Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us"

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"
which is translated, "God with us."

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.

- Matthew 1:18-25

Yesterday, we read that after having been told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a Son, and also of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.   We look closely at this description of Joseph as a "just" man.  The word in Greek means "just" and it can also mean "righteous."  We ask ourselves what kind of righteousness do we see in Joseph.  My study bible says that Joseph's righteousness consisted of a mercy that transcends the Law (Hosea 6:6).  He showed mercy by his unwillingness to expose her supposed sin, although he was obliged by the Law to do so.  This is an example of the righteousness Jesus will espouse in His teachings.  Joseph is called Mary's husband, but the Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before marriage (Rachel, for example, was called the wife of Jacob before marriage because of their engagement -- see Genesis 29:21; also Deuteronomy 22:23-24).   So, Joseph is called the husband and Mary, and she is called his wife further on in today's passage.  By tradition in the Church, Joseph is remembered as the Betrothed.  He was, in an important sense, both guardian and husband to Mary.  

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."  My study bible points out here that the angel (or "messenger") of the Lord dispels Joseph's false reasoning by announcing what is utterly unreasonable:  the pregnancy of Mary is by the Holy Spirit.  The virginity of Mary points us to the divinity of Christ.

 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," 
which is translated, "God with us."  My study bible notes for us that Matthew repeatedly uses the formula that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).   This underscores, it says, the intervention of God throughout history, demonstrates the continuity between Old and New Covenants, and indicates the beginning of the new creation.  Jesus' conception fulfills Isaiah 7:14, in which we are told that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son.  The One conceived in Mary is not a new Person coming into existence, but rather the eternal Son of God "using her womb as His throne," my study bible says.  Both the virginal conception by means of the Holy Spirit and the name Immanuel, God with us, are declarations of Christ's divinity.  JESUS is the Greek version of the name Joshua, meaning "God Saves" or "Savior."  A Savior, in the language of the Old Testament, can also be understood as judge or deliverer, and a redeemer.  We recall Joshua as the first to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land; he is a "type" of Christ.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, who brings in the New.

 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.  Just as Mary is obedient to God, so also is Joseph.  It's important to understand that the word "till" doesn't imply anything that happened after this event; rather, in the Greek, the word indicates what happened "up until" the event, and frequently implies the same situation continues after the event.  The Church, from its beginning, has proclaimed the "ever-virgin" quality of Mary.   Jesus is firstborn; again this word means no child was born before Jesus -- but does not necessarily indicate subsequent children.  "Firstborn" is traditionally known as primary heir and recipient of blessings; thus a position that exists regardless of whether or not there are siblings.  My study bible tells us that Jesus is also firstborn over all creation, and also firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:15, 18). 

We can write of the "ever-virgin" character of Mary (which implies much more than a physical state but also teaches us about her spiritual state), and the miraculous quality of this event of the birth of Jesus, or Immanuel, "God with us."  But for my part, my mind goes to the quiet quality of this scene, somewhere out of the way, so to speak, the birth of Christ in a place without fanfare and seemingly as one of the "least of these."    If we think of the quietness and intimacy of this birth, we have just three people involved:  Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus Himself, the Lord Incarnate.   What stands out in the quietness of the three is the intimacy of the relationship to God in each of these parents, and through the Son how God is tied in to everything in our world, and into each of our own lives.  Mary and Joseph are both told the great news before Jesus' birth, and both are obedient, even in the "quietness" and intimacy of the great news that at this point hardly anyone else knows.  Their humility gives us a truly holy quality, not borne out in distractions of pomp or display, but instead in just the pure truth of what is happening, the reality of "God with us."  God works in each of them, in their faith, and the vast work of the Spirit makes each event possible.  This great good news isn't for the pomp and circumstance of the world.  Rather it is also for each one of us, in our own intimate relationships with God, and it is "for the life of the world," because all the world is sanctified through His presence, this birth, "God with us."  Everything in our world is blessed through His birth and His life, and all the elements of our lives are so blessed as to become fruitful via His Gospel.  Our very water is sanctified for baptism, wheat (the grain of the field) becomes His body for our Eucharist, wine (fruit of the vine) His blood, given for us as eternal sign of God's steadfast love and mercy.  This is what we focus on.  God takes on our flesh, our life in this world, and sanctifies and blesses all of it for each one of us.  These two figures, Mary and Joseph, are holy because of their love and obedience to God.  But they are examples for us all, for each of our lives, each in our own way.  The birth of the Child ties together our lives, their lives, the lives of all those who came before, and every single element in our world.   After all, the others who will share in the news of this birth, we're told, are shepherds in the field with their flocks, the angels who announce the joyful news, and the animals symbolizing all of creation in a Bethlehem manger.  We also have a sign of the whole created cosmos in the star that will guide the three Magi to Jesus.  Let us be humble enough to see Him still as "God with us," in our own quiet time to understand, even in the midst of all the celebrations.

Henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me

 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-48a, 48b-56

Yesterday, we read that in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

  Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   The leaping of the babe, John the Baptist, in Elizabeth's womb is considered to be a sign of the return of prophecy to Israel.  We remember no prophet had been seen in Israel since the time of Malachi; it was considered a kind of reproach, marking the longing for the Messiah.  Then Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks words of spiritual truth -- venerating Mary as one blessed among women just as Gabriel had in yesterday's reading.   She calls Mary by a rightful title in the Church, the mother of My Lord.  This is seen as a confession; the babe just formed in Mary's womb is already understood as both fully human and fully divine:  the Lord was another title for God.  This image of new life being fully recognized as incarnate Christ, and Mary as mother of My Lord, gives us a picture of the Person already present in the womb, and informs the Church's point of view on the sanctity of life from earliest inception.

And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.  Mary's song is called the "Magnificat," after its first word in the Latin version.  My study bible says it comes from the heart of Mary, inspired by the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).   The song prophesies that all generations will call me blessed -- as the Church continues to venerate Mary today.  Mary gives credit fully to God for the Incarnation, and not to herself, expressing, as my study bible puts it, "both deep humility and the knowledge that God is the source of all grace."   Through the Incarnation, Mary's song declares, God reigns over all, from generation to generation.

Mary's song gives us a big clue about Christ and about the power of God present in Him.  It is a statement, a prophesy, about a power that turns things upside down, stands worldly power on its head, and that is properly represented in Mary, who as a figure is entirely humble and yet remains a source of strength for millions, called throughout Church history a refuge and a strong tower, considered to be the one who overturned the sin of Eve her ancestor.  As such, she's the ultimate expression of what a human being can be; it's her "Yes" that makes way for everything else.  God's power, she reveals (as did Hannah), has scattered those proud in the imagination of their hearts,  put down the mighty from their thrones, exalted the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  All these things are made possible, glorified, via the Incarnation, through her role, her "Yes" to the grace presented to her.  God works through the humble, but humble does not mean lacking in strength, or confidence, or faith:  Mary has all of these.  It's the power of her faith and of her discernment that teaches us something about where strength really is, and what is possible for a human being.  We shouldn't forget also that Jesus' human nature will be taken from this woman, and it seems to me that His powerful respect for and inclusion of women in His ministry speaks very strongly for her influence, and the kindness of His male guardian, Joseph.  It is Mary who shows a true understanding of God's power at work in her song which we read today, Mary who prompts her Son at the wedding at Cana, the first sign in John's Gospel, and teaches the servants present also, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  She said "Yes," and she teaches us all to do the same; in that sense, she is the tower of strength, the fortress of faith, the image of human being for all of us, men and women, from generation to generation.  What is important is that we understand her great blessing; that she is the "highly favored one" precisely because of all of these qualities that come from spiritual depth, a wealth open to each of us, even (or perhaps, especially) the most humble.  What is the power of faith?  That is what she shows us, an image for each of us to consider and to venerate.

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

- Luke 1:26-38

In yesterday's reading, we read the beginning of the Gospel of Luke.  Luke writes:  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.  So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.   The sixth month is the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (see yesterday's reading, above).  Mary means exalted one, says my study bible.   Although the text mentions Joseph's lineage, it indicates that Mary and Joseph are both of the house of David -- descended from David's royal lineage -- as a devout Jew would customarily marry within his own tribe.  We note that Luke twice calls Mary a virgin.

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.   The angel's greeting is, "Rejoice!"  The good news is right here, for hidden in it is in a reversal of the Fall.  Genesis 3:16 tells us that Even brought forth children in sorrow; but Mary is the new Eve, she will rejoice in bringing forth her Son.  As Eve suffered under a curse, Mary is now blessed.  Highly favored one (χαριτου / charitou in Greek) can also be translated as "full of grace."  My study bible says that Mary is the most blessed woman who has ever lived, because of her complete willingness to receive God's grace.  In the words of her Son, to "hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."   My study bible tells us that Gabriel's announcement emphasizes two truths:  first, Gabriel tells Mary "you will conceive in your womb":  Jesus took His flesh (that is, His human nature), from Mary herself.  Secondly, this is the divine Son of the Highest in Mary's womb.  Therefore, this one Person, Jesus, the eternal Son and Word of God, is both fully human and fully divine.

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   In contrast to Zacharias' response ("How shall I know this?"), Mary's question, "How can this be?" doesn't indicate a lack of faith.  She is actually asking as to way in which something so extraordinary would happen.

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Holy One, says my study bible, is a messianic title (see Psalm 16:10).  Here we are given a revelation of the Holy Trinity:  the Father (the Highest), the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.   My study bible tells us that Mary's faithful response is that of the highest obedience to God.  And here's the great, "impossible" news:  the Incarnation is not just the work of God, but it also involves and asks for the free response of mankind in the person of Mary.  Once upon a time, Eve disobeyed, now Mary obeys.  Eve closed herself to God, but Mary opens to His will.   My study bible cites Theophylact of Bulgaria, who taught that Mary's response says, "I am a tablet; let the Writer write whatever He desires on it."

