' teachings the great nugget of gold that is compassion.  It's compassion that makes the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit.  It's also the thing that moves and energizes the whole of the Incarnation, and in today's teaching, Jesus is giving us a very, very "incarnational" way of manifesting His love, His spirit, His ministry.  That He embraces the little children is also an extension of this teaching and this example, a very "incarnational" expression of humility in love.  And that's what we take in relationship to those we've been joined to, to those we're given to love.  All of this remains, to my way of thinking, a great part of the mystery of God at work in us and among us.  Let us not forget that all of these bonds can be abused, mistreated, and destroyed by our own choices -- just as our relationship to God can suffer the same.  It's all about love, a compassion that vivifies, that is at its heart a secret, a mystery of God, a gift that will grow in us if we accept and nurture it, with Him.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.'

For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

- Mark 9:42-50

Yesterday, we read that Jesus and His disciples went and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"   My study bible calls these verses "one of the sternest warnings Christ ever gave."  Here, it's directed at the disciples. A note reads: "Little ones, like the 'little children' [verse 37, in yesterday's reading], are humble believers with no pretensions to greatness.  Leaders are to be 'last'; faithful and serving.  A major cause of stumbling for Christians is that their leaders seek to be great.  To bring leaders to servanthood, Jesus requires not physical mutilation but uncompromising detachment, even from the most precious relationships or possessions, if they cause sin.  As a negative motivation, he portrays eternal torment."   The repeated verses are from Isaiah 66:24; "hell" here is Gehenna.

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study bible tells us, "This difficult passage, directed specifically to the disciples, mixes both negative and positive images of salt.  This may be a combination of statements made by Jesus in different contexts:  (1)  The fire with which everyone will be seasoned (lit. 'salted') seems to refer back to the fire of judgment (vv. 47, 48).  (2)  Every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt tells us suffering will happen to all who follow Christ, a positive experience when undertaken in humble faith.  (3)  Salt is good (v. 50) refers to the special quality of life expected of disciples, particularly those whom Christ has called to spread His gospel.  Have peace with one another suggests that one way to lose flavor as salt is to be striving for greatness (v. 34)."

We note that Jesus' warning here is to the disciples, those who would become leaders and teachers in the Church; the great warning is over doing anything that causes one of the little ones to stumble.  Their responsibility must be taken as seriously as possible;  and the great way to assure their own seriousness is through humility.  That is the great message of today's reading.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught the disciples, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  This was after they had been squabbling with one another about who was greatest, even as He'd just taught them that He Himself would suffer many things.  The next "step" in this teaching was to place a child in their midst, and to tell them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   It is a consistent teaching on humility, on the importance of the littlest ones, on the essential need for leadership to place itself in the place of servanthood.  Finally, the disciples report they've seen others casting out demons in His name, and Jesus tells them more about humility:  "He who is not against us is on our side."   Whoever offers one in His name even a cup of water will not lose his reward, He told them.  But today we get the deeper and starker warnings about the need for humility, especially where the "little ones" who also bear His image are concerned.  We hear images from other Gospels, such as the Gospel of Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus speaks of cutting off a hand or foot, or plucking out an eye -- all preferable to losing everything in the purifying fire of God's love.  If God's love is a fire, then that which cannot be like it will perish in that fire.  It's better to live by adopting the humility to discard whatever seems a part of us that can't grasp and live out His words about how we treat the little ones -- especially those who feel called to leadership in this Church, a special responsibility that reflects on Him, to those to whom His "little ones" are entrusted.  If you've known the arrogance of hierarchs, who but for the love of Christ would drive "little ones" from their care, you understand the importance of these words.  Servanthood is not easy for one in a position of authority, but all of us are called to the kind of humility Jesus is talking about here.  The power of His words must not be lost to us because each one of us may be a teacher for someone else, an image, an example of our faith.  His words teach us that in every encounter with another person, we are to see Him in the midst, remember His presence, and convey the love He has, however we may be able to do so.  It doesn't mean we see everyone else as perfect, but it does mean we might think of how we'd like to be corrected, or perhaps the times we just can't hear a correction; all of these possibilities still exist in the eyes of love.  But, how can we bear love truly if we don't have humility?  How do we hear the words Christ gives us without humility?  How do we walk away with love, if necessary, without humility first?  Better to cast off anything we need to from ourselves, than to lose who we are in Him, in His love.  Better to sacrifice what we need to, for life.  The goal is to have salt in ourselves, and peace with one another. For this we may find ourselves seasoned with fire, and our sacrifices seasoned with salt!