It's frequently pointed out how often Jesus teaches "Do not be afraid."  Here, in yesterday's reading and in today's, Gabriel's announcement to Mary and to Zacharias includes the command, "Do not be afraid."  (The angel who appears in the tomb to the myrrh-bearing women will say the same.)  "Do not be afraid" is connected to another important statement in today's reading, also repeated elsewhere by Jesus, "With God nothing will be impossible."  Both statements, "Do not be afraid," and "With God nothing will be impossible" are statements about faith.  They teach us something about faith.  They draw us more deeply into faith.  Faith, we remember, is akin to trust.  In the Greek, the word meaning to have faith is the verb to trust.  "I trust that ..." or "I have faith that ...", "I trust in ..." or "I have faith in ..." are two ways of saying the same thing.  They teach us to cast off fearfulness, being afraid.  This is something different from what is called the "fear of God," which is reverence and an understanding of God's absolute power, the might of God's word.    When each person is taught, "do not be afraid" it is a question of casting off something within themselves; this is not a question of awareness but rather a question of discarding something that is holding them back, and not allowing them to truly see.   "Do not be afraid" is a command to cast off that which keeps us from true awareness, which holds us back from opening up to the perspectives and possibilities on offer from God, and found in and by faith.  In that sense, "with God nothing will be impossible" is a reassurance about perspective, about what we put our trust in.  It asks us to open up and to expand, to trust:  to find the direction God has for us and to trust in it.  It is in this sense that Mary's response, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word" is so powerful.  She is saying "Yes" to the God who commands us not to be afraid, and "Yes" to the God for whom nothing will be impossible.  This is "Yes" to a trust in something she can't do and can't explain of herself; it is "Yes" to the God who asks for our trust, not for limitation, trepidation, denial.  What is important about all of this is its expansive nature; that is, a reality that calls upon us to expand, and to allow it to expand our worlds, our perspectives, our lives.  This is not about wishful thinking, and not about inventing a dream life in which our fantasies of wealth or fame or any other desire come true.  It's about where God calls us.  We say "Yes" to the work of God in us.  By saying "No" to being afraid, we accept God's life on offer, God's grace.  It's about finding spiritual direction and living it.  So here is the mission, to be like Mary -- the one who says "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  Her mission defeated the Fall of the world; the first sin is overturned through her willingness not to be afraid, and to trust.  Each of us has this same mission.  But we have to find it through acceptance of our own faith, seeking sincere direction in prayer and in all the resources we're offered to help us to do so.  So often it is our own fears that hold us back.  Let us consider where exactly we put our trust, and see what something so much more vast and great than we are can bring us.  Christ teaches us to fear only God, nothing else.  Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:1-25

In recent readings, in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus has been speaking to the disciples about the destruction to come in Jerusalem, and also about His return and the end of the age. (See the readings from last Saturday, Monday, Tuesday,  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday).   On Saturday, Jesus finished His discourse, teaching about universal judgment:  "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they will also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  We have begun the cycle of readings for Christmas, which aren't progressing systematically through a particular Gospel but will be selected from the various Gospels for the season and Nativity.   Today we begin with Luke.  His introduction gives us to understand that he was not a disciple from the beginning, but his perfect understanding comes from direct sources, eyewitnesses of Christ:  the apostles themselves.  The Gospel is dedicated to Theophilus, a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  My study bible cites St. Ambrose, who noted that the name Theophilus means "lover" or "friend of God."  Therefore, the saint writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.   Herod is Herod the Great (father of Herod Antipas), who ruled Judea from 37-4 BC.  He was known as a great builder, who made tremendous renovations to the temple, rendering it one of the "Seven Wonders of the World."  But he had an equally renown reputation as a ruthless and vicious ruler.  My study bible says that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  Herod was a non-Jew calling himself the king of Judea; as such, messianic expectations were extremely widespread.  Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous people; not just outwardly observant, but truly inwardly, of the heart.  The text teaches us that the holiness of the Baptist comes at least in part through the faith and piety of his parents.  For a woman to be barren was considered a public reproach.  But like many women of her Jewish spiritual heritage (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary), Elizabeth's barrenness was part of the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of His people, says my study bible -- it is God's story and its unfolding that we are reading, as told by Luke.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  In the priestly system, each was assigned to a particular division.  There were twenty-four divisions in all.  Each would serve a week at a time in rotation.  Their responsibilities in the various duties in the temple were assigned by lot.  Zacharias in this way is assigned the duties of the high priest.  My study bible teaches that this event takes place at the time of the Atonement, when the high priest would enter the temple and make offerings for the sins of the people.  Just as we believe happens within our own liturgical practice, angels minister continually at the altar of the Lord, though usually unseen.  My study bible says that those priests of pure heart, like Zacharias, are occasionally chosen by God to witness this angelic liturgy.  Isaiah writes of their song, repeated in our services; Revelation reveals their worship in heaven.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."   We remember that Zacharias was praying for the atonement of the sins of Israel (not a son).  But Gabriel's announcement tells us that both Zacharias' prayer for atonement and also Elizabeth will conceive a son, instrumental in the salvation history of Israel.  John the Baptist, says my study bible, will announce the atonement; he will identify Christ as "the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world" (see John 1:29).  The prophet Elijah was expected to reappear as forerunner of the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5), as is several times noted throughout the Gospels.  John the Baptist will fulfill the spirit and power of Elijah as forerunner of the Lord's first coming (Matthew 11:14).

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.   My study bible says that Zacharias is disciplined for his lack of faith, and yet it also serves as proof that the announcement of Gabriel is true.  The Messiah, it explains, was expected to fulfill three crucial roles that were held by various people in the Old Testament:  prophet, priest, and king.  We consider Christ to be true Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), true King (Luke 23:3, Isaiah 9:7, Micah 5:2), and the true High Priest (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 4:14).  God has silenced the prophets for many years in preparation for the coming of Christ, and also permitted an illegitimate usurper (Herod) to occupy the position of the king of Judea.  In the last days before Christ's coming, the high priest is also silenced.  These three roles were therefore vacant, illegitimate and silent;  thereby all is ready for the Son of God to be revealed as Prophet, King, and Priest.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."   My study bible once again notes the significance of the fact that for so long there had not been a great prophet in Israel, not since the time of Malachi (1 Maccabees 9:27).  It heightened anticipation of the Christ, the Messiah and would make it more evident when He came.  John the Baptist, as prophet preparing the way for Christ, as kept hidden until Christ was conceived.  After that, John was revealed through the prophetic act of leaping in Elizabeth's womb (Luke 1:41).

The story of Christ begins within a framework.  That is, within a framework of salvation for God's people.  The story of Christ doesn't begin here; it begins in Genesis, in the "speaking into being" of the world, of Creation.  John's Gospel reflects this very clearly, with its prologue teaching us about God the Word and the reflective phrase, "in the beginning."  It's a whole history and the story of God and God's Creation, God and God's people.  Right into the middle of this story we begin with Zacharias and Elizabeth, and the story of the one who is called the Forerunner, John the Baptist.  Christ Incarnate is the centerpiece of the full story, and without John, God's story of the Christ would not be complete.  John's story begins here, within the framework of expectation of the people of Israel, those who await a Messiah, a Prophet, a King, a great High Priest.  In the shadow of the Roman Empire, with all its modernizing influences, its great and vast worldly power, even the beautification and stunning glorious rebuilding and fortification of the temple into something grand enough for Herod and for Empire, into all this comes our story which appropriately begins with the prayer in the temple.   As powerful and complex as the world becomes, the time is always right to think about reconciliation, righteousness, and what it means to be a "people of God."  Who is the world built for, who was the temple built for?  In the midst of the Roman census, a child will be born!  He comes into the center of our world, our reality, our lives, and our history.  All our concerns and care, the things that impress us, the power that we might fear, the mighty structures we admire, the creations we respect -- all of it comes down to that one child in the middle of time, who makes God human and thereby truly roots us in what is humane.    We begin with the parents of the Baptist, the Forerunner, who remind us that all this is really God's story, and that we are called to see God in the midst of everything we think we see and know.  We keep in mind this is happening as Israel has not seen a sign, not heard a prophet, not had a true king, for a long while.  It's not about what we expect, and it's not about what we would choose if we were to make up this story on our own.  In weakness God's strength is perfected.  As we count toward the birth of the Christ and its commemoration, let us remember that God came to the world to show us, to help us, to find our way to Him.  We're not all to be the same, as our recent readings in Matthew have taught.  But to truly learn, we each must find His way for ourselves and to help one another to do so, in all humility.   In what way does God's story unfold in you?  Zacharias illustrates what it is to deny a possibility when it is revealed by God, based on our own expectations.  Let us remember that the least likely may be the very chosen above all, and remember today, in each moment, in a prayer,  the God of small beginnings. 

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they will also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew's Gospel focus on the questions of the destruction of the temple and also of Jesus' return, the end of the age (see earlier readings from Saturday, Monday, Tuesday,  Wednesday, and Thursday).   In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the parable of the talents: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went out on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

  "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  This is the climax of Jesus' discourse on the end of the age, and He gives us a picture and prophecy of universal judgment.  The time of the Cross is near, and He gives His hearers the true image of His identity.  Sheep are used to illustrate the righteous, says my study bible, for they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats indicate the unrighteous, because they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, representing sin.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"   To inherit is to be a son or daughter as opposed to a stranger or a servant.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).   