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

- Mark 9:30-41

 On Saturday, we read that when Jesus came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

  Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Repeatedly we've read about Jesus wanting to be hidden or to have private time with His disciples (not wanting anyone to know He was in a house, or withdrawing into the wilderness).  This time it seems clear that His withdrawal with the disciples is so that He may prepare them for what is to come.  My study bible says that "the disciples were afraid to ask Him, perhaps because they were aware of their own dullness and had become sensitive to His rebukes; or perhaps because they did not want to face the fact of His coming death."

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   A note here tells us:  "While Jesus is revealing His future suffering and death, the disciples are discussing personal ambitions, having possibly misunderstood Jesus' earlier words about His second and glorious coming (8:38) and the power of the Kingdom.  They miss the point of suffering and discipleship.  For they have performed many miracles and have exercised great power, and now they are tempted by pride and desire for position.  So serious is this issue that the remainder of this chapter is cast against its backdrop."  It's interesting that Mark's Gospel seems to give us several instances in which the disciples are somewhat like misbehaved children, engaging in squabbles they don't want the Teacher to know about, afraid to ask question to show they don't know something, or possibly fearful of the answer.  It is the childlike quality that we notice, a hint of "immaturity" as disciples, again teaching us about growth in this process.

And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." My study bible says, "The passion for position must be displaced by a decision to be last, to serve all people.  Beyond even humility, service is active care and love for others."

Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  A profound teaching, one from which we can continually extract meanings.  The child is a good symbol of discipleship, as we have seen from the behavior of the disciples, in a number of ways, both positive and negative.  But the overall message is one of the importance of oversight of rank and social prestige:  we are to see -- in His name -- even a child as Christ.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study bible says, "This discussion is the aftermath of who would be the greatest.  Sectarianism and triumphalism (the attitude that one creed is superior to all others) are forbidden, for God's working transcends our limited perceptions.  One is either for or against Christ, but it is not always ours to know who is on which side."

There are a couple of themes to explore here.  One is the issue of child-likeness.  We see the disciples behaving somewhat like children on a number of occasions.  They failed to understand the feedings of the four and the five thousand.  Jesus, when He remarked upon it, warned them to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod."  It's a kind of immaturity in discipleship, a sign of their need to grow in His care and through His instruction, through the process of discipleship, of living and being with Him.  In today's reading, we pointed out their fear of asking Him about things they can't understand, and their squabbling over who would be the greatest.  All of these things remind us of childhood behavior.  But then again, how many of us as adults, and our contemporaries, are really so far away from this childish or child-like behavior?  Certainly as disciples or followers of Christ, we're to understand ourselves to be on a kind of journey, where we are learning just as they are learning in the stories of the Gospels.  The image of the child, then, serves as an image of each of us in this sense.  If we are all in a process of maturity, on a road, on His Way, then we have to understand ourselves on these terms, as those who grow and learn.  On the other hand, Jesus has also commanded that to follow Him, we must become like little children, and has given us positive statements, even commands, about being like a child:  "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (We will read this point of view in Mark's next chapter.)  So, entering into this Kingdom and into discipleship gives us positive and negative aspects of child-likeness, but we are to understand that we must be like children, ready to learn and to absorb, and entering into a process of needful maturity, so that our flaws and immaturity will be exposed to us all along the way in this journey of eternal life.  Part of that maturity is how we see others; are we going to squabble over who is the greatest?  Are we going to learn what service is, or even how to treat others graciously?  Can we learn this tremendous lesson of how each one in His name is also bearing His image?  These are difficult, lifetime lessons, but they are things we will always be working on, signs that we're gaining some maturity in discipleship, the way ahead He provides us with.  The great central point of maturity the Gospels give us is the figure of Christ Himself; we must seek to be like Him.  This is discipleship, and it's why the little ones received in His name are equal to receiving Him; it's why those who are also doing His work must be seen as those who are "on our side," and it's why when someone gives them (or even us) a cup of water to drink in His name, because we are His, he or she "will have his reward."  To be in His name or to bear His image isn't a static state, a one-time sworn allegiance.  Instead, it's a process of growth and maturity, it's being on a path, a road, a way (John 14:16).  We are on a road, going somewhere.  Let us remember where we're heading and how we're supposed to grow, and the things we're to grow into as we mature in discipleship.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