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' "     Many church fathers see in this inspiration to mercy a command for "feeding" those who need the spiritual food of the Gospel (those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness"), for liberating those who are imprisoned by sin and life without the message of mercy, those who need healing from spiritual ailments.  We have to be able to see not only the literal meaning here, but also to understand that many are poor, hungry, naked, strangers, imprisoned, in all kinds of forms.   We also have the command to love neighbor as oneself expressed here in action, by seeing Christ in each of these.

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they will also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."   This fire wasn't prepared for human beings, but "for the devil and his angels."  But things depend on what we choose, with whom we choose to ally, or not.  These choices are made, says my study bible, by "coldness of heart."

Jesus always takes us into elective choice, and active practice of love.  If we notice carefully, we want to understand what He means by "the least of these My brethren."  He doesn't say that everyone is an heir; that status belongs to those who engage in this active practice of mercy, but clearly there are those who do not fall into this category as He indicates.  Our initiation, and even adoption, seems to depend at least to some extent upon our own initiative, just as the Good Samaritan was a neighbor by initiative.   It is elective, active love, the practice of mercy, that guides us into relationship and relatedness, on His terms.  This is what it means to follow His commands.  The practice of righteousness isn't just a general rule of how much one gives, or a kind of surface level of conduct.  As we've seen from His criticisms of the leadership in the temple, hypocrisy is capable of putting on a good face, an elaborate ritual of good practice.  There has to be a spiritual component to all of this, one that touches the heart and incorporates grace, and thereby do the commentaries of the early church fathers reflect the spiritual nature of interpretation.   It's all about the heart and His commands.  I think it's particularly important that we understand that the poor, the stranger, those imprisoned, naked, or hungry can come in all kinds of forms, otherwise our hearts are blind and deaf to the person sitting next to us, and we're also blind and deaf to Jesus' teachings and doctrines that reach to the heart, and ask us to go outside of our own self-centered worlds.  The prompting of grace requires active faith.  Wealthy people who've stolen money from others write large checks all the time to demonstrate their charity for show.  All kinds of people participate in charitable organizations that do good works in order to impress, or even to gain social standing.  That's not what He's asking for.  This is not a legalistic framework.  What does it really mean to be a brother or a sister, a co-heir to this kingdom of mercy?  It means seeing and hearing what He asks us to see and to hear.  It means hearts open to following His teachings, and thereby putting them into action.  This is action that comes from good faith.   My study bible says that the standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward others.  Works produced by faith are emphasized; saving faith always produces righteous works.  It says that what we do reflects our true inner state, a teaching Jesus has emphasized over and over again throughout His ministry.  Let us remember that needs come in all kinds of forms, both spiritual and physical.  We will be truly living as members of this Kingdom if we allow ourselves to really pay attention.

To everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went out on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

- Matthew 25:14-30

Throughout chapter 24, and now in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has been teaching the disciples both about the destruction to come in Jerusalem and about the end of the age when He will return (see readings from Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight, a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went out on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"   Immediately after giving the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, Jesus gives us the parable of the Talents.  We recall that in yesterday's reading, the "wise" could not give or share their oil with the "foolish."  Today's parable illustrates the principle of using what we're given in order to create more.  Each of us has some gift or gifts given by God.  The capacity to love, for example, is a gift of God.  My study bible tells us that even one talent was a great sum of money in the ancient world.  Here it is representative of the goodness bestowed by God upon every person.  The amount each received, it tells us, is based on that person's abilities (see Romans 12:4-8).  In the ultimate reward, there is no partiality shown by God -- each is invited to share in the same joy.  My study bible also adds that the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent.  Idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness; that is, ignoring the capacities we have for serving this Kingdom.  To bury the talent in the ground is to hide what one is given -- or even, in analogy, using what one is given for only "earthly" pursuits.  Taking the analogy further, planting a seed is what one does in the ground, but for this talent a different use is appropriate in order to make it grow.  Therefore, we need to find the right use of each gift!  The bankers, says my study bible, represent other faithful people -- experts -- to whom the man could have turned for advice for wise use of the talents.  Since help is available in the Church, this man hasn't an excuse.