- Mark 9:14-29

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.   Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept the word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, an they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  My study bible points out here that the Lord is loyal to His own -- Jesus doesn't ask the disciples what they are discussing with the scribes.  Rather, it 's the scribes who have to answer.

Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  Neither the scribes nor the disciples answer here, but the man who needs help for his son.  My study bible says that "faithless generation" is said of all, including the father and the disciples.

Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."   I think it's important to note how destructive to human life the unclean spirit is; it's a characteristic of evil, that which diminishes life.  My study bible says, "The man's comment, but if you can do anything, is prompted by the disciples' inability to cast out the demon.  What Christ's disciples can or cannot do reflects on the Lord Himself."

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  A note tells us:  "All things are possible because of God's power released through faith.  Jesus seeks to elicit faith from the child's father."

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  My study bible says, "The presence of doubt does not imply the absence of faith.  Christ honors whatever faith we have and will increase faith when we sincerely desire Him."

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.  A note here says that "prayer and fasting are essential expressions of the life of faith.  The inclusion of and fasting in the text is quite appropriate, though a number of ancient manuscripts lack it."

It's important to consider what faith is here.  It's not merely an assent to a set of assumptions.  I think that faith is more akin to a relationship.  The word in the Greek here for faith or belief really implies trust more than anything else.  It's also being "all in" in some way, fully persuaded.  It rings to us the meanings reflected in the great commandment cited by Jesus:  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind."  ("You shall love your neighbor as yourself" is the second, and is inseparable from the first.)  This love, these notions of love, of somehow being "all in" -- something that takes every part of us and all of that which keeps on giving -- has everything to do with faith.  Faith is about giving our trust.  As we see from the answer of the father of the child ("Lord I believe.  Help my unbelief!") and my study bible's comment on this statement, "The presence of doubt does not imply the absence of faith.  Christ honors whatever faith we have and will increase faith when we sincerely desire Him."  In other words, with His help we can grow in becoming "all in" -- heart, soul, strength and mind.  The power of prayer consists in just this:  a relationship, a connection, with God who shares His strength to help our faith along.  We're not alone in the journey of faith, but we must make the effort.  We must recognize where we are.  It's a deepening, growing relationship, in which we are enfolded in a kind of strength and energy and power that helps us get to where we need to be.  Thus, Jesus' teaching about the power of prayer (and also of fasting, which is an aid to relationship with God, a focus on God and thus, relationship).  Let us take time today to think about how our faith works, how much it rests on a deepening relationship of love of God that also extends to community, and its heart root of trust.  In today's lectionary reading, we also have St. Paul's profound words on the greatest gift of all, the power of love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).  We get a sense from reading St. Paul here that love isn't something like a commodity or a limited specific action directed in one place or another.  Love is a state of being, a way of living, a state of how we are and who we are.  It becomes an atmosphere or presence that is a part of us all the time, it is a way of being.  If we can link this state of being to faith, I think we are on the road to really understanding where and how Christ leads us.  The father is the one who is desperately trying to save his boy:  he speaks up to Christ when nobody else will, he petitions, and he eloquently describes a state of being we may all find ourselves in at some levels or others:  "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"   Faith and trust are linked to love, to who we are and how we are in the world, and to the journey that asks us for more and more of heart and soul and strength and mind.  Love is of God, and love helps us get to the place of faith, which God takes as a seed and grows in us.  Let us therefore remember the power of prayer, that place of "seed" and relationship, and sincere commitment.  Where we put our trust becomes all in all, including the doubts and whatever else we find, for His work in us.