In yesterday's reading, we made note of the fact that the oil could not be shared between those who had made provisions early and those who were late.  Today's parable gives us a closer expression about why we must profit from our own "talents."  Jesus' summation, that "to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away" expresses the idea that each of us is expected to be a good servant:  to do what we can with what we have in service to the Master.  The key here is that by making an effort, presumably through prayer and love of God, through seeking good discernment, we find ways to use whatever abilities with which we've been endowed to serve the Kingdom.  In so doing, we add oil to our lamps, so to speak, we grow in that capacity, receive "more" to the talent we might use, expand whatever contribution we make to this Kingdom.  It seems to go hand in hand that the oil in the lamps of the virgins in yesterday's parable, which is mercy, is also the grace of the talents.  Somehow our cooperative efforts in service are magnified through grace.   That's why our own choices and the spirit in which they are made are so important and essential to the process.  We've noted in the past in commentary on this parable that the third servant, who buried his talent in the ground, was motivated by fear of the master as a hard man, a harsh judge.  The others were motivated by a desire to please the Master.  How we think about God -- how we know God -- is essential to our service.  God's loving kindness is essential to our understanding of what we are about; in yet another way, love becomes the centerpiece of all relatedness in this Kingdom, its heartbeat and energy.  And let's note another "opposite" to fear:  courage.  It takes courage to use talent this way.  Hiding is another response to fear.   To live in the light of truth, and to declare that truth in testimony by working for this Kingdom takes courage; it may make us out of step with a world focused on other goals, and not on the love of God.  It reminds us of St. Paul's teachings in Letter to the Romans, about which kingdom we serve:  that of sin or grace, death or life.   Above, we cited Romans 12:4-8, in which St. Paul speaks of the various members of the Church as each having specific gifts to offer within the whole.  But it's significant that we see that throughout the Letter to the Romans, the ways in which we play our part are emphasized by Paul in terms of advancing this Kingdom.  In Romans 6:13, St. Paul teaches that we must not use "our members" -- that is, parts of ourselves -- as instruments to sin.  The word translated as instruments actually means "weapons" in the Greek.  Moreover, "members" was an archaic word for weapons, just as in English we use "arms" to also mean weapons.  Therefore, when St. Paul tells us that we are to "put on the whole armor of God" (in Ephesians 6), he is speaking the consistent language of what it is to enlarge and expand this Kingdom; that is "instruments of righteousness."  Everything we choose becomes important in this context, because each act of righteousness, or of God's justice and the practice of mercy, becomes a way in which we serve and also expand this Kingdom.  Let us consider Jesus' emphasis in today's parable on our own voluntary capacity for service, and how essential it is to the understanding of how grace works in us and grows.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming

 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight, a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

- Matthew 25:1-13

In recent readings, Jesus has been speaking both about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple) and also the time of His second coming, the end of the age  (see readings from Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday).  In yesterday's reading, He continued, "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight, a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."  Jesus today gives us the parable of the Ten Virgins:  all about those preparing for a wedding, for the bridegroom.  The Bridegroom, as we know, is Christ.  The Kingdom is often portrayed as a marriage (see Matthew 22:1-14) between Christ and His Bride, who is the Church.  This is a marriage that happens at the end of the age, when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride in to the great eternal wedding banquet.   My study bible suggests to us that this parable is mainly about the virtue of charity and almsgiving.   The words for oil and "mercy" have the same root in Greek; they sound alike.  And we have to also understand that all healing medicine up until quite recent history was based on balms which used the same olive oil base:  so in Scriptural language, mercy and healing are tied as well with the idea of anointing.   When we understanding anointing as that which sanctifies, as Messiah is "the Anointed One" and as the Holy Spirit anoints the world, and each one of us at baptism (chrismation), then we begin to understand the intertwined nature of mercy, holiness, healing, and Christ:  all contained linguistically in this word that sounds like the word for olive oil (which by tradition also fills the oil lamps in churches).  We can take a further look at this Scriptural implication when we read the parable of the Good Samaritan, who also uses oil (and wine) to heal the wounds of the injured stranger.  All of this is for us to understand that mercy is the essence of Christ's call and of the Church itself.  So, the wise virgins are those who practice mercy and charity in life, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts in a self-centered way.  My study bible tells us that the fact that all the virgins slumbered and slept indicates death -- in our world, the virtuous will die alongside the wicked.  The cry at midnight, at the coming of the bridegroom, is the Second Coming, when, as my study bible puts it, the "wicked will arise with the righteous for judgment."    We also have to consider why the righteous can't share their oil:  it's an illustration that we each must have our own faith and virtue for this Kingdom; it also teaches us about the necessity of "having" such virtue in this lifetime -- that our capacities really do depend on our practice.

The teachings in today's parable, and in yesterday's reading about the "good servant," tie together in the essence of Christ's teachings.  We return again and again to His commands that we are to love God wholeheartedly and with all that we are, and to love neighbor as oneself.  We remember also that He left us with a new commandment:  to love one another as He has loved us.  If this is the practice of mercy (and these commands encapsulate active love and mercy), then by following these commands, and remembering what we are to be about, we keep our lamps full of the oil of Christ's mercy, the active love He calls us to be always a part of.  Recently a friend shared with me an excerpt from a book quite popular in some circles, and whose author has received numerous awards, which I've written about earlier this month (in this reading).  In it, the author stated that in his younger days, he defined himself by the people he hated, the "others" who were different.  But what we see repeatedly with Christ is just the opposite teaching:  the call to community is through love, through who we love and love actively.  Love of God and love of neighbor, and love for one another as He has loved us:  these are the basis of identity in Christ.  This is so important, because it sets us in the right place of "right relatedness" to do so, to practice His commands, as He has taught.  We can't forget what that means, and how it roots us in the oil of His mercy.  If we look around the world, we see a lot of hate being fostered in various ways.  There is tremendous violence being expressed on both personal and social levels.  We have terrorist groups that encourage individual hatred and rage be channeled into some sort of social statement of blind mass violence.  We have individuals in copycat scenarios who use their personal rage to assault others in frequently suicidal rampage as well.  These scenes are antithetical to the life to which Christ calls us.  He does not ask us to live out rage and anger.  It is Christ who taught us that even name-calling is akin to the statute against murder (Matthew 5:22).  Rage and anger do not provide us with longterm solutions to problems.  There is a "righteous anger" that may be directed toward the identification of injustice, lacking love.  But our activities must be done in His love.      In Jesus' great critiques of religious practices in His day, He speaks the clear truth about hypocrisy, and bad, unjust practice.  He tells the truth and He doesn't mince words.  But truth must be spoken in the kind of love that He calls us toward.  This isn't a "minced words" sort of statement that somehow everybody is right.  No, it's a clear statement about where His love leads us, and where the failure to practice that love takes us:  the abuse of the "widow and the orphan" (in violation of the Law), the harm and lack of care of "the littlest ones" or "the least of these."  To protect the powerless, to love one another the way He teaches, is His way.  Let us remember to be guided by what we love.  To take our cues from prayer and seeking His way reminds us that we are to be both "wise and faithful," as His words taught in yesterday's reading.  The Kingdom come near means we participate in it; we live in it and it lives in us.  The only way to keep our vessels full is to do as He teaches.  If we truly pay attention to the words of this parable, the time to do so is right now.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

- Matthew 24:45-51

 In recent readings, Jesus has been speaking to His disciples about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and also about the end of the age, the time of His second coming (see the earlier readings from Saturday and Monday).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus told them, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Origen points out in his commentary that to be both "faithful and wise" is a rare combination, but Christ asks for both.  This servant is the one who serves Christ, whose job it is to "feed" the household.  It is an image of the Church, and of those who would minister in the Church.  Since this is a discourse to the apostles, it's most certainly applied to those who would be bishops, about being good pastors.  But to give food isn't only about hierarchs, but rather to all those entrusted with the riches of both spiritual gifts and the blessings of the world.  With what gifts have we been entrusted, and how do we use them to feed others?  The great key here is once again, as in so much of Scripture, the thought that "God doesn't see."  That is, that the master is delayed in his coming, and so self-centered or selfish patterns can emerge.  As with Jesus' criticisms of the leaders in the temple, this is a warning to His own pastors and those of us who consider ourselves His disciples to consider how we live in community.  Do we distribute what we have for the edification and nurturing of the others?  How can we be both faithful and wise?  Or does life turn back to the ways of hypocrisy, in which others are mistreated or exploited, in which the things of God are neglected in one's own conduct and particularly in feeding the household?  One stands to lose entirely one's portion in the house of God, sonship and being an heir to the Kingdom.  To be outcast from this heavenly community is to be cast away from the life offered by Christ.

What is it to be both faithful and wise?  This is a rather intriguing statement, and it would seem that Christ is teaching the disciples that to truly be good shepherds of His household will to take more than just diligence.  To be both faithful and wise is to seek God with all one's heart and soul and mind and strength, and it is also to love one's neighbor as oneself.  That is, to seek God fully and at the same time to consider wise management of resources, to be prudent, just, and merciful.  Christ calls on these disciples to be not just faithful, but also diligent and wise in the application of putting that faith to work, in actively feeding His household.  That's a great deal to ask, and yet of these men who will be His bishops and all their descendents in the sonship or heirs of the Church, that's what He asks.  Extending this to each of us who would be His servants means that we are called upon as fully as possible to live out our lives and our potentials as "rational sheep" to be those who are willing to grow in the life He calls us to -- to develop the gifts with which we're entrusted in ways both faithful and wise.  When we start to think that faithfulness as a sort of highly passive activity, then we had better read His words and think again.  Jesus is calling for servants who are capable of using their intelligence and capacity for wisdom, as well as all the gifts of faithful and enduring persistence in following His commands.  It reminds us of the call to prayer in what is called the "prayer of the heart" in the Eastern Church.  In this tradition, the Fathers from the earliest desert monastics call on us to pray "with the mind in the heart."  There isn't a single part of us that Jesus neglects nor fails to nourish:  He calls on all that we are to be a part of this challenge of how we live our lives and feed His household.  Neither our intelligence, nor wisdom in experience, nor capacity for effort, nor our faithfulness in the depth of the heart is to be neglected in service to His children.  Let us consider the challenge we're issued:  to become human beings who measure up to His standards of conduct as fully as possible, who grow in that faith and wisdom, and in so doing are to nurture and feed a flock -- a household.  This is what constitutes a good steward.  This challenge calls to us on every level of human life experience, and expands our concepts of ourselves so that we grow in His service.  Are you ready for that?  Do you expect the master?  Or do we grow lazy and neglectful and selfish, lost in other pursuits?  Which would you rather be?  That's really our great choice.

You also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

- Matthew 24:32-44

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse on "end times""Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Jesus has just described two scenarios:  the destruction in Jerusalem that was to come, and also the time of His return, His second coming.  My study bible says that this generation referred to here is the "generation" of the Church, all believers at all times; it's the characteristic of the age, not merely those alive at the time of Christ.  But in yesterday's reading, it was made clear that among those listening to Him speak there would be those who would see the catastrophe to come in Jerusalem.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study bible cites St. Chrysostom, who comments that Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not just from learning the day but even inquiring about it.  In Mark 13:32, and also in Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also doesn't know the day of His return.  Chrysostom's commentary teaches that this isn't to be taken literally but rather is a figure of speech.  Christ has revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, but won't reveal the exact day to anyone - and believers should not attempt to inquire of Him.  However we understand it, Christ's words are very clear:  this is a great mystery, not to be known nor revealed until the time of the return itself.

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."   The signs of judgment are in the vivid images Jesus gives here.  His second coming will come with a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to be with Him, and the other left.  This will happen with the coming of the Son of Man.   These images of two together, and one taken is reminiscent of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.   Jesus' first emphasis, however, is on the fact that no one will know the time at which this occurs.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Jesus assures His followers of several things.  He has assured us of His return.  He has assured us of judgment.  And He assures emphatically and repeatedly that we do not know what hour our Lord is coming.  This is something that will remain a mystery, and will take the world as a sudden event, at an hour we do not expect.  What He calls us to be is ready, aware of what He has told us, and about the work of good servants.

Judgment is a tricky subject.  There are theories about what is called Universalism:  that is, put very simplistically, that in an eternity of God's love, repentance will come to all, and all will be saved.  Jesus speaks, however, quite vividly about two together, and one taken.  We have to wonder, what is the other left behind for?  All of these things are mysteries we don't really know the answer to.  But there are some things that Jesus assures us about.  One is the reality of Judgment, another is the fact of His return.  He assures us that it will happen suddenly, and when we don't expect it.  And His counsel for His followers is simply one thing:  to be alert.  That is, to be carrying out His commandments.  As Master of the house, He may return any time, and it's His servants He wants to find doing as He's asked.  Let's recall His commandments:  loving God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and loving neighbor as oneself -- that is as another creation of God.  He's given us, His followers, another command:  to love one another as He has loved us.  In tomorrow's reading, we'll be given a parable about what a good servant is, and what constitutes a bad servant.  Jesus' parables about good servants and bad focus quite a bit on justice and on forgiveness, treating one another well and justly.  They also give us an insight into corruption, and how it flourishes where His commands aren't heeded.  There's a very good reason why we are to remember the imminent, unknown, surprising nature of His Return, and to keep it uppermost in our minds.  It reminds us of His values, and most of all it is a prompting about the essence of justice and mercy in His sight and in the ways in which we live our lives.  To be just is not only to be merciful but also to treat one another with the kind of fairness that puts His call to community first, to right-relatedness before all else.  What gets in the way?  The selfishness of corruption, of looking the other way when someone else is beaten, or targeted, or cheated.  "Corruption" has often been used as a word that indicates the state of being "fallen," and to indicate evil and its its effects.  When corruption flourishes in a society it goes hand in hand with a denial of God.   If we are to look at Scripture, the great prophets all roared about corruption: judges who were bought off, false prophets who foretold good news for those who paid them to do so.  Jesus' critiques of the leadership in the temple speak of an underlying corruption, hardship laid on the poor, even tithing used as a cover-up for practices that obscure and deny justice and mercy and faith.  The prophet Micah speaks against those "who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity" (see Micah 3:9-11).  It doesn't matter how "good" the stated cause, what counts in the sight of God is how we get there, whose word and teachings we follow, and what and who we truly love.  If we keep His return in mind, His judgment, we are far more likely to take these teachings seriously.  As the prophets speak, it is those who feel that "God doesn't see" who are the most corrupt (see Psalm 94:7).   John's Gospel teaches that those who fear the light do so because their deeds are evil; those who live His truth do not fear the light (John 3:20-21).  How we treat one another, how we build our societies, what levels of corruption we tolerate that harms the poor and powerless, have everything to do with our faith and whether or not we take His return seriously.  It all depends on what we love most and first.  St. Paul tells us that it is the love of money that is the root of all (kinds of) evil, continuing the teachings of the prophets of Israel and of Jesus the Messiah.  Whose judgment and consideration do we put first?   What do we love before everything else